Poseidon Undersea Resort takes you deep

The idea of living life under the blue ocean is enchanting to the adventurous mind. This beautifully designed resort has its ways of fulfilling your deepest desires of seeing the world from below. It has walls made of acrylic glass and has a coral reef, beach bungalows for those who feel too sick underwater, a chapel (for matrimonies), an underwater library, restaurants and a lot more. One may think of this being another Atlantis. It’s kingdom below the sea where you can live bliss fully without needing gills to breathe or without getting wet.

This hotel is located in Fiji and provides you with a flight service from an airport to the hotel where you can spend a week including a couple of nights in the underwater hotel. You will also have a 100 foor Triton submarine for yourself.

Source: http://www.luxurylaunches.com/hotels_and_resorts/poseidon_undersea_resort_takes_you_deep.php

Buy Yourself A 1:48 Scale Model Of The Titanic For Just $2.5 Million

The Titanic falls into the same category as Mickey Mouse in that it’s probably harder to find someone who hasn’t heard of it, than someone who has. But if you’re not familiar with the Titanic, as I recall it was a wildly popular movie from a decade ago that was later turned into a great sea disaster. And believe it or not, as famous as the ship has become, this 1:48 scale model of the Titanic is the first one ever built. (Or so the website selling it claims.) Belfast, Ireland based Harland & Wolff, who built the real Titanic, never released the plans outside of their company. But in 1995 another company called Fine Art Models convinced them to work together to produce this ‘definitive’ model.

Apparently this version of the Titanic took 7 years to build, which is actually longer than it took the shipyard to build the real one. Since its completion the model has toured the world via museums and other private exhibits, but it’s now available to one lucky buyer with deep, deep pockets. So what does $2.5 million get you? Here’s a breakdown of the ship’s finer features:

• The model is over 18 feet long
• The hull is a fiberglass form plated and riveted with brass plating, per the original plans, using more than 3,376,000 rivets, composed of three (3) different styles.
• Every bulkhead is in its proper location
• The entire superstructure is constructed of brass.
• The model weighs 1,500 pounds
• The decking is real wood, as is the deck furniture, which is crafted to exact proportions.
• All exterior windowed rooms are to scale, including the furniture and décor inside each room
• The telegraph in the Bridge is internally lit
• Its lighting is so complex that it required the installation of more than 8 miles of fiber optic cable.

I can’t deny that this is easily the most impressive and detailed model I’ve ever seen that’s not made from LEGO. But unless you’re sticking it in a museum and charging people 2 bits a gander, I can’t see why anyone would spend this much money. Unless of course you’ve grown tired of rubber ducks and plan to bust it out of the glass display case and enjoy it in the bathtub.

Source: http://www.ohgizmo.com/2008/05/16/buy-yourself-a-148-scale-model-of-the-titanic-for-just-25-million-insert-spit-take/

Spy Shots: 2010 BMW 1-series test mule

BMW released an updated version of the 1-series compact late last year but a suspicious prototype of the hatch is still running around German streets. At first appearance the car looks like an ordinary 1-series hatchback but look closer and you’ll notice several key features that reveal this is something very different.

The car pictured here is in fact an early test-mule for the next-generation 1-series hatch due most likely due in late 2011 or early 2012. Makeshift fender flares reveal the new model will sport a widened track both front and rear, confirming the next 1-series will be bigger than the current model. The larger footprint will also improve the car’s dynamics and road-holding abilities.

Earlier this month BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer revealed that the four-cylinder engines used in the next-gen 1-series will be the same compact units developed jointly by BMW and France’s PSA Peugeot-Citroen for the Mini and a number of French models. The engines will range from 1.4 to 2.0L in displacement and will be available in both turbocharged and naturally aspirated forms. Expect to see BMW’s award-winning straight six engines also appear in the line-up.

The current 1-series has often been criticized for having a back seat no full-sized adult would be comfortable in, however the rear seat room in this new model is expected to be much improved. This will also allow BMW to finally release a hatchback version of the 1-series in the all-important US market. This 1-series should also help boost BMW’s sales in emerging markets due to its low entry price.

Expect to see stop-start and electrical-regenerative systems carry over into the new series as well as possible new EfficientDynamics technologies such as heat-recovery systems and solar panels. BMW revealed yesterday that initial testing of thermoelectric generators and solar panels on its cars showed savings of up to 5% in fuel consumption.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/hatchbacks/spy-shots-2010-bmw-1-series-test-mule/

Fisker responds to Tesla lawsuit

Fisker Automotive has responded to the lawsuit filed against it by Tesla by asking a California court to arbitrate over the matter. Tesla filed a lawsuit last month claiming design and trade secrets for a future electric sedan were stolen by Fisker when the coachbuilder was originally commissioned to complete the design. If the arbitration proves successful it will allow both companies to avoid going to court.

The original lawsuit contends Fisker founder Henrik Fisker and its chief operating officer Bernhard Koehler fraudulently agreed to take on a $875,000 design contract from Tesla to gain access to confidential design information and trade secrets, only to release a competing vehicle – the upcoming Karma sedan (pictured).

The new request was filed at the San Mateo Superior Court on Tuesday and the hearing is now scheduled for mid-June. Speaking with Automotive News, Henrik Fisker said the allegations against him are false and that he wants the case arbitrated in Orange County. “For us, it’s simply a ridiculous suit,” he said.

