The Beijing Youth Daily quoted one traffic policeman in the Chinese city of Yangjiang as saying, “More than 50 percent of cars caught on camera for speeding and other offences either cover up their plates or use a fake licence plate. Our chances of capturing them is next to nil.”
One salesman for license plate changing devices, which cost the equivalent of roughly $115, said that the hot-selling items are both “convenient and economical.” No mention of the devices being “illegal” or “satisfying” however. + Automotive News: Chinese drivers get away with speeding (Subscription required)
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Based in San Francisco, Ponoko is a company that enables anyone from a hobbyist to a professional to create, build, and sell an original design.
Ponoko’s online store offers customers the chance to buy these totally unique items and it was there that we stumbled across these simply hip Mira key rings. Created using a 2 x 4 centimeter block of clear acrylic, the key rings are designed with the names of the creator’s friends etched in them.
While we like the idea of keeping track of different sets of keys based solely on a group of strangers, Mira tells us that we can have whatever we want written on the rings. “CAR” or “HOUSE” might be natural choices, though something along the lines of “BLISTERING” might not go amiss for the Evo X or 911 owner. At $5 per you can hardly go wrong.
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Online store Woot! Is dedicated to the idea that cool stuff can be sold for cheap, and practices just that by offering one item per day at a discount rate.
Today’s daily Woot! (two 80 Watt Philips Power Inverters for $17.99) offers more than just a good price on an electronic gizmo though, it also gives hope to all the low-budget ballers out there who want to have fancy electronics in their rides. The retailer provides a detailed map for creating your very own Cribs-worthy ride, complete with in-car television, for less than a grand per…including the cost of the car. Here’s the breakdown of the Wooter’s setup.
The miniaturization of high technology is something that the Japanese are known and revered for. At the forefront of these efforts are tiny video experts RF System Lab, which has built a camera that is literally the size (and shape) of a Tylenol capsule.
While RF may specialize in the optic needs of the medical industry, the company is also responsible for this, slightly larger RC-12 mini wireless camera. The unit is not only of tiny dimensions but it’s also able to fit inside a snug waterproof housing, for all of your underwater spy cam needs. RF portrays its RC-12 being hauled around by a tiny RC car and a similarly sized toy submarine, though it’s unclear if these methods of transport are included with the camera or just helpful suggestions.
Check out some pictures of the RC-12 camera in our gallery below and tell us what use you could find for it (above board please), in comments.
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The Dixie Chopper Xcaliber lawn mower is to your average John Deere what a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is to a Honda Accord; faster, cooler, and massively more expensive.
Ringing up for a princely $11,400, the Xcaliber makes the claim that it is the “world’s fastest lawn mower,” and is likely among the most costly. While we don’t test enough high performance ride-ons to verify the speed claims, we can say that the Dixie Chopper is mighty impressive.
The mower offers a 38 horsepower Kohler gas motor, with optional diesel and propane-powered engines as well, that will propel it to a top speed of 15 mph. That kind of ground speed translates into nine acres worth of cut grass per hour (again, we’re told that’s a lot), and immeasurable bragging rights over the other guys in your neighborhood. The Xcaliber also offers amenities like a 12-volt adapter for cell phone or iPod charging while on the cut. Summer never seemed so promising.
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Watchmaker Edox has teamed with the super car minds at Koenigsegg to create a pair of limited edition watches that seem brilliantly engineered for no particular reason.
While the Koenigsegg timepiece features such decadent offerings as a carbon fiber face, and a curved, anti-reflective, scratch resistant sapphire crystal, the truly memorable parts of the watch are its “doors.” Said to represent the car’s doors, both sides of the Koenigsegg watch’s bezel lift up to reveal the knobs and buttons that are usually out in the open for all to see.
While Edox may have done a beautiful job fashioning the wrist watch, we hardly think the trick doors justify the price tag. With only thirty examples being produced for this extremely small run, Edox is asking 30,000 euros per. You know what time it is.
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Originally developed for the bleary eyes of drivers in the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans, this set of fancy specs is said to aid in night vision.
The TAG Heuer glasses apparently utilize contrast and color technology to maximize vision in dark conditions, instead of the expensive and bulky heat signature tracking of more sophisticated systems. The golden glasses are built on titanium frames and feature “Reflex-style” flexible temple sections.
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We were really geeked when we first heard about, and started seeing the first images of, the upcoming Speed Racer live-action movie from Warner Bros. Now it looks like our fandom for all things Mach 5 will have another, more hands-on outlet with the corresponding Speed Racervideo game.
While early screen shots from the arcade-style racer make it look a lot like a cross between Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario Kart, the actual race cars in the game look pretty cool. They are, to put it mildly, over the top. The Mach 5 has been given a major update in all areas, and the rest of the pack run the gamut from a sort of bullish F1 car, to a snake on wheels, and of course a new version of Racer X’s ride.
We’ll reserve our full judgment until we get a turn at the game, but until then have a look at some of the Speed Racer cars in our gallery below.
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Have you ever sat down to play a game of Gran Turismo, but stopped yourself because all the available cars were just too fast, and handled too well for your tastes? If that sounds like you, than this new driving simulator might be just what you’re looking for.
A software company called Meridian4 is preparing to launch a new bus-driving simulator for the PC aptly called, Bus Driver. The game is said to offer players a choice of 12 buses, 30 routes arranged into 5 tiers, and a sophisticated traffic simulator to enhance the replay value.
While the game does sound like it will live up to its promise of being “unlike any other driving game,” we can’t help but think that it will also be very, very dull. Despite our reservations, we’re more than willing to give any driving sim a chance…dibs on the European low floor bus!
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Remember that complete list of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue cars and tracks we reported on earlier today? Well somebody must have put the good people at Polyphony Digital in a fine mood today, as they’ve decided to let loose with a brand new trailer as well. We get our first look at some of the Ferraris featured in the game, as well as peeks at a drifting circuit, and the Daytona International Speedway.
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Microsoft wants the Sync system to offer more to its consumers. Martin Thall, the General Manager of Microsoft’s Automotive Business Unit, said that five years from now the system will be able to provide real-time updates on local services and gas prices – something other Sat-Nav infotainment providers are already doing.
But, as Thall pointed out, this type of infotainment system is expensive – both for the manufacturer and the consumer. So, to curb the system’s cost and keep it subscription free, the system may, in the future, display advertisements and/or incentives aimed toward bringing consumers to stop by local stores. An example may be Starbucks offering a free MP3 downloaded directly to your car if you stop in and purchase a latte.
Coca-Cola has furnished its classic soda bottle with a tiny radio controlled car, in a vending machine pairing of unprecedented coolness.
The soft-drink giant has actually just finished up this Japanese promotion, which offered a super-hip, old-style Coke delivery truck R/C car, with the purchase of a specially packaged bottle of soda. The very basic remote control unit features two maneuvering buttons on one side, and a Coca-Cola vending machine on the other.
The special edition Cokes weren’t exactly cheap, retailing for about $6 a pop (sorry), but they are absolutely destined to be a hot collectors item in the evergreen world of Coca-Cola memorabilia. And we thought the prizes in our cereal boxes were cool.
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