Category: Cars

May 2, 2008

In Search of a Quicker Demise

The industriousness and efficiency of humanity is really, really impressive if you stop to think about it. While lesser species sit around and wait for Nature to "happen," we devise new ways of accelerating our ass-over-teakettle tumble through new realities.

One particularly delicious example of this is global warming. "Oh, yes, we know all about that," you say, but wait...there's a cool twist.

For years, scientists have been telling us that the Earth's climate is changing, largely due to the burning of fossil fuels and other of man's activities that result in a hotter planet. And for years, scientists have been predicting the most dire of outcomes: dramatic loss of coastal land (and the cities that sit on them), increasingly violent and unpredictable weather, a huge decrease in biodiversity as scores of plant and animal species fail to adapt to what is essentially overnight change to their ecosystems, and so on.

One prediction that scared the US Defense Department so much that it put global warming on its list of top national security threats was the likelihood of widespread food shortages. Changing weather patterns, including increased drought and flooding, were going to wreck havoc on food production around the globe. This shortage would then lead to instability in parts of the world that weren't terribly stable to begin with and further fuel the anti-Western backlash that began sometime before this decade. This would generate new threats like terrorism, disruptions to our own food and energy supply chains, and increase the uncertainty in global markets. All told, not a very rosy scenario.

And that was all supposed to happen by the middle of this century.

But, humanity's unfailing inability to leave bad enough alone has created a worldwide food shortage well before global warming could directly. No, global warming (which, remember, is our fault) is motivating us to seek out alternative fuel sources, such as corn-based petroleum substitutes. These biofuels are diminishing the availability of food and driving up costs. This, in turn, is starting to generate unease in the world's poorest communities. And that is precisely the type of situation that the Defense Department warned us about...just about 40 years earlier than predicted.

It is indeed ironic that our efforts to stem global warming are resulting in many of the very same problems that global warming was itself going to cause, just sooner. When your best effort to avoid calamity only hastens its arrival, you have to wonder whether there's any hope of steering clear at all.

Posted by Craig in Cars and Industry and Science & Nature
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

April 24, 2008

Religious License Plates in Florida

If Florida gets the Christian license plates that some lawmakers there have proposed, this should be an equally justifiable plate option for Sunshine State residents:

Posted by Craig in Cars and Society / Politics
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (1)

April 23, 2008

As Gas Prices Go Up, Driving Goes Down...Finally

Pundits figured it would take gas at $4/gallon to curb driving. Looks like they were about right, but with the overall economy in recession, it only took $3.50/gallon or so to get things started. BusinessWeek has a good article on it.

Posted by Craig in Cars and Society / Politics
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

January 14, 2008

Photograph Your Car, Violate the Car-Maker's Trademark....Huh?

I just came across this ridiculous story on BoingBoing about Ford preventing a Mustang owner's group from publishing a calendar featuring photos the owners took of their own cars on the grounds that all images of Ford cars are inherently trademarked and, therefore, property of Ford.

Can American companies become any more stupid than this? I'm not quite sure it's possible.

For the record, I'm fairly confident Subaru has no such policy. And just to try it out, here's a shot of my own car (a 2005 Impreza WRX STI).

Posted by Craig in Cars and Photography and Society / Politics
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

January 3, 2008

Ford Mustang Shelby GT vs 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Edmunds.com has a fascinating comparo: the 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT against the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

At first, you think "who would compare these two?" After all, the 'Stang is a tried-and-true RWD muscle car and the STI is an AWD rally racer in street car garb. The Ford has two doors and a whopping-big engine (that even says "Shelby" on it), whereas the Subaru has 5 doors (it's a hatchback) and a little 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-4.

So, who won? Watch the video and find out...it's a lot of fun!

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

June 13, 2007

The 3-State Race (3SR): 86-Mile Road Race around Cincinnati I-275 Loop

I have an idea. It's pretty crazy and 99% likely never to bear fruit, but I feel compelled to describe it here...just in case. And don't think this is entirely thought out...I'm imagining it literally as I type.

Imagine this: a road race around the 86-mile loop of highway circling Cincinnati, Ohio known as I-275 (map below). I-275 in Cincinnati is a divided highway ranging from 2 to 4 lanes in both directions. It wanders through three different states -- Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky -- and crosses the Ohio river twice.

Who could race in this event? Anyone. It would be a true road race where any road-worthy automobile may enter. Think road rally for the everyman.

