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Segway Rally Experience for Two
Have you ever gotten on a Segway before? The feeling is totally something else for first timers, and that is a given. Well, for those who want to experience a Segway and more can always fork out £39.50 for the “Segway Rally Experience for Two” from Firebox. This special offer might just be the perfect gift for your dad and you, or perhaps for you and your partner, letting you go head to head with another person on a custom-built rally course.
You will kick start the day with the basics being shared by a trained instructor. In that course, you will be able to pick up the relevant skills on how to handle obstacles, turn, stop, and most of all, go forward (as fast as the Segway can anyways). Once you have mastered the basics, you will be given the opportunity to let loose on the rally course as you attempt to clock up your best time.
The entire experience is touted to last for up to half an hour, but chances are good you would do well to make an allowance of 90 minutes. Once you’re done, you will be on the receiving end of a certificate and a group photo.
President Obama’s stuck limo is hopefully not an omen for the United States
I think we all know that the president, being very vulnerable while in transit, has a limousine designed especially for him. This vehicle is bulletproof, but it has one vulnerability: bumps.
Yes, like the super robot ED-209 in Robocop was vulnerable to stairs, the president’s limo, also known as “The Beast”, is vulnerable of getting stuck on a parking ramp. This happened in Dublin, right in front of the embassy. I am assuming the YouTube video that you can watch after the jump is footage from cellular phone cameras.
How embarrassing. Especially for the one Secret Service agent that had to get out and check to see what was up. I found it pretty amazing that some mini-bus type of vehicle took its place in blocking the way. I take it they probably made certain that president was safe.
Continue reading » President Obama’s stuck limo is hopefully not an omen for the United States
Shell to build massive floating juggernaut
So what do you do if you are Big Oil and need to get a little more oil before all the oil runs out? You build yourself the largest floating object in the seas!
This is the Prelude FLNG, and Shell Petroleum is building it off the coast of Australia, to be completed sometime in 2017. In case you are wondering about the materials that would be needed to build this, then let me start by telling you that it requires 260,000 tons of steel.
In comparison, the Sydney Harbor Bridge needed about one fourth that amount of steel to make. Dang. Just to let you know, the ship has a displacement of 600,000 tons.
Continue reading » Shell to build massive floating juggernaut
Vieria Concept Car actually cleans the air
I think that we all know that nothing contributes to the growing problem of air pollution than the automobile. However, this Vieria concept car is not planning on being a contributor, but it will clean the air.
The Vieria is described by my Source as a water purifier that “takes in dirty and dusty air, runs it through a filter beneath its passenger capsule and returns clean, fresh, breathable air”. Just think of it as the maid to the other vehicles on the road.
That alone would be enough to sell the Vieria in a hopefully eco-friendly future, but it also has another green feature. It has a shiftable scissor-like wheel and axle system, so it can be thinner on the road. Apparently, this can make it easier for the Vieria to go through rush hour bottlenecks.
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Human-powered helicopter breaks record with a four-second flight
It seems like human-powered flight is becoming more popular, with the flight of the ornithopter in September of last year, and now a flight of a human-powered helicopter.
What you see in the picture is Judy Wexler, and this is her in the Gamera, a flying machine created at the University of Maryland. She managed to keep it in the air for about 4 seconds with hand and foot pedals, which is a world record.
That might not seem like a long time, and it isn’t. In comparison, the Wright Brothers flyer stayed aloft for only 12 seconds. Like it or not, the history of human flight has been accomplished with baby steps. You can watch a video of it after the jump if you want to witness this recent history.
Continue reading » Human-powered helicopter breaks record with a four-second flight
Verbal Bicycle Bell
“Oiii!” – no sir, your ears are not playing tricks on you. In fact, this is what the Verbal Bicycle Bell sets out to do – using an unconventional method of alerting other road users to your presence so that you won’t end up as another statistic. As you can more or less figure out already, the Verbal Bicycle Bell actually comprises of a bicycle speaker which is capable of recording and playing back any message in order to warn others of your presence.
By default, it will announce “On your left”, but if you choose to apply some imagination and tax your vocal chords a bit, then a touch of a button will proclaim your pre-programmed message. Capable of holding a 20 second sound recording, we might see some enterprising folks use this as a verbal sales pitch machine that ends up more irritating than anything else. Featuring a built-in 44mm speaker that play messages at 80 decibels (which is roughly the equivalent of a standard vacuum cleaner), you can always rely on the standard bicycle bell sound if the need arises. Powered by a trio of LR44 batteries, the Verbal Bicycle Bell will retail for $24.95.
The Coolest Festival Tent? The VW Camper Tent
If you’re attending any festivals this year this has got to the coolest canvas to camp out in, say hello to the VW Camper Van Tent.
Officially licensed by Volkswagon the VW Camper Tent is a full size replica of the 1965 Camper Van. Available in yellow, red or blue, it is certain to stand out from all other tents. Like the VW camper van the VW tent is large enough to stand up in (5 feet and 11 inches), and internally is divided into two rooms, sleeping 2 people in each one.
The VW Camper tent is available on pre-order from Firebox for £299.99 (approx $486) and will be available from August 25th 2011, just in time to catch the end of the festival season.
Pocket Classics lets you be the talk of toytown
All grown up physically, but deep down inside, you think that you are still a child? That would be interesting if you have the money to throw around via lavish parties and expensive toys, but for the most of us who are part of the working class, the only thing we can do would be to dream on and perhaps work our way to wealth. For those who fall in the former category, there is the Pocket Classics that might just pique your interest – considering they retail for £9,995 each, you had better have deep pockets!
These are true blue half-scale replicas of some of the most desirable rides in history, and will zip you about at a top speed of 46mph – never mind that they don’t look as though they are up to the task. Available in the Jaguar E-Type, Mercedes Benz 300 SL and Speedster, you will be spoilt for choice. Why not get all three of them at the same time? Just make sure there is enough space in your garage…
