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Something about this Acer Aspire One with wheels just looks so… right. After suiting up the laptop with a tiny motor, some “crazy” wheels and an Arduino Diecimila, the crafty DIY-er wrote a bit of code that commands the unit to perform simple movements like turn left, turn right, move forward, and pause, while transmitting some breathtaking video of its travels back to a different computer via WiFi. The unit doesn’t do reverse yet, nor can it pop wheelies — after all, it’s no Rovio — though the wishlist of possible improvements is fairly uh… impressive. Check the video (not the Acer-transmitted one) after the break, though we have to give you fair warning: the robot steamrolls a cat near the end.

Continue reading Arduino-armed Acer Aspire One and wheels tools around, shoots video

Filed under: Robots

Arduino-armed Acer Aspire One and wheels tools around, shoots video originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re pretty sharp on the fairy dust market, and while it no doubt goes for a premium in certain parts of the world, there’s still a serious surcharge being added in here for transparency. Japan’s own Hario is catering yet again to the affluent among us with its Harion speaker set, which boasts a subwoofer, two mid-range drivers and a pair of acrylic tweeters — all encased in heat-resistant glass. Of course, the company is no stranger to pumping out exclusive glass-based kit and charging a wad for it, as this particular package will run customers a staggering 16 million yen, or just north of $168,000. Oh, but if you and ten others dial in right now, they can be produced and sold for just 10 million yen each ($105,030). Economies of scale, now that’s good stuff.

[Via Gearlog]

Filed under: Home Entertainment

$168,000 Harion speaker set crafted from heat-resistant glass, fairy dust originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s not like Nokia was dominating sales in Japan anyway — far from it. So it’s not too big a loss to walk away from its near 1 percent market share when it’s sitting atop a (dwindling) 40% 39% share globally. According to Nokia vice president Timo Ihamuotila, “We have judged that we cannot continue to invest in product development just for Japan amid the current tough economic conditions.” Nokia will continue to sell its luxury Vertu branded phones though, presumably on that MVNO Nokia is rumored to be rolling out this spring.

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia pulls out of Japan, nobody notices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve been hearing about a dual-core VIA Nano processor for some time now, but it looks like things are now finally starting to firm up a bit, as evidenced by the seemingly legit roadmap pictured above. Unfortunately, there’s not much more to go on than what’s in the image, though we’re sure plenty of folks will be relieved to learn that the processor will, in fact, boast “new process technology,” not to mention “further performance enhancement.” What’s more, as you can see, it looks like the first samples will be available by December of next year, which mostly lines up with what we had heard previously, while mass production will apparently get underway in June of 2010.

Filed under: Laptops

Dual-core VIA Nano processor apparently on track for June 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already caught a brief glimpse of Tomy’s Zink printer-equipped Xiao digital camera earlier this month, but with the Friday release date now upon us, we finally have a few more details about the would-be Polaroid successor. That includes word of a price for both the camera (¥34,800, or just under $370), and the paper you’ll need to actually print photos which, at ¥880 (or about $9) for 20 sheets, likely won’t have you plastering your walls with the 2×3-inch shots, even though they do actually have adhesive backs. Interestingly, you can also use the camera to print photos from any IrDA-equipped cellphone, but unfortunately not via WiFi or Bluetooth, which would be a tad more welcome. If that’s got you intrigued, you should have a slightly easier time picking one up when it launches internationally next spring, although by then it’ll likely also be competing with Polaroid’s own Zink-equipped camera.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Tomy’s printer-equipped Xiao digital camera hits Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just because game designers are adapting their wares for multimedia phone apps does not mean that the games have to make any sense at all.

But are they good enough to make people act like crazy fools in public? Of course they are. Just take a look at the latest Chokkan (motion) game from Japan, Zuntata, from the old-school game developer Taito.

Zuntata is a downloadable music game built for phones with accelerometers. Using the game’s software, users simulate the playing of music (like in Guitar Hero) by simply strumming their fingers above or near the phone. This facility has led to several inexplicable acts of air guitar abuse being unleashed upon the fair citizens of Japan (see video below).

