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Latest Gear Live Videos
Ford Unveils Redesigned Fairlaine
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Design, Transportation,
At this week’s New York Auto Show, Ford unveiled its Flex, which is slated to go into production next summer at their Ontario plant and will become a part of their 2009 automotive family. Mark Fields, head of Ford’s North American ops, said that the redesigned Fairlaine was meant to be comparable to Honda’s Pilot, Chrystler’s Pacifica, and GMC’s Acadia. Based on the Freestyle wagon, the Flex seats seven and offers an optional mini-fridge and mood lighting. Aside from the roof color, just where do those similarities to the Fairlaine begin?
Read More 
| Detroit Free Press
Gallery: Ford Unveils Redesigned Fairlaine
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Tahoe Prepares for DARPA Race
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Science, Transportation, Wireless / WiFi,
This is one remote control vehicle we just can’t wait to try out. Carnegie Mellon’s Tartan Racing team, in cooperation with GM, is preparing a Chevy Tahoe for a November outing sponsored by DARPA (Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.) The desert race consists of navigating vehicles through a 60 mile course that resembles a city street.
The Tahoe will be equipped with automatic steering, brakes, and throttle, and its challenge will be to stay on the road while avoiding obstacles such as other vehicles and oversized cacti. The winner of the race collects a cool $2 million. DARPA foresees this as a way of improving humans’ safe driving habits in heavy traffic conditions. We just see it as an expensive Hot Wheels racetrack for bigger boys and wonder what connections you have to have to become a team member.
Read More | CMU
Gallery: Tahoe Prepares for DARPA Race
If you remember a movie from the 70’s called “The Big Bus,” then you surely will appreciate the capabilities of the TGV. The French high-speed train has set a new record of 574.8 km (357.2 m.) per hour. Taking off in Paris, two engines, three double-decker cars, and a boost of 31,000 volts of horsepower in its overhead cable sent it on its way to Strasbourg. The previous record had been set in 1990, when it merely traveled at a speed of 515 km/h (320 mph.) Save your tokens. This bad boy will set any country back 30m euros (US $40 million.)
Read More | BBC
Gallery: TGV Breaks Speed Record
James Doohan is finally going to “see” space. The actor, who played Scotty on “Star Trek,” died July 5, 2005. A few grams of his ashes, those of Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, and about 200 others were loaded into a rocket. The canister and its cremated space travelers are to be launched from New Mexico on April 28.
Celestis arranges these final trips with various rocket firms. “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry’s ashes were sent into space in 1997. If you would like to make space your final destination, you’ll need $495.00. That’s not a bad price when you consider you will finally be in a place that you won’t spend half your time looking for parking.
Read More | CNN
Gallery: Scotty To Go To Final Frontier
KITT, from the series Knight Rider, is up for sale. Now located in a Dublin, California car dealership, the black muscle car has been showing for about a month. Owner Tim Russo of Livermore put the 1982 Trans Am on the market to see if there is any interest in it. It’s one of four that was used in the series for close-ups and scenes with The Hoff behind the wheel.
Don’t expect KITT (short for Knight Industries Two Thousand,) to hit speeds of 300 mph. For that matter, most of its buttons don’t work and the voice of William Daniels will not speak up to get you out of a parking ticket. It isn’t even street legal in some places because of certain modifications and lack of smog equipment . The relic has a price tag of $149,995.00. That’s a lot of muscle for something that was only a stand-in.
Read More | ContraCosta Times
Gallery: KITT Goes On The Market
Soldiers Test Bomb-proof Vehicles
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Soldiers at Ft. Lewis, Washington have gotten to test two prototype utility trucks and two maneuverable sustainment vehicles as part of the Army’s new $60 million modernization program. These vehicles come equipped with remote weapon systems, video cameras, touch screen control, night vision capability, and what they feel is enough strength to sustain a concussion of a roadside bomb. They also feature diesel-electric hybrid engines.
Tim Conner, the Defense Department contractor who is overseeing the project says, “If you want to sneak up on someone, you turn on the electric ... which also boosts the horsepower,” he said.
The Marine Corps is also planning to test the vehicles during the last two weeks of April, then they will be displayed at the Pentagon. Look for them soon in a war near you.
Read More | Live Science
Gallery: Soldiers Test Bomb-proof Vehicles
Talisman Detects and Detonates Mines
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
The Talisman M unmanned mini-submarine, which detects and destroys unexploded mines, has just been revealed above water in Hampshire, Great Britain. Designed in cooperation with a race car company, it is about the size of a small sedan. Built by BAE Systems, the sub can operate at depths of 490 feet and explode what it seeks via remote control robots.
Project manager Andy Tonge, said, “Talisman M can perform the type of dangerous roles currently performed by service men and women throughout the world - locate, identify and neutralize mines in one single mission without the need for human intervention.”
We were thinking it would be put to better use as a search and rescue vessel for lobster.
Read More | BBC
Gallery: Talisman Detects and Detonates Mines
When you tire of playing games with your Road Rage Racer, trade it in on a vertical Gear FM radio from Noda. Put it in neutral to turn it on and reverse to turn off. Shift to the right for channels and go to a lower or higher gear to change channels. At a size of 15.4 × 9 × 10.5 cm, it’s a perfect size to put on any NASCAR fan’s dashboard. The Gear is available for 5,000 yen (~$43.00) and uses 4 AA batteries, not included.
Read More | Noda
Gallery: Gear Shifter Makes Music
Inventor Builds His Own Solar-Powered Vehicle
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Yes, it looks huge, klunky, difficult to navigate and impossible to park. But hey, when’s the last time you built your own solar-powered car? Which is why we give inventor Saqr Bin Saif serious props for building his own environmentally-friendly vehicle. The DIY car utilizes four 170 watt solar panels, two batteries, and was built in only three months. Bin Saif’s baby can only reach a speed of up to 50 mph, but hey, it’s a start, and we look forward to his next car, which he promises will be more compact and faster.
Read More | Gulfnews
Gallery: Inventor Builds His Own Solar-Powered Vehicle
Pal-V Takes to The Friendly Skies
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
The day of the flying car is almost upon us. The Pal-V is actually a hybrid tricycle that tilts at high speed just like an ordinary motorcycle. Get it on a long stretch of highway, pop the tail out and unfold its rotors, and it can climb up to 4,000 feet at a speed of up to 125 mph. Vertically land or set it down without an engine with its auto-gyro.
The Pal-V runs on regular, biodiesel, or bioethanol fuel and is pushing for launch in the next couple of years. Although we realize that the ceiling is below that of commercial airspace and we probably won’t have to worry about hitting a small plane, we are still not convinced that some rampant goose heading south for the winter won’t collide with us.
Read More | Pal-V Europe BV
