The Winglet:Photo by Toyota
Segway users, look behind your shoulder. Another “personal transport assistant” is waiting in the wings.
The Toyota Winglet will be used in trials at a Japanese airport and shopping center in 2009, with a planned mass deployment in early 2010. It’s much slower than the Segway with a top speed of only 3.7 mph, but comes in three models: the S (which is only 18 inches tall and weighs 22 pounds), the M (27 inches tall and 27 pounds), and the L (about 4 feet tall and the same weight as the M). Both the S and M use leg braces to help you steer, while the L provides a handle bar. Like the Segway, the Winglet senses weight shifts for steering and speed and can slow down or stop if you teeter too much. More …
In case there was any lingering doubt that the Treo Pro (alias Treo 850) was real — and there probably shouldn’t be, considering it got snapped all the way back in May — this round of non-blurry (dare we say artistic?) shots should pretty much seal the deal. More …
In a weirdly casual move, Lenovo has let details slip on the next iteration of its MacBook Air-challenging laptop — the ThinkPad X300 — unsurprisingly dubbed the X301. The new device ups the processor ante by adding the as-yet-unreleased Intel Core 2 Duo ULV (ultra low voltage) U9300 (1.2GHz) and U9400 (1.4GHz), both with a 6MB L2 cache and 1066MHz FSB. Additionally, the X301 will support up to 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and Lenovo will offer SSDs of the 80GB or 128GB variety, as opposed to the last generation’s 64GB option. A new DisplayPort jack is included, along with boosted mobile broadband quality, GPS, and plans for a WiMAX version later this year. The laptops start at $2,599 and will be available August 26th, though the 128GB option doesn’t show up until September. Full PR after the break. More …
We’ve seen electricity-monitoring / controlling devices similar to the EnergyHub before, but few have provided such a handsome interface or modular, expandable options. The device uses a touchscreen control panel (familiarly referred to as a “dashboard”) to help gauge and adjust energy levels for satellite outlets that it communicates with. The data will be accessible and adjustable online, and users will also be able to compare their stats with other eco-tweakers or neighbors. More …
KAMALA K360R:No British auto show would be complete without a slew of low-volume, high-performance cars aimed at die-hard enthusiasts and madmen. The Kamala’s calling card is a 0-60 time of three seconds when fitted with a highly turbocharged version of Ford’s 2.0-liter Duratec engine mounted behind the driver. It’s really meant for track usage, but a road-legal package is available. More …