Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It’s free!
Latest Gear Live Videos
JCB Diesel-Powered Car shatters Land Speed Record
Posted by Yuan Zhao Categories: Misc. Tech, Transportation,
A car - though it looks more like a wingless plane - built by JCB Dieselmax has shattered the previous diesel engine land speed record of 236 mph (380km/h). The vehicle definitely did it’s thing, reaching an average speed of 328.767 mph (529 km/h) during two runs in Utah, USA. The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile confirmed the tests on Tuesday, and an attempt to surpass the new record will be made on Wednesday.
Read More 
| BBC News
Gallery: JCB Diesel-Powered Car shatters Land Speed Record
Advertisement
Hinging on what must be a successful nuvi 360 launch, Garmin looks to be gearing up for the holiday release of the nuvi 660. The 660 just received FCC approval, which gives Garmin the go-ahead to start pumping these things out. Some of the new features cited for this one include a 4.3-inch display, GTM20 and GTM21 functionality (to help with driving during heavy traffic periods), and a super-cool FM transmitter. If strong enough, imagine the ability to broadcast your directions to another car that is traveling with you to the same destination. While cool, we somehow don’t think that this is the intention. Still, we think we will see this one hit retail sometime this November.
Read More | MobileWhack
Gallery: Garmin nuvi 660 GPS Gets FCC Approval
Japanese Scientists Working on Commuter-generated Electricity
Posted by Dave White Categories: Science, Transportation,
If only there were a way to harness the electricity of the people just walking down the street ...
Researchers in Japan are working on that one, and they might have hit on the answer. Specifically, it’s scientists at the East Japan Railway Company, and they’re testing the development of a ticket gate that would generate electricity from each person who walks through. That’s potentially thousands or even tens of thousands of people each day, and even a small amount of electricity generated by each of these people would be enough to power the station for perhaps the entire day.
The technology involved is piezoelectricity, the same kind of energy used in quartz clocks and computers, which use frequency multipliers to reach the megahertz range. The scientists actually have a device in place, at the railway company’s head office in Shibuya; and they are testing it for a week or so. The machine embedded in the gate generates a small amount of electricity each time someone walks through. Assuming that tests are successful and the company can justify the installation cost in eventual savings, piezo-powered gates will begin appearing in train stations sometime later this year.
Read More | Orgismo via TreeHugger
Gallery: Japanese Scientists Working on Commuter-generated Electricity
Drive Alert Master: Keep Yourself Awake, Alive Behind the Wheel
Posted by Dave White Categories: Accessories, Transportation,
Now here’s something we can really get behind. It’s a device that will wake you up when you start to fall asleep at the wheel. Insurance companies will love this one, we predict.
It’s the Drive Alert Master, and it looks like a Bluetooth headset but is so not for talking on the phone. Rather, it keeps a virtual eye on your head, looking for clues to your level of drowsiness. If your head tilts downward a certain number of degrees (as in when you’re drowsy and you do the dunking flamingo maneuver), the headset beeps loudly right in your ear. You can program the number of degrees of tilt to allow, from 15 to 30.
The manufacturers say it doesn’t slurp up the battery power very fast, and they certainly have priced it to ship. You can get one for just $14.99 USD.
Read More | SmartHome
Gallery: Drive Alert Master: Keep Yourself Awake, Alive Behind the Wheel
So we have hybrid cars now. Why not hybrid scooters? That’s the question that a Dutch student asked and then answered himself in designing the Fhybrid, which runs ons an electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery that can get its juice from a tank of hydrogen. The student, Crijn Bouman of Delft University of Technology, actually has a prototype, which you can see him riding in the photo at right.
The scooter is front-wheel drive, so that when you brake, the machine can take that energy and plug it back into the battery. The current distance capability is 124 miles. That’s a lot of trips back and forth to the market.
Oh, yes, Bouman’s top speed is 40 mph.
As of now, the scooter is just a prototype, wich a simulated fuel cell to recharge the battery. Hydrogen production is still costly to depend on as a viable fuel source. But a guy can dream, can’t he?
Read More | LiveScience
Gallery: Hybrid Scooter Powered by Hydrogen
‘Nanodog’ to Sniff Out Bombs at Airports
Posted by Dave White Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Just when you thought you were caught up on airport security comes a report out of the U.K. of a sniffing dog so small you can’t see him with your own eyes. Actually, it’s not a dog at all. It’s more like a gadget. Okay, it’s a nano sensor that is being developed by a team of scientists at the University of Wales. They’re just calling it a “nanodog” because of what it does: It “sniffs” for explosives at a level that a live dog can’t match, one part per trillion. That renders useless even the most clever bomb-hiding methods and devices.
Read More | icWales via Engadget
Gallery: ‘Nanodog’ to Sniff Out Bombs at Airports
Garmin Nuvi 360 GPS Super Unit
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: GPS, Portable Audio / Video, Transportation, Wireless / WiFi,
For those out there that have to push it to the extreme just a bit, the Garmin Nuvi 360 GPS device is right up your alley. Rather than opting to be a great GPS unit, the Nuvi 360 also plays MP3s and audio books, and also includes a language converter, picture viewer, world clock, currency converter, anti-theft lock, and has built-in Bluetooth. Oh, and of course, it has maps that will guide you all through the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, as well as a couple other places in North America. Add to that a super thin form factor, coming in at 3.8 by 2.0 by 0.8 inches and weighing just 5.1 ounces, and it seems we have a winner here. I mean, the touch screen is cool, and SD card support is great for a couple of the add-on features too…but the price - ouch. The Garmin Nuvi 360 sells for a staggering $965 USD, although you can find it cheaper, but not by much. If you have nine hundred bucks laying around, or are looking for what may be the ultimate in portable gear, check out the Nuvi 360.
Read More | Nuvi 360 Product page
Gallery: Garmin Nuvi 360 GPS Super Unit
The CarGoDesk Has Your On-The-Go Work Hook-Up
Posted by James DeRuvo Categories: Accessories, Design, Misc. Tech, Transportation,
With utilities like a cellphone, Wireless Broadband, GotoMyPC, and a laptop, is it now part of the business plan to spend rush hour on the clock? Well, now with the CarGoDesk, drivers stuck in traffic can boot up that laptop and get to work.
Specs include a large lockable compartment for the laptop, a secondary storage area for necessary files, a non-skid hinged desktop, and several attachment points for cell phone, PDA, etc. The CarGoDesk fits in the passenger seat and is secured with the seatbelt. It’s dimensions are 26.87” L X 16"W X 10.66"T and it weighs 13.7 lbs. empty - but don’t worry, it’s wheels prevent having to lug it around.
Production begins summer 2006.
Read More | CarGoDesk Product Page
Gallery: The CarGoDesk Has Your On-The-Go Work Hook-Up
Roadmaster, a maker of in-care entertainment gear, has a new car stereo out today which is priced at $139 and lets one plug a variety of portable audio devices into it for over the car speaker stereo enjoyment. The new VR3 Car Stereo VRCD400SDU is now available.
The VR3 Car Stereo VRCD400SDU sports a SD card slot, USB port and auxiliary audio input port to handle music played from sources like iPods, MP3 players, portable DVD and CD players and more. It also comes with a remote control.
Other features of this car stereo include ID3 tag display support for showing MP3 music information on the stereo’s display, 180 watts of total maximum power (4 x 45 watts), 4 x 21 watt RMS, an AM/FM tuner and detachable faceplate.
Read More | Roadmaster Product Page
Gallery: Roadmaster Offers Up 3-In-1 Car Stereo
Stomping GPS Glare Out with GlareStomper Visors
Posted by Nino Marchetti Categories: Accessories, GPS, Transportation,
Has after-market GPS device glare got you down? I’ve definitely found it to be annoying in the past myself. This may solve the glare problem for some: GlareStomper Visors.
Originally designed for Tomtom Go GPS units, the Corona, California based company which makes the GlareStompers announced they’ve expanded the product line up to encompass GPS devices from Garmin, Magellan, Navman and Sony. This is in addition to now covering every Tomtom device on the market.
The GlareStomper Visors, which are flexible, reportedly block out ambient light which can wash out GPS displays. Sunlight is prevented from striking both the tops and sides of the unit. They are made of black Cordura nylon and priced at under $20 each.
Read More | GlareStomper Visors Product Page
Gallery: Stomping GPS Glare Out with GlareStomper Visors
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. {year} – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.