The Volkner car-swallowing ultra-luxury motorhome
From Holiday Destinations
The concept of incorporating secondary last-few-miles transport in a motorhome starts with a fold-up bicycle, steps upwards through a motorcycle riding piggyback and we’ve occasionally seen a full blown car being towed behind the largest beasties. So we were blown away when we saw the latest from German Motorhome specialist Volkner Mobil at the recent Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf. Volkner has been using CAD for more than two decades in tailoring its extraordinary high-end vehicles for those who insist in living in luxury no matter what. In order to fully cater for this elite clientele, it has created (and patented) a central garage concept that allows a luxury sports car to be ingested by the bohemoth, so that when you get there, you'll want for nothing (check the gallery and other luxury appointments). Volkner began been building the motorized garage into its high end Performance models in late 2006 and has now built motorhomes capable of swallowing whole Porsche 911s, Jaguar XK8 Cabriolets, BMW 6 Series Cabriolets, Maserati Quattroportes and this Mercedes Sports. Read More
Fujitsu Siemens GraphicsBooster
From Mobile Technology
Fujitsu Siemens has announced one of the first portable external graphics cards, the GraphicsBooster. Featuring an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 graphics card with 512MB dedicated memory and DVI-I and HDMI outputs, it's enough to turn your laptop into a quad-screen-pushing, Crysis-playing beast. Read More
Backyard drive-in: the 16-ft inflatable outdoor screen
From Home Entertainment
Looking to add some open-air ambience to your next big screen gathering? While outdoor TVs are the most obvious option, inflatable projection screens present an attractive alternative in terms of affordability, portability and size - which is where Open Air Cinema's gargantuan new Inflatable Movie Screen comes in. Tailored for home use, the 16ft x 9ft screen weighs less than 20 pounds when deflated, withstands winds of up to 20mph and inflates in seconds using the included blower to deliver a 220" diagonal projection surface. The catch - you may have to build your own grandstand. Read More
New RX 450h hybrid from Lexus
From Automotive
Lexus debuted the replacement for both the current RX 400h hybrid and the RX 350 petrol engine models at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show. The new RX 450h will replace both models in the UK to produce an all-hybrid RX range, while in North America a non-hybrid RX 350 will also be offered. Both the RX 350 and RX 450h are propelled by a 3.5-liter 6-cylinder petrol engine which provides 205kW (275hp) with the 450h’s augmented by an electric motor to provide a combined output of 220kW (295hp). Read More
Fanatec's Porsche 911 GT3 RS Racing Wheel for PC and PS3
From Games
There must be plenty of aspiring Porsche drivers out there without the finances to afford the real thing because Fanatec has announced another addition to its line of Porsche licensed steering wheels for PC and PS3 gamers. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS Racing Wheel for PC and PS3 is crafted from genuine Alcantara leather, the same material that is used in real Porsches, and features the “world’s first” placement of a vibration motor on the brake pedal for that extra touch or realism. Read More
Nokia flags high-priority on e-mail
From Mobile Technology
Nokia has announced a plan to offer email and IM on all Nokia devices through the use of their Mail on Ovi Platform. Users have the option of creating a new e-mail account with 1GB of storage on the Ovi service, or can connect to their existing Mail and IM accounts hosted by Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, AOL and others. Read More
Happy 40th birthday to the computer mouse
From Personal Computing
Computer peripherals giant Logitech recently shipped its billionth mouse, quite some feat given there are only 6.7 billion humans and a billion PCs on the planet. The mouse, in conjunction with the dastardly QWERTY keyboard, has become the cornerstone of the Computer Human Interface. The milestone comes within days of the fortieth anniversary of the first public demonstration of the computer mouse. On December 9, 1968, Douglas C. Engelbart gave a live public demonstration of the online system, NLS, which included the first mouse. The accompanying image is of the great grandaddy of the thing you’ve probably got in your hand as you read this. Read More
Intelligent Queue Management
From Good Thinking
I hate queues. It’s why I never went to Disneyland a second time, why I have developed an industrial-sized, alcohol-proof bladder and why I’d rather bank and shop online rather than do it in a dysfunctional real world environment. Time is a commodity I can’t get more of, my time is valuable, and, for-crying-out-loud, I WANT IT NOW! So I’m tipping that Irisys’ (InfraRed Integrated Systems) Intelligent Queue Management (IQM) system will be hot property in a commercial world attempting to reduce and better allocate human resources without further degrading the customer experience. IQM uses infrared sensors that measure and track numbers and behaviours of customers, and predictive algorithms to work out how many checkouts will be required in 15 and 30 minutes time to meet customer demand. It even sends alerts to managers so they can proactively manage staffing levels in real-time to ensure optimal levels of customer service. If you tell everyone you know about IQM, it will ultimately lead to shorter queues. Read More
Games are the convergence of everything
From Games