But who would race in this event? That's an entirely different question. Since closing I-275 would be impossible for any period of time more than, say, a few hours (if even then), the field of cars would have to be limited to about 180. Here's how I figure that. If one lap is 86 miles and even the pokiest racer should be able to average 100 mph, that's .86 hours, or about 50 minutes around the whole loop. If you want to finish the last car in by noon (to re-open the highway), and you wanted to start each car a minute behind the previous one (so as to limit bunching up), then you could launch cars for three hours straight (e.g., starting at 8am, the last one leaving at 11am and returning just before noon).

But, who would those 180 racers be? Well, we'd need to make sure that they know how to drive, so they would have to show that their cars are road-legal and pass a full race safety inspection (a la SCCA rules). But that would still leave thousands aching for a chance to blast through closed highways at ridiculous speeds.

So, to further pare the field, a $500 entry fee would be required. Maybe make it $1,000...or maybe auction off the spots. Alternately, and this could be done to help offset the costs of hosting the race (more on that later), the organizers could require a $X00 fee to enter a RAFFLE from which participants would be drawn. Then, each participant would have to pay the entry fee to actually race. The motivation would be the thrill, potential prize money, and some local fame.

I also imagine that you'd need a few classes of cars, primarily for sequencing the starts (you should have the fastest cars at the beginning and the slowest at the end in order to minimize overtaking and passing) and based primarily on top speeds (e.g., 180+, 160-180, 140-160, and less than 140). This would be the perfect opportunity for those rich guys with their Porsche Carreras and Mercedes SLRs to really open them up on public roads. It would also make for a really fine exotic car show.

Staging the cars could be done at an on-ramp area near I-75 and adjacent to a large commercial base of restaurants, etc. for helping support the hordes of tourists.

And that brings me to the money part. This could, if managed correctly, be a HUGE money-maker for the region. While you could you sell TV rights to the event, the tourism dollars alone would be enormous. If the race is on a Sunday morning (lightest traffic means the best time to close the highway for a few hours), then the day before, a Saturday, could be a huge parade of all the cars through downtown Cincinnati. It could be like a public Indy 500 for the everyday guy.

My biggest concern would be the ability to negotiate a way to close down a major highway loop that crosses three different states for a period of 4 daylight hours. If that could be done, the rest would be perfectly feasible, I think. And, if it could be pulled off once, the second year would be bigger, better, and easier just because a lot of the complexities would have already been worked out.

So, if anyone from Cincinnati town council or Hamilton County is reading this, please consider this idea; I think it would be at least an interesting thing to attempt. Heck, Cincinnati once proposed to be the site of the summer Olympics. This race wouldn't be one-tenth that much cost or effort, yet might still accomplish many of the same goals for the city and the region.

Posted by Craig in Cars and Industry and Society / Politics and Travel
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (1)

March 11, 2007

Virtual Reality Sound Labs VRFM9 Quite the Multi-Talented FM Transmitter

While at Target earlier today looking for something else entirely, I stumbled upon the VRFM3 FM Transmitter by Virtual Reality Sound Labs. What caught my eye about this FM transmitter is the fact that it will play MP3 and WMA files directly from either a flash drive inserted into its USB port or an Secure Digital (SD) card inserted into its SD slot (see below). Of course, there's also a line-in jack for transmitting audio from another source (e.g., an iPod or Treo), but this is the first unit I've seen to offer both USB and SD interfaces. So, excited by the prospect of easy, cheap, portable, and completely wire-free tunage for any car I happen to be in, I plunked down my $49.99 and headed home to put the VRFM9 through its paces.

After an initial test, I'm very impressed by how well this device works. It does exactly what you would expect, if not hope, it to do, which, unfortunately, seems to be a rarity in consumer electronics. Plus, even more a rarity are the extensive written instructions (including color diagrams) that came with the device.

First, I tried the typical external input mode with my Treo 700p as source. The VRFM9 automatically detects which source is hooked up (if music is available by more than one source, priority goes first to the external line-in, then to the USB port, then last to the SD card slot; the unit will only play music from one source) and transmits that via one of its 15 preset FM channels (8 in the low range and 7 in the high range...enough to satisfy nearly everyone nearly all the time). The two-line LCD (at right) offers some information about the FM channel being used, play mode (normal v. shuffle), source, etc. If the unit is playing an MP3 or WMA file straight off USB or SD card, it will display the artist and song title as well (assuming these tags are present in the audio file). It's a bit cryptic and not a lot of characters appear at once, but given that you likely won't be interacting a lot with this device, it's certainly adequate, if not surprisingly nice. One nice UI touch is that when you switch tracks or change the volume, the display changes to show extra-large characters (e.g., "011/045" to let you know you're on track 11 of 45 total tracks on that source) for enhanced readability.

