If finding the perfect spot to place a potted plant to ensure it gets the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day is proving difficult, then the Plant Host Drone (PHD) is here to help. Developed by Belgian sculptor Stephen Verstraete, the PHD is a wheeled robotic pot plant holder that seeks out the sun to keep the plant soaking up the rays as the sun moves across the sky over the course of the day.
The Lockey Bottle Lock looks like the perfect gadget for keeping your favorite drop safe and secure. Made by LockeyUSA, which offers a wide range of keyless entry locks for more traditional uses, the Bottle Lock securely slots into wine and liquor bottles with a twist to keep that 1865 Chateau Lafite from being scoffed by your alcoholic brother in law.
As fun as the trampoline is, it’s but a small oasis of bounce in a world ruled by rigid ground. The SMB Trampoline modulus finds out what happens when you expand the trampoline into an entire network. What happens is a lot more bouncy fun.
When it comes to wheels, Polaris is already a well-recognized brand thanks to its line of off-roaders. Now the company is making the move into a new segment: electric bikes. Polaris has partnered with electric drive manufacturer EVantage in launching its own line of e-bikes. In fact, it dives into the market with lines for three different types of cyclists.
Not that anyone needs more proof that we’ve left the 20th Century in the dust, but our cars are becoming indistinguishable from our laptops.
Texting and driving still ranks as a stupid strategy, right up there with the idea for New Coke, but it is increasingly becoming very possible to be safely connected to the internet while behind the wheel, provided you do all the necessary clicking and typing before you press your foot on the gas.
After all, you can listen to podcasts while driving, or listen to a favorite show on a video site like Hulu.com (but actually watching the show while driving = bad idea). You could theoretically talk on the phone–through Skype–while making your way to and from the office to your home. And there are probably numerous other ways you could use the internet while driving.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is way too complicated, and what’s wrong with the radio, anyway? Nevertheless, Chris Rauser, accessories manager for Chevrolet, points out, “If you carpool, you could have several people checking their email on their laptops, turning your car into a mobile office.” Rauser has been eagerly talking up his company’s new Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile, which recently debuted in some Chevrolet models as well as Buick, Cadillac and GMC vehicles.
Rauser adds that because Chevrolet’s modem reach is 150 feet, salespeople on call may find it easier to show prospective clients their wares–they can take their own laptop into a client’s home, using their car’s modem to connect.
If you’re thinking of turning your BMW or VW into a PC, or you’re Cadillac into a Mac, here are a few of the options available to you:
- Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile: As noted, this just hit the market. It works with Macs, laptops, PSPs, PDAs, iPhones, iPod Touches and probably anything else you can access the internet from. Once it’s installed in the car, you just use your computer as you would at any other Wi-Fi hotspot. The actual device costs $199 (provided you sign up for a two-year plan and probably other details, so check the fine print) and costs between $29 and $59 a month, depending on whether you go with their 1 GB or 5 GB data plan. Volkswagen’s uConnect by Autonet Mobile: Yes, Autonet Mobile’s apparently everywhere. Earlier this summer, they partnered with Volkswagen, equipping their minivan, the Routan, with internet service. Pretty much everything you read in the preceding paragraph applies here.
- Ford Work Solutions: So far, this is just available in trucks–though I imagine cars will be coming down the road soon–and Ford is marketing it heavily to business owners, not to mention farmers, contractors and construction workers. Unlike the Chevrolet Wi-Fi system, with this, you actually buy a computer that goes with your Ford. The computer is $1,125, and the monthly plan is $25 a month for 25 MB or $50 for up to 5 GB of data. The computer includes Garmin GPS navigation, an AM/FM radio and a CD player, has a 6.5″ screen and comes with a wireless Bluetooth keyboard, and if you want, you can buy a wireless Hewlett-Packard printer. Some professionals may not like the fact that–for safety reasons–you can only access your computer and the internet when the vehicle is parked. A little harder to grasp is why you can’t stream the internet’s audio or video, even when you’re parked. But otherwise, it’s a very cool setup.
About The Author: Diana is a writer. She loves writing, travelling and driving. She loves cars. These days she is busy to write an article on latest car models.