Google Earth: Great Tool To Spy On Cars + Stuff

What can you do with Google Earth (GE)? Well, for me the question should be “What you cannot do with Google Earth”. Its one of my favorite time wasters. You can spend all day long finding out all those favorite locations on your computer. You get to see those satellite pictures for FREE. Do you have the coordinates of your favorite location? Just punch them in GE, and you get to see all of them.

AutoExpress has an innovative idea to use GE to their advantage. They have uncovered some of the most closely guarded tracks of top car manufacturers; the tracks these companies use to test their new born babies. Its awesome. They even have all the coordinates mentioned. Use them to get the latest pics.

I think its really a cool idea to put GE to good use. Not just for tracks, you can have all your favorite locations on your computer.

What’s your idea to use GE?

Volvo XC60: Launching Soon

Volvo XC60 is all set to hit the market next month. It is to be displayed in the North American international auto show in Detroit. Much before it could make a debut, the photos of the compact SUV have been leaked in the Internet. It has incredible interior with upgraded technology.

It looks like the miniature of XC90 and has both diesel and petrol versions with 158bhp 2.2litre diesel and 230bhp Volvo’s latest six-cylinder petrol. Designed with traditional Volvo grille at the front borrowed from its big brother Volvo XC90. It has small projector style headlamps, which improves the elegance of the car. The running gears are highly efficient with the spectacular chassis design.

Sure it’s aspiring to be a first of its kind, creating a tough challenge for other manufacturers to re-work on their SUV’s. It’s worth waiting till next year January, just few weeks away from now. Start the New Year with all new Volvo XC 60 with pride.

Mitsubishi Lancer 2008

Mitsubishi Lancer 2008 is the exciting latest model introduced by Mitsubishi Motors, North America. In early 2008, Mitsubishi Lancer will be ready for sale. This new model is extremely attractive with its charming but sporty look and impressive features.

Lancer is available in 3 trim levels. First is the base DE, the second is the mid level ES, the third is the sport tuned top level GTS. The highlighting features of Mitsubishi Lancer 2008 are:

  • 2 liter aluminium four cylinder engine
  • magnetic steering wheel paddle shifters
  • 5-speed manual or 6-speed sportronic paddles
  • 152 horse power

Lancer looks very pretty with its shark nosed front end, long wheelbase and wider track. Mitsubishi is releasing Lancer in Detroit at a North American International Auto Show in January. There is no doubt that the new Lancer 2008 is a boon for the new generation.

Car Design: What’s Old Is New

I’ve been browsing through various car blogs the past year, as well as seeing TV ads for the past 2 years, noticing that many of the current designs are chunkier variations of classic muscle and sports cars. I mean, look at the Mustang for example. I love it, but it’s just a beefier nod to original designs from the late 60s/ early 70s. Then there’s the Accord Coupe Concept that looks like a cross between an Audi TT and a Porsche - at least from the angle the illustation shows. And there’s the sexy GM Pontiac designs Bob Lutz came up with for a roadster and coupe model and Winding Road thinks might be used for a Solstice Coupe. The concept design looks highly reminiscent of my all-time fave car, the Jaguar E-Type, with a bit of classic Datsun thrown in (which itself resembled a more affordable E-Type).

Now I’m not complaining. And in fact, it makes a lot of sense why this is happening. Were I a car designer at this time, I’d be of an age where I’d grown up seeing some of the originals for real, either in the year of their release or shortly after. I’m speculating that if current designers are plus 10 years or minus 7 years of my age, they’d be doing the same thing. Well I love it, but I have no plans to buy a car any time soon, as I’m planning to move back to Toronto, Canada, late next year. And that’s for the very reason that I don’t have a car and want to try to keep living without one. (I’ve lived in Toronto with a car, a Subaru wagon, and I have no plans to repeat that.) I might have the wanderlust, but there are other ways to satisfy it, including simply salivating over the alluring pics and illustrations.

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How Green Your Automobile?

Red Herring has an article on the LA Auto Show’s Design Challenge looking for “green” automobile designs. General Motors won the challenge with “Hummer 02″, seen on the main page. This design emits not carbon dioxide but carbon.

Other designs include the BMW self-composting car, Kia’s Eco-Fashionista model, a very bizarre-looking Volkswagen Nanospyder, the Mercedes RECY, Honda’s Roll Your Own Car (which grows with the owner), the Acura NHR-1 (nano-hydrogen) aka FCX 2020 Le Mans (made of 100% recyclable materials), the Audi Recyclable Car, and the Toyota RLV (Renewable Lifestyle Vehicle) pedal-powered car with aluminum body. (Futuristic-car buffs should check out the illustrations.)

