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Around the world Tesla Roadster tour back on track after swift repair job
While we might not have enjoyed the full story arc just yet, we came within an electric whisker of seeing the electric Roadster's around the world trip derailed completely. The team at Tesla service in Munich, however, obviously love a fairytale ending -- which is why they pledged to fix-up the car in the fastest time possible. Just four days after that show-stopping accident, de Mestre is back in the game, and heading south to Barcelona. The journey won't end there though, as to make up some lost miles on the French Citroen team, he'll travel back up to Strasbourg, and in turn roll over the virtual 25,000 km finish line. Assuming no other problems along the way, we'll be mentally cheering the him along.
Tesla driver fails to complete world tour after crash on the home straight
An unfortunate traffic accident brought Rafael de Mestre's electric trek across the globe to an abrupt halt today, stopping his Tesla Roadster a scant 600 miles from the finish line. "Game over," the world traveler wrote on Facebook and Twitter, posting a picture of the damaged vehicle and assuring readers that he survived the ordeal. Since then, he's only offered a small update, lamenting the loss of his faithful electric carriage and sharing a short video of the accident's aftermath. Lend the dejected driver some moral support (or just engage in digital rubbernecking) at the source links below. Update: We initially reported that Rafael was just a kilometer from the end of his race when he crashed, but he in fact wiped out 1,000km from the line -- still very unlucky considering he'd traveled 24,000km unscathed.
Tesla Roadster driver now halfway around the world, catching up with Citroen team (video)
Human antagonists can bring far more stress to a journey than a ticking clock. Phileas Fogg learned that, and now Tesla Roadster owner Rafael de Mestre is discovering it too. He wants to be the first to drive a standard EV (i.e. not solar- or hydrogen-powered vehicle) around the world, and just like Jules Verne's hero he intends to do it in 80 days -- but he's not alone. Two Frenchmen in a little Citroen C-Zero (a sibling of the Mitsubishi i) have the same ambition, and although they've budgeted a comfortable eight months for their trip, they already have a three-month head start over de Mestre. As things stand, the Roadster is on a ship bound for China, while the Citroen duo are trundling up through Malaysia. Fortunately, de Mestra's figured out another bit of racing wisdom: the importance of demoralizing your enemies with YouTube clips like the one after the break.
Solar boat crew heading out on a fantastic voyage around the world
A group of engineers, scientists and sailors have banded together to form a team they call Solar Planet. The group are now building a 98-foot-long solar-powered boat, for the express purpose of sailing all the way around the world using nothing but the delicious power of the sun. The $13 million dollar vessel -- which is currently in construction in Kiel, Germany -- will have 5,059 square feet of photovoltaic cells, and should be able to circumnavigate the earth in about 120 days, at a rate of about 10 knots. The project is being funded by Swiss company Rivendell Holding AG, that has committed to investing in green technology. The group hopes to set sail sometime next year from Marseilles, France, with various stops off along the way. They will undoubtedly tire of hearing that Daft Punk song long before they ever leave the shore. Check out a sweet render of the boat after the break.
International iPhone pricing guide
On July 11, 2008, the iPhone 3G will be launching all over the world. As the release date draws near, we have been inundated with tips from readers about international 3G launch dates and prices. In an attempt to try to keep the information organized in one place, I (stupidly, perhaps) volunteered to create a table containing the data from every country that is releasing the iPhone 3G on July 11 (plus France, which is launching on July 17). I did my best to provide the most accurate information, although some carriers have yet to release official information.If you see any errors, please let me know -- I can update the table and the results will correct themselves immediately on this page.Update: Thank you for all the helpful feedback! I will be out of town for the 4th of July, but will try to get information updated/corrected later today. I am also considering putting together a different chart comparing the final price at the end of contract, to determine who gets the "best" and "worst" deals respectively on the iPhone 3G. Thanks to everyone who sent in links that helped contribute to this information!
Engadget around the world
We know you've been watching closely all week, but there's more going on out there in the world of Engadget than just what we're writing about here in the States. Check it out, this is Engadget around the world.Engadget Japanese au's EZ-Navi walk got 3D map Willcom introduces location based services Docomo Music Porter X satelite radio musicphone Daimyo CF Card and Munch MiniSD NEC's VoToL delayed Sony's LocationFree for Windows Mobile under way PSE: government-approved Vintage gear list Engadget Spanish ATI's FireGL V7350 video card with 1GB of memory Nokia's 4G mobile prototipe The 2-in-1 Wallaby mouse VMD, another format to compete against Blu-ray and HD DVD Engadget Chinese Asus new camera phone:ASUS M307 Engadget CN @ Shanghai Dopod 818 Pro Mozart edition PDA phone Engadget CN @ SNDA Ezmini review Viewsonic announce 1ms & 19inch Vx931 LCD in China
