PC Tech World: hybrid

Showing posts with label hybrid. Show all posts

Friday, March 22, 2013

Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid test drive (video)

The Ford Fusion Energi joins the C-MAX Energi and Focus Electric as the company's third vehicle with a charging connector and access to California's HOV lanes. While it's a larger car than the C-MAX Energi, it weighs about the same and features pretty much the same plug-in hybrid powertrain with 195 net horsepower and three EV driving modes. It combines a 2-liter DOHC 16V Duratec (Atkinson cycle) engine and CVT with an AC synchronous motor powered by a 7.6kWh Lithium Ion battery. This pack takes about 2.5 hours to fill up with a 240V charging station and provides a range of 21 miles (100MPGe) at up to 85mph in all-electric mode. Both autos share the same unfortunate battery protrusion in the trunk area, and while it's less of an issue in the Fusion sedan than the wagon-like C-MAX, it detracts from the overall package. The Fusion Energi also packs the company's latest and greatest tech, including MyFord Mobile, SmartGauge with EcoGuide, Eco Cruise and SYNC with MyFord Touch. Sure, that's pretty exciting, but how does it actually drive? Find out after the break. Ford Fusion Energi test driveSee all photoswhen.eng("eng.galleries.init")

We took the Fusion Energi for a spin on the rainy streets of San Francisco, and it was a pleasant experience despite the downtown traffic and sub-par weather. While we were impressed with the Focus Electric's excellent driving dynamics, we were disappointed with the C-MAX Energi's vague steering and soft handling (this despite sharing the same chassis as the Focus). The Fusion Energi splits the difference: it's not as playful as the Focus Electric, but it's far more engaging than the appliance-like C-MAX Energi. Handling is confident, with a compliant ride even on San Francisco's famously rutted streets -- it's clearly a vehicle that would be comfortable on longer trips. The steering feels precise and the brakes are drama-free.

We were less enamored with the powertrain. In the all-electric EV Now mode, the accelerator only responds to the first 1/3 of pedal travel. Beyond the initial surge of torque, the car slowly builds up momentum regardless of any further throttle input. Mash the pedal in Auto EV mode and, after the electric motor pulls you off the line, there's a brief delay before the gasoline engine comes to life and the CVT raises the RPMs to maximize efficiency. The resulting soundtrack is loud and buzzy and betrays the vehicle's overall refinement. EV Later mode provides less electric assistance as it attempts to conserve battery power.

Ford's outfitted the Fusion Energi with a dizzying array of driver-assist tech, including a lane-keeping system, adaptive cruise control, driver alert system, active park assist, rear camera, blind-spot indicator system with cross-traffic alert and pull-drift compensation (phew). It also features a Sony and Microsoft-branded SYNC with MyFord Touch infotainment system and an AT&T-powered wireless data connection for telematics. Speaking of which, the MyFord Mobile app's recently been updated to benefit from the company's partnership with PlugShare for real-time charging station location information. The Fusion Energi is availabe now starting at $38,700.

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By: Unknown On 8:18 PM

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Dell's hybrid XPS 18 is a $900 all-in-one PC and an 18-inch tablet

Dell is pulling back the curtain on the XPS 18, its new portable all-in-one. This machine is a natural competitor to the Sony VAIO Tap 20, with a built-in battery rated for five hours of runtime, although it weighs a much lighter 4.85 pounds (versus a whopping 11.4). Still, though the XPS 18 can function as a tablet, it's portable in the sense that it can move from office to living room; it's not going to accompany you on daily subway rides.

With an 18.4-inch, 1080p display, the XPS 18 makes for a pretty enormous slate, and we were only comfortable holding it in our hands for a few minutes, though resting it on our lap worked well. The AIO sports flip-out plastic feet on its backing, and these can prop up the device vertically or at an angle. Of course, you can also use the XPS 18 as a tablet by simply laying it flat on a table or desktop, and this is the ideal mode for playing games and the like on the 10-point touchscreen.