Second, I tried a couple different SD cards. Both my 2GB and 4GB SD (not SDHC) cards worked fine. The VRFM9 will scan the card when inserted and start playing the first one it comes across. It appears to play in this order: (1) anything in the root directory, in alphabetical order by file name, (2) anything in sub-directories in alphabetical order by sub-directory, then by file name within each sub-directory. Of course, putting the unit in Shuffle mode randomizes play across all files in all directories. One odd thing I noticed was that the unit would attempt to play the two WMV files I had in one sub-directory, but it was unsuccessful as no sound was transmitted.

I then attempted to use the VRFM9 with a USB flash drive (specifically, the 4GB Patriot Xporter XT that I reviewed previously), but no joy. The unit displayed "No Source" with that USB drive. I'll hunt around for another one and give it a go when I get a chance. Another note regarding use with flash drives; not all will fit. Particularly fat flash drives may be too girthy to fit into the VRFM9's port. If there's an SD card inserted, this further reduces the space around the USB port. Most normal extension cables will work fine.

One interesting tidbit is that a USB flash card reader that mounts like an external drive will let the user effectively play music through the VRFM9 via any of the flash media formats the reader supports. But as above, music will be played from only one card at a time. I tried plugging in an external USB hard drive (full 120VAC 3.5" drive), but no dice...the unit didn't recognize that anything was plugged in to the USB port.

Controls on the unit are spartan but adequate. They all click nicely and the dual-function (click vs. hold) is reasonably intuitive.

Now, two minor complaints. First, even though the unit ratchets through about a 120-degree sweep, the LCD isn't particularly readable except at very direct angles. So, if your car's cigarette lighter/power socket is way off to the side of the center console, you may not have much luck reading the display while driving. Second, as with all FM transmitters, sound quality is not particularly good. After all, you're limited to the sound quality of FM radio, which isn't going to impress anyone. Audiophiles will want to look to other (and likely much more expensive) hardwired solutions for getting their portable audio broadcast through their cars' stereos.

Overall, I am quite impressed by this device. Not only does it do exactly what you think it should, it seems reasonably well made and is not terribly expensive. And, given that many people have at least one lower-capacity SD card or USB flash drive sitting in a drawer not doing anything, this makes for a very easy way to put it to work as a music sherpa for your car.

There are also some nice reviews of the VRFM9 over at Audioholics and Gizmos for Geeks if you're still on the fence or want more opinions.

Posted by Craig in Cars and Home A/V and Mobile & PDAs and Music & Audio and Travel and Wireless
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

November 29, 2006

And the New Automotive Quality Champion Is...Subaru?

According to Auto Industry News, Subaru is the only car-maker to have all of its models listed as a "Recommended Vehicle" by Consumer Reports in that organization's new 2006 U.S. Annual Car Reliability Survey.

Interestingly, Subaru makes a significant number of its cars sold in the U.S. in the U.S. -- it's Lafayette, Indiana plant is capable of such high quality that Toyota will soon start producing Camrys there as well.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

May 30, 2006

Ariel Atom: One Darn Impressive Car

For just £29,000, you get a 2-seat car that's faster than a Porsche Carrera GT and less than half a second slower than a Ferrari Enzo around the Top Gear test track. Watch and be amazed:

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (1)

April 6, 2005

What Your Car Says About Your Politics

According to an interesting article in The New York Times, data-mining and large-scale surveys are turning up interesting consistencies between the cars people drive and their political leanings.

Among their findings: buyers of American cars tend to be Republican - except, for some reason, those who buy Pontiacs, who tend to be Democrats. Foreign-brand compact cars are usually bought by Democrats - but not Mini Coopers, which are bought by almost equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans. And Volvos may not actually represent quite what you think.

Two of the passages I found particularly interesting (possibly due to their personal relevance) are the following:

Scarborough found that Porsche owners identified themselves as Republican more often than owners of any other cars, with 59 percent calling themselves Republicans, 27 percent Democrats and the rest either calling themselves independents or declining to answer. Jaguars and Land Rovers also registered as very "Republican" vehicles.

"Volvos have become more plush and bourgeois, which is a Republican thing to be," said Mickey Kaus, a dual expert in politics and cars as the author of the Kausfiles and Gearbox columns for Slate. "Subaru is the new Volvo - that is, it is what Volvos used to be: trusty, rugged, inexpensive, unpretentious, performs well, maybe a bit ugly. You don't buy it because you want to show you have money; you buy it because you have college-professor values."

Read the full article if this piqued (not "peaked") your interest.

