Engadget

Audi's 'Visions' will pimp your ride, light up the neighborhood (video)

James Trew — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 13:24:00 EST

We don't think there is such a thing as Racing stripes "2.0", but if there was, this is what it might look like. Audi's "Visions" project brings the OLEDs we know and love to the outside of the not-so-humble automobile. Like something out of Tron, the fancy light array in the concept we see here hints at how external lighting on cars might look in the near future. Stephan Berlitz, Head of Lighting Electronics for the car maker, states that we're still some way out from OLED surfaces replacing front and brake lights, due to low currents and the temperature ranges the diodes can presently operate under. We might, however, see it replacing tail and side lights before too long. If you watch the video after the break, you may have a few ideas for those pseudo-screens of your own.

Continue reading Audi's 'Visions' will pimp your ride, light up the neighborhood (video)

Audi's 'Visions' will pimp your ride, light up the neighborhood (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Mar 2012 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2009 North Hall tour: like Hot Import Nights minus the tire smoke

Tim Stevens — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:28:00 EST

We may not have covered too many products in the North Hall at this year's CES, a mecca for vehicle customizers and their wares, but that's mainly because we have a hard time keeping up with the latest in LED and hydraulic technologies as applied to motorized pursuits. But, there were a few sweet rides scattered about, and while we can't say we'd necessarily allow ourselves to be seen in most of them, there was at least one intelligently modded muscle car in particular that we just couldn't resist capturing some video of. We think you'll recognize it below.

Gallery: North Hall Tour

Continue reading CES 2009 North Hall tour: like Hot Import Nights minus the tire smoke

Filed under: CES, Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

CES 2009 North Hall tour: like Hot Import Nights minus the tire smoke originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mio's Knight Rider GPS gets reviewed, high-fived

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:16:00 EST

Sure, we've been totally into Mio's Knight Rider GPS, but how does it really stack up? PC Magazine took it out for a test drive and found that the device is essentially a Moov 300, which they say has solid route calculation times and a straightforward menu system. The Knight Rider version comes pre-loaded with maps for the US, Canada and Puerto Rico -- an improvement over typical Mio US-only map packs -- and the reviewer likes the device's 58 POI categories (compared to the Moov 310's paltry 35). The biggest knock on the unit is the lack of live traffic on-board; you have to purchase a subscription and a separate receiver (not yet available on Mio's web site). Of course, you could always go for the aforementioned 310 with a built-in traffic receiver (and $20 lower price tag), but how cool would that be? Not cool at all. Don't take our word for it, though, hit the read link and check out the whole review for yourself.

Filed under: GPS

Mio's Knight Rider GPS gets reviewed, high-fived originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mio's Knight Rider GPS now shipping to the hardcore fans

Darren Murph — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:30:00 EST

Anybody can say they're going to shell out for a Knight Rider GPS pre-order, but when the house party dies down and everyone peaces out, who actually keeps that order alive? For you, dedicated K.I.T.T. fan, your moment in the sun has arrived, as Mio's legendary Knight Rider GPS is finally shipping within one to two business days. William Daniels is calling -- are you tuned in?

[Via CNET]

Filed under: GPS

Mio's Knight Rider GPS now shipping to the hardcore fans originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screen Grabs: Mike Traceur needs to speak to his girlfriend... on her X1

Joshua Topolsky — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:33:00 EST

Screen grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

Sure, Knight Rider is probably the worst show ever in the history of the moving picture, but that doesn't stop Sony Ericsson from wanting to throw some money in its direction (or not, seeing as the company's logo has apparently been scrubbed). Between the nearly intolerable dialogue and absurdly fake green-screen car chases, check out a glimpse of the forthcoming Xperia X1... if you can tolerate even a moment of this abomination.

