Stolen directly from our betters at MAKE: , the 1945 short film ” Principles of Electricity ” from General Electric, full of appealing animation. Previously : Short Film: The Electrician (1942)

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Short Film: GE’s Principles of Electricity (1945)

Filed under: Gadgets , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Tech , Cadillac Perhaps as part of a thoughtful move to combine two of the major aspects of the Autoblog lifestyle, Cadillac has just announced that it will offer full WiFi access in its CTS sport sedan beginning next month. The dealer-installed option will cost $499, and Cadillac says the Autonet Mobile system will effectively turn the CTS into a 3G hotspot with speeds of up to 800Kbps. Naturally, there’s a monthly charge associated with the service, but $29 a month for a stylish, leather-lined mobile command center doesn’t strike us as too bad of a deal, especially when the WiFi is capable of handling multiple devices simultaneously. No word yet on whether existing CTS owners can retrofit their cars, but considering this is a dealer-installed add-on, we imagine it’s possible. If not, there’s always the aftermarket. Now, if we could only get Cadillac to consider fitting a Nespresso machine, we’d have all the tools of the trade! Continue reading Fast Connection: Cadillac adds WiFi to CTS options list Fast Connection: Cadillac adds WiFi to CTS options list originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Fast Connection: Cadillac adds WiFi to CTS options list

Filed under: Gadgets , Etc. , Toys Automoblox are some of our favorite playthings, and our kids like them, too. When a little cherub wraps baby-fat fingers around the C9 perched on the edge of the desk, rather than grit our teeth, we just wait to see what kind of assemblage will emerge. That free play time can now be worth cash money if you manage to capture a photo that wins one of the categories in the Automoblox Photo Contest . Three categories will be considered; coolest car, best play action, and most artistic photograph. Winners will receive a $200 gift certificate, good at the Automoblox Store . Entries are being accepted until March 31, 2009, and winners will be announced on April 3rd. Get out there and get shooting! UPDATE: The founder, owner and designer of Automoblox , Patrick Calello, is an Autoblog Super Fan and has offered any Autoblog reader 25% off his or her order using the coupon code “autoblog” , which is good through March 31st, 2009. Click here to start shopping. [Source: Automoblox ] This One’s For the Kids: Automoblox holding snapshot contest originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read ?|? Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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This One’s For the Kids: Automoblox holding snapshot contest

Filed under: Aftermarket , Gadgets , Etc. , Bugatti UPDATE: No, this Bugatti is totally unrelated to the automotive brand, but we’re not the first internet chumps to get Casa Bugatti crossed up with the storied car brand. You’d expect that a Bugatti-branded blender would follow the lead of its Veyron sibling, with enough power to liquefy concrete. Unfortunately, the Bugatti Vela 3-speed blender is not the kitchen countertop equivalent of a 1001 horsepower supercar that accelerates like a GSX-R. What, then, is the point of dropping a third of a grand on something that doesn’t even have the power of the $60 Oster “Beehive” blender that’s been in production since the Pleistocene? Design. So what if the 450 watt motor is only about half a horsepower? The Vela is a decidedly modernist way to mix up your morning smoothie or evening mudslide. Looking super-smart in chrome (red is available, too), the style is elemental and bold. A lack of frippery brings a fresh look to an item that’s so often shaped like a plastic lump sprouting buttons. That said, if we were looking for high power, the wheezy Vela wouldn’t even make the best blenders list. Not when you can get the Vita-Mix 5200, sporting a full 1500 watts - that’s two horsepower, folks - for about a hundred bucks more than the Bug’s $350 list price. Since most any blender will work, the Bugatti Vela begs the question, what price, fashion? Thanks for the tip, Ed. [Source: Macy's ] Bugatti Vela 3-Speed: Not exactly the Veyron of blenders originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read ?|? Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Filed under: Gadgets , Trucks/Pickups , Marketing/Advertising , Ford , Toys Click above for a high-res gallery of the F-150 Raptor driving simulator Ford is looking to drum up some extra interest in its F-150 SVT Raptor off-road specialist ahead of its actual on-sale date (which is still only listed as “coming soon”) with the introduction of a new dedicated microsite that you can check out here . Features on the new web destination include a place to learn what makes the Raptor different from the rest of the F-150 lineup, along with videos, a gallery and an online tool to build your own. Still not enough to whet your appetite? According to Brian Bell, Ford’s F-150 consumer marketing manager, “We want people to understand the unique capability of this truck, that it can do things that other trucks just can’t.” To that end, Ford has been bringing an off-road driving simulator to the assorted U.S. auto shows that we’ve been following over the last few months, and the Blue Oval will evidently continue doing this on through the rest of the 2009 circuit. Give it a shot, it’s good fun. Gallery: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor driving simulator Gallery: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor [Source: Ford] Continue reading Here’s Mud In Your Eye: Ford Raptor gets new microsite Here’s Mud In Your Eye: Ford Raptor gets new microsite originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Here’s Mud In Your Eye: Ford Raptor gets new microsite

