MicroTurbine

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  • H2O Shower Powered Radio blasts the Biebs by way of micro-turbine

    by 
    Christopher Trout
    Christopher Trout
    03.08.2011

    Forget the tablet, 2011 is the year of the shower radio! Last week we reported on Toshiba's wirelessly connected water-proof song box and, just as our nerves began to settle from the excitement, someone came along and dropped this eco-friendly, shower-ready gem on us. Not only is the H2O Shower Powered Radio waterproof, but it actually uses the water from your shower to pump out the jams. The thing connects directly to your shower hose, and uses the flow of water to set a micro-turbine spinning, thus charging an integral battery and eliminating the need for disposables. As the video below points out, the radio "doesn't just offer 80s classics -- it has the full spectrum of FM," and its creators say it's compatible with 99 percent of showers, but what we really want to know is: how well does it crank the Ke$ha? Video after the break.

  • Capstone's CMT-380 hybrid supercar does 150MPH with batteries and a jet engine

    by 
    Darren Murph
    Darren Murph
    12.07.2009

    Step aside, Tesla -- we've just spotted the hottest Earth-lovin' supercar since the Lightning GT. Shown off to wide-mouthed onlookers at the LA Auto Show this month, the Capstone CMT-380 prototype is an automotive beast unlike anything we've ever seen. Rather than mixing batteries and a conventional engine, this whip combines the former with a diesel / biodiesel-powered microturbine, which is -- for all intents and purposes -- a jet engine. Reportedly, the car can reach 60MPH from a standstill in just 3.9 seconds, hit 150MPH before being cut off by the electronic limiter, cruise 80 miles on battery power alone and drive from Idaho Falls to Spokane on just a single tank of fuel. It's being bruited about that the company is considering flipping this bad boy into the production line, but with an estimated asking price north of $200,000, there's sufficient evidence to think that the volume here would remain relatively low. Hit up Autoblog Green's gallery of shots from the show floor below, but only if you love peering at high-resolution images of stealthy, sexy things.