concept

It's like waking up beside a Geeks Who Drink champion. Designer Oliver Sha obviously has a hard time crawling out of bed in the morning. He solved the problem by creating the iQ Alarm Clock, a smarter-than-thou invention that won't shut up until you solve a series of quiz questions. Forget about a snooze button. This device demands mental awareness.

Questions may involve figuring out which object doesn't belong in a group of illustrations or what comes next in a numerical series. Thankfully, there's a hint button to keep you from throttling the alarm into submission.

Sleep lovers may try to reach for the battery compartment, but Sha has already thought of that workaround. The battery cover is tamper resistant to keep prying fingers at bay. The only way out is to get your questions right or hold down the power button for 30 seconds. The prospect of having an Alex Trebek experience every morning may not sound too appealing, but it will get the job done. You'll be up and at it and maybe feeling a little smug for having conquered your clock in a battle of the brains. … Read more

One day, you might be able to turn your watch into a tablet--by stretching it.

At the CeBit tech fair in Hannover, Germany, Asus is showing off IRIS (Inspirational Research for Immersive Space), its vaporware concept for the next generation of personal computing devices.

IRIS can be whatever you want it to be, such as an alarm clock, watch, cell phone, e-reader, tablet, or gaming device. You simply slide the edge of the flexible display outward or inward. My favorite thing about this futuristic adaptive device, aside from its incredible style, is that it aims to eliminate the need to carry multiple gadgets. As smartphones, tablets, and other devices evolve, it seems more obvious that they will eventually converge while somehow maintaining portability. Zach Morris would so have this in "Saved by the Bell: 2040." … Read more

As the idea of "premium compact" gains more steam in all the world's automotive markets, Audi shows how it will push the little A3 squarely into the category of a car that people might lust for. Brian Cooley takes us for a walk around a vision that seems just about ready for showrooms.

Check out CNET's full coverage of the 2011 Geneva auto show.

Curvy and compact, it would be easy to mistake the Alfa Romeo 4C for a Lotus. The new concept professes similar virtues: low weight, short wheelbase, small displacement, and efficient engine. The result: thrilling performance. At least, on paper.

Alfa Romeo says the 4C hits 62 mph in under 5 seconds. With a mid-engine configuration, 60 percent of the car's weight sits on the rear wheels, which should contribute to superior cornering.

For this concept, Alfa Romeo took everything it learned from producing the 8C Competizione and came up with a sports car appropriate for a more fuel-efficient era. … Read more

Volkswagen's history includes two legendary vehicles, the Beetle and the Type 2, or Microbus. As it revived the Beetle some years ago, the company takes a look back at the Type 2 in a new concept called Bulli. That name comes from the common German term for the Type 2.

The Bulli hearkens back to the Type 2 in its general shape, color scheme, and large VW emblem mounted on the front. But Volkswagen aficionados will immediately notice the lack of a split front windshield.

And unlike the flat four-cylinder engine that rested at the rear of the Type … Read more

We assumed everyone knew that Apple's stock earphones give only slightly better sound quality than holding a speakerphone up to your ear, but nobody tipped off the buyers at the OC Concept Store, a new luxury boutique in New York selling diamond Apple headphone covers for $10,000.

Manufactured by a New York-based company called DEOS (Defining Expression of Sound), the DEOS-604-WB set polishes your low-end Apple buds with 604 diamonds that weigh 9.5 carats, or 1.9 grams of lavish excessiveness.

Someone tell those "ORGY OF THE RICH" protesters that we have their next target.… Read more

Infiniti is teasing us, again. This week the Japanese-automaker released a few images, but no real details, of the Etherea Concept. Earlier this month Infiniti teased with a silhouette of a hatchback.

It looks like the Etherea combines elements of a coupe, sedan, hatchback and crossover in a forward-thinking design.

There were no under-the-hood details released with the images. Infiniti just included a brief statement, announcing that the Etherea will make its world debut on Tuesday, 1 March, at the 2011 Geneva auto show.

The Etherea is rumored to be an entry-level vehicle for Infinity, most likely competing with the … Read more

When BMW came up with iDrive, however flawed that first-generation system might have been, it showed the company was as interested in pushing the technology interface envelope as much as it has driving engineering. The Vision ConnectedDrive concept, to be unveiled at the Geneva auto show, demonstrates that BMW is not done pushing these boundaries.

The car itself, a roadster, employs unique lines and very retro headrests molded into the body. But then the "Tron" elements come in. The entire car is interlaced with lighting effects that signify three different interface levels: safety, infotainment, and comfort. The configuration … Read more

Infiniti jumps on the small-car bandwagon at the upcoming Geneva auto show, bringing a new compact concept to the stage presaging a model that would fit below the G. Infiniti released few details and a mere sketch of the car ahead of the early March unveiling.

The sketch seems to indicate a hatchback, a popular style of car in Europe, with heavily curved lines that mimic those on the Infiniti Essence concept shown at the 2009 Geneva auto show.

Infiniti's non-Crossover lineup, limited to the G and M models, needs punching up if it is to compete with other … Read more