racing

Drivers in Geneva on Monday set off for a round-the-world rally in solar-powered vehicles to showcase the potential of electric vehicles.

The challenge is see whether the four teams can complete the 80-day trip emissions-free, according to Zero Race organizer Louis Palmer, who drove his own "solar taxi" through 38 countries over 18 months.

The typical look of a solar car is more like that of a spaceship than of a sedan, being only a few feet off the ground, oval-shaped, and covered with solar cells. The two-passenger vehicles in the Zero Race are more familiar, because they … Read more

How do you make a drag racing, Nissan GT-R beating monster out of a 1970s vintage Datsun 1200? If you're John "Plasma Boy" Wayland, you start by yanking out the almost 40-year-old internal combustion engine and all of its support systems. In its place, Wayland installed a lithium ion battery pack that sends 355.2 volts to an electric motor with a 2,000-amp controller.

The end result is the White Zombie, an EV that makes 772 foot-pounds of instant-on torque, hits 60 mph in less than two seconds, and tears up the quarter mile in 10.… Read more

It's probably not a good sign that the first thing people ask me when they notice I'm holding an iPhone 4 is always something about how I deal with the reception issues. I've said here before that I have yet to experience dropped calls or any other issues related to "Antennagate" (yeesh, will we--as a society--ever get over the whole "Whatevergate" meme?), but that's probably largely just luck; maybe I'm fortunate that where I go in my daily life is covered pretty well by AT&T. I suspect I could be a rare exception.

The interesting thing to me is that the reception issues and "Death Grip" have been all over the news here in the U.S., but reports trickling in from other countries are quite the opposite. An Australian publication, The Daily Telegraph, gave a very positive review to Apple's iPhone 4 today saying finally about the reception issues, "Is the antenna an issue? No it's not. Have I dropped calls? No, I have not." Another story out of Norway (via AppleInsider) had similar results, with the writer concluding that the issues are more about weak U.S. mobile networks than they are about the iPhone 4 itself.

So my question is, even though the "Death Grip" might reduce your signal by a bar or two, if Apple had announced a deal with Verizon (or some other carrier) at launch, would we even be talking about "Antennagate?" I think I know what Steve Jobs would say if he thought nobody else was listening.

This week's iPhone AppsGate includes a fun tool to make stop-motion movies and a water-racing game sequel that is a huge improvement over the original.… Read more

The big news this week was Apple's announcement Friday morning regarding the antenna issues on the iPhone 4. Steve Jobs came to the stage in a very unique Apple event to talk about the iOS 4.0.1 update that he says shows signal strength much more reliably. As a way to quell concerns about dropping calls by gripping the iPhone 4 a certain way, which Jobs admitted decreases signal strength in some circumstances, Apple is offering free bumper-style cases for everyone. Those who have already bought the bumper will receive a full refund. iPhone 4 users will be able to sign up for a free bumper or refund starting next week at Apple's site.

I have had the iPhone 4 for exactly a week now and I haven't experienced any connection issues so far, but I bought the bumper a couple of days ago for protection, in case I drop it. I was wondering what Apple would do with people like me who already bought the bumper (most people I talked to agreed that I was out of luck), so it was a pleasant surprise to hear I would get a refund, too.

This week's apps include a slick-looking and useful calculator app and a drift racing game that challenges you to master the controlled slide.

Calcbot (99 cents for a limited time) from the makers of stylish currency converter Convertbot brings more than your iPhone's included calculator wrapped up in a nice package. Like other apps from Tapbots, when you launch Calcbot, the first thing you notice is the slick-looking design. Features include a live as-you-type expression view so you know you have all your values correct, a history tape so you can track back to earlier calculations, and an advanced functions screen, all accessible with a swipe of your finger.

For all of Calcbot's class and functionality, it's not the most feature-rich calculator in the iTunes App Store. But if all you need is to make basic calculations (and some advanced functions) and the ability to send your work elsewhere, Calcbot is an attractive option. A swipe downward brings up the history tape, and a swipe to the left brings up the advanced function screen. I'm a little disappointed there is no graphing calculator, but Calcbot is an excellent alternative to the iPhone home screen calculator.

Drift Mania Championship (99 cents) is a drift racing game that offers excellent controls, smooth graphics, and challenging gameplay, and even though it's a little short on content, the price makes it a must have for drift racing fans. The precise tilt controls work better than most racing games in the iTunes App Store, letting you truly control how you attack each corner. Your speed is controlled by where you place your finger on the throttle bar on the right side of the screen, and you'll need to adjust your speed a lot to get the best drift through each turn.… Read more

Skin color is an emotive topic.

Many whose skin is white desperately beach themselves for hours and days in order to look, somehow, less bleached. But some whose skin is naturally darker seem to believe, for so many subjective and, sometimes, cultural reasons, that the ideal is for their skin to be lighter. And I am in no way specifically referring to either Michael Jackson or Sammy Sosa here.

However, the emergence of of skin-whitening Facebook app in India, courtesy of Vaseline, has aroused much interest around the world. The headline on the ads for the app carries with it … Read more

LightBike 2 is a fast-paced, Snake-style arcade game in which you compete in vehicles similar to the light cycles in the classic movie "Tron."

You turn at 90-degree angles by tapping touch-screen buttons on your right and left, as you build walls to try to box in your competitor bikes--AIs or fellow humans, via Bluetooth or Internet--and you can also tap buttons to jump and temporarily boost your speed. You have both a first-person view and an inset top-view radar, and you can choose between standard and death match modes on two different maps.

The rounds go very … Read more

Daredevil Dave is a funny, quirky, stunt-based arcade game that offers limited gameplay but lots of heart.

The game's personality and humor--surely inspired by premillennial celebrity weirdo Super Dave Osborne--is evident from the main menu and the tutorial, as you play a self-absorbed and proudly reckless (but still somehow lovable) motorcycle daredevil, portrayed with pop-up cartoons and hyperbolic voice-over.

The game has 18 levels in all, ranging from more-conventional stunts involving trucks and flaming hoops to utterly ridiculous situations with lava, sharks, helicopters, and bombs. In each stunt, your goal is to hit the landing ramp as precisely as … Read more

Red Bull Racing pulls off another spectacular feat by driving a Formula 1 car on the sand at Juanillo Beach Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic.

In this Web video, team manager Tony Burrows explains the modifications that were made to the RB5 to run it on the sand.

No strangers to extremes, Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Buemi, in January, drove a Red Bull Racing showcar on the frozen waters of northern Quebec.

LilRacerz Pro Rally is a top-down 2D racer where you'll need to win races on various terrains to unlock more cars, tracks, and upgrades. The control system consists of two touch-screen buttons on the left for turning and a gas pedal and break on the right. You also get a turbo button above the gas pedal for brief bursts of speed on straightaways. LilRacerz has two game modes including Quickrace for practicing on tracks with cars you've previously unlocked, or Cup races where you'll race against the AI and unlock cars and tracks by winning.

LilRacerz Pro … Read more