China sending a probe to the moon next year to look for Moonbase Alpha

China to the Moon

State news agency Xinhua is reporting that China is planning to launch a probe to the moon in the second half of 2013. The Chang’e-3, named after the Chinese moon goddess, will deposit a lander and rover on our natural satellite to survey its bumpy surface. It’ll launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province and is a sign of the continuing ambition of the nation’s space program — after it deposited a crew on its Tiangong-1 space station two months ago.

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China sending a probe to the moon next year to look for Moonbase Alpha originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Rolls Royce covered with 1 million Swarovski crystals looks pretty shiny

As we’re sure that most of you guys probably know, Rolls Royce cars are by no means cheap. In fact they’re pretty much out of the reach for most of us. Despite different opinions regarding value for money versus performance and etc., the Rolls Royce brand is indeed a luxury one which makes us wonder how does one add more value to such a car? Well, by covering it with crystals of course! Yup, pictured above is none other than a Rolls Royce car that has been covered all over with over a million Swarovski crystals, with the Rolls Royce logo itself covered with over 4,000 topaz gems. Seems a little excessive but we have to admit, it looks pretty amazing albeit gratuitous. This project reportedly took six employees several years to complete and is expected to go on sale at a charity auction. The car is also expected to fetch millions of Euros which will go to the Help in Motion charity that aims to provide free medical clinics to countries where quality healthcare might not be so readily available.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Rolls-Royce reveals 150,000-part LEGO jet engine, Rolls-Royce Phantom hearse brings you home in style,

BMW Motorrad unveils its C evolution electric scooter

BMW Motorrad, the German-automaker’s division for motorcycles, has revealed its latest creation – the C evolution electric scooter. The BMW C evolution is a spin-off from the company’s E-scooter concept scooter presented at the BMW Motorrad Innovation Day 2011 and the BMW Concept e scooter. BMW says that its C evolution has a range of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) on a single charge, with a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).

Even better is its capability to fully recharge its battery in three hours using an integrated charging device via a charging station or a regular socket. With its 11 kW continuous output and 35 kW peak output, the C evolution offers a powerful and speedy experience. It also features a high-performance brake system with ABS to ensure maximum safety while on the road. BMW is currently testing a prototype version of the C evolution electric scooter in London, and the company expects to have one up and running anytime soon.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: BMW electric Mini E scooter has smartphone owners in mind, BMW will be the first to feature Nuance’s Dragon Drive! Messaging technology,

BMW’s C Evolution electric scooter does 62 miles on a charge, maxes out at 75 mph

BMW's C Evolution electric scooter does 62 miles on a charge, maxes out at 75 mph

All things considered, we think it’s safe to say BMW very rarely disappoints with its latest road-friendly creations, and one of the outfit’s most recent concoctions is this eco-friendly C Evolution electric scooter. According to the German company, the prototype two-wheeler’s quite close to hitting its final production stages, noting “it might soon become a part of everyday road traffic in cities throughout the world” and that it is “outstanding in terms of performance, functionality and design.” On paper, the C Evolution appears to be rather promising, with BMW also claiming the environmental hog can ride out about 62 miles on a single charge — all while being able to reach max speeds of around 75 mph. No word yet on how much you’ll have to save up for one of these, but for now, there’s a video of the C Evo in action waiting on you just past the break.

Continue reading BMW’s C Evolution electric scooter does 62 miles on a charge, maxes out at 75 mph

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BMW’s C Evolution electric scooter does 62 miles on a charge, maxes out at 75 mph originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jul 2012 05:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan pins Leaf’s WattStation charging woes on a software bug, works on a fix

Nissan Leaf in desert

GE and Nissan had previously ruled out GE’s WattStation as the cause of a few Leaf charging failures, and that story of EV tragedy looks to be winding to a close with a more definitive explanation. As the two tell us, a bug in the Leaf’s on-board charging software can damage the relevant hardware under a perfect storm of conditions: if a drivers uses a specific (but not necessarily GE) charger, an undervoltage or similar power crisis can bring the Leaf to its knees. Nissan says it’s hurrying towards a remedy, although we’re working to confirm just what that entails. In the meantime, the automaker is asking owners to be cautious and avoid plugging in when there’s lightning or brownouts in the making.

