Hasta La Gadget!

Such a deal: By year’s end, you can lease an electric BMW 1 Series, the ActiveE, for $499 a month if you’re part of a trial that kicks off in six major urban areas: San Diego, LA, San Franciso, Sacramento, Boston, and New York. Range should be about 100 miles using lithium-ion batteries. You’ll be able to impress neighbors with the usual electric car party tricks such as showing everyone the state of charge of your smartphone (photo below), and a couple new-with-BMW tricks such as pre-heating or pre-cooling the car while it’s still plugged in (to extend range). And of course it’s going to handle like a BMW, something the Nissan Leaf can’t claim.

BMW has started I Venture, a $100 million venture capital fund based in New York City, to pursue what it calls “individual mobility solutions.” Why would a car company try to advance technologies that benefit smartphones and tablets as much or more than cars? Because automakers would like to help you out during (and profit from) the entire trip, including when you leave the car, and that requires a seamless handoff when you open the door. I Venture already has one investment, MyCityWay, which comprise location-aware apps that could help you find parking, get around using a subway or bus, and of course find you restaurants, bars, and shops.

Tesla’s looking to take reality shows to a whole new level. The high end electric car manufacturer has sued the British Broadcasting Corporation, alleging that its Top Gear program faked a racing scene involving one of the company’s vehicles. In the scene, the Tesla vehicle grinds to a halt after running out of energy.

As any regular Car Talk listener will tell you, old Fiats aren’t exactly known for being the most durable cars in the world. A homeless man in Brazil took advantage of the discarded shells of these junkers and threw together a brand new car, built entirely from scrap. Starting with a 125cc motorcycle engine, Orismar de Souza was able to put together a working vehicle, capable of hitting 50mph on the highway and featuring such luxuries as a reverse gear and an actual car starter to replace the kickstarter of the 125cc engine. It also sports an in-dash stereo.

After panhandling in the streets for months to raise the $270 he needed for the car’s metal plating, de Souza built the body panels by hand, borrowing a chisel and hammer as tools for the job. Most of the other parts used in making the car came from old discarded Fiats. His previous experience with metalworking led him to be confident in his automotive creation, but that didn’t stop others from telling him that his project was just a joke. The looks on their faces after the car hit 50 must have been priceless.

The finished machine was able to help de Souza land both a home and a job, a fitting end to this inspiring DIY story. And I have a feeling his car is even more reliable than the ones he built it from. At least if it breaks down, no one will tell him he can’t fix it.

[via Hack-A-Day, Jalopnik]

Apple has come under fire for its App Store yet again. This time it’s from the gay community, which has expressed outrage at the release of a self-titled app from Exodus International, a church that describes itself as “the world’s largest ministry to individuals and families impacted by homosexuality.”

Apple has long been a friend of the LGBT community, opposing California’s Proposition 8, removing the anti-gay Manhattan Declaration iPhone app, and earning a 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.”I am shocked that this same company has given the green light to an app from a notoriously anti-gay organization like Exodus International that uses scare tactics, misinformation, stereotypes and distortions of LGBT life to recruit clients, endorses the use of so-called ‘reparative therapy’ to ‘change’ the sexual orientation of their clients.