Hasta La Gadget!

When offered a chance to take a Ford Focus Electric for a spin we jumped at it, though were admittedly a bit perplexed when told it would be on the show floor. As it turns out the company set up a loop upon which a Transit Van and Focus Electric were driving, one after the next, up a steep incline and over the heads of fellow journalists, stopping at a little dyno to see just what this thing was putting down, and then back around to where it all started. No shocking information was gleaned, and we still can’t get anyone to confirm or deny the ability for a 480v quick-charge, but it sure beat walking.

Continue reading Ford takes us on the world’s shortest test drive in the Focus Electric (video)

Ford takes us on the world’s shortest test drive in the Focus Electric (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While we weren’t busy kicking up dust on the CES floors, we sat down with Taiwan-based Yantouch to have a fiddle with its latest product, the Black Diamond. When not in use, it really is just a gorgeous spherical black diamond, or at least its faceted front half is; but slip in an iPhone 4 with the Black Diamond app enabled, and you get a funky sound sensitive mood lamp. On top of that, the dock also charges up your iPhone while it shows off its colors, and somewhere at the bottom there’s some black magic that channels out amplified audio from the phone, although actual speakers would be even nicer.

Ultimately, Yantouch sees the Black Diamond as a developing platform for potential applications like an outdoor temperature indicator, or some sort of caller ID color tagging tool for seeing from afar who’s calling. If all goes well, Yantouch will even consider making an Android version, but we’re not sure if the $79 price tag will immediately catch on. Anyhow, check out our hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading Yantouch Black Diamond 3D ambience iPhone dock hands-on

Yantouch Black Diamond 3D ambience iPhone dock hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smartphone integration is the next big thing that’s happening right now, but it isn’t quite happening the way Denso is doing it. This is the company’s dashboard of a future, with its most predominant feature being an iPhone embedded right in the steering wheel. That drives an infotainment system and a small, circular LCD above with a bunch of widgets you can bounce with a touch from the phone to the display. Most interesting is one that communicates with traffic lights to let you know how fast to go if you want to miss ’em all. The idea is to save fuel by not stopping and starting, but we’re thinking this could also do a lot to ease hypertension rates nationwide.

Another thing the dash can do is tell when you’re about to drowse off. One of those widgets is a cup of coffee that empties as you’re getting sleepy. An all-seeing webcam perched atop the dash tracks your face and eyes to know just how alert you are. Drop below a threshold and the dash starts blinking red. It’s time for a nap — or maybe more coffee, for goodness’ sake.

Continue reading Denso dash with iPhone steering wheel knows when you are sleeping, knows when you’re awake (video)

Denso dash with iPhone steering wheel knows when you are sleeping, knows when you’re awake (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fuel cell-powered cars provide the efficiency and driveability of an electric vehicle while also offering the unlimited range of a traditional gasoline powered car — assuming you can find a place to top off those hydrogen tanks. Right now that’s a bit of a problem, but Mercedes Benz is out to show that it’s not nearly as big of a hindrance as everyone makes it out to be. It’ll be driving the B-Class F-Cell model around the world, starting in Stuttgart and motoring down to Lisbon, flying over to the US and driving across that, then across Australia before hopping a boat to Shanghai and driving all the way across Asia, ultimately arriving back to Stuttgart facing in the same direction they left. The B-Class F-Cell can cover 400km on a tank and can be refilled in about three minutes. At this point we have no reason to believe that either Ewan McGregor nor Charlie Boorman will be along for the ride, but given how well things went in Log Way Round perhaps that’s for the best.

Mercedes kicks off F-Cell World Drive, circumnavigating the globe on hydrogen originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You may disagree with the car’s color and its powertrain choice, but you can’t argue with 528 horsepower, 649lb/ft of torque, and AWD acceleration so good it should come with a neck brace. It’s a legitimately hot car, and it’s legitimately coming to dealerships. Mercedes today confirmed that the SLS AMG E-Cell will be available for order at dealerships in 2013, and while no price was given, expect it to be a lot. The gasoline-powered model cost around $200,000, after all. Oh, and that citrus color? It’s pretty stunning in the flesh, a matte hue that makes you go “Mmm.”

Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell hitting dealerships in 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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