Hasta La Gadget!

Everyone knew Ferrari was cooking up its first hybrid, and that it would be very quick when it was pegged as an Enzo successor. Still, we didn’t quite expect the sledgehammer that is the LaFerrari. Never mind the very redundant naming scheme: there’s a 789HP V12 mated with 160HP of electric power, the 949HP combination of which takes the supercar to 62MPH in less than 3 seconds and makes it the overall fastest Ferrari to date. There’s a nod to eco-friendliness with relatively low emissions, but the hybrid component mostly powers a KERS system that fills out the few weak points in the torque band. You won’t have the chance to buy the LaFerrari — all 499 units of the €1 million ($1.3 million) flagship are spoken for — but there’s already talk of future hybrids that will run solely on electric power some or all of the time.

Don’t be too forlorn if you have money to burn on a tech-centric Ferrari, though. The Maranello crew is also showing the very first results of its Apple collaboration through an upgraded FF. The four-seater GT now has Siri voice integration and ships with a pair of iPad minis to keep backseaters entertained when the 652HP V12 somehow isn’t exciting enough. Ferrari hasn’t said how much the upgraded FF costs, although we imagine that the iOS-linked costs are drops in the bucket next to the vehicle itself. Chairman Luca di Montezemolo hints that it’s just the start of the Apple relationship, too, as Ferrari will be “more precise” about the union in the months ahead.

Filed under: Transportation, Apple

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Via: Autoblog, Bloomberg

Source: Ferrari

The Ferrari is a sports car whose price tag puts it way out of range for most of us, but if you happen to be one of the few who can afford one, you might be interested to learn that future Ferrari models could feature iPads integrated as part of its in-car entertainment system.  During the unveiling of the car maker’s hybrid model, the LaFerrari, Chairman Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo confirmed that they were in talks with Apple about broadening their partnership on in-car entertainment which could see iPad minis being installed on the passenger seats.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard or have seen Apple products being installed by car manufacturers. Some manufacturers have included options in their vehicle such as Apple’s Siri Eyes Free feature which allows the activation and use of Siri without having to reach for our phone while driving. Some car enthusiasts have also taken it upon themselves to modify their vehicles to embed iPhones or iPads in their cars as part of their entertainment system as well.

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[CeBIT 2013] I met with Yunasko‘s co-founders Natalia Stryzhakova (Ph.D.) and Andrii Buvailo at CeBIT in Hannover. Yunasko develops ultracapacitors, which are energy storage devices with extremely high power capacities and fast charge / discharge profiles. For example, high power is required when you start an electrical vehicle (not when you drive it) or when the power in your computer suddenly shuts down and you need an immediate burst of power to take over.

According to Andrii Buvailo, regular capacitors have less efficiency than Yunasko products when it comes to Kilowatts stored per Kilogram. The patent-pending component provides almost 3 times more power per kilogram than the competition. Basically, it means that Yunasko is able to provide more power in a smaller form factor, a feature that is highly in demand for small consumer electronic devices or even for electrical vehicles that need to save some space and weight. For instance the ELF shown at CeBIT could benefit from this ultracapacitor.

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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: ELF: Hybrid Solar / Pedal Vehicle by Organic Transit, Toyota i-Road Personal Mobility Concept ,

[CeBIT 2013] Today at CeBIT, I met with Alix Bowman and Rob Cotter from Organic Transit, the green transportation company behind ELF, an innovative solar / pedal hybrid vehicle. This egg-shaped tricycle can be powered by an electric engine when needed or using pedals just like a bicycle.

The durable shell comes fully equipped with lights, signals and mirrors just like a car, and the battery pack can be recharged using the solar panels located on the roof top (see photo in the gallery) or by plugging in to a wall outlet. Note that the battery was not plugged when I saw ELF on the showfloor at CeBIT (see the electrical cable unplugged in the picture).

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The Toyota i-Road personal mobility concept looks all prepared to roll out at the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show. As you can see in the image above, the Toyota i-Road would come across as an ultra-compact, tandem two-seater electric vehicle which was specially developed with the theme of compactness in mind. It definitely offers a refreshing mobility experience that is novel, and yet delivers a similar level of convenience as that of a motorcycle. Could the Toyota i-Road the answer to the future of our roads, where clogged city lanes would soon be a thing of the past? Perhaps the issue of parking space (or rather, the lack of it) too, could be solved, while helping reduce one’s carbon footprint, too.

Thanks to a newly developed, automatic active-lean system, the Toyota i-Road will offer a great response and an exhilarating driving experience. You can travel in comfort without getting wind (and bugs) in your face, as the Toyota i-Road sports a closed cabin, shielding you from rain and if tinted, the harmful UV rays of the sun, too. This 3-seater ride will get you to your destination in style, but definitely not in speed as it maxes out at just 45 km/h with a 50km range.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: ELF: Hybrid Solar / Pedal Vehicle by Organic Transit, Urbee 2 To Cross Country On Just 10 Gallons Of Ethanol,