[Thanks, Marco]

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

Screen Grabs: Mike Traceur needs to speak to his girlfriend... on her X1 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mio's Knight Rider GPS now available for pre-order

Joshua Topolsky — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:26:00 EST

Dying to get your eyes and fingers all over Mio's GPS-incarnation of KITT? Can't hardly wait to hear the voice of the voice of the original KITT barking directions at you? Well you're in luck, friend. Radio Shack has apparently begun taking pre-orders for the Knight Rider-branded satnav, which they claim will be available to own come September 24th. Ready to go? Get your credit card out, then prepare to be $269.99 lighter and 40 percent nerdier.

[Thanks, Jason]

Filed under: GPS

Mio's Knight Rider GPS now available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mio gets official with Knight Rider GPS unit

Donald Melanson — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:26:00 EST

Mio has understandably not been very shy about showing off its new Knight Rider-themed GPS unit, but the company has now finally gotten its official business out of the way and provided all the details on the device's US launch. In case you somehow managed to miss it, the device itself is basically a mid-range Moov in disguise, with some red LEDs and, most importantly, William Daniels' instantly recognizable voice helping to make you feel just a little bit more like Michael Knight as you traverse the U.S. and Canada with the aid of the pre-loaded maps. As we had heard, however, you'll still have to wait until a bit later in this quarter to get your hands on one, when it'll set you back a reasonable $270.

Filed under: GPS

Mio gets official with Knight Rider GPS unit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting dirty with Mio's Knight Rider GPS

Joshua Fruhlinger — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:48:00 EST

We may be a little overexcited about Mio's Knight Rider GPS unit, but we're not about to apologize for that. This is one beautiful union of KITT and navigation that was meant to happen since the day LCDs and GPS chips first hung out. With that out of the way, we have some hands-on impressions.

The unit feels solid and small enough to be portable while the screen remains just big enough to be of use. A nice anti-glare coating looks to keep things visible during daylight hours. Yes, standard fare.

Peep the gallery below and don't miss the video after the break.

Gallery: Mio's Knight Rider GPS hands-on

Continue reading Getting dirty with Mio's Knight Rider GPS

Filed under: GPS

Getting dirty with Mio's Knight Rider GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Knight Rider GPS asks, "Michael, where do you want to go today"

Thomas Ricker — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:39:00 EST

You can't purchase it for few more months, so we thought you'd like to see a brief preview of Mio's $270 Knight Rider GPS unit. It boots into a KITT scanner effect and warm, "Michael, where do you want to go today" greeting. Fortunately, you can then reprogram KITT to address you from a list of 200 or so other names (with more to come). Add Flux Capacitor and your ride to nerdvana is complete. See the action after the break.

[Thanks, Joe P.]

Continue reading Video: Knight Rider GPS asks, "Michael, where do you want to go today"

Filed under: GPS

Video: Knight Rider GPS asks, "Michael, where do you want to go today" originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mio's Knight Rider GPS speaks with the voice of KITT -- we're in love

Nilay Patel — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:36:00 EST

Move over, Dash Express. Take a seat, Garmin and Tom Tom. As of right now there's only one GPS unit worth buying, and it's this trick Knight Rider unit from Mio that issues directions in the voice of KITT. Yep, ~~Mr. Feeney~~ William Daniels is gonna be right there with you, although we doubt he'll be as tolerant of your skin-tight pants and unkempt chest hair this time around. Underneath the hood it's basically the same Mio kit as you'd expect, only it boots up by saying "Hello Michael, where do you want to go today?" uses a cartoon Trans-Am to represent your car, and features dual LED scanner lights on each side. Yes, we're in love. $270 is all it'll take when this thing hits in a few months -- 10 points to the first reader to get a picture of it inside a KITT replica.

[Via Autoblog]

Filed under: GPS

Mio's Knight Rider GPS speaks with the voice of KITT -- we're in love originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original K.I.T.T. up for auction: impressive exterior, laughable interior

Darren Murph — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:01:00 EST

Enough of these kit (ahem) cars, we're ready for the real deal. Up on the auction block today is a genuine 1984 Pontiac Trans Am that was used in the third and fourth seasons of Knight Rider. Yep, this is the one with the coveted Super Pursuit Mode, and legend has it that cops won't even ticket you for using it. At first glance, one can't help but be impressed with how spectacular this bona fide piece of history looks, but one glance at the interior and you realize there's quite a bit of work left to do. Personally, we could think of a limitless number of better ways to spend 26 large, but hardcore Hasselhoff fans will likely insist on differing.

