Scorpion sportscar would burn gasoline and hydrogen

A Texas company is offering a glimpse of a high-end hydrogen-gasoline sportscar it hopes to sell by October.

Rather than using fuel cells to power an electric motor, the Scorpion from Ronn Motor Company would have an internal combustion engine burning both gasoline and hydrogen, achieving 40 highway miles per gallon.

Unlike with a hydrogen fuel cell car, the Scorpion's "hydrogen on demand" system wouldn't require a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank. Nor would a driver need to find and fill up at a hydrogen fueling station.

Instead, electricity from the Scorpion's alternator sends an electric charge through the water in a storage tank, fracturing molecules and releasing hydrogen, which is injected into the motor, explained Ronn Maxwell, CEO of Ronn Motor in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

"This means that as we're driving down the road, we're producing hydrogen in real time, and blending it with gasoline at a ratio of 30 to 40 percent," he said.
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Europeans lead the way with GPS breathalyzers

This is one of those items that, depending on how it's viewed, is either a testament to progressive use of safety technology or a frightening commentary on the prevalance of alcohol on the road. Or both.

AvMap, an Italian GPS equipment manufacturer, is the second company we've seen in recent months to combine a navigation device with a breathalyzer. This version is the product of a partnership with Peugeot, which has used AvMap technologies in its cars since 2005, according to GPS Business News. It follows a similar device mentioned on Crave a few months ago, from Portugal's NDrive, which reportedly has yet to come to market.

AvMap's model, called the Geosat 6 Drive Safe, has a 4.8-inch touchscreen and can make handsfree calls through its Bluetooth connection, handy when phoning for a designated driver. The breathalyzer is located in the upper right side, which might not seem obvious at first glance. But maybe that's the point: If you have a hard time finding it, the test might not even be necessary.

Via CNET Crave

Numeric keypad calculator

Press Windows + R, then type "calc" and enter. That's how you can quickly bring up the calculator application on your Windows PC. This is also the reason many of us do not need a physical calculator around as there's always a PC nearby. But if you are going to have a calculator, here's one worth getting--the 10 Key Calculator created by UK-based designer Sam Hecht.

It doesn't really have only 10 keys, but this calculator looks very much like your computer's numeric keypad. You no longer have to bear with the squishy keys on a regular calculator with this. It even has a USB connector so you can use it on a computer screen or, if you'd rather not, you can use the built-in LCD display.

One gripe--the "0" and "+" keys aren't double-sized like on a standard keyboard number pad. Also, it's ridiculously expensive at £45 (about US$88). Get it, if you can afford it, from Design Museum Shop.

Via Boing Boing Gadgets

WWDC 2008: iPhones, 10.6, and a new .Mac?

Expect to hear new details about the future of Apple's Mac OS X and Web business next week at the Worldwide Developers Conference--and we think there might be a new iPhone, too.

On Monday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs will take the stage at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco to address a gathering of Apple's developers and the media. This year's WWDC is sold out to the development community, who will be hearing formal presentations by Apple on both Mac and iPhone development during the week's sessions and meetings.

Anyone with even a passing interest in consumer electronics is probably aware that Apple is expected to unveil the next generation of the iPhone in the near future. The older version has been sold out for weeks as we approach the anniversary of the first model's debut, and anticipation of a model that can connect to 3G cellular networks has been building almost since that date last year.

One of the primary drawbacks of the first iteration of the iPhone has been its reliance on the slower EDGE network outside of Wi-Fi hot spots, which can make downloading a Web page an exercise in patience. Upgrading to a faster connection should encourage people to do more Web browsing outside of Wi-Fi connections and could open up a whole new class of applications that need a faster pipe to work effectively.

Apple is also expected to include GPS technology inside the latest version, another development that could pique the software development community's interest in the iPhone. Location-aware services are available on several phones that use GPS technology, and the iPhone developers could soon be ready to join the party.

Will the new iPhone be available immediately following Jobs' keynote? It's not clear. There have been conflicting reports, but Brian Tong of CNET TV is hearing from his sources that Apple Retail employees have not yet been told whether they'll need to report early on Monday for a special training session, which the company has done in the past before major announcements.
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Cheap and good humidifier

This certainly appeals to the frugal Chinese in me. For an initial investment of just US$39.95, I get a humidifier that's not only portable for air travel at a compact 3 x 2.5 x 3 inches, it falls into the cheap-and-good category that most Asians subscribe to. That's primarily because this lets you screw on any mineral water bottle to act as a reservoir tank.

Hit the On button, and you're all ready to be soothed by cool, clear moisture, particularly when you've attempting to acclimatize from a humid to a dry city. Quite surprisingly, this bitty device is flexible enough to offer two different size adapters for the bottles, while the mist is adjustable to any strength you desire, or even between a hot and cool mist.

There's just one catch. It seems to come only in pink. Though if you aren't man enough to handle the sniggers, you can always give the excuse that it's your wife/girlfriend's. Wink, wink.

Via Nerd Approved

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