Posted by Craig in Cars and Society / Politics
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

March 27, 2005

Concept Cars of the 2005 New York Auto Show

The New York International Automobile Show is going on right now, and nearly every major car maker is there with prototypes in tow. While many of the cars are technological wonders, some are either ugly or haven't yet been blessed with attention from the marketing/naming department. Here are a few of the more suspect vehicles:

The Ford Fairlane concept SUV. Didn't we call "suicide doors" that for a reason?

The Ford SYNus. Yeah, I need one of these like a need a hole in my head. Ba-dum-dum. But seriously, this does look nice if you want your car to match your toaster oven.

The GMC Sequel. Everyone knows that sequels suck, and this one seems to have been inspired by an industrial air vent.

Mercury MetaOne. Reminds of me of a helmet of a Power Ranger or Stormtrooper. Is "MetaOne" supposed to mean something?

This is the risk you take when you let engineers name things and marketers design them.

Check out the car show's gallery to see more cars from the event.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

March 26, 2005

Interesting Auto PC Stuff from VeaLink

Mitch mentioned that he found some interesting PC gear for installation in cars over at VeaLink. They seem to have some compelling products. Don't know about pricing.

Posted by Craig in Cars and Computing
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

March 14, 2005

Installing the Omnifi DMP1

While I was setting up the DMS1 this weekend, Mitch recently installed his new Omnifi DMP1 and he was generous enough to share his thoughts and some pictures:

I spent a good portion of my Saturday installing the Omnifi DMP1, which is the mobile portion of the package Craig and I both ordered from Woot! The install was very smooth, but more ambitious than the average bear's as I was also putting in XM Radio at the same time. This required additional interior panels to be removed and some extra wiring.

I already had an AUX input equipped Alpine head unit in my Subaru WRX, so it really was just a plug-and-play operation with the exception of soldering the switched 12V, constant 12V and dash illumination wires. I cut a piece of plywood that fits under my driver's seat and won't move around. All the components bolted to the plywood and the wiring was semi-organized around it. The hard drive in the DMP1 is easily accessible from the rear seat footwell. I put the wireless antenna up on the package shelf.

The system fired up and worked with no issues other than an errant period in one of my MP3 filenames which crashed the synch. The sound quality is very, very good (better than the iPod that was plugged in for MP3 duties). File navigation could be improved, but it's not terrible. My wife, who fears most things technical, needed no instruction to find the files she wanted to play. That's saying something.

The only real niggle I have with the system right now is my inability to synch the system wirelessly. I can see my home network, but can't get the car to see the media server. I will figure it out, but the implementation is a bit wonky as the firmware refuses to retain a WEP key. I will have to go WEP-less to find a workaround.

I have not had time to try any of the other UPnP music servers, but I will. The TwonkyVision server sounds nice as it works well with the Linksys NSLU2. I'm formatting a new 250GB drive as I type this which could become my new media server.

If the DMS1 is a cool as this DMP1, I will be totally pleased with my $200 purchase. Kudos to Craig for catching that one over on Woot!

Photo: Close-up of Wi-Fi adapter on rear package shelf (wired through the LATCH fixture opening)

Photo: Mess o' wires mounted under driver's seat

Photo: DMP1 mounted above Alpine head unit

Photo: Completed center console in WRX cockpit

Posted by Craig in Cars and Music & Audio and Wireless
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (34)

May 26, 2004

Toyota Prius 'High-Score' Uploader

The Toyota Prius (yes, the hybrid car, shown) tracks your gas mileage over time. As you drive, your driving habits (lead-footing it, slow acceleration, etc.) affect your gas mileage. Wired recently had an article about how different drivers' driving styles can affect their resulting MPG significantly.

So, I was thinking...what we need is a high-score uploader! Imagine that your Prius, using its Bluetooth technology, can connect to the Internet through your mobile phone. When it does, it uploads to a secure server your fuel efficiency for the last week, month, year, and the lifetime of the car.

Then, just like console and PC games, you can go online and check out how you fare compared to all the other Prius drivers out there. Or, you could compare yourself with all the other drivers in your state or your city (I'm guessing San Francisco drivers might be at either an advantage or a disadvantage due to the hills). Perhaps even better would be the ability to pull up the "high scores" right on the Prius' in-car display. Perhaps this would be the first actual reality-based driving game.

Suddenly, it becomes a competitive activity to try and get the most fuel economy out of your car. Every time you drive, you're trying to maximize your distance while minimizing your gas usage. Prius drivers who just want to "win" at the game end up saving gas and being environmentally friendly, regardless of their eco-political perspective.

