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With its 2020 Outback, Subaru bets on turbo engines and big screens
It didn't take long after walking through the faux-wood gates Subaru erected at the New York Auto Show before I saw the 2020 Outback. I couldn't miss it. Perched atop a large outcropping of fake rock, the Outback looked somewhat regal as its headlights seemingly peered off into the distance.
LandCruisers create communication network in the outback
Companies are using balloons, planes and other high-tech apparatuses to provide WiFi in underserved areas. In the Australian outback, Saatchi teamed up with Flinders University to find a way to turn the massive fleet of Toyota LandCruisers into mobile communication hotspots using Wi-Fi, UHF and Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN). The solution is a small capsule-like device that attaches to the vehicle's window with suction cups, providing a signal range of up to 25 km (15.5 miles).
After seven years, Australia's rescue-drone challenge has a winner
If you're planning a hike through the Australian outback, and hoping technology will keep you safe, you might want to re-read the small print on your travel insurance. The UAV outback challenge is an annual event designed to promote the use of drones in Australia's expansive inland regions. If anything, it only highlights how far from safety you could find yourself. Each year, teams compete to find "Outback Joe" (a mannequin in high-viz attire) using unmanned craft and -- once located -- deliver him a bottle of water. It's like "Where's Waldo" but harder, and with UAVs. The thing is, since the competition's inception in 2007, no one has managed this -- until now. CanberraUAV was the team that successfully airdropped the liquid payload just 2.6 meters from ole' Joe, finally ending the competition's empty-podium problem. Of course, the real business here is raising awareness about how UAVs could be used in real world safety and rescue situations. But, for now at least, Outback Joe can quench his thirst until the challenge returns next year.
Google dives deep to bring underwater photos of the Great Barrier Reef this September
Your next trip to the Great Barrier Reef could be from the comfort of your home now that Google's partnered with Catlin SeaView Survey, the University of Queensland's Global Change Institute and the Underwater Earth organization to document this amazing ecosystem. Equipped with a special underwater camera capable of withstanding depths of 328 feet, the survey aims to photograph 50,000 shots in 360-degree panoramic view and incorporate them into Google Earth and Google Maps. Dubbed "Google SeaView," it seeks to open opportunities for increased conservation as well as a free look for wanna-be world travelers who can't afford a plane ticket down under. As an added perk, the collected data may also be used to help future ship captains navigate through the treachery of the intricate coral highways. Check past the break for more info on the survey and plenty of footage teeming with aquatic wildlife.
2011 Subaru Outback gains in-car WiFi option, strange Maine birds not included
Slowly but surely, the future is creeping up on us. In-flight WiFi is getting there, and in-car WiFi is following suit. Autonet Mobile already sunk its teeth in at General Motors, and now it's doing likewise over at Subaru. The automaker that insists it's all about love is about to give prospective buyers of the 2011 Outback an option to install a router within their ride for a one time fee of $534 (including activation). Of course, it's on you to pay that $29 / month premium that keeps the signals flowing, and yes, you're still better off buying a MiFi and just bringing it along. But hey, there's nothing like factory integration, right? Well, aside from seagulls checking their Twitter accounts while you explore Acadia National Park... freeloaders.
Lowrance rolls out Outback, Safari, Sierra GPS units
Anyone that dreads the thought of needing to take a GPS beyond the comfy confines of their vehicle will likely want to steer clear of these, but the more adventurous out there will no doubt find plenty to like in Lowrance's new trio of GPS units. Appropriately (if unimaginatively) dubbed the Outback, Safari, and Sierra, these each boast 2.7-inch LCDs, along with a microSD card slot, all the usual outdoor-friendly GPS features, and some nifty additions like a barometric altimeter and 3D electronic compass on the higher end models. Look for them to be available in May for between $230 and $550.
