Hasta La Gadget!

Wherever your loyalties lay during Tesla vs. The New York Times, it was clear that the Model S isn’t a great fan of cold weather. That’s why the company is addressing the vehicle’s snow allergy with a new Subzero Weather package, adding wiper blade defrosters, washer nozzle-and-rear seat heaters for an additional $750. While that’s good for people who regularly see subzero temperatures, those who need a daily blast of Howard Stern have less to celebrate about. Tesla will now only add XM Satellite radio to your whip if you buy the new Ultra High Fidelity Sound package, which’ll set you back the eye-watering figure of $2,500. Yep.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

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Via: Autoblog.green

Source: Tesla Motors (Forum), (2)

Many of us have had the misfortune of receiving a package that has been roughhoused in transit, and we might not have even realized it until we burrowed through the cardboard and tape. Cambridge Consultants’ upcoming DropTag might just serve as the insurance we need. The badge can detect a drop or other violent motion, like earlier sensors, but carries Bluetooth 4.0 to transmit data and alerts in real-time to a mobile app, whether it’s on the courier’s smartphone or a tablet at home. As one watch-grade battery could power the sensor for weeks, we could know whether the box took a tumble at the warehouse or at the door — a help not just for customers wanting their items intact, but for companies that can avoid delivering already-broken goods. At less than $2 in raw costs, DropTags would be cheap enough to slap on many packages. We just need Cambridge to line up clients to make this a reality and, just possibly, prevent a few overly hasty couriers from long-bombing our orders.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: Cambridge Consultants

People seem to be coming up with all sorts of bizarre ways to get people’s packages to them. First, there was Cardrops, which is a start-up that delivers your stuff to your car trunk instead of your home. And now there’s Pochtomat, which isn’t really a delivery service since you have to go pick up your package yourself.

“Wait a minute,” you might say. “That doesn’t make the Pochtomat much different from the post office.” Well, that’s where you’re wrong, because the packages are left off in the Pochtomat at a railway station near you.

The most unusual thing? The Pochtomat is actually a vending machine that gives you your stuff after you key in confirmation on the touchscreen controls, eliminating the need for humans to handle the menial task of handing you a parcel. You’ll be sent a text message or email informing you that your package is already at the Pochtomat you chose to have it delivered to. It’ll only be there for three days before it’ll be shipped off to a warehouse, so it’s best that you don’t delay when claiming it.

The Pochtomat has already been installed in 17 railway stations in Russia, with installations planned in more stations.

[via Pop Up City]