[Via Autoblog]

Filed under: Transportation

Original K.I.T.T. up for auction: impressive exterior, laughable interior originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screen grabs: KITT the chatty car somehow still needs an Apple Bluetooth keyboard

Ryan Block — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:20:00 EST

Our latest micro-series, Screen grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

You'd think a car with AI sophisticated enough to carry on a lengthy conversation with its driver would kind of obviate the need for a keyboard, but hey, maybe that's why we're not in the TV business.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Peripherals

Screen grabs: KITT the chatty car somehow still needs an Apple Bluetooth keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDTV Listings for February 17, 2008

Richard Lawler — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:24:00 EST

What we're watching tonight:

TNT (1080i) has the NBA 2008 All-Star Game at 8:30 p.m.
NBC (1080i) has the season finale of American Gladiators at 7 p.m., followed by the new Knight Rider
ABC (720p) has a new Brothers & Sisters at 10:01 p.m.
CBS (1080i) presents the season finale of Cold Case at 9 p.m., followed by the network premiere of Dexter
Showtime (1080i) tosses up a new The L Word at 9 p.m.
Sci Fi (1080i) has a new movie, The Hive at 9 p.m.
HDNet (1080i) presents the Stax Records 50th Anniversary Concert at 8:30 p.m.
HDNet Movies (1080i) premieres The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance at 6 p.m.
Universal HD (1080i) brings Dirty Harry at 8 p.m.
ESPN HD (720p) presents ESPN the Magazine at 10, at 8 p.m.

Filed under: ABC, CBS, HDNet, NBC, Showtime-HD, Listings

HDTV Listings for February 17, 2008 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KITT's scanner light gets explained

Nilay Patel — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:30:00 EST

We still have mixed feelings on the soon-to-be-revived Knight Rider franchise -- sure, we're gonna watch it, but we'll probably do it with tears streaming down our face -- but that doesn't mean we're going to turn down an inside look on how KITT's iconic red scanner light works. According to Pierre Hoffman, whose Auto Indulgence shop built the new scanner, the units consists of 240 LEDs per side in three rows of 80. The goal was to make the scanner look like a heartbeat, so early prototypes were actually triggered from a music interface connected to samples of different heart rhythms. Sadly, the final design isn't nearly as slick, using a complex timing-based circuit board instead -- but that doesn't mean we aren't filled with a rush of conflicted emotions every time we see that red glow. Check the whole interview with Pierre at the read link.

Filed under: Transportation

KITT's scanner light gets explained originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knight Rider case mod does K.I.T.T. proud

Donald Melanson — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:21:00 EST

Not everyone can afford to buy their own K.I.T.T. or K.I.T.T clone off eBay, but that doesn't mean you can't show your Knight Rider affection in other entirely non-subtle ways, as evidenced by this elaborate PC case mod by Thomas Fan (which we can only assume is not an alias for the 'Hoff himself). As you can see in the video after the break, the red LEDs faithfully mimic K.I.T.T.'s faint glimmer of intelligence and, while you can't carry on a conversation with it, you can at least make believe thanks to some familiar start-up and shutdown sounds. Sadly, Thomas hasn't provided any plans for building you own, though we're guessing that when it comes to something like Knight Rider, most fans would prefer to put their own personal touch on things anyway.

