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Boosted's planned products included e-bikes and an 'Ultimate' skateboard
Boosted was working on a number of boards before Lime snapped it up, including two e-bikes and an 'Ultimate' skateboard.
Hyundai will make cheap EVs based on Canoo's subscription pods
EV startup Canoo first gained attention back in September 2019 when it announced its plans to launch the world's first subscription-only electric vehicle. Now, it's joining forces with Hyundai to develop an all-electric, scalable EV platform, which could make for simpler and cheaper models in the future.
Riptide's latest electric skateboard carves like a surfboard
Electric skateboards are frequently fast, but nimble? Not so much -- even Boosted's Mini boards are meant more for cruising that bobbing and weaving. Riptide might have a solution. It just launched the R1 Black, a variant on the R1 meant to deliver surfboard-like carving. A Surf Adapter from Waterborne Skateboards gives it turning performance about three times better than standard R1 models, and shouldn't sacrifice stability in the process -- you shouldn't have trouble making an evasive maneuver at high speed.
Onewheel Pint is a more affordable, easier to ride electric board
Future Motion's Onewheel electric boards have added power and range over the years, but accessibility? Not so much. They've still been expensive and intimidating, not to mention clunky to carry around. That's where the just-unveiled Onewheel Pint might help. It's not only more affordable (relatively speaking) at $950, it's gentler on newcomers who'd otherwise worry about crashing out.
After Math: How we survived CES 2019
As cleanup crews descend on the Las Vegas Convention Center and the events attendees reluctantly make their ways home, it's hard to believe that the weeklong technology expo is already over. We saw autonomous bread machines, self-driving semis, and even self-heating razors amidst the gaggle of cutting edge gadgets. Here are some of the coolest tech toys that we got to play with at CES 2019.
Cruising around on Riptide's $999 R1X electric skateboard
I've wanted a classic-sized electric skateboard for a while. A longboard, of course, is more stable and comfortable over long distances. But I'm interested in something that I can easily travel with and charge in a coffee shop without drawing too much attention. Boosted's Mini X is the obvious 'premium' choice, but I wanted to do some market research before dropping close to a grand online. Enter, then, the Riptide R1X -- a stylish shortboard with buckets of power and range. At CES 2019, I spent a good 30 minutes carving around the Engadget trailer on the rideable. My time with the board was short, but I came away thoroughly impressed.
Walnut wants to make shared electric skateboards happen
Shared bikes, shared scooters -- now Hong Kong-based Walnut Technology wants to jump on the trend with shared electric skateboards.
Up close with Rivian’s R1T electric adventure truck
After nine years of design and development, automotive startup Rivian unveiled not one but two new electric vehicles (each with Level 3 autonomy, no less) on Tuesday at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. The R1T is a pickup built specifically for off-road adventuring while the swanky R1S is competing with Range Rover's line of upscale SUVs in both looks and amenities.
The case for Boosted's Mini electric skateboard line
Electric skateboards are riding a surge in popularity this past year, with Boosted being one of the more notable players. It's also one of the more recognizable, with its iconic orange wheels. Until now the company's output has strictly been longboards, which is par for the course barring a few exceptions, but the floodgates of mutation are opening. The company's recently released 2018 lineup includes two Mini versions, which is a form factor I've been on the fence about for a while. There are the obvious benefits, including improved maneuverability and portability (they weigh a couple pounds less than longboards). On my part, at least, there's a desire to try and apply street-skating tactics to these smaller boards, but they're new and unique creatures. Is this hybrid format the best of both worlds? No. These are still transport boards, but given some time, I'm sure someone will get a bit crazy with them.
Cruising around on the Onewheel+ XR
The Onewheel has always been an exhilarating ride. When you step onto the board and lean down on the nose, there's a rush of adrenaline as you wait for the electric motor to kick into gear. You are, for a split second, trusting that the board will carry you forward and build the momentum necessary to keep you upright. Just carving is a blast, too, as you lean on the heel or toe edge to guide the board left or right. As an extreme-sports plaything, it's a unique and immediately joyous experience. But as a serious mode of urban transportation? That's a tougher sell.
Smoking Boosted Boards recalled over battery issues
Last November, the folks behind the Boosted electric skateboard urged its customers to stop using their second-gen boards following battery "venting" until an internal investigation was complete. It turns out that those problems were the result of a short-circuit caused by water entering the battery -- not from issues with the power packs themselves. As a precaution, the company has reported the issue to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, is starting a voluntary recall of the standard range battery packs and will no longer market the board as water resistant.
My quest to find the perfect rideable at CES
Electric vehicles are a huge part of CES this year. From the Honda NueV to the Faraday Future FF91, everyone's attention is laser-focused on gas-guzzler replacements. Although these are exciting, for me they pale in comparison to another smaller form of transportation: rideables. Spanning skateboards, scooters and bikes, these little machines are perfect for a city-dweller such as myself. With a camera in hand, I've been scouring the show trying to find the very best. My mission: Find my dream rideable.
