Although it’s already been available for quite awhile now, material scientist Afsaneh Rabiei has developed an improved version of “foam steel.” The concept behind this material is energy absorption and distribution. The key is to dissipate the kinetic energy of something impacting the material as much as possible. More »

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It is estimated that one in four teens text and talk on the phone while driving. Scary thought, isn’t it? Darcy Ahl thought so, too, after she witnessed her 16-year-old son trying to answer a phone call while driving. She has since then developed a phone app that may prevent thousands of cell phone related accidents each year. More »

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“In my 28 years of attending the CES and participating in it and being a part of it and running it for most of that time, I can honestly say there will be more innovation at this show than any one in history,” Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, said. More »

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There is no doubt that 2009 has been a huge year for the mobile internet craze. Last year, mobile internet usage jumped an astounding 75% in the third quarter alone. Car companies are now trying to cash in on this new craze by developing technology for automobiles that makes them wireless hot spots. While Japan has already been using such technology as early as 1997 (no surprises there…), the Western world is still toying with different methods to try to make this new concept a success. Companies such as Mercedes and General Motors are exploring the development of their own separate hardware that will have to be purchased for internet use in the car. Ford, on the other hand, is exploring connectivity with preexisting USB modems that users may already have purchased for other services. More »

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As a Southern California native, I’m completely immersed in the commuter culture of this region of the US. This means all the funny things you can put on your car to make some sort of a statement. Take for example the Mecha Car Warning decal. It states, “Caution: Car Turns Into A Robot.” More »

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The folks over at MobileCrunch posed a very interesting question today, who should be held responsible when an accident is caused by a cell phone? The obvious answer would be the driver, right? Well, MobileCrunch gives us this example from an accident that happened in 2008: the family of the deceased is suing Sprint and Samsung, because they feel the wireless carrier and the phone manufacturer is responsible for the accident because driver was distracted by a phone call. More »

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Luxury car owners are going to be very happy to see the latest item for them to use while driving, BMW and Mini bluetooth headsets. That’s right folks, you heard right. These two slim and slender bluetooth headsets both sport the car company’s logo, adding a whole new sense of style and simplicity to calling on the go.

The BMW headset comes in milky white, while the Mini sports a deathly black. Both of the headsets weigh only 8 grams and have buttons adorning the sides for incoming call, end-of-call, and re-dial functions. A second button along the side is used for volume controls. The headsets also carry a voice function which connects directly to a mobile phone’s contact list, allowing the user to simply say a name and connect a call via bluetooth. More »

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