Trends Updates |
- Designer Sang Creates Metallic Laptop Cases That Are High On Style
- Thanks To BrainDriver, Cars Could Soon Be Running On Thought Power
- Ducati Allies With Cigarette Racing, The Cigarette Racing 42X Ducati Edition Is Born
- 102EX Is The New Super-Green Limo From Rolls-Royce
| Designer Sang Creates Metallic Laptop Cases That Are High On Style Posted: 21 Feb 2011 10:02 AM PST
Sometime ago I had written about leather merging with silk to create handbags that were hardy yet feminine, stylish yet utilitarian. The designer in that case had been US-based designer Be Invathong, and the collection had something to suit most tastes. However, in an era where the Internet rules our lives, handbags fail to carry the 21st century’s constant companion – the ubiquitous laptop. Meanwhile, laptop bags fail miserably on the style test. Will there never be a middle path where a laptop case comes to ooze style as well as practicality? That search could soon be over. Designer Sang A Im-Propp has created laptop bags that can be carried unobtrusively into any kind of conference room. Yet, these will not stick grubby handles out either. Sang A Im-Propp’s laptop case is a classic example of how sleek, elegant design can add style to any look. Sang’s laptop cases are a refreshing change from the hundreds of dull, boring, excessively corporate laptop cases that seem to be ruling the workplace. Sang’s bags are made eye-catching thanks to the incorporation of an antique metal lizard. So while the dark colours suggest sobriety, the lizard look adds a certain chic quality to the case. The laptop cases by Sang come with a zippered closure and a zip pocket on the outside of the bag. On the inside, a quilted lining has been sewn on to ensure that the computer rests comfortably against its softness and to guard against possible scratches. Measuring 15″ W x 11″ H x 1″ D, Sang’s laptop cases will set you back by $1,195.
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| Thanks To BrainDriver, Cars Could Soon Be Running On Thought Power Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:26 AM PST
How often have you wished that your car would run without you having to do a thing? Apparently, you are not the only one. German researchers have developed a brain, or rather, a sort of brain interface that can be used to drive a car. The team of researchers has developed a project called the BrainDriver. According to research team chief Raul Rojas, the Artificial Intelligence professor from Freie Universitat Berlin, the BrainDriver could have a huge impact on combination and autonomous driving in the coming years. BrainDriver is part of the MadeInGermany project. An “Emotiv neuroheadset”, something like an EEG sensor created by San Francisco company Emotiv for the gaming industry, was used by the researchers to record brain activity. It takes a little “mental training”, but the average driver can learn soon enough to use their thought processes to move virtual objects. This works to drive a car because commands like “turn right” or “turn left” or “slow down” seem to create different brain activity patterns. Thus, these patterns are recorded before being a modified Volkswagen Passat Variant 3c, the car’s drive-by-wire system. However, this is not just another theory project. The research team even drove the car to the old airport in Berlin Tempelhof. Of course, the BrainDriver app is not yet near being road ready. Plenty of further research and development need to be completed before the interface can hit the roads. The app could very easily be used to nudge cabs into taking certain routes simply by the power of thought. It would be of great help to the physically disabled. Via: Spectrum.ieee.org
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| Ducati Allies With Cigarette Racing, The Cigarette Racing 42X Ducati Edition Is Born Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:00 AM PST
What happens when a Ducati hits the oceans? It creates the Cigarette Racing 42X Ducati Edition watercraft. And when a boat is inspired by a superbike, it is only fitting that the former will stand on display at the 2011 Miami International Boat Show. The new Cigarette Racing 42X Ducati Edition has been launched at the show. It is one of the displays in “The Menage of Waterports” segment which showcases performance boats as well as two- and four-wheelers. The 42X Ducati Edition came to be when Mercedes AMG and the Cigarette Racing Team extended their alliance to include Italian bike brand Ducati. Over to specifics. The 42X Ducati edition is equipped with two 1,100 hp Mercury Racing Engines, thus managing a rating of 2,200 hp. But it is not just about speed. Even size matters. So the 42-foot hull with an 8-foot beam weighs in at 4,899 kg. The watercraft sports signature Ducati designs – a red racing stripe runs across its white body. The 42X Ducati Edition also comes with a colour GPS, a GPS speedometer, a hydraulic cabin door with integrated steps and a sea strainer that flushes with fresh water. Enthusiasts will surely notice the Herring propeller upgrade and the swim platform. Gabriele Del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A, described the 42X Edition watercraft as “the Ducati of the Sea”. He promises that the new craft would combine the design, performance and racing history of the two brands. Meanwhile, Skip Braver, CEO of Cigarette Racing Team, announced that Ducati was the only motorcycle brand that fit in with the expectations of Cigarette Racing’s customers. Via: AutoEvolution.com
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| 102EX Is The New Super-Green Limo From Rolls-Royce Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:47 AM PST
Rolls-Royce is going super-green this year. The auto-maker has come up with a Rolls-Royce limousine that will run on electricity. The new limo is based on the £300,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom. However, the difference is this. While the standard Phantom gives a mileage of 15 miles per gallon, the electric powered version is set to be far more fuel-efficient. Apparently, the new, electric-powered Rolls-Royce will cost only about 2p per gallon. The car, named 102EX, is due to be unveiled on 1 March this year at the prestigious Geneva Motor Show. A recent statement by the company announced that the new limo would debut at this year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show, putting to rest two-year-long speculation about a secret electric car being developed in the Rolls-Royce labs. The 102EX will go on a testing tour throughout 2011. The car will be taken across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America, to encourage owners to offer feedback about the car. The research data that is thus collected will then be put to use to develop future cars from Rolls-Royce. Chief executive officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös has announced that with the new car, Rolls-Royce has engineered the first-ever battery electric car in the ultra-luxury segment. This green luxury car is expected to hit the streets by the 2012 Olympics. Incidentally, Rolls-Royce’s parent company BMW will be showcasing its eco-friendly technology at the Olympics. Meanwhile, the super-wealthy will have to wait for the 102EX to hit the stores. Don’t expect this 2p-per-gallon car to come cheap though. The price tag is expected to hover around the £1 million mark. Via: Daily Mail
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