No, this doesn't exist yet, but I think it would be a pretty cool idea. I know that it might just sell some more Priuses as well and would be pretty inexpensive to do.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

April 3, 2004

FuelEconomy.gov

The US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) runs a really useful, interesting, and fairly nicely laid out website at fueleconomy.gov. There, you can look up nearly any car model sold in the US in the past 20 years and compare its environmental impact side-by-side with, say, what you're driving now or something you're considering buying. Or, it could be handy if you just want to shame that SUV-driving friend of yours. There's some good info on fuel cells and hybrid technology at the site as well.

Posted by Craig in Cars and Internet
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (6)

January 30, 2004

Volkswagen Not Just "The People's Car" Anymore

In case you've been living under a rock, you might not have heard that Volkswagen is trying hard to leave behind its image as the maker of the original bargain-basement Beetle and the VW Bus, a favored ride by Deadheads and hippies the world over.

Volkswagen has begun selling the Phaeton (shown), a large luxury sedan that shreds any previous stereotype that VW may think it needs to overcome.

For starters, the Phaeton offers an optional W-12 engine (yes, that's 12 cylinders) pumping out 420 HP. The car sports Volkswagen's 4Motion AWD system and a 6-speed automatic tranny with the Tiptronic pseudo-manual shifting feature. Real wood, real leather, and a 4-zone climate control system are some of the interior features.

So what does the top-of-the-line W12-equipped Phaeton run? Would you believe me if I said this Volkswagen is nearly $90,000? Of course, if you can settle for a mere 335 HP, 8-cylinder engine and no options, you can drive a Phaeton home for the bargain price of just $65,000, gas guzzler tax not included.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (2)

Some Car Tech I'd Like to See

It snowed 3 inches here last evening and the overnight temperature hovered in the single digits -- even road salt doesn't work that well at this temperature. Needless to say, the roads were pretty messy. My 968 doesn't do so well in these conditions (no surprise there) and it got me thinking about what tech I'd like on a car. Here's a short list:

• Optional AWD -- the Porsche 911 Turbo has a slick AWD set-up that allows up to nearly 100% of the power to go to the rear wheels, ideal for racing in dry conditions. But, when needed, a significant % of its power can go to the front wheels, enhancing traction in the wet. Ideally, though, it'd be great to be able to switch off AWD entirely and then (easily) remove the forward portion of the drivetrain altogether to save weight when it's not needed.

• Intelligent snow tires -- I don't think these exist, but it would be pretty cool if the tires could automagically extend little snow/ice studs or blades when the car detects slippery below freezing conditions. Sure, this idea is a bit Bondian, but it'd still be neat.

• Hovercraft mode -- Why bother with snow at all? Activate hover/levitation mode and skim right over it without a care. As you might guess, I really hope to live long enough to see Luke Skywalker's Land Speeder become reality. Of course, I'd also take Corben Dallas' hovercab (from The Fifth Element).

• Better airbags -- If I'm gonna get in an accident, which is inevitable given the proclivity of folks who can't drive deciding they should simultaneously attempt to converse on the phone, I want protection. Sure, modern cars have front airbags, side airbags, head airbags, rear airbags...but that's not enough. I want the setup the Mars Rover has (below). Now that's security.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

January 16, 2004

Mazda Transformer

I will buy the first production car that can actually do this.

Cool anim, Mazda...thanks.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (3)

January 14, 2004

VW/Audi 1.8T (4 Cylinder)--Little Engine that Could

I have always stayed away from any Turbo-charged engines in the past for a variety of reasons (Turbo lag for one). Instead, I have always opted to get a regular V6 or V8 in order to get the necessary HP I needed. So, why am I writing about this turbo engine? To my surprise, for the first time in my life, I am driving a car that has a turbo-charged engine. The 1.8T has 5 Valves per cylinder (total of 20 Valves) and can typically produce 170 or 180HP @ 5900 rpm stock and if you add a new chip from custom auto shops, you can get this up to 200 to 210HP easily for about $500 installed. However, it is not the prodigious HP that I felt in love with. It's the broad and flat torque curve. For instance, my engine (170 HP) produces the maximum torque of 166 lb.ft @ 1950-5000 rpm. Talk about the range! The engine has a minimum turbo lag, and sings beautifully at 4000 to 5000 rpm. The best yet is the gas mileage I can get with this engine--21/22 city and 30/31 highway. The engine is also environmental friendly (ULEV) as well. So, I'm sold. This is a highly refined engine that goes against the "macho" logic that you need to apply the brute force in designing engines (the bigger and more, the better).

Posted by Ken in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (9)

December 15, 2003

Rant: Most of us STILL Drive Cars

I drove up to the ATM at a local bank and...stared at a brick wall. Huh? Then I looked up...waay up. There was the ATM...about 3 feet above my car's window and well out of reach.