It’s not often that we just point to an article somewhere else and say, “hey, you should read this”, but that’s what we’re doing in regard to “Games are the convergence of everything” published yesterday on Forbes. It’s an interview with games developer (and former Hollywood script writer) Ken Levine (lead creative in the creation of highly immersive morality-based hit game Bioshock), and while the title captures the theme of the article, there are some gems in there you’ll no doubt find space for in your next conversation such as “Industrial Darwinism” (“it's hard for an industry to make a mistake because the market tends to be self-correcting”). Read More
Nokia Maps plans mobile assault on Google Maps
From Mobile Technology
Dave Weinstein reports Nokia has announced a major update to its Nokia Maps application for S60 smart phones, which not only updates their mobile mapping, but adds desktop support for trip planning and coordination through their new Maps on Ovi service. Read More
The new Nokia N97
From Mobile Technology
Gizmag's Dave Weinstein attended the Nokia World Conference this week in Barcelona. This is the first of a series of articles on the flurry of announcements: Nokia has announced its next generation flagship device, the N97. Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Executive Vice President Markets, unveiled the device as walked through the design process that yielded a powerful device that aims to capture the hearts and minds of the public as a primary internet and communications terminal as well as an entertainment and gaming device. Read More
Michelin Active Wheel System to hit roads in 2010
From Automotive
Known to our readers for transport innovations like the Tweel airless tire, Michelin has announced that it will partner to bring an affordable electric car powered by its Active Wheel System to the roads in 2010. Featuring two electric motors housed within the wheel, one for traction and braking and the other for electric active suspension control, the system has revolutionary potential - no more engine under the hood, no more traditional suspension system, and no more gearbox or transmission as all the essential components have been integrated into the wheel itself. Read More
Sharp's LCD Christmas Tree
From Electronics
In a nod to Christmas cheer and the spirit of giving, Sharp has unveiled a 26-foot tall tree comprising 43 of its AQUOS LCD televisions. Aside from enhancing the holiday atmosphere, the “AQUOS Experience” in New York’s Grand Central Terminal represents Sharp’s donation to non-profit organization, the Hope Program. Read More
California's largest single solar installation powers-up
From ecoGizmo
In March this year Gizmag reported on Southern California Edison’s (SCE) plan to create the State’s largest single solar photovoltaic installation. The company has now announced that the first of its major commercial rooftop solar installations is complete, and powering homes in Southern California. Read More
The TAG Heuer Grand CARRERA Calibre 36 RS
From Sports
The newest member of TAG Heuer’s high-end Grand CARRERA watch collection, the Calibre 36 RS Caliper Chronograph features a COSC-certified movement oscillating at 36,000 vibrations per hour and is the only automatic chronograph capable of both measuring and displaying 1/10 of a second intervals using an innovative rotating scale design. Read More
H-Racer 2.0 gets more power and remote control
From Childsplay
Horizon had a global hit with the first version of its palm-size hydrogen fuel cell educational toy car and the second version is likely to be just as successful – unfortunately, it won’t be available for the Christmas market (available January), but the H-racer 2.0 and refueling station now comes with twice the original power output, a manual purge system, new refueling valves and faster operation and an infrared remote control. Read More
Iomega Encrypt and BlackBelt hard drives
From Personal Computing
In this day and age, it's not just the tinfoil hat crowd who are likely to find themselves a little paranoid about their precious data. Iomega has announced two new entries to their eGo portable range, the ultra-rugged eGo BlackBelt and the government-grade encryption packing eGo Encrypt. Read More
EV batteries demonstrate 180,000-plus mile lifespan
From Automotive
One of the key points critics have leveled at the electric car movement is that any money saved by switching gas stations for the power point will be lost when the battery fades and needs replacing. With battery costs currently still high, this is a valid concern - but how long can a battery pack last? Battery provider Southern California Edison have been testing a lithium-ion battery subpack for two and a half hears now and have demonstrated a life of more than 180,000 miles without significant performance deterioration, a figure which makes the cost equation appear more convincing. Read More
Wearable sniper detection to be deployed in Iraq
From Military
A wearable sniper detection system is to be used by troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan in the US Army’s first large-scale deployment of its type. The Soldier-Wearable Acoustic Targeting System (SWATS) can pinpoint the location of snipers after a single gunshot, audibly informing soldiers of the point of origin.
NewerTech Voyager quad interface SATA drive dock
From Personal Computing
NewerTech's Voyager is a hot swappable docking station for 2.5" and 3.5" SATA hard drives of up to 2TB capacity. With support for Mac and PC, with interfaces for FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0 and eSATA on board, you'll be hard pressed to find a computer that won't talk to it. Read More
The Top 10 iPhone Applications for 2008
From Mobile Technology
Apple has released statistics on the most downloaded iPhone applications of 2008, with a top ten list each for free and paid applications. One thing is for sure - iPhone developers looking to make a living should be concentrating on designing the next big iPhone game. Click through for the lists. Read More
