GM’s two-seater EN-V concept makes ‘urban mobility’ hip again

We’ll confess — the Segway did a lot of damage to urban mobility as a whole, but General Motors (of all companies) might have just mended a wound we thought un-mendable. Unveiling today in Shanghai, the two-seater EN-V concept is a play on last year’s altogether riveting (albeit forgotten) P.U.M.A., and yes, it seems as if some of those design cues have worked their way into this one as well. The Electric Networked-Vehicle was engineered to “alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow’s cities,” and they’re also fully capable of transforming this place we call Earth into a next-generation Epcot. A trio of designs made their debut — Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh) — and we’re told that twin electric motors and “dynamic stabilization technology” allow ’em to turn on a dime and operate autonomously (!) using integrated GPS. The Li-ion batteries can be juiced from a conventional wall outlet, and the expected range is around 40 kilometers on a single charge. Best of all? There’s built in wireless of some sort, enabling your fellow EN-V owner-friends to keep track of your late-night escapades if you so allow. We know — you’d buy one of each if these were available today, but mum’s the word on when (or if) they’ll ever hit the production line; meanwhile, expect something called a “Malibu” to remain in the product pipeline for the better part of next decade.

GM’s two-seater EN-V concept makes ‘urban mobility’ hip again originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia’s Symbian^3 touchscreen flagship leaked?

What does that look like to you? Sure looks like a probable Nokia flagship candidate for the upcoming launch of Symbian^3 to ride. Remember, we’ve already heard about a N8-00 said to be sporting a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, 12 megapixel camera, and HDMI-out. This unnamed device features a 12 megapixel camera with Xenon flash and Carl Zeiss optics, an HDMI jack next to a top-mounted 3.5-mm headphone jack, and a bottom-loading battery allowing the phone to keep a unibody design (a la the HTC Legend). The screen is big, at least 3.5 inches and possibly hovering around 4 inches. Oh, and a QWERTY is nowhere to be found. So Nokia, got anything you’d like to announce?

Update: Eldar Murtazin, a man who knows a thing or two about pre-production Nokia devices, says the N8-00 is real and due in September.

Nokia’s Symbian^3 touchscreen flagship leaked? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tata Motors’ Nano lights up the streets of Mumbai

Indeed, there is a time in every product’s life-cycle when it has its birth announcement, when it steps out into the world for the first time, and when it bursts into flames — and Tata’s Nano is no exception. According to Indian Autos Blog, the manufacturer is particularly well known for its combustible motorcars these days — back in 2009, three Nanos caught fire, and now we have pictures of the latest to go into flames, courtesy of an insurance agent Satish Sawant. Apparently, the auto dealership was delivering the vehicle to its new owner when a motorcyclist overtook the driver to get his attention — just like that old episode of CHiPs. Since the engine is behind the driver, he had no idea that it had caught fire at some point on his journey. Who would have thought that a $2,500 vehicle would be plagued with problems? Let’s just hope they get ’em sorted before the Nano EV hits the streets.

Tata Motors’ Nano lights up the streets of Mumbai originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android-powered Roewe 350 motorcar hits production line, we reserve space in our garage

We aren’t exactly hopeful that the Roewe 350 will ever ship stateside, but given that our Volt pre-order is still in limbo (and we’re not about to lease a Tesla Roadster), we can’t help but look longingly at this gem. Hailed as the first Android-powered automobile, this here car has just hit the production line, and it’s expected to make its formal debut next month at the Beijing Auto Show. The 350 was based on the N1 concept shown last year, and we’re told that the integrated DVD / GPS navigation system will run on Google’s Android (v2.1) operating system. As you’d expect, the system will be able to pull down real-time traffic reports and figure out the most effective route from point A to point B C, though we suspect you’ll need to rig up some sort of WWAN card in order to check your Gmail on the go. Oh, and did we mention this thing will start at just over ten grand? Huzzah!

[Thanks, Ash]

Android-powered Roewe 350 motorcar hits production line, we reserve space in our garage originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disgruntled auto salesman bricks cars with remote kill-switch

Over the years, a number of optional technologies have allowed new auto buyers to remotely disable and / or recover their vehicles after purchase, but these devices aren’t always optional, and it might not even be the buyer who activates them. According to Threat Level, a man has been charged in Austin, Texas for allegedly hacking into the computer of his employer, Texas Auto Center, and activating WebTeck remote horn triggers and kill devices installed in over 100 cars owned by the company’s customers — all from the comfort of home. After Texas Auto Center reset the offending software’s passwords and figured out what’s what, the Austin High Tech Crime Unit quickly traced access back to one Omar Ramos-Lopez and made an arrest — but for many, the damage (in terms of missed work, school and tow-truck calls) had already been done. Care to form an opinion? Read more about the crime, and WebTeck, at our source links.

Disgruntled auto salesman bricks cars with remote kill-switch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM shows off sensor-laden windshield, new heads-up display prototype

Heads-up displays are undoubtedly novel, and downright useful in the right circumstances. Trouble is, few of these prototypes ever make it beyond the lab, and we’re stuck using these same two eyeballs to experience the world around us. General Motors is evidently tired of the almosts, and it’s now working in concert with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Southern California in order to concoct one of the most advanced HUD systems that we’ve seen — particularly in the automotive world. Setting out to create “enhanced vision systems,” GM’s R&D team has created a windshield packed with visible and Infrared cameras along with internal optics that keep a close eye on the driver’s retinas. In the images and video below (hit the ‘Read More’ link for the real action), you’ll see a solution that utilizes lasers in order to highlight road edges, speed limit signs and all sorts of other vital bits of data during a fog-filled commute. Best of all? We’re told that some of these technologies “could end up in GM vehicles in the near-term future.” Granted, the Volt was supposed to set sail already, but we suppose we’ll give ’em the benefit of the doubt.

Continue reading GM shows off sensor-laden windshield, new heads-up display prototype

GM shows off sensor-laden windshield, new heads-up display prototype originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: skyscrapers, combustible ice, and coffee-powered cars

The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us.

This week Inhabitat took a peek into the future of our built environment by showcasing the most incredible designs from the 2010 eVolo Skyscraper Competition. From water purifying buildings to cities stacked on stilts and self-sufficient underwater skyscrapers, there’s no shortage of futuristic thinking on tap.

Alternative energy was also a hot topic this week as China launched plans to tap “combustible ice” as an energy source and researchers at MIT discovered a new way to produce electricity by sending thermopower waves through carbon nanotubes.

We also saw several exciting advances in efficient transportation as South Korea rolled out an EV that is recharged by electrified roads and researchers at UT Dallas revealed a heat-scavenging tailpipe that may one day help power cars. And if you think your Prius gets good mileage, get a load of this super-efficient gas engine that gets 98 MPG. Finally, if you rely on that morning cup of coffee to get your engine running, you won’t want to miss this coffee-powered car that gets 56 espressos per mile

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: skyscrapers, combustible ice, and coffee-powered cars originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TAG Heuer’s Tesla Roadster gets pictured on the road

The good people of Tesla couldn’t leave us with just stock studio photography of their new TAG Heuer special edition vehicle, oh no. They’ve treated us to a full gallery of the car out on the road, sporting its new regalia and that radical paintjob with pride. To remind you, the only special thing about this edition is indeed that TAG Heuer has reskinned its exterior, while a center console mount for a Meridiist phone and room for a Limited Edition Stopwatch can be classified as product placements for the crowd who’d buy things just because there’s an allotted space for them. Anyhow, a couple more pictures await after the break (sans that silly flare on the Tesla logo above) or you can hit the source for the full experience.

Continue reading TAG Heuer’s Tesla Roadster gets pictured on the road

TAG Heuer’s Tesla Roadster gets pictured on the road originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tata Nano EV represents the feasible side of our electric future


Oh sure, this might not accelerate to ludicrous speed in 3 seconds flat, and it might not look like something Jules Verne brought back from the future, but it is the one electro-vehicular concept we can reliably expect to see hit retail in 2011. Indian carmaker Tata promised us an eco-friendly version of its ultra-affordable Nano, and what you see above is the corporeal fulfillment of that pledge. Our comrades at Autoblog report that the Nano EV will go into production alongside the Indica Vista EV and should be available to buy at some point next year. As far as we’re concerned, when it comes to cars other people have to drive, this might be at the very top of our list. See more of it after the break.

Continue reading Tata Nano EV represents the feasible side of our electric future

Tata Nano EV represents the feasible side of our electric future originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia and Alpine integrating handsets into cars, bringing Ovi Maps to your dashboard

What’s the one biggest hurdle to throwing out your dedicated GPS nav unit and going ahead with the free turn-by-turn navigation offered by your smartphone? If your answer was that most phones don’t have the great big screens or easy installation systems of some satnav devices, look out, because Nokia’s about to shake up your world all over again. Alpine has just announced its partnership with the Finnish giant aimed at integrating Nokia handsets — complete with free Ovi Maps navigation — into car dashboard systems. Yes, that means you can use your superb six-amp speaker system to boom out music or voice nav instructions from the phone, as well as your in-dash 7-inch LCD for showing you the right way home. There’s further interaction with widgets keeping an eye on your fuel levels and engine condition, leading to location-based services such as the phone notifying you of the nearest and cheapest petrol station. Connectivity is done over either USB or Bluetooth, and Nokia promises that this Terminal Mode will be showing up in its phones in the very near future. The sooner the better, we say.

Nokia and Alpine integrating handsets into cars, bringing Ovi Maps to your dashboard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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