Apparently, somebody at this bank figured that everyone must be driving 7-foot high SUV's now. Well, guess again, buddy boy -- cars still outnumber SUV's by a healthy margin, and will for the foreseeable future.

Interesting to note that someone else also recently had this same (crappy) experience. Wake up, bank -- lower your freaking ATM back down before all us car drivers start finding other places to do our banking.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (2)

November 13, 2003

New from Q: The Aquada

From the James Bond department, the Aquada is a convertible that transforms into a speedboat.

The high-speed amphibian (HSA) vehicle reaches speeds of up to 100 mph (160 kph) on land and 30 mph (48 kph) over water, taking seconds to make the change from sportscar to jet-powered speedboat.

The Aquada is powered by a 175-hp, V6 engine with a 4-speed auto tranny linked to a sealed jet propulsion system for marine operation. The car needs a slope or boat ramp to drive into the water, so unfortunately mid-air takeoffs and splashdowns are out.

However, the vehicle does meet all European road and marine safety standards and is fully-legal for both water and land use. Owners do need insurance for both uses.

Price tag? About £150,000... only about a week's wage if your agent code has a double-O prefix. Gibbs Technologies, makers of the Aquada, are not commenting on a rumored submarine version.

Posted by Sam in Cars and Other and Travel
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (3)

November 12, 2003

Bombardier Embrio -- Unicycle on Steroids

The Segway is to the Bombardier Embrio (pictured) as a Cessna 172 is to an F-14 Tomcat. They'll both get you there, but you will get way more cool points if you arrive on the Embrio.

According to this article in Forbes, the Embrio is a one-wheel, fuel cell-powered concept vehicle. It uses gyroscopes (a la the Segway) to balance the rider on a single wheel. When slowed under 12 mph, a secondary wheel drops down from the front to help the rider balance when he/she comes to a stop.

Basically, I want one. I know it's just a concept, but I want one anyway. I've been looking at alternate means to handle my 5 mile daily commute on city streets, and this might just be the ticket. Now if I can just wait, oh, 10 years until fuel cells become viable...

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (10)

October 1, 2003

Confused over the X3?

Yesterday, Gizmodo outlined some of the specifications of Dell's forthcoming low-end offering, the X3. However, some have gotten this confused with BMW's forthcoming low-end offering, also called the X3.

To address this confusion, we've created a handy table identifying the differences:

	Dell X3	BMW X3
Engine	300 MHz, 400 MHz	2.5L, 3.0L
Screen	3.5" 16-bit color	shatter-resistant + tinted
Expansion	SD Slot	Fold-down seats
Wireless	Wi-Fi (optional)	AM/FM Stereo (standard)

Both models are smaller and lighter than the companies' larger X5 models (respectively). We hope that clears up any confusion.

Posted by Craig in Cars and Mobile & PDAs
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (2)

September 23, 2003

Auto-X a Total Blast

This year, I started doing something I've wanted to do for a long time: race my car. I'm no Paul Newman, and I don't own a track car, so the most reasonable type of racing I can expect to do is something called autocross (or auto-X) or Solo II, depending on who you talk to.

Autocross is basically individual timed racing around a course laid out with pylons (small traffic cones). There's usually only one (or two) cars on the track at a time, so there's no chance of careening into another driver. The courses are usually laid out in a big parking lot, an unused dragstrip, or any other large body of asphalt.

In June, I started racing with the Ohio Valley Region (OVR) of the Porsche Club of America (PCA). These guys are a real hoot, and some of them are pretty impressive drivers as well. Here's a pic of me in my first ever auto-X event -- notice the complete lack of any suggestion of speed in the photo (I've gotten a fair bit faster since then). :-)

Basically, anyone with a car in good mechanical condition (mandatory), no major health risks, and a desire to learn more about how to handle your vehicle in vigorous maneuvers can participate -- most car clubs don't require participants to be members. So, if you want to read up more on autocrossing, there is some good information at the PCA Autocross site and at the Tire Rack website. Now get out there!

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (3)

September 18, 2003

The God of Cars Comes to the USA

Fifteen years ago, Porsche produced 230 examples of what many enthusiasts feel is the ultimate automobile. The 959 was and is superlative in every way. I will not repeat its specifications as most car people know them by heart already. Due to their outrageous cost and ultra scarcity, it's very unusual to see one in even the best car shows. Finally, until now it has been impossible to bring one into this country and drive it due to federalization problems. Bill Gates (yes that one) has been trying since 1990 to do so and seems to have finally succeeded with lots of help. Read this story from Autoweek for the full scoop. Did I mention that these new versions now have 585 horsepower versus the original 450? I need a drink. And $450,000.