The all-in-one will come with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse when it debuts in April, and a $50 dock will be an optional accessory. Pricing starts at $900 for a dual-core Pentium ULV and a 320GB hard drive, and the top-of-the-line configuration will offer a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Check out our hands-on photos for a closer look. Dell XPS 18 hands-onSee all photoswhen.eng("eng.galleries.init")

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By: Unknown On 7:04 PM

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Visionary Instruments intros the Robocaster MIDI hybrid guitar, we go ears-on (video)

Visionary instruments has been tinkering with the not-so-humble guitar for a long time now. The latest offering is the Robocaster MIDI guitar. As you can see from the picture above (or gallery below) the Robocaster offers some features you might not find on your average axe. Those arcade style buttons, the MPC style pad faders, touch-strips and digital whammy-bar send out MIDI data to the software of your choice. The set-up at NAMM had the Robocaster routing through Ableton Live, meaning that effects such as gating, filters -- or essentially anything -- can be lavished on your playing in real-time. The guitar is customized by hand, and make use of our good friend arduino. As Visionary Instruments has been modding guitars for a while, it's no surprise that the finish and build quality looked and felt excellent. The additional controls sit snug in the body, and are designed to be easily accessible while playing. The Robocaster, despite being hand-made, will be ready for ordering within a week or so with an estimated price somewhere around $2,799. That said, if orders or interest are sufficient, the could be scope for a full production run, coming in at a lower price. Want to make this happen? Check out the firm's website and get your order in. Just want to know how it sounds? Better get on the video after the break. Visionary Guitars Robocaster hands-on

See all photoswhen.eng("eng.galleries.init")

Billy Steele contributed to this report.

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Friday, January 25, 2013

Peugeot promises fuel-saving Hybrid Air system in cars by 2016

Puegeot promises fuelsaving Hybrid Air system in cars by 2016

It's far from the first automaker to attempt a car that runs on compressed air, but Peugeot Citroen is now touting a new system that it says could be available in at least some of its small cars by 2016. As suggested by the "Hybrid Air" moniker, this system doesn't run solely on air -- it also incorporates a traditional gasoline engine that Peugeot promises will combine for a 90 percent increase in vehicle range in urban driving, or offer up to 50 minutes of driving without using any gas. The gas engine would kick in more often during highway driving, putting the overall fuel savings at around 35 percent. As Peugeot notes, this system is just one step towards its goal of a car that gets 2L/100KM (or 117 miles per gallon), which it hopes to achieve by 2020. You can get a quick overview of the Hybrid Air system in the video after the break.

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Hybrid 3D printer could fast-track cartilage implants

Hybrid 3D printer could fast-track cartilage implants data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 219};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20387391' !== '') ? 'bsd:20387391' : ''; var modalMNo = '93319229'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"",channel:"us.engadget",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,engadget.com,joystiq.com,massively.com,tuaw.com,switched.com,techcrunch.com",prop1:"Engadget",prop2:"",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"",mmxgo: true,disablepipath:true,mmxtitle:"us.engadget" + " : "}); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("10000671",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); EngadgetMenuReviewsEventsPodcastsBuyers GuidesFeaturesVideosGalleriesTopicsHD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA RIM Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93310027", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});Hybrid 3D printer could fast-track cartilage implants AltByJon FingaspostedNov 25th, 2012 at 9:41 AM 0

Hybrid 3D printer could fasttrack implantable cartilage

Most of the attention surrounding 3D printers in medicine has focused on patching up our outsides, whether it's making skin to heal wounds or restoring the use of limbs. The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine has just detailed a technique that could go considerably deeper. By mixing natural gel put through an inkjet printer with thin and porous polymer threads coming from an electrospinner, researchers have generated constructs that could be ideal for cartilage implants: they encourage cell growth in and around an implant while remaining durable enough to survive real-world abuse. Early tests have been confined to the lab, but the institute pictures a day when doctors can scan a body part to produce an implant that's a good match. If the method is ultimately refined for hospital use, patients could recover from joint injuries faster or more completely -- and 3D printers could become that much more integral to health care.

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Via: Gizmag

Source: Institute of Physics

Tags: 3dprinter, 3dprinting, cartilage, electrospinner, implant, medicine, minipost, polymer, science, WakeForestInstituteForRegenerativeMedicine

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By: Dilusha On 4:55 PM

Monday, November 5, 2012

A*STAR unveils 5mm-thick hybrid hard drive, touts affordability and improved energy efficiency

A*STAR's Data Storage Institute Launches Next Generation 5mm Hybrid Hard Disk Drive
SINGAPORE, 1 November 2012: The "A-Drive", one of the world's thinnest 5mm hybrid hard drive in a 2.5'' form factor, was officially launched by Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, to commemorate the Data Storage Institute's (DSI) 20 years of R&D in the area of data storage capabilities.

By: Dilusha On 2:39 PM