Filed under: Gadgets , Videos , Toys Click above for high-res gallery of SuperCar Challenge screen caps System 3 has a follow-up title to last year’s Ferrari Challenge: SuperCar Challenge . The new game will offer 40 cars to choose from, not all of which are Ferraris this team. The roster will include such cars as the Aston Martin DBR9, Lamborghini Murcielago RGT, McLaren F1, Maserati MC12 and, of course, a supercar or two from Maranello like the Ferrari FXX. You’ll be able to race them on 20 real and fictitious tracks and the graphics of each car have been improved with better polygon counts, texture details and buffing. Multiplayer capability can link 16 drivers at once, sim players will get good handling and tuning options, and there’ll be an arcade mode for folks who just want to tear up the pavement. The AI has also been redesigned to be more consistent, and there’s a “Legendary” AI setting meant to challenge the best drivers. It will be available exclusively for the PS3 this Spring. While you wait, check out the high-res screenshots below and the video about the game’s innovative camera angles by clicking here . Gallery: SuperCar Challenge [Source: Gamers Hell ] Continue reading New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read ?|? Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development

Filed under: Gadgets , Green , Safety , Tech The Tire Technology of the Year award, handed out at the Tire Technology Expo in Hamburg, Germany, has been awarded to the creators of the Self-Inflating Tire at Coda Development. While “self-inflating” tires aren’t new to the market (especially in the commercial industry), nearly all of the existing systems utilize compressed air to inflate or maintain tire pressure. This requires a compressor or reservoir tank to feed air to the tires. Coda’s “SIT” system uses a peristaltic pump built directly into the tire that uses the spinning wheel to force air through a liquid-filled tube to maintain pressure at a set level. Designed to aid fuel economy and improve safety, the SIT system claims to maintain a constant inflation pressure over the lifetime of the tire. Simple, lightweight, inexpensive, and not requiring any power source, we liked the idea last year . Twelve months later, and now with an award under its belt, we think it’s time to get the SIT system rolling. Press release after the jump, gallery below. Gallery: Coda self-inflating tire technology Continue reading Self-inflating tire technology captures innovation award Self-inflating tire technology captures innovation award originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Filed under: Gadgets , Tech , Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MEC) wants to be able to offer a 1 DIN Blu-ray DVD player in the 2009 fiscal year. The unit, 1/3 the size of an at-home Blue-ray player, will not only fit in a standard dash slot but will also play BD-ROM, BD-R, and BD-RE discs. MEC says the kit is expected to go along with in-car navigation systems, but since it runs on Linux it remains to be seen how - and who - will be integrating it with the Windows CE that generally runs navigation software. If and when they do get it to work, they want to bundle it with a TV tuner that can display digital terrestrial broadcasts at up to 120 mph. Because when you’ve finished watching Transformers 2 at illegal speeds, you’ll need something to do… other than drive… [Source: Tech On via Engadget ] Mitsubishi unveils in-dash Blu Ray player originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read ?|? Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Filed under: Gadgets , Tech What’s good for the iPhone is apparently good for the sedan. Hughes Telematics is working up a suite of programs that will work with its in-car communications technology and allow you to download applications for your car. From tailored data collection to controlling your car’s systems with your phone to repurposing your car’s features, the possibilities will turn your humble transport into the ultimate programmable appliance when Hughes releases the software to be ready in 2010. Let the betting begin on how long it will take someone to make an app that makes your car fart. [Source: New York Times ] Hughes Telematics working on downloadable apps for vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read ?|? Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Hughes Telematics working on downloadable apps for vehicles

Filed under: Gadgets , Porsche Click above to view the Porsche Design P’9522 mobile phone in high resolution Say what you will about Porsche’s automotive design, its product design is at the cutting edge of style and technology. The company’s merchandizing division, Porsche Design, has just upped the ante with its latest release, the P’9522 mobile phone. Unlike Porsche Design’s previous phone, the slick P’9521 clamshell , the P’9522 is designed around a straightforward “candy-bar” form factor, milled from a solid block of aluminum with a scratch-resistant touchscreen glass display. Avoiding getting your fingerprints all over this slick piece of tech would be an exercise in futility, so Porsche Design has incorporated a fingerprint reader to keep unwelcome users out. The P’9522 also features a five-megapixel camera with flash, GPS module, stereo MP3 player, WiFi and quad-band antennas for use around the world (except Japan and Korea). At €600 (approx. $774), it ain’t cheap, but it’s about half the price of the P’9521 flip-phone. To celebrate the launch of the new phone, Porsche Design has commissioned nine photographers from around the world to shoot the P’9522 (though presumably not with the phone’s built-in camera). The photos will appear in a travel exhibition touring the world, but you can see them all in the gallery below along with the more straightforward shots of the phone from every angle, with full details in the press release after the jump. Gallery: Porsche Design P’9522 [Source: Porsche Design] Continue reading Smooth Operator: Porsche Design releases new P’9522 phone Smooth Operator: Porsche Design releases new P’9522 phone originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink ?|? Email this ?|? Comments

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Smooth Operator: Porsche Design releases new P’9522 phone