Posted by Mitch in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (4)

September 15, 2003

Getaway In Stockholm 4 On Its Way

The supreme nutters behind the "Getaway In Stockholm" videos are set to release number four in their infamous series this October 15th. The teaser trailer is available now via their website. If your jaw is still a bit slack reading this, let me fill you in. Several years ago, some soon-to-be Darwin award winners in Stockholm thought it would be cool to secure a really fast car, goad the local police into a chase and then film the whole thing. They did. It was very cool and it spawned sequels and copycats galore. At times the calls are so close and the speeds are so great that these videos are almost painful to watch, but impossible to turn away from. Don't try this at home.

Posted by Mitch in Cars and Movies & Books and Popular Media
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (4)

September 12, 2003

Photos of Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Supercar

GermanCarFans.com has a new gallery of photos of the amazing...no, that's not superlative enough...awe-inspiring...no, too cliché...mind-numbingly impressive Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

The SLR is a 2-seat supercar that looks like something you'd find in a country club parking lot (in the valet section, of course). While most supercars look like a cross between a jet fighter and an F1 car, the SLR looks, well, like a Mercedes-Benz street car. Well, a very nasty-looking street car.

This thing does 0-60 in less than 4 seconds and shoots to a top speed in excess of 200 MPH thanks to its supercharged 600 HP 5.5L V-8. The car is awash in high-tech materials too, including ceramic brake discs and vast quantities of carbon fiber (even the seats). The SLR is the result of a 5-year collaboration between McLaren and Mercedes-Benz. Thanks to Dan for the lead.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (4)

August 14, 2003

Koenigsegg CC

The automotive world has been full of superlatives lately as the big automakers are tripping over each other to offer the latest, greatest, fastest, most technological, safest, quickest, best braking machine to the salivating, well-heeled buyer. Still, nothing has come out to surpass the amazing McLaren F1. Until now...

TopGear has recently tested the Koenigsegg CC and have crowned it as the fastest car they have ever tested. Words or pictures cannot really do this thing justice so I ask you to download this video [8 min - 22MB] and see for yourself. If you are a car enthusiast like me, you will go completely ape.

Posted by Mitch in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (18)

July 30, 2003

Last Classic VW Beetle Produced Today

The very last rear-engined Beetle to be produced rolled off the assembly line at a Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico. Its production spans eight decades, and over 21 million units were produced. It's truly the end of an era.

See coverage by the BBC and the VOA.

Posted by Craig in Cars
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (5)

July 18, 2003

Successfully Merging Government and Technology

Ohio is infamous for being a bit overzealous with its enforcement of speed-related traffic laws. Speeding tickets are handed out by the thousands every day from the Ohio state patrol, county sheriffs, city police, village police, township police, constables, detectives, park rangers (yes, really) and who knows who else. It's no wonder the Escort, Passport and the Valentine 1 were all invented here in the Buckeye state.

Ohio has a deadly efficient money harvesting system built around automobile law enforcement and thankfully, this efficiency has translated into something useful instead of harassing for Joe Citizen. Enter oplates.com....

In the bad old days when you wanted a customized plate for your vehicle, you went to the local Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) office (Argh!) and waited in line to ask for an application. You then filled out this application with your top three choices for a plate and mailed it off to Columbus. Weeks and weeks later you would either get your plates or a letter telling you your choices were not available or not approved. Try again.

A slightly better system emerged a few years back. You still had to go the BMV office (Argh!), but perched on their countertop was a rickety, old CRT that allowed you to enter your choices for a plate and get instant feedback. If you found a combination that clicked for you and the state, you stood in line for an application, filled it out and then waited weeks and weeks for your plates.

Oplates.com has done away with all that silliness. With this clean, efficient website you can instantly check availability of your custom plates on a multitude of snazzy plate backgrounds and then see a representation of the finished product. A few clicks later you enter your credit card, get a confirmation and in one week(!) your plates show up in the mail.

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Posted by Mitch in Cars and Computing and Society / Politics
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

July 15, 2003

The Dashpc...I want one now!

If you knew me, you would understand why this has effected me so. Not only am I a hopeless car junky, but I was a VERY early adopter of Linux. I used to spend hours (even days) trying to integrate some arcane piece of hardware into my home system. But I won't bore you with that. I will hopefully stimulate you with the Dashpc.

This thing hits my cool scale at about 9.9 as it has all the features I want in my car: wireless internet, near real-time weather and traffic, DVD, MP3 playback, ODBII interface, broadcast TV, and webcam. The only reason I don't do this immediately is my experience with similar things gives me some insight into the hideous cost and time required to get it right. But I still want one!