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Nissan pins Leaf’s WattStation charging woes on a software bug, works on a fix originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM testing pedestrian detection system powered by WiFi Direct (video)

GM testing pedestrian detection system powered by WiFi Direct

Car makers have been peddling wireless pedestrian avoidance systems almost as long as there have been automobiles. (We believe one of the earliest was called the “side view mirror.”) GM’s new experiment though, differs from other implementations by skipping out on the 3G, cameras and radar — instead going for a model built around WiFi Direct. The peer-to-peer 802.11 standard hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, but the WiFi Alliance is diligently tweaking the platform and apparently GM thinks its a perfect match for connecting cars, cyclists and pedestrians to each other. Unlike 3G-based systems, there’s little lag between locating and identifying bikes or people crossing the street since the signal doesn’t have to be bounced off a satellite. It also has a leg up on radar detection since WiFi can be a two way pipeline — alerting someone out for a stroll of an oncoming vehicle. Of course, it will be some time before anything like this actually makes it into a production vehicle. But, in the meantime, you can check out the PR and video after the break.

Continue reading GM testing pedestrian detection system powered by WiFi Direct (video)

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GM testing pedestrian detection system powered by WiFi Direct (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen working on a Beetle shark cage for Shark Week

Volkswagen is announcing a special partnership with Discovery Channel to celebrate Shark Week this coming August 12 to 16. If you love watching Discovery Channel’s Shark Week episodes, then brace yourself because Volkswagen will be lending a hand. And what could be better than to offer a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle as a one-of-a-kind Volkswagen Beetle Shark Observation Cage. Volkswagen and Discovery Channel have collaborated with marine biologist and shark expert, Luke Tipple, together with his engineering team to make this year’s Shark Week experience special.

How the Volkswagen Beetle Shark Observation Cage came to be will be detailed during the Shark Week programming next month. So you might want to mark your calendars now. Meanwhile, check out the teaser above for a little glimpse. “Discovery Channel and Volkswagen share a great partnership and we are extremely proud to have them as a presenting sponsor for our 25th annual Shark Week,” said Scott Felestein, senior vice president at Discovery Channel. “We’re thrilled to offer Volkswagen the opportunity to showcase their innovation and creativity to our loyal Shark Week viewers, helping to increase awareness of their brand.”

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Volkswagen hover car concept, Self-driving car by Continental is close to being road legal,

Red London bus is pumped for the Olympics

London BoosterThis year’s Olympics is finally here, and the whole world seems pretty excited about it. We’ve had Olympic-themed apps, Olympic-themed cases and phones, and even not so friendly Olympic tweets. Now we’ve got on more to add to the list: an Olympic-themed bus. However it’s no ordinary bus that ferries people around the city. Built by a Czech artist named David Cerny, it’s called the London Booster and is like no other bus you’ve seen. Why, you ask? Mainly because of the two huge arms sticking out the side of the bus that allow it to perform pushups; I kid you not. Check out the video of it in action below, but if you happen to be at the Czech Olympic headquarters in London, you can catch it live!


By Ubergizmo. Related articles: BlinxBox releases Olympics Box, Samsung Galaxy S3 used to control hotel rooms,

Extra footage of record-setting Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing (video)

Video of record-setting Chip Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing

We’ve chronicled Flight of the Century founder and CEO Chip Yates‘ record-breaking 202.6MPH flight in his Long-ESA EV craft before. What we didn’t quite touch on, however, is the power loss Yates’ aircraft suffered after earning that electric plane speed record. Now Yates has released new video of the flight, which includes the moment his aircraft breaks the record, the ensuing power loss and his dramatic deadstick landing. That smile you see in the photo up there is the smile of a man who just made history and is also happy to be alive. Hey, we’re glad he’s safe, too. You can witness the close call yourself by checking out the video after the break.

[Image credit: Flight of the Century]

Continue reading Extra footage of record-setting Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing (video)

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Extra footage of record-setting Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM Wireless Pedestrian Detection Technology is in the pipeline

General Motors (GM) is currently hard at work on churning out a reliable working version of Wireless Pedestrian Detection Technology that when implemented across the board, will hopefully be able to help save more lives on the road despite a driver’s carelessness. The inclusion of Wi-Fi Direct connectivity in vehicles might be able to increase the driver’s awareness level as it is smart enough to be able to detect pedestrians and bicyclists even if you are driving along a congested street (such as those in major cities), or under poor visibility conditions – letting the car detect pedestrians before your eyes are able to register one. (more…)

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