As the president of the United States, we know Mr. Obama has a lot on his plate, so we took the liberty of helping him out by checking one thing off his to-do list: choosing a new presidential limo. Should he replace the Cadillac/GMC Topkick hybrid presidential limo (Cadillac One or “The Beast”) for his [...]
The Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 of Jann Mardenborough and Alex Buncombe
The premise behind Nissan’s GT Academy is simple: pick the fastest race car drivers in the virtual world, on the Sony PlayStation 3 console’s Gran Turismo 5, and then do what you can to turn one into a professional racer in the real world. Past winners, such as Lucas Ordonez, have progressed rapidly from gaming to winning real races, and Ordonez’s crowning achievement to date was a podium finish at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In 2…
Here’s our first look at the new Subaru Viziv Concept that will be fully revealed at the 83rd Geneva International Auto Show in early March. Subaru tells us that the Viziv is "a future-generation crossover concept" that embodies the brand value of "Enjoyment and Peace of Mind" – if that makes any sense to you… Read more »
DIY flash reflector, 1969 Popular Science archivesIn honor of National Pie Day, why don’t you try one of these fun crafts from the Popular Science archives? Use a pie tin to make a jet engine, a telescope, or a lovely chandelier. Today is National Pie Day (the less-cool cousin of March 14′s Pi Day) and, to celebrate, we’ve compiled 10 fun and easy pie-tin crafts from the Popular Science archives. What do a hipster chandelier, an amateur telescope, and a living-room jet engine have in common? You can mak…
It seems like we’ve been hearing about the Kia Cadenza for years, and it’s finally here. The 2014 Cadenza, which is mechanically related to the Hyundai Azera, replaces the long-gone Kia Amanti and will fit above the Optima SX in size, but below the rumored Quoris sedan – if the U.S. market ever gets that [...]
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed a minimum sound standard for electric and hybrid vehicles to help reduce pedestrian fatalities.
Electric and hybrid vehicles are very different than their gas-only counterparts in that they are virtually silent at low speeds, but such quiet operation makes it difficult for pedestrians (and those who are visually impaired) to detect an approaching vehicle.
Part of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, the proposal would …
General Motors reprograms robots to put a toy car in a wrapped box. Unionize, elves, before it’s too late! Sure, the elves in this video look happy, but are they secretly worried about job security? They should be. GM reprogrammed a few robots in its line to wrap gifts, and this will likely not bode well for some of the little guys. [Autoblog]
In an effort to bolster battery science and manufacturing prospects in the United States and stay on top of a global industry valued at $42 billion – and growing about 8 percent annually – the Department of Energy is set to fund the new Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, to the tune of up [...]
Nano Rainbows King’s College LondonPotential to make better solar cells? Check. Improved televisions down the road? Check. Pretty? Check. It’s difficult to manage color when you get to the nanoscale, but researchers from King’s College London have found a way to trap light on nanostructures. Based on the shape of the structure, they can capture a rainbow created on gold film that’s 100 times smaller than a human hair. Unlike a real rainbow, then, researchers can manipulate the structure to control where …
There is no question, the jump in pump prices these past few years have shaken the economy and challenged households. The upside is that higher fuel prices have fueled the so-called green revolution and high-tech transportation development.
The International Energy Agency, this week published a surprising report on U.S. oil supplies (pdf). According to widespread press coverage (Reuters, CNN), the United States now has enough oil reserves to surpass Saudi Arabia’s production by 2017, and to become a n…