Source

PRESS RELEASE:
Volkswagen Golf GTI W12 650
Showtime at the Wörthersee

Leave conventions behind and let ypur passion awake – since the beginning these were the roots of the GTI idea. Until today they got more than 1.67 million drivers into their spell. Long has the Golf GTI been an icon. A mark for itself.

Since 1982 Golf GTI celebrate it annually in the Austrian Land at the Wörthersee. Thousands come.Volkswagen placed a Golf before them: the Golf GTI W12-650 showcar. This sports car is a inclination before the GTI friends at the Wörthersee, people for whom the GTI is a myth.
Stronger, broader, faster
A Golf was never stronger, broader or faster. It seems that the Golf GTI W12-650 comes directly from the racing course. A Golf that runs like the Pace Car of the 24 hours of Le Mans. Its name means: W12-Zylinder, 650 HP (477 KW with 6.000 rpm). A Showcar, not more, not less. Nevertheless it shows what enormous potential the Golf has to offer.

3.7 seconds, 325 km/h, 750 Newtonmeters
Its 6,0 Liter Biturbo engine is longitudinal and placed directly behind the driver and the front seat passenger. The Golf GTI W12-650 differentiate itself in this way from the classical central engine car. A 6-speed automatic transmission transfers 750 Newtonmeters (at 4.500 rpm) to the rear axle. It catapults the Golf GTI W12-650 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. With a maximum speed of 325 km/h the Golf GTI W12-650 leaves behind nearly all of the world’s supercars.

Width 1.88 m, 235er tire in front, 295er tire in the back
Automotive engineers and designers united under Volkswagen Golf GTI W12 650
its 1.88 meters (series: 1.76 meters) spread and 1.42 meters (series: 1.50 meters) flatten body. The chassis components of the Golf GTI W12-650 were adapted directly from supersports cars. The wheels are of course made from a light alloy and because of the gigantic wheel dimensions a specialy engineered tire had to be made.

70 millimeters lower, 160 millimeters broader
The goal was clearly defined – despite the partially dramatic technical changes the study should
remain completely clear that this is a Golf GTI. Therefore as much parts as possible were taken from tha classical GTI like: the headlights, the doors, the front hood and the tail lamps. The axles were pushed 70 millimeters into the body.

The largest problem was to supply the 6-litre central engine with sufficient air and to produce sufficient drift at the rear axle without watering the silhouette of the Golf GTI W12-650. Therefore the C-columns were re-designed in such a way that they lead air to the engine. The rear side windows run inward, so that two channels develop between the disks and the C-columns on the left and on the right to drive air to the engine.
The Carbon fiber roof is a diffuser
Innovative building of the body also prevented that the lines of the Golf GTI W12-650 to get ruined by a putting on a roof wing. The study carries the wing inward. The roof is part of an enormous diffuser, which provides sufficient drift to the rear axle. It’s made from carbon fiber and leads air under the normal tail spoiler.

Interior with racing ambitions
The leather is Alcantara. On the middle range of the armatures are Three rows of auxiliary instruments. Transparent “Flip UP” switch guards for central functions like the disconnectible ESP look like taken derectly from the race track.

Fire extinguishers are integrated in the place of the glove compartment to also remind us of the race. Because of weight reasons “stripