Hasta La Gadget!

Joke Racer, currently in Beta stage, is set to take the online gaming world by storm. This is something for car-lovers, toy-lovers or just those with a few moments to kill online.

Simply by joining up you can step behind the wheel and control the cars that race around the tracks. You can be anywhere in the world and the driving experience is one hundred real time. There are cars, monster trucks and even a train. It doesn’t matter if you’ve won a F1 Grand Prix in real life or don’t even possess a license. The whole thing is done just by using your keyboard arrow keys.

Although based in Tokyo, currently the opening hours are limited to night time in Japan (19:00 to 22:00 JST). This makes the service available 6:00 to 9:00 (in New York), 3:00 to 6:00 (in San Francisco), 21:00 to 24:00 (in Australia), and 12:00 to 15:00 (in France).

Follow Joke Racer on Twitter.

Intel just announced that both BMW and Mercedes-Benz will be shipping Atom-based infotainment systems designed by Harman-Becker in 2012. BMW will make the system available in the 7-series, while MB will put it in S- and C-class vehicles. According to Paul Otellini, these are just the first Atom-based in-vehicle entertainment systems to be announced, and automakers are coming around to “consistent and persistent platforms,” so we’d expect this is the start of a very welcome trend. Sadly there was no demo, but we’ll be on the lookout here at IDF.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Transportation

BMW and Mercedes to have Intel Atom-based infotainment systems in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, it’s a well-known fact that the world is ending in either 2012 or when the Large Hadron Collider starts back up (whichever comes first). But, assuming neither of those scenarios actually cause planet Earth to fold in on itself, you should have some pretty swank Volkswagens to choose from in 2013. Just days after hearing that the highly-anticipated E-Up! concept would be landing in around four years, VW is now proclaiming that the L1 concept you see above could also hit production at the same time. What’s odd, however, is that the automaker is already calling this the “most fuel-efficient automobile in the world,” but at 170MPG, you’d think the suits at Chevy would have a thing or two to say about it. At least in theory, the hybrid TDI vehicle can cruise 100 kilometers on just 1.38 liters of diesel, but we’ll wait until the EPA gets a go before buying in completely.

Filed under: Transportation

Volkswagen L1 concept is crazy efficient, could ship in 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, you won’t find a bigger bunch of fans of the C63 than this here crew, but man, that massive “plug-in hybrid” logo might as well say “70+ aged drivers only, please.” For everyone not interested in scooping up a Tesla Roadster, Chevy Volt or some other eco-friendly whip that they can’t afford, there’s the Mercedes-Benz Vision S 500. Made official this week during the run-up to the impending Frankfurt auto show, the 3.5-liter PHEV aims to grab the eyes of those who value class, comfort and luxury, and while this whole “gas mileage” thing is still very much in the air with this type of vehicle, early estimates peg the MPG rating at around 70. M-B has gifted the car with an 18-mile electric range, but most everything else is being veiled in secrecy until the full reveal next week.

Filed under: Transportation

Mercedes-Benz Vision S 500: it’s the plug-in hybrid for old people originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not long after establishing a prototype EV battery switching station in Japan, Better Place is now partnering with Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo’s largest taxi operator, to put the thing through its paces, swapping out batteries for up to four electric hacks scheduled to run from the Roppongi Hills shopping and office complex beginning in January next year. In Tokyo, cabs account for only two percent of the traffic, yet they produce twenty-percent of its CO2 emissions — a fact that further drives home the point that greening our public transportation is an important first step in cleaning up the environment. The study comes hot on the heels of other deals in the works for Israel, Europe, and the San Francisco. Albert Hockenberry would be impressed.

[Via PhysOrg]

Filed under: Transportation

Better Place tests its EV battery switching stations on Tokyo cabbies originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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