I asked Peugeot’s Managing Director, Jon Goodman, about the company’s future fuel strategy:

“We need to have multiple solutions. In about two years we need to have vehicles on offer that use standard fuels but are more fuel efficient than today’s models. We need to offer micro-hybrids — that’s cars that use carbon-based fuels but also recover energy when the car is braking. We need to offer Diesel Hybrids which we will do in 2011 as well as a range of electric vehicles in about three years.”

The BB1 is, Peugeot claims, a mixture of a scooter and a car and seems to be the car manufacturer’s first foray into electric car design. Athanassios Tubidis, the BB1’s designer, told assembled guests:

“The BB1 isn’t about long journeys, it isn’t about linear travel — it’s about the gesture: Stop. Go. Accelerate. Get in. Get Out.”

So clearly the BB1 is aimed at the young urban market in a World where gas prices could rise again to over $100 a barrel and stay there.

The Peugeot BB1 in day-to-day use

The BB1 is entirely electric so it just plugs in to a mains socket at home and the lithium ion batteries charge up in six hours. This electric car is obviously designed for city driving so you won’t be using it for a motorway trip to work but for urban journeys the BB1 provides rapid acceleration, space for four people and a 360° driver view.

The four people claim gives the BB1 an advantage over rivals such as the Toyota iQ and the Smart Car but it should be noted that the rear passengers are straddled on scooter-like seats and their legs actually wrap around the occupants at the front in order to squeeze them into the 2.5 meter BB1. Some people may not like this intimate arrangement!

The scooter analogy doesn’t stop there as the steering of the BB1 is done through a handlebar-like device that also houses an iPod dock. Dock your iPod to the handlebars and the central display uses it to access the internet.

The front occupants sit in a more upright position than most of us are used to. This is necessary to cram four people into the thing and its made possible by the complete lack of any foot pedals.

Propulsion

The Peugeot BB1 is powered by a pair of 20 bhp electric motors driving the rear axle but its the torque of electric motors that will give this diminutive vehicle its agility and responsiveness in urban traffic. Weighing only 600 Kg that’s nearly 40 bhp/tonne. The bubble-roof (a styling reference to the RCZ) has integrated solar panels that drive the air-conditioning system.

Styling

Peugeot has come a long way since the producers of Columbo selected a Peugeot 403 because it was the ugliest car they could think of. Some people will hate the styling of the BB1: it looks as if it’s back to front, the front windscreen leans forward at an odd angle (though this would be effective at removing reflections from the dashboard) but I can’t help loving the many exquisite details the BB1 has to offer from the front and rear lamp clusters to the quirky interior and bubble-shaped roof.

Performance

The BB1 has a top speed of round 50 mph and Jon claims a 0-20 mph time of 2.8 seconds thanks to the “very torquey” electric motors. The batteries give the BB1 a range of about 75 miles which is more than enough for a day’s urban driving.

Should Peugeot build this car?

Peugeot has no firm plans to put the BB1 into production but is listening to feedback from the various launches they’re making in the World’s major cities. The BB1 will be on public show in Covent Garden, London this weekend — you might even get a chance to drive it!

Here’s a movie of celebrity views from the launch party:

So here’s the question: Should Peugeot build this car?

Related posts:

1. Audi Calamari concept car brings futurama a step closer In response to Porsche Hungary
2. Electrobike Pi will reduce your carbon footprint — if you can afford it! As traffic levels in our cities

It’s called the “Gavari”  Semiacoustic violin and is prodict of a colaborationbetween designer Gerda and and a professional viennese violin maker to guarantee the sound quality.

The Gavari has curves that seem farmiliar and the instrument is playedin exactly the same way as a traditional violin.

Hopfgartner Gerda says:

The acoustic violin form in the baroque style exists for over 500 years. There has been very little change to it.
This design creates a new modern form, moving away from the baroque style.

Key aspects such as sound criteria, analogies, sledge, boat and corset as well as feminine curves of a woman gave rise to the design of  the Gavari violin.

It was a challenge to create a new modern form for the 21th century, maybe they will change the classical music busines

Related posts:

1. Ovation iDea acoustic/electric guitar records your compositions as MP3s Ovation has produced what it cla

MiFi explained

So what is MiFi? MiFi or Mobile WiFi is the connection of WiFi-enabled devices to a mobile phone data internet connection.