In another twist, auto parts giant Magna International is suing Tesla over an unpaid bill for design work of new transmission systems for the electric roadster.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/news/fisker-responds-to-tesla-lawsuit/

Ferrari Concept 2008 inspired by the F430

Ferrari appears to be a source of inspiration for a number of up-and-coming young designers with the likes of Idries Omar, Emre Husmen and now Luca Serafini all using the Italian exotics as inspiration for some of their best works. The latest design, dubbed the Ferrari Concept 2008, is based on the F430 supercar and shows a possible design direction for the next-gen model.

Drawing on inspiration from both past and present Ferrari models, Serafini wanted something that could stand on its own but would always be recognized as a Ferrari. Serafini next plan is to create a one-quarter scale model of the car and hopefully present it at design competitions in Italy’s automotive design hub, Turin.

One of Serafini’s most popular previous works includes the Lamborghini Embolado concept, a compact supercar loosely based on the Gallardo with a unique cab forward design and plenty of aggression.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/concept-cars/ferrari-concept-2008-inspired-by-the-f430/

LG Develops World's Largest Elliptical and Circular-Shaped LCDs

This isn't the first round LCD display to show up on the radar, but LG claims that their new 6-inch elliptical and 1.4-inch circular-shaped LCDs are largest in the world. Both versions are capable of displaying up to 262,000 colors with a near 160 degree viewing angle, which could prove useful in devices like photo frames, instrument panels, watches, cellphones, and gaming devices—but anyone hoping for a cute display for their PC may have to wait a while longer.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/390595/lg-develops-worlds-largest-elliptical-and-circular+shaped-lcds

Ford Fiesta S performance hatch

Ford has taken the wraps off its latest model in the growing Fiesta family of compact cars with the unveiling of the all-new ‘S’ performance model at the Beijing Motor Show this weekend. The new car is expected to join the regular three-door hatch and five-door models - revealed at the last month’s Geneva Motor Show – towards the end of the year in both Europe and China.

North America will still have to wait until 2010 for its version of the car, which will also be available in a sedan bodystyle, and the Fiesta is also tipped to start production in Australia around the same time. Other models in the pipeline include a higher performance ST model as well as a rumored RS range topper. Like the upcoming Focus RS, this latter version would feature a series of weight saving and power mods for ultimate performance.

The Fiesta will initially be available with a range of petrol and diesel engines. Entry-level models will come with a 60hp 1.4L petrol engine and will be followed by a 115hp 1.6L unit. Diesel fans will get two 1.25L units developing 60hp and 80hp respectively. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual or a new Durashift automatic. The cars also come with Ford’s new EPAS electronic steering to help save fuel.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/hatchbacks/ford-fiesta-s-performance-hatch/

http://gizmodo.com/381949/auto-healther-does-complete-body-massage-robotically

Remember the massage pants? Well, automated massage seems to have taken a step further on from those with the Dainichi Auto Healther Reiz DZ-270: it's a robo-table that can massage you from your head to to toe. You just select your program from the touchscreen, lie back, pull the hood over, switch on some music on the built-in audio system and let its robot kneaders wiggle around under the bed surface. It's even clever enough to adjust its speed and pressure to suit which bit of you its dealing with, and has heating too. If you prefer your relaxation delivered with robotic precision rather than the fingers of a trained person, then you'll have to fork out around $13,500 for this.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/381949/auto-healther-does-complete-body-massage-robotically

3G iPhone confirmed in Italy without revenue sharing?

We've been avoiding the 3G iPhone rumor mongering as much as possible recently. After all, we know it's coming as both AT&T and Apple have confirmed. Now this: one of Italy's most respected newspapers, La Repubblica (like the WSJ with red sauce), is claiming in no uncertain terms that the 3G iPhone is coming shortly to Telecom Italia without a revenue sharing deal and without long-term exclusivity. If true, this change in strategy opens the doors for a true, global, 3G iPhone launch on UMTS networks around the world come summer time.

We contacted Telecom Italia who refuse to comment on the matter.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/21/3g-iphone-confirmed-in-italy/

Asustek to Launch Eee PC With 10-inch Screen

Asustek plans to launch a new version of the Eee PC with a 10-inch screen, a top executive said Monday.

The company's CEO made the statement at the launch of the new Eee PC 900 with an 8.9-inch screen, in Taiwan. The original Eee PC 701 carries a 7-inch screen.

"The feedback we've received from users has been great. Many have asked us for bigger screens and better usability. That's what made us start developing the Eee PC 900," said Jerry Shen, CEO of Asustek, during a news conference in Taipei. People are asking for bigger keypads and more software as well, issues the company continues to work on.

An Eee PC with a 10-inch screen could be out later this year, and it will be the biggest screen an Eee PC will ever get, Shen said. The company defines anything with a 12-inch screen or larger a classic notebook PC, not an Eee PC.

Asustek believes that screen size makes a difference in sales.

The new Eee PC 900 with the 8.9-inch screen will likely account for 50 percent of overall Eee PC shipments by June, and 60 percent or more of shipments sometime in the second half of the year, said Shen.

He declined to set a firm date for release of a new Eee PC with a 10-inch screen, and would not talk about possible prices. But a 10-inch screen could make a new Eee PC model much more expensive than the 8.9-inch model. Once screen sizes reach 12-inches, they are nearing mainstream sizes, where mass production reduces the price-per-unit. But a 10-inch screen is still a specialty, and therefore more expensive screen size.

The Eee PC 900 went on sale Monday in Taiwan for NT$15,988 (US$528).


Source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/144869/asustek_to_launch_eee_pc_with_10inch_screen.html