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Your new Porsche: a PS3 and this steering wheel
It's one of our less-creative headlines and the picture sucks, sure, but it gets the point across. Fanatec has released a very accurate (we assume) racing peripheral for all your gaming needs, especially if you like to game in luxury. We'll get right to the features, some of which are cool and practical, others are cool and not as practical. Leather steering wheel! Wireless USB technology, where the USB plug is shaped sort of like a Porsche key. It's quite neat. 3 force feedback motors, so you can really feel the road. The pedals are wireless too, with clutch and soft-stop brake. Like you'd really get an automatic fake Porsche anyway. You get two gear sticks: a regular sequential and a 6+1 H-pattern stick. The latter is only supported on PS3 and PC. What we find really neat is the quote at the bottom of the website: "Only available through Porsche dealers and here in our web shop." So, if you guys aren't comfortable ordering this thing online, get yourself in a nice suit and pretend to care about buying a fancy new Porsche, then buy this instead. It's only $350, after all. Pretty cool for the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, right?
Carphone Warehouse preps "Limited Collection" line of designer handsets
Carphone Warehouse is prepping a line of devices for its new "Limited Collection" line, an all-designer showcase for all that's rehashed new in mobiles. The line will feature two handsets from designer Ted Baker, and one each from Mandarina Duck, Levi's, and Porsche. We're all for expensive, glossy new sets -- ok, we're sorta all for it -- but with the exception of the Porsche (Sagem) and Levi's (ModeLabs) sets, these are just same old, same old with expensive accessories and new color choices. Though, we have to hand it to one of the Ted Baker-branded devices, we dig its somewhat throwback name "needle" for its HTC Touch. The Levi's and Ted Baker Button should land in October with the rest of the collection arriving in November. Hopfully we'll see a pricing update soon.[Via textually.org]
Porsche and Sagem team up on handset design, doesn't vroom vroom
Sagem and Porsche's P'9521 handset is set to launch at retail as they announce the boxy thing will start selling in Taiwan this month for a whopping $1800. Featuring quad-band GSM / EDGE, measuring in at a portly 140 gram 91 x 48 x 18.4 mm, and packing a 3 megapixel camera, shows us that they got most of the internals right. But unfortunately, the unlikely design duo has also seen fit to include a fingerprint scanner to activate the camera which begs the question, why? Well, at least they've got ugly well covered, so there's comfort in knowing that the next -- if there is such a thing planned -- can only improve on this first effort.
Acer's Aspire 5520 laptop looks suspiciously familiar
If you're checking out the new "Porsche designed" Acer Aspire 5520 and thinking it looks a little bit familiar -- take heart -- you've seen this guy before, when it was called the Gemstone. Apparently, Acer has axed the Gemstone's (AKA AS5920) Intel processor, dropped in an AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-58 (at 1.8GHz), and badged this baby up with a new number sequence. The system still rocks Vista (of course), features a 15.4-inch display, integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7000M graphics chipset, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, and an ExpressCard 54 slot. Although it seems like the 5520 has been kicking around for a bit, there's no word on price or availability (especially for the States).[Via AVING USA]
Porsche swerves to the power tool realm with P'7911 Multihammer
We've noticed that the folks at Porsche Design have been branching out to new endeavors of late, but this joint venture takes brand extension to an entirely new level. The group has apparently partnered with Germany's Metabo to unveil the Multihammer P'7911 power drill, which "combines all the essential functions of a drill with the power of a pneumatic hammer," sports a carbon fiber / aluminum housing, and includes an impeccably balanced grip that makes this bad boy easier to handle. The 705-watt device has no problem with scratches here and there from drilling through concrete, stone, wood, and steel, and the five different function settings allow you to tweak the tool for the job at hand. No word just yet regarding the (presumably lofty) price, but be sure to leap on through to see this luxury power tool hard at work.[Via Sybarites]
Porsche Design Mobile Group unveils P'9521 handset
While the unlicensed version of Porsche's mobile handset still holds a special place in our hearts, it looks like the Porsche Design Mobile Group finally took it upon themselves to join the growing fray and introduce its own co-branded device. The group has already slapped the luxurious logo on a sat nav device as well as a portable XM radio, but Stephane Bret (the group's director) was caught showing off a new mobile in Essen. Unfortunately, details on the phone are all but nil, but we do know that the P'9521 was unveiled at the Red Dot Design Museum and will rock a squarish flip-phone design, integrated camera, and multimedia player. No word just yet on when (or if, actually) this sure-to-be-overpriced handset will hit store shelves, but we can't help but notice that a few formidable opponents are quite a few laps ahead at this point. Click on through for a few more shots.
Porsche Design Mobile Group unveils P'9521 handhset
While the unlicensed version of Porsche's mobile handset still holds a special place in our hearts, it looks like the Porsche Design Mobile Group finally took it upon themselves to join the growing fray and introduce its own co-branded device. The group has already slapped the luxurious logo on a sat nav device as well as a portable XM radio, but Stephane Bret (the group's director) was caught showing off a new mobile in Essen. Unfortunately, details on the phone are all but nil, but we do know that the P'9521 was unveiled at the Red Dot Design Museum and will rock a squarish flip-phone design, integrated camera, and multimedia player. No word just yet on when (or if, actually) this sure-to-be-overpriced handset will hit store shelves, but we can't help but notice that a few formidable opponents are quite a few laps ahead at this point. Click on through for a few more shots.
Porsche Cayenne cellphone speeds right by the trademark police
We've seen automakers galore slap their logos and color schemes onto modern day handsets, but what would the world of exotic mobiles be without a Porsche in the mix? Apparently, a Hong Kong manufacturer has taken the duty upon itself, as the presumably unlicensed Porsche Cayenne cellphone is now showing up on overseas streets with a full automotive makeover. Externally, you'll find smooth lines and Porsche-brandings, while a two-megapixel camera graces the hood and a color screen (shown after the jump) sits atop the guages. Although actual specs can't be confirmed, we're hearing that it purs along on dualband GSM, supports microSD flash cards, and plays nice with MP3 / MP4 files. Of course, we aren't expecting the quality of this sub-$200 handset to even come close to that found on your average Porsche, but we'd suggest snapping one up on the double before impending legal action dries up the supply. [Via Textually]
LaCie boosts F.A. Porsche-desgined hard drives to 500GB
Still milking that partnership with F.A. Porsche, LaCie has ramped up the capacity in its oh-so-distinguishable Porsche-designed external hard drive to a half a terabyte. Still rocking that sleek, silver case, the company's latest drive sports all the same amenities of its less spacious brethren, but stuffs a 500GB drive inside the fanless enclosure, which rolls along at 7200RPM and sports "at least" 8MB of cache (nail it down, guys!). LaCie also throws in all the cabling needed to get those transfers a-blazing, and encourages you to backup your system via its "1-Click" software -- but we know you're holding out for Time Machine. If you just can't resist pairing a supercar-branded hard drive with your wildly exotic notebook, the USB 2.0 flavor is currently shipping for $249, while the FireWire edition is slated to drop in October for $279.[Via MacMinute]UPDATE: Melissa Logan from LaCie wrote in to say that this drive does actually have a cooling fan, it just shuts off when not in use.
