The art of good design. It's all around us.
This tiny Honda e-bike from Shanghai Customs was the hit of the office.
The eCUB is a clean and minimalist version of the classic Honda with a 2000 watt hub motor connected to a 1.2kW lithium-ion battery pack. The setup offers a range of around 30 miles and top speed of 50 mph. Despite outward appearances the eCUB has all the necessary lighting for street use in most markets.
Via Places 2 Ride: Whirring the Emotions–Custom E-Cub
The bar has been raised. Again.
But this time it’s the new kid on the block— and the bar was raised a lot. Thermostat newcomer Ecobee has been catching up to the venerable Nest over the last few years. But they recently upended the game with their latest offering, the Ecobee4.
Clones of the popular Nest abound. But most, like this Honeywell Lyric, don’t offer the features or value of the original. Not so with the smart offerings from Ecobee!
It just keeps getting better!
Tesla has lowered the entry-level price of the Model X SUV, from $82,500 to $79,500. The $3,000 price drop is the result of improved margins for the electric vehicle, which the company achieved thanks to “efficiencies” achieved in the manufacturing process, Reuters reports. Tesla’s Model X and Model S sales performance were areas of key…
via Tesla lowers Model X base price due to improved margins — TechCrunch
Think EVs are a passing fancy?
The folks at Volvo apparently disagree. The Chinese-owned carmaker announced ambitious plans to electrify their entire lineup by model year 2019.
Volvo is done with entirely traditional engines and exclusively gas-powered vehicles, the company announced. By 2019, Volvo group intends to offer only either fully electric or hybrid engines on all new models, making it the first automaker to commit to using only alternative drive trains. The end of the solely combustion engine-powered car did seem…
via Volvo will only make electric and hybrid cars starting in 2019 — TechCrunch
Nobody?
At the Formula E Paris ePrix over the weekend, the driverless Roborace navigated a lap of the 1.9 km course all by itself — all 14 turns. Read More
via Roborace autonomous car takes a lap in Paris — TechCrunch
Tesla is opening up pre-orders for its solar roof tiles today — a little later than previously slated. CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company will be accepting orders for the tiles from later this afternoon. Read More
via Tesla’s solar roof tiles go up for pre-order today — TechCrunch
No matter what you personally believe the cause to be— changes to the Earth’s crust are occurring. Now you can watch it happen in compressed time format. Some are rather alarming.
Planet, the global imaging company that recently acquired Google’s Terra Bella satellite imaging business, is introducing a new tool called Planet Explorer Beta that allows its users to view how its image captures of Earth from space change over time. It’s available to the public without a login, which means petty much anyone can check…
via Planet’s new Explorer Beta lets anyone time travel through geospatial images — TechCrunch
A new generation of lighting has taken over the workshop. The days of white-hot halogen work lamps are numbered. LED lamps are now affordable!
For years the 500 watt T3 halogen bulb has been the heart of worklights. But the heat produced by these monsters can burn skin and melt nearby work surfaces. Handling these glass tube bulbs is also tricky. If your bare hand touches any part of the bulb during replacement it can cause the bulb to fail prematurely… or even explode!
SunGlacier makes sculptures that produce water from thin air!
The brainchild of Dutch artist Ap Verheggen, the WaterCube is one design that melds art and technology. A photovoltaic solar panel powers the device to cool an aluminum block so that it causes water to condense on the core. Continue reading “Making Water”
BMW has unveiled an experimental electric-powered version of their popular RR sportbike. The eRR is a silent version of the S1000RR and doesn’t just look fast— it is fast. Continue reading “BMW Electrified Concept Bike”