Posted by Mitch in Cars and Computing
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)

April 19, 2003

A Day in My Life

Technophiles are generally pretty interesting folks, I've come to realize. We all have particular idiosyncracies and preferences that make it extremely unlikely for two of us to have exactly similar usage patterns, technology choices, etc. Just to illustrate my own pattern of choices, here's a brief recap of the tech I employ in a typical day.

Wake up -- I use a $10 GE clock-radio that I got at a discount department store about 10 years ago. I was so impressed at the radio sensitivity (it can tune stations even my $400 Yamaha receiver can't), I bought a second as back-up. For $10, it's a steal.

Check email -- my first real "tech" interaction of the day is usually with a Pocket PC, a Compaq iPaq 3670 with PC Card sled and D-Link Wi-Fi adapter. I check my various email accounts with this thing (Pocket Inbox is a phenomenal email app), check the weather, etc. before I get out of bed. The charging cradle is a permanent fixture on my nightstand, since I no longer sync this with a PC. This is about the closest thing to a technology "appliance" I've found to be actually useful.

Shower, get dressed, wolf down breakfast (optional) -- no real tech involved here :-( [Note to self: Work on this.]

Pack for work -- stick necessary tech into briefcase for the day at the office. This usually consists of my Kyocera 7135 and my HandEra 330, although the 330 is seeming less and less necessary given the really nice capabilities of the 7135 (and the EOL issued for all HandEra devices).

Drive to work -- I invested in a sweet piece of car stereo equipment, the Alpine CDA-7894 in-dash receiver. This unit plays the full complement of digital discs (except DVD) and decodes MP3. Given that I have over 45 GB of MP3s (all legal, ripped from CDs we own), this is a really nice way to access my music while in my car. Not only does the receiver sound great, it really does a fairly stellar job at handling MP3 data. I still think there's a big opportunity for high-res after-market head units (to display the track name, artist, etc. all simultaneously), but those still seem to be fairly rare. Given that it's an Alpine, the tuner is just excellent, especially good for pulling in WOXY (alternative) and WNKU (alternative/folk + NPR).

At work -- While at my office, I interact with a lot of standard-issue university technology. Fairly banal Dell desktop with CRT monitor, etc. -- a pretty typical arrangement. My pride and joy in my personal office is my HP G85 4-in-1 printer/scanner/fax/copier. It does a really stellar job at all four functions (well, never tried the fax function, but I assume it's stellar). I use the snot out of the sheet-feeder for scanning multi-page documents -- works great...highly recommended. The bane of my existence at work is our office copier...some lame, fickle Xerox piece of crap. This hunk of junk, more than anything else, has inspired me to go as paperless as is reasonably possible. Knowing I'm helping conserve trees also makes me feel good about using bits instead of paper.

Back at home -- home for the evening and I rely on all the tech here in my home. I have a mixed wired/wireless LAN that ties together 2 PCs, 1 laptop, and 2 handhelds (1 Pocket PC and 1 Palm OS device). Internet access is via RoadRunner cable broadband, which is being distributed to all the connected devices. My main computer at home is a custom/self-built desktop, and the other desktop is my MP3 server (I'll talk more about this later). I have our family room TV and stereo system tied into the MP3 server, so I can browse or whatever while listening to our music collection -- a pretty nice setup. My main complaint is the resolution on our television is really poor. It's a 27" Sony Trinitron, so it puts out like 550 lines of resolution. Needless to say, I really want one of the new true 1920x1080 HDTV LCD TVs that should be hitting store shelves later this year (yum!). To control the MP3 server, which is in the basement, while I'm sitting in front of the family room TV, I rely on a Gyration wireless mouse/keyboard setup -- this is some really trick hardware if you want to have a nearly invisible common room computing setup.

In bed -- prior to hitting the hay, I will often do some minor computing in bed. This is done via the laptop (which I'm typing on now) or using one of the handhelds. Generally, I'm just doing a blog entry, checking email/weather, or IM'ing with some friends (or some combo of those). While I generally like the apps better on my PalmOS devices, their lack of multi-tasking in the OS really bites in this case -- I can't keep an IRC/IM connection open while I do something else (check email, calendar, etc.). I really hope OS6 fixes this.

Well, that's about it. I'll talk more about the MP3 server another time, for I'm pretty happy with that particular piece of my home setup. Have comparable usage patterns or something that differs dramatically? Leave me a note!

Posted by Craig in Cars and Computing and Mobile & PDAs and Wireless
Permanent link to this entry | Comments (0)