Elwing adds electric power to a standard-size skateboard
One of the biggest factors holding electric skateboard fans back from picking up a new ride is price, with most decent boards selling for north of $1,000. The high cost of electric motors is still a hurdle, especially for skaters who don't want to compromise on quality, but Elwing's new board is more affordable than most. It's slated to hit the market at $750, but with the help of its newly launched Indiegogo campaign, you could pick one up for $500 or less, if you strike during the early-bird window. There are a few tradeoffs for this price, but some of them may even be to your liking. I recently had a chance to test out Elwing's prototype for a few days and, setting aside issues the company plans to address before final production, the money saved could be worth it -- depending on your needs, of course.
ICYMI: Pennyfarthing reboot, ice box fridge and more
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: SnikkyBike wants to get folks on its electrified pennyfarthing of a bike, except that it doesn't even have pedals, only a place for people to stand. Surechill Technologies made a refrigerator that takes the best parts of old school, pre-electricity ice boxes and reimagines it to use low amounts of energy. The game Surgeon Simulator has a re-skinned version that lets users practice operating on Donald Trump, which looks just as uncomfortable as any presidential candidate being laid out an operating table should, party affiliations notwithstanding. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Boosted's new electric skateboards go further, ride smoother
Many a short journey has been livened up with one of Boosted's electric skateboards underfoot, but after selling the same line-up for a few years now, it's time to pimp that ride. The second-generation Boosted boards unveiled today keep the same, classic longboard styling and bamboo deck, but are otherwise different beasts. For starters, the boards will now take you a lot further thanks to swappable batteries and an extended-range option that increases average distance from 6-7 miles to 12-14 miles. Bigger 80mm wheels, custom-built trucks and various improvements to the motors and transmission should make those longer trips that much smoother, too.
Watch the fastest-ever electric skateboard run
There's no doubt that electric skateboards can get you around town in a hurry, but they don't hold a candle to this. Mischo Erban recently set a Guinness world record for the fastest speed on an e-skateboard, hitting 59.55MPH on NGV's four-motor NEXTboard as he blazed down a Slovenian runway. Was it dangerous to ride at highway-level speeds? You bet -- as you'll see in the video below, Erban took a tumble that could easily wreck an unprotected rider. Don't try this at home, folks.
Federal marshals raid a booth at CES over patent violation
US marshals raided and shut down a booth at CES on Thursday afternoon, serving a court order to the Chinese company displaying a $500, one-wheeled, self-balancing electric skateboard, Bloomberg Business reports. This product may sound familiar -- Silicon Valley startup Future Motion debuted the Onewheel, a single-wheeled, self-balancing, electric skateboard at CES 2014. The company also held a successful $630,000 Kickstarter campaign to fund its production. We tried out the retail version of the Onewheel in November 2014 and had a lot of fun with it. Apparently, Changzhou First International Trade did, too.
ICYMI: 7-D heart MRI, astronaut cups and tech tats
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-906391{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-906391, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-906391{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-906391").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: NASA just shipped the astronauts on the International Space Station a cup that will let them almost drink like earthlings. GE announced scanning tech that would reveal the intricacies of the heart far quicker than conventional MRIs. And temporary tats that can monitor health and beam the information right to a doctor are here, coming to sick little people or elderly folks someday. If you've ever been woken up a couple times a night in a hospital, so a nurse could loudly check your vitals, you know what a win these could be.
Playdate: Grinding through 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5'
The reviews are in and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is... not looking good. When I played the game in Chicago earlier this year, it was fine. There were a few glitches here and there, sure, but it was an early version of the game and that's to be expected. The game crashed a few times, but it wasn't anything like I've seen in various videos that've surfaced online this week. It's a sad state of affairs that games are releasing this buggy and possibly broken even two years into the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One's lifecycle. There is light at the end of this tunnel though: You can save yourself some grief by watching Sean Buckley and myself broadcast the game this afternoon instead of buying it for yourself. What's more, we have four skateboard decks signed by Tony Hawk himself to giveaway! Join us for both starting at 6pm ET / 3pm PT. Winners: Congratulations to Sam G. of Brooklyn, NY, Jonny R of Gastonia, NC, Hongbo S. of Los Angeles, CA. and Vincent L. of Austin, TX!
Big toys for the big kid in all of us
Some of the toys we played with as children have grown up along with us and now they pack adult-sized fun. Memorable designs have bubbled up into lifestyle products with smarts, but most offer what we always loved them for: an action-packed thrill. Sure, we can drive real cars now, but that doesn't diminish the urge to drift on a motorized Big Wheel. Skateboards and pogo sticks have powered up over the years, too, and hoverboards can now actually hover. This week we pay tribute to the big kid inside each of us with a lineup of reinvented, rebuilt and improved versions of playtime classics. [Image: Local Motors]