Continue reading Knight Rider case mod does K.I.T.T. proud

Filed under: Desktops

Knight Rider case mod does K.I.T.T. proud originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knight Industries Three Thousand specs revealed

Evan Blass — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:44:00 EST

While you may or may not agree with NBC's decision to make KITT a Ford Mustang in the new Knight Rider series, we're pretty sure that you're gonna tune in next February nonetheless if for no other reason then to see what modern technology can do to a talking, crime-fighting car. Well luckily Popular Mechanics has what is reportedly an exclusive spec sheet detailing all of the Knight Industries Three Thousand's many capabilities, including much of the in-vehicle biometric and genetic testing you'd expect, along with such military features as laser weapons, a missile defense system, and even a targeted electromagnetic pulse for frying an enemy's gadgets or pulling off the odd casino heist. One cutting-edge device that has been left out is a breathalyzer-based ignition system, which was allegedly scrapped at the last minute after designers learned that David Hasselhoff would not in fact be getting behind the wheel this time around.

[Thanks, cant0r]

Filed under: Transportation

Knight Industries Three Thousand specs revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another K.I.T.T. up for sale: the years have been cruel to Hasselhoff

Evan Blass — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:10:00 EST

So it looks like the last two decades have been hell on the once proud Knight Industries: after a disastrous attempt to leech onto the dotcom boom by having Michael Knight trawl the internet for cyber-criminals with his virtual sidekick C.L.I.P.P.Y., the company was forced to disband its FLAG division and sell off most of its assets, including cars, semi-trailers, and saddest of all, RC3 and Bonnie. The upside of this blow to vigilante law enforcement was that car nuts could finally get their hands on an original Knight Industries Two Thousand (only ten were ever made), with a version hitting the auction block in 2004, and now one of the four original K.I.T.T.s up for sale by a California business. Kassabian Motors is offering the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am V-8 for a cool $150,000, which gets you a restored interior, those retro light up controls, and of course the snazzy red nose scanner, but unfortunately, no oil slick or Super Pursuit Mode. Finally, as a special bonus to overseas bidders, Kassabian will also reportedly retrofit the car with a CD changer sporting all of David Hasselhoff's many hits at no additional charge: "Michael, we seem to have a problem; these songs totally suck."

[Via Boing Boing]

Filed under: Transportation

Another K.I.T.T. up for sale: the years have been cruel to Hasselhoff originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knight Rider K.I.T.T. clone hits eBay sans Turbo Boost

Darren Murph — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:16:00 EST

Sure, we're probably all guilty of fanboy bickering at one point or another in our lives, but even if you prefer the whips found in Back to the Future or Ghost Rider above all, just about anyone who appreciates restorations (and whiz-bang interiors) would be forced to give this faithful clone its due credit. The Ontario-based 1984 Pontiac Trans Am reportedly became a $40,000 project to turn an ordinary ride into a blast from the past, as the owner took extra care in crafting the posh dashboard and sleek exterior cues to mimic the real K.I.T.T. (which already sold) found in Knight Rider. Aside from the throwback lighting system and branded steering wing, this bad boy packs twin four-inch LCDs, "real working gauges," DVD / CD / MP3 players, and a custom stereo system with amplifiers. No, this ride doesn't come with any sort of warranty (nor a functioning Turbo Boost, sadly), and unless you're a Canuck, you'll be making a trip across the border to pick it up, but if you've got the $19,000 (or more) to burn, here's your chance to be David Hasselhoff incarnate. Click on through for a few more pics, or hit up the auction for the full spill.

[Via Autoblog]

Continue reading Knight Rider K.I.T.T. clone hits eBay sans Turbo Boost

Filed under: Transportation

Knight Rider K.I.T.T. clone hits eBay sans Turbo Boost originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More shots of a Treo sans antenna

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 17:31:00 EST

What week would be complete without the obligatory cameraphone shots of a Treo without an external antenna? Seriously, between this and the 700p, it seems like Palm either doesn't collect NDAs, doesn't care when they're violated, or is guilty of perpetrating some of the most well-publicized viral campaigns in history. Anyhoo, here ya go. What's notable here is that we can see the SD slot has moved to the handset's right side. Follow the break for more shots, though if you're not convinced by now that the device is stone-cold real, we're not sure what will.

[Thanks, Andrew]

Continue reading More shots of a Treo sans antenna

Filed under: Handsets, Palm, Palm OS

More shots of a Treo sans antenna originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Aug 2006 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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