Mobile internet connections have historically involved fitting your laptop with a dongle supplied my your mobile provider so that internet data was routed through the mobile data network. 3’s device is a little different though. It is a MiFi router and it creates a mobile WiFi hotspot. And, since it’s battery operated you can carry that hotspot around with you anywhere there’s a mobile signal. It also means that you can hook up a large number of devices instead of just having it just plugged into one machine.

What’s in the box

The MiFi router arrives in a small box containing:

• Card containing SSID and password
• SIM and phone number details
• Stack of cards giving usage instructions
• Power cord
• USB peripheral cable
• MiFi Router
• Miscellaneous ’small print’ documentation

Setting up a mobile WiFi hotspot

The first thing you’re going to have to do is fit the supplied SIM and battery and charge up the router for twelve hours. Once this is done press the power button for two seconds.

The small screen comes to life with a number of esoteric symbols most of which have to be looked up in the accompanying instruction cards to make sense. Annoyingly, these lights go out after a couple of seconds so you have to keep touching the power button to see the status of the device.

You can now use a WiFi device to log in to the WiFi hotspot created by the router.

Incidentally, I found that although the password provided contained spaces you must omit these when typing the password or the login will fail.

But you’re not done yet. Now you must press the connect button on the side of the router to connect to the mobile network. Once done you should have access to wireless internet in ways you never could before.

To change the router’s configuration you have to plug into a PC using the USB cable provided. If you’re running Windows XP or Vista software on the device will auto-start and install all necessary drivers and the WiFi configuration software.

Uses

Many possible uses come to mind for such a device:

• Surf the internet away from home or office (OK, that one was obvious)
• Turn your PSP or Nintendo DSi into a mobile phone
• Turn your iPod Touch into an iPhone (minus the geolocation) - use Skype for calls
• Set up a WiFi network on the train for a group of colleagues

Performance

We wouldn’t expect mobile internet service speeds to match hard-wired broadband either over HSDPA or (slower) 3G and indeed they’re not. But the results I experienced on the fringes of North West London were quite tolerable. Average download speeds of around 2.5Mbps were achieved with upload speeds of about 0.8Mbps. The best results achieved were 3.02Mbps download and 1.0Mbps upload.

The range of the 3 MiFi router was about 25 meters before falling off quite suddenly so there’s plenty of open-air range available. Of course, masonry walls will significantly cut down this range.

Wi-Fi support is limited to Wireless B and G. N is not supported but this should not be a problem while surfing the mobile internet since the provider’s network will be the bottleneck. The only time the older WiFi standard may become apparent will be when transferring files from one device to another.

Specifications

• Power: Li 1500mAh battery, Charger (Std. 3-pin UK), charge time in use: 5 hours
• Connectivity: USB cable (mini plug/standard plug)
• Network: WiFi 802.11b/g
• Memory: MicroSD Memory card supported up to 32GB
• Dimensions: 86 x 46.5 x 10.5mm with 90g weight
• User interface: 5 x LEDs

Summary

The MiFi router is a great way of providing wireless internet services for devices in the home, office or in the field that only have a WiFi interface built-in. I provides a roaming hotspot wherever there is a mobile signal and can accommodate several simultaneous connections. Speed is subject to your mobile provider network but I found 3’s to be adequate.

The screen is confusing and annoying. The meaning of the icons is not always clear and some use colour to convey information which in the days of accessibility and user-friendly design feels clunky and old-fashioned. A improved screen (perhaps LCD)  and user interface and a longer battery life would make this product a no-brainer.

Pricing

The following pricing options are available:

• From free on £12/month, 18-month contract, with 1GB data and 20 text message allowance every month.
• From free on £17/month, 18-month contract, with 5GB data and 20 text message allowance every month.
• At £99.99 with 3GB credit pre-loaded or £69.99 with a capped, £15 a month contract. (top-up and convert to add-on when preload runs out).
• At £69.99 on pay-as-you-go.

