If Gundam mated with Will Smith’s Audi in I, Robot, the offspring would resemble these futuristic concept cars from European brand Peugeot. The cars car-like vehicles were all entries in the 2008 Peugeot Design Contest. Designers were asked by organizers to create vehicles for that ambiguous but tantalising “city of the future.” Areas of focus included environmental awareness, “social harmony,” interactive mobility and efficiency. As you can see in the “Blade” vehicle above, efficiency is improved with the wind turbine that designer Ying Hui Choo added to charge an on-board electric battery.
Here’s an idea for new unofficial Gizmodo game. It doesn’t have a name, but it’s based on guessing what Bob Woodward was talking about when he said the U.S. military had some super secret new gadget, gizmo or technology at their disposal in Iraq. Woodward says the tech is used to “locate, target and kill key individuals in groups such as al-Qaeda in Iraq [and]the operations incorporated some of the most highly classified techniques and information in the US government.” My guess as to what Woodward was talking about (with the help of Bruce Schneier readers): Hyperbole and book sales. You can do better!
If you’re an iPhone owner who wants the updates presented in the 2.1 firmware, and want to run jail-broken applications, the iPhone Dev Team today released PwnageTool and QuickPwn for 2.1 devices. According to the folks at the Unofficial Apple Weblog, this update does not work with iPod Touch 2g, and is “for iPhones or first generation Touch devices only.” [TUAW]
Flight attendants are the latest group looking to put the kibosh on in-flight porn, which they say is polluting the airways thanks to the new American Airlines in-flight wireless network. Taking a page from Focus on the Family, the 19,000-strong union is looking to filter the content web surfers can access in the air. But is the air really getting polluted with porn? As is the case most of the time, Association of Professional Flight Attendants reps couldn’t produce specific examples of “alternative” in-flight entertainment, but did say “a lot of complaints” were raised by attendants and passengers alike.
Imagine screaming down the freeway sometime in the near future and seeing this loop rushing forward to fill your windshield. Or, changing gears, what if commercial airlines flew their birds in a V formation, like birds? That’s what Dutch design firm NL did recently using Photoshop, everyday architecture, and a little imagination that was perhaps inspired by a certain leaf available in special Dutch tea rooms. Google Tree? Energy-producing monuments? Sure thing!
We’ve seen the immense Lego Star Wars Death Star diorama big reveal, the Brickworld 2008 coverage, and the massive minifig-packed set being built in beautiful time-lapse video—and now it’s available for order! Just a quick recap: that’s 3,803 pieces, 24 minifigs, US$400. Get saving or get ordering. Your inner Grand Moff Tarkin commands you! [Lego via Brothers Brick]