These designs are exciting to hear about, making me think of the possibilities. While some of the materials used in the designs do not sound like they could hold up in a serious collision, maybe if they were reinforced with artificial spider silk or carbon nanotubes, they may have something that could actually be used by consumers.

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Nissan Real-Time Location System

RTLS, or Real-Time Location System, is a relatively new technology used to track assets, even parts. Such systems do not use GPS. Rather, they use RF (Radio Frequency) transmitters and fall into the category of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology.

Nissan North America is now using RTLS technology from WhereNet to track auto parts that are delivered to their assembly line in Canton, Mississippi. WhereNet RFID WhereTags are temporarily attached to vehicles coming off the assembly line. Wireless access points are located strategically around the plant to help locate a specific vehicle. (Each WhereTag has a unique identifier code that it transmits.)

Employees will also use handscanners to check the production status of each vehicle, as the tag will store VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and information about which process in the assembly has been completed. RFID Journal has more details.

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Razor To Radio-Tag Electric Mini Scooters

Those enormously popular foot scooters that kids everywhere (and some young adults) are riding come from several suppliers. Razor is one of the companies - some would say the originals. Razor also makes a miniature electric ride scooter called the Pocket Mod.

As Razor is a supplier to retail giant Wal-Mart, part of their task is to tag their products with RFID (radio frequency identification technology) so that Wal-Mart can track their products in their stores, easily determine when stock is low, and make re-ordering easier.

Razor USA has plans to tag Pocket Mod scooters with RFID technology from ODIN Technologies. They are specifically using EPCglobal’s EPC Gen 2 RFID tags. Razor’s plant will also use technology from Alien Technology, Zebra Technologies, and Symbol.

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Smart Keys For Your Car

If someone told you that you could start your car without inserting a key in the ignition, what would you think? The Toyota Avalon uses an RFID (radio frequency identification) technology called NFC (near field communication) to send a signal from a so called smart key to an onboard sensor. Once the sensor picks up the radio signal, pushing an ignition switch gets the vehicle started.

The smart key also unlocks the car or the trunk. The same NFC technology is used for the Corvette and Cadillac XLR. Other automobile manufacturers including Renault, Mercedes and BMW are offering keyless cards to identify authorized drivers.

It’s not quick as slick technology as that used for letting a Lexus park itself between two towers of delicate champagne glasses, but interesting nonetheless.

[sources: Contactless News]

(c) Copyright 2006-present, Raj Kumar Dash, http://www.ridelust.com.

Cars and the Wanderlust

This blog is to satisfy my love of cool cars and other consumer vehicles, including motorcycles, scooters, jeeps, trucks, and whatever motorized item that gives you mobility. And to talk about the consumer experience of vehicles and even urban and country driving, how to avoid traffic jams and road rage, how to subsidize your car habit, and anything else relating to the “wanderlust” of vehicles and motorized travel.

I’ve had the wanderlust since I was a kid, growing up seeing the older kids with their decade old Mustangs and El Caminos (my two dream cars - Red 1969 Mustang, and any El Camino). We spent a lot of time driving - something my father loved to do. We did a lot of visiting, across the US but not so much across Canada, despite being citizens. (Although I made many a trip to Montreal in my then new green Subaru GT, which resembled a BMW so much.)

Over the years, dad bought several cars, including two Chevy Caprices, an Audi, two Porsches, and now at 76, he has a slick black Mercedes. But he wants a sportier model. At 76, if you can believe it. (He still wants to ride a motorcycle. My mother, who turned 61 two days ago, wants to hang glide.)

My brother is on his fifth, or is it sixth, Subaru. I’ve had two, my mother 3. About 10-11 in our family. And these are all the cars I can remember. Oh yeah, a few Mazdas, at least 4 - 3 of which were my brothers, as winter alternates to his Mazda RX7. My mother’s Mazda 323? Well, I crashed that in an unfortunate situation, on a downtown road undergoing construction. As a result, I didn’t know there were two lanes, including the left turn lane. In retrospect, because I was blocked by perpendicular drivers, there’s nothing I could have done. Que sera sera.

We’ve run part of the spectrum of brand models and originating countries. Despite all that, I’ve only actual had two cars, both Subarus. And I haven’t driven for 2-3 years now. I still have my license, and didn’t do anything. I simply went through a period where I couldn’t afford the insurance, let alone the license renewal. And I still haven’t bothered because I haven’t needed to drive. Though I’m missing my Subaru GT badly lately, with it’s incredible AWD and amazing traction, even on wet roads and snow. The wanderlust is upon me again.

(c) Copyright 2006-present, Raj Kumar Dash, http://www.ridelust.com/.