Related posts:

1. Mozilla negotiates Firefox bundling on mobile devices Mozilla wants to repeat the succ
2. Nokia N810 internet tablet hits the stores Nokia has revealed that its inte
3. LG KF600 launch brings us cell phones with ‘virtual keys’ Physical navigation keys are dea
4. Nokia’s 7070 Prism brings innovative design down-market Nokia is launching a shell-style
5. Nvidia APX 2500 platform brings 3D application layer to mobiles Smart phones are about to be rev

The monitor resolutions are 1440 x 900 which isn’t so great on their own but do combine to create some considerable screen real-estate. The screens can operate in continuous desktop mode (as above) or clone mode.

The base not only supports the screens but also houses a 1.3MP webcam and three USB 2.0 ports.

Both the flat panels can pivot vertically so both can be orientated to a comfortable angle but the clever bit is that they can pivot right over so that someone on the other side of the monitors can see your work. The screen contents is automatically rotated to compensate.

EVGA is currently pitching the system to business users but I can see a lot of home-owners seeing the benefits of a system like this. Available from the company for $649.99.

Related posts:

1. I-O Data’s new 19″ LCD Screen makes its debut I-O data has this week presented
2. Double your TV-viewing fun with DViCO’s FusionHDTV7 dual tuner DViCO has announced the official
3. LG launches a monitor for the dark side LG is bringing to market the W60
4. NEC launches 30 inch MultiSync LCD-3090 WQXi monitor NEC has launched a 30 inch LCD m
5. 30″ Dell DisplayPort 3008WFP available - larger property may be required If you’re the kind of pers

Here’s what is currently strongly suspected an upcoming Apple tablet device

• Screen size: 9.7 inches
• Chipset: Intel dual core or Samsung ARM11
• OS: App-store-compatible version of OS X
• Release date: October
• Price: $500 - $800

The two later gems of wisdom have come to us courtesy of a China Times article which states that Apple is working on a large touchscreen device. Chinese supply companies are all quoting October as the release window.

It’s great to see the idea of an Apple tablet format machine becoming a reality but I’ll be very dissappointed if, as rumours seem to be indicating, the new device is just a large format iTouch that can only run the AppStore programs. For $800 I’d want the full flexibility of a tablet format Macbook.

Let us know your thoughts.

Related posts:

1. Apple Tablet format computer comes another step closer! LoopRumors reports that Apple pl
2. Apple tablet format Mac comes closer to reality Cnet is reporting that “As
3. Rumour: Foxconn may build Apple netbook If you’re worried that you
4. Apple files Mac Tablet patent — let the rumours begin! Apple tablet rumours are racing
5. More Apple media pad grist to the rumour mill Following earlier rumours last w

The Cheetah will join other mechanical animals, a giraffe and elephant, in the collection that stalk the imaginary ‘Timmy’ underworld created by Andrew Chase who says:

Before I started this latest project, I promised myself that this time, things will be different. I shall remember history, I will learn from the excesses of  my past. I will build it small, I will build it light, and above all, I will build it quickly. I failed on all three counts. Dismally. Ah well, as the great sage Dirty Harry often said, “a man’s got to know his limitations.”

The cheetah measures 24″ high and 50″ nose to tail and weighs about 40 pounds. She took about 60 hours, spaced over 10 weeks time, to build. She’s constructed out of electrical conduit, transmission parts and 20-gauge steel.

Th following youTube movie shows the sculpture animated to look like a robotic cheetah running.

More mechanical cheetah pictures below:

[via bornrich]

No related posts.

They’ve done this not by reducing the energy usage of the tent itself but by focusing on the recharging of all those little gadgets that you’re bound to have taken camping with you.

Orange, alongside US product design consultancy Kaleidoscope, has used “Cutting edge eco-energy technology” has created a tent that allows campers to power their gadgets from a WiFi-enabled control panel incorporating a magnetic induction driven charging point. The charging point is in turn powered by photovoltaic fabric mounted on three ‘glides’ that slide over the top of the tent throughout the day so they’re always pointing towards the sun.

Kaleidoscope strategist, McKenty Aim said:

The development of photovoltaic fabric will revolutionise festival tent design, in working with Orange we have created a vision of camping that we believe is glimpse to a great future.

The tent also comes with a few other features:

The ‘glo-cation’ feature makes the tent glow when the camper gets close to it (using RFID or an SMS message) so you can find it in the dark!

You won’t get cold at night either since the ground sheet incorporates under-floor heating.

Orange’s Solar tent is just a concept at the moment but will be on display at this year’s Glastonbury festival.

Via: Pocket-Lint

No related posts.