As far as we can tell, the simple point of the game is to ensure that a user swipes his hand at the same time a note is played. The sensor in the phone detects the accuracy of the strumming at the point the hand crosses the plane of the phone, in addition to the rhythmic motion provided when the player moves the phone with the other hand. The closest the player comes to matching the notes with his hands, the better his score. However, the ad for the game (above) shows the model barely strums near the phone at all.  

The app can also be used to simulate violins, drums, and several other instruments. In addition, several friends can play the same song by synching their profiles — each user is assigned a specific instrument to force the band to play as one.

According to Taito, one of the game’s favorite options is that any up-and-coming musicians can download their own jingles to their website, but it’s really the catchy, quirky sounds of the publisher’s house band and the game’s namesake, Zuntata, that is the most popular.

As Game|Life’s Jean Snow previously mentioned, Taito’s Zuntata band has written some of the best loved soundtracks for Japanese games, like the Bubble Bobble and the Darius series and even the modern version of Space Invaders. Nobody will say the music is good (it’s barely above simple blips), but it’s silly enough to use as an excuse when the other phone options have exhausted.

We’ll wait until a more accurate and true simulation comes to market before we terrorize the streets with our own air jamming.

So, you’ve a lead foot? What of it, right? Honda’s hoping to make that bad little habit vanish by using the tried and true guilt trip method, or more specifically, the Ecological Drive Assist System. For starters, the technology’s ECON Mode works with the CVT and engine to “support more fuel-efficient driving.” The real kicker, however, is the color-based “guidance function” — drive like a granny, your speedo lights up green, drive a little wilder, and things get a bit blue, and if you toss fuel economy to the wind and let ‘er rip, expect a full-on blue screen and the voice of God to come thundering through your sound system instructing that those horses be held. The EDAS should appear in the automaker’s Insight hybrid as early as Spring 2009, though there’s no word if it’ll be standard equipment on the rumored S3000.

Filed under: Transportation

Honda’s color-changing speedometer to drive out bad driving habits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Wakamaru robot, named Momoko for a performance at Japan's Osaka University, appears onstage alongside actress Minako Inoue.

(Credit: AFP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno )

The Wakamaru is best known as a domestic robot that can greet guests and provide information like weather forecasts. But soon, it may be signing …

The Tesla Roadster is simple to drive, but very fast, with smoothly delivered torque.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

Every automotive journalist that drives a Tesla comes away impressed with the car’s power, and I can say the same after taking the car out on a quick drive near the company’s Menlo Park, Calif., Tesla store (they don’t call it a showroom or dealership). In Performance mode, the car exhibits powerful and smooth torque, even at speed. I had this little open top roadster at 65 mph on the freeway, then mashed the accelerator (don’t call it a gas pedal) and got another powerful push in the back that sent the car quickly up to 90. The Tesla’s push is unique among sports cars though. Where a high-stepper such as the BMW M3 makes you feel a kick in the back with every gear shift, the Tesla delivers a strong, steady push when you put your foot down on the pedal.

The Tesla I drove featured “Powertrain 1.5,” eliminating the two-speed gearbox from the previous model. Yes, Tesla patterns itself after tech companies, so the power train gets a version designation, although the cars themselves still go by a model year. In this Tesla, as in other electric cars I’ve driven, the operation is dead simple: Move the shifter from Neutral to Drive, and you’re moving forward. Push the accelerator if you want to go faster and hit the brakes if you want to stop. The only real difference, besides the fact that the Tesla goes a lot faster than other electric cars, is that taking your foot off the accelerator at speeds less than 40 mph makes the car slow down as if you were applying light pressure on the brakes. That is the regenerative power train in operation, using the car’s momentum to generate electricity for the battery pack. The Tesla also has regenerative brakes, but you don’t need to use them much, adding the side-benefit of very infrequent brake maintenance.

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Originally posted at The Car Tech blog