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The Shock Clock band uses fear and electricity to wake you up
How hard is it to get up in the morning? When you have a job -- and want to keep it -- most of us can usually haul our sleepy asses out from beneath the duvet, even if that's at the last minute. I'm not exactly Mr. Sunshine in the mornings, but is an electric shock really the answer? Pavlok, the team behind the Shock Clock band thinks so, and luckily enough for you, I hate myself just enough that I was willing to find out if it works. You know, for science and whatnot.
Inquiring minds want to know about Star Wars: The Old Republic's 'Sith Inquisitor'
In this new Star Wars: The Old Republic trailer, we meet the Sith Inquisitor class. In so doing, we learned something new about the Star Wars universe: in this setting, the word "inquisition" is actually a synonym for "shooting lightning out of your hands."
Proton and Detroit Electric detail their forthcoming rechargeable offerings
If you didn't already have enough electric and plug-in hybrid cars on your shopping list for next year, make sure you add pair of offerings from the reborn Detroit Electric to the running. The company (which, naturally, isn't based in Detroit) has already announced a partnership with Malaysian automotive group Proton (owner of Lotus, responsible for much of the Tesla Roadster's underpinnings), and the two are now providing a few details of the offerings set to launch throughout next year in Europe, China, the UK, and the US. Two versions of the e63 model will be available, seemingly distinguished only by how far they can go before stranding you. The so-called "city range" model is rated for 112 miles to a charge and will sell for under $26,000, while the "extended range" version pushes that distance up to 200 miles -- and the price up to $33,000. MSRP for that radical ZAP Alias the company has been teasing you with for years? Nowhere to be found, naturally.[Via Financial Times]
ZAP Alias electric car makes its video debut
ZAP didn't have much more than some shiny renders to show for itself when it snapped up the hundred-year-old Detroit Electric brand earlier this year, but it looks like the company has now finally turned out an equally shiny prototype, which recently made its debut on the local news in Ohio. Unfortunately, the car apparently isn't capable of moving off the parking lot on its own just yet, with it reportedly now on its way to California where it'll get outfitted with a motor. While the current pace of things may seem a bit slow, the company is apparently still promising to have its first cars on the road as early as next year, when the Alias here is expected to sell for about $33,000. Hit up the read link below for the video.[Via AutoblogGreen]
ZAP revives hundred-year-old Detroit Electric brand
It's taken a while, but it looks like we could soon be seeing a new batch of Detroit Electrics roaming the roads, as ZAP has just announced that its reviving the hundred-year-old brand for some of its own all-electric vehicles. According to the company, those will be developed in a joint venture with the China Youngman Automotive Group, and will include the Zap Alias (pictured above), which we've seen previously under slightly more mysterious circumstances. Other details are expectedly light at the moment, but ZAP will apparently have plenty more to say about its new retro ways at the NADA 2008 auto show, which gets underway in San Francisco next week.
Zap to unveil "made for iPod" electric cars at Macworld
It looks like the folks at Zap just couldn't let the CES news cycle slip by without getting a word in, as they've just taken the opportunity to announce that they'll be showing off their new "made for iPod" electric cars at that other big show happening this month. That designation, of course, means the car will be equipped with an Apple-approved dock that'll let you both play music through the car's speakers and recharge it using Zap's so-called "Recharge-It-All" system. What's more, it seems that those docks won't be limited to just one car, with Zap saying that first iPod-ready cars will be available later this year, and that it expects to include the docks in every Zap car from then on.
Homemade Zapper-mote
All the weapon shells in the world couldn't match the radness of this modded Light Gun. Having already given his console wings, AcidMods' CyberPyrot affixed an IR sensor from a Wii remote into the barrel of his gray, plastic pistol, wiring the gun's trigger with the controller's. The resulting apparatus looks a bit clunky, especially when you consider that the nunchuck hasn't even been hooked up yet, but CyberPyrot claims that it vastly improved his performance when playing Far Cry. Pew pew past the post break for more photos and a video of the refitted Zapper.
ZAP announces mysterious high-performance electric car
ZAP (which stands for Zero Air Pollution) announced another new entry to its electric car stable, an as-yet-unnamed sedan that will apparently sell for $30,000. The California based company claims their new model will reach a top speed of 100 mph, and will have a 100-mile range between charges. But here's where this story gets really interesting: ZAP announced a different model back in January which still hasn't seen the light of day, and AutoblogGreen questions whether the company has been using press releases as a method of increasing their stock price for short term cash-flow. Competitors like Tesla have prototypes on the road, but no such luck with ZAP, which certainly raises a number of questions, and definitely gets you thinking about the word vaporware.Read -- ZAP press releaseRead -- AutoblogGreen's take on ZAP
Electric Xebra Xero car to offer solar power option
If you prefer to zip around town with a green conscience, you'll be glad to know that electric car maker ZAP will offer a new photovoltaic panel option for its three-wheeled Xebra Xero models. Xebras get their main charge from a standard 110 volt outlet, but the solar panel can power short-distance trips all on its own. Compared to pricier, stranger-looking alternative energy vehicles, a Xebra Xero will give you not a bang, but a solid scoot for your buck, with a top speed of 40 mph and estimated price tag of $12,000. Xebra Xeros are best-suited for city use and are available as a 4-door sedan or 2-passenger pick-up truck. Though you might be a little embarrassed to pick someone up in a whip like this.
Airbus files patent for jetlag zapper
Airbus, that robot-friendly aeroplane company, has filed a patent for a device that generates "electromagnetic interaction in an airplane". No, this isn't some kind of revolutionary fly-by-magnets technology, it's actually a slightly oddball idea intended to solve the most common of airborne travel ailments: jetlag. The device, which in the event that it is ever put into service, will be integrated into passenger seats, supposedly has the capability to "prevent and reduce the occurrence of jetlag, reduce the danger of passengers suffering from thrombosis, and increase general well-being by promoting relaxation, sleep and stress reduction". Ever seen those stone magnets that people put around their wrists to "increase blood flow?" This device looks like it would operate the same away, but in an electromagnetic form. We won't question the validity of using magnets to keep people healthy, but we are puzzled at the logic behind introducing randomly fluctuating electromagnetic fields onto packed airplanes. Surely (don't call me Shirley!) the thought that this could potentially interfere with the pilot's ability to fly the plane crossed the minds of the researchers over at Airbus? Especially considering the common "please turn off your cellphones" announcement that pilots make at the beginning of every flight (FYI, cellphones emit electromagnetic fields). Maybe a wiser course of action would be to focus on cheaper in-flight Wi-Fi, keeping passengers' minds off the fact that they're floating round a tin can far above the world, resulting in less stress and therefore, by Airbus's own logic, reduced jetlag.
