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How a company plans to make it snow in Dubai
Snow isn't something you'd usually associate with Dubai, not when summers have an average temperature of 104 degrees F and the coldest of winters is only around 57 degrees. But the Kleindienst Group of real estate developers are positive they can simulate snowfall on the streets -- or at least on The Heart of Europe (THOE) islands within Dubai's The World man-made archipelago. The group first announced its plans to make it snow on the islands earlier this year, but now it's sharing how it plans to do so and has even made a test snowman, just in time for Christmas. Company CEO Josef Kleindienst told 7 Days in Dubai that his company plans to put snowmakers on select THOE streets, which is made up of islands fashioned after European locations, such as Austria, Germany, Sweden, St. Petersburg and Monaco.
VW's Bulli van concept does iPad integration right, shockingly
After seeing many atrocious attempts, it seemed factory iPad integration was something that simply shouldn't happen. Now, in Volkswagen's Bulli concept, we're seeing something that makes sense -- something we've wanted to see for a while now. The tablet sits in a custom cradle in the center of the dash, extended on a pivoting arm so that it can turn toward driver or passenger. It then provides center stack duties, letting front-seaters manage the climate controls, play some music, and of course get directions. Naturally we'd like to see something a little more platform-neutral if it's going to be a factory option, but we're guessing that if indeed this new-age Vanagon ever sees production its interior will look nothing like this anyway. So, no point in getting too worked up about it, then.
Nissan's Forest AC blows wild scents through your ride, keeps you alert
And here you were thinking Mercedes-Benz's Attention Assist system was the thing in driver alertness aides. In a rather odd, nearly jocose press release, Nissan has revived our faith in corporate R&D with the glorious introduction of the Forest AC. In short, this new air conditioning system "systematically controls cabin temperature, ventilation, aroma and humidity to create an optimal interior environment." Still bewildered? It means that the system can tap into an array of sensors in order to find out exactly what environment is best for your current state of mind, and if it needs to, it'll blast your nostrils with gusts of fresh forest in order to increase alertness while keeping stress levels down. The zaniest part of all, however, isn't the idea of using various aromas to keep one's attention; it's the fact that this system is actually scheduled for installation on a vehicle (the Fuga) that'll ship this fiscal year in Japan.
Video: Herman Miller's C2 Climate Control keeps it fresh at CES
For those still on the fence about dropping some serious dough on the C2 climate controller, maybe a video of the little bugger in action will make the decision that much easier. You know the drill -- all the freshness you can handle is waiting just after the jump.
