modeling

The road to becoming one of the innovators of American manufacturing wasn't always smooth for Henry Ford.

Ford tried and failed many times before establishing the Ford Motor Company -- which proved to have some longevity -- and producing the Model A, which first came off the assembly line 110 years ago this week. In a coincidence of round numbers, it was also 150 years ago this July that Henry Ford was born.

Fighting a poor public perception of motor-driven carriages in the 1890s, Ford captured the public's attention by racing his cars, setting records, and engaging a … Read more

Subscribe:

iTunes (HD) | iTunes (SD) | iTunes (HQ)

RSS (HD) | RSS (SD) | RSS (HQ)

Follow @CNETOnCars

We round up and update a bunch of favorites this episode, including a look at the Tesla Model S that, since we first saw it in fall 2012, has gone on to become about the most celebrated car in the world.

We have also updated our Top 5 Electric Cars list with two cars getting bumped by new entrants in the market; six months from now we'll do it again as more solid EVs are in the wings. It's … Read more

The computer graphics industry has an insatiable appetite for realism, and researchers next month will show how they plan to feed it with innovations in computerized hair, snow, cloth, paper, and more.

Those researchers will strut their stuff at the annual Siggraph 2013 conference in Anaheim, Calif. Conference organizers published a video preview of coming attractions at Siggraph for those who want a taste of the technical papers.

Siggraph attendees can relish work at UCLA and Walt Disney Animation Studios to combine "a Lagrangian/Eulerian semi-implicitly solved material-point method with an elasto-plastic constitutive model."

The rest of the … Read more

Big rockets like the SpaceX Grasshopper and the Orbital Antares have been in the news lately, but those are a little out of reach for the average student. That's why the Aerospace Industries Association's Team America Rocketry Challenge exists. It fans the maker flames by challenging kids to design, build, and launch model rockets.

The rocket challenge finals took place over the weekend. It was a record year for the competition's turnout, with 725 teams battling through the initial rounds. The top 100 teams participated in the final fly-off in Virginia, representing 29 states with teams from schools, 4-H clubs, and even a team made up of Civil Air Patrol volunteers.

The competition was open to students in grades 7 through 12. All the teams had one goal: build the best model rocket. The challenge was to fly an egg to 750 feet up in the air, and then parachute it back to the ground with no damage. That's even harder than it sounds.… Read more

In his quarterly earnings letter to shareholders on Wednesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that "Tesla reached profitability in the first quarter of 2013 for the first time in our 10-year history."

Not only did the electric car company exceed analyst expectations, but Musk said (PDF) Tesla even outdid its own expectations for deliveries and gross margin. The company reported adjusted earnings of 12 cents per share on revenue of $562 million, which is far higher than the expected 3 cents per share. Its profit was $11 million after charges.

Tesla's total revenue for the first quarter … Read more

Subscribe to Crave:

iTunes (HD) | iTunes (SD) | iTunes (HQ)

RSS (HD) | RSS (SD) | RSS (HQ)

This week on Crave, we take a look at a concept phone that can change its shape when you get a notification. Plus, Microsoft shows off the IllumiRoom projector that puts gamers inside video games and we play another round of "Into It Not Into It"! … Read more

There are many ways you can attempt to fight fat. You can exercise and revamp your diet or you can try slipping into some super-slinky French undies. Not just any French undies will do. A new line of Top Model shapewear from French lingerie designer Simone Perele comes with lacy trim and some interesting cellulite-fighting claims.

We've already seen Wrangler jeans with infused moisturizers and underwear made with copper, so I guess it should come as no surprise that we can now buy shapewear infused with caffeine, vitamin E, Retinol, ceramides, fatty acids, and aloe vera. Those extras, encapsulated in the microfiber fabric, rub off on your skin as you wear it.… Read more

Tesla announced today that it would offer its high-end Model S Performance edition, with an 85 kilowatt-hour battery pack, and the Roadster as loaner cars for when owners' cars are being serviced. As Tesla sells cars directly to owners, the company, rather than a dealer, handles all service and loaner-car issues.

No matter what Model S version is in for service, owners will have their choice of the Model S Performance edition, which retails for $87,400, or one of the older Roadster models as a loaner car. Further, Tesla said it will let owners who would like to upgrade … Read more

There's the possibility that Tesla may be looking to make its luxury all-electric cars a tiny bit more affordable. The company's CEO Elon Musk tweeted Thursday that Tesla will announce some big news on Friday.

Announcement of new @teslamotors strategy tomorrow. Tesla owners will like this.

While no further information is given, this tweet does offer some clues into what Musk may be suggesting. The fact that he mentioned it will be something "Tesla owners will like" harkens back to a similar tweet from last month.

After tweeting about an … Read more