On Gear Live: Why Facebook Camera and Instagram can easily co-exist

Latest Gear Live Videos

Skycar Not So Far Away

M200G

We were

wrong

in error. It seems there is a Jetsons-type car flying in an atmosphere near you. Moller International, founded by a UC Davis professor, has announced that it is producing the M200G Volantor, a small, two passenger, saucer-shaped vehicle that takes off and lands vertically. Designed to hold up to 250 pounds, the device hovers about 10 feet off the ground so it will escape the watchful eye of the FAA until the company can pass the certification-testing program. Moller claims that the car can go up to 45 mph for 45 to 90 minutes.

Bruce Calkins, General Manager, says that although a market has to be created before skycars catch on, he believes that a good first step would be for those who want to either run down to the beach or head out to the golf course. Check out the M200G in action as it takes a test spin. Only a limited amount of them will be available before a full-scale release by 2009 for marketing demonstrators, special sales, and military applications. We think that for $125,000.00, it makes it a heck of a toy.

(Thanks, Bruce)

Read More | Moller

Advertisement

NYPD’s New Segway to Crime Fighting

Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Misc. Tech, Transportation

NYPD on SegwayThere seems to be two schools of thought regarding the 2-wheeled “personal transporter” known as the —a convenient vehicle for getting around town or a vehicle for the attention-starved. Well, in New York you can now say it’s a vehicle for fighting crime. Twenty-five New York cops have been trained and have started using 10 Segways in parks and beaches including Coney Island, Central Park, Prospect Park and more, with Yankee and Shea Stadiums to come. The Segways won’t be used in the actual streets of NY, as—quite ironically—they fail certain safety standards, and therefore cannot be registered legally in the state. New York joins over 200 police agencies around the country that employ the Segway.

Read More | New York Daily News

Coming Soon: iPod Connectivity on Airplanes

iPod 5G As if iPods weren’t ubiquitous enough (and we mean that in a good way), by mid-year select airlines will have iPod seat connections that will keep your little buddy powered and charged during the flight. Even better, using the dock connector port, you will be able to display the video content from the iPod on seat-back screens. It’s all about synergy, as many airlines are currently improving and increasing their in-flight entertainment options. Apple is currently working with Delta, US Airlines, United, Continental, and others, with even more airlines on the horizon.

Read More | Cheapflights via Macminute


Horntones FX-550 Customizes the Sound of Your Car Horn

Horntones FX-550We live in a society that loves to customize it’s cell phones and cars. Well the folks at Horntones have ingeniously taken that notion a step further: in April look for the Horntones FX-550, a clever $150 USD device that lets you to customize the sound of your horn using almost any standard audio file. The dashboard-mounted device stores hundreds of different sounds; some are pre-loaded, and more can be downloaded from Horntones.com. Here’s the fun but scary part: you can create your own tones in MP3 or WAV format. Yes, you can have any sound or song clip as your horn, whether it’s naughty, nice or just flat-out obnoxious. A USB thumb drive transfers the sounds from your computer to the player, which never has to leave your car. You can even create your own themes, utilizing the 8 preset buttons on the player. Could be fun, or a complete nightmare on the roads if this actually catches on.

Read More | Horntones via Gizmag


CES 2007 Video: Parrot MK6000 Wireless Car Kit

For the complete hands-free set, Parrot aims to please with their MK6000 Bluetooth Car Kit. Once installed in your vehicle, you can answer cellphone calls at the touch of a button without requiring a physical headset. Even better, you can stream CD-quality music from the phone to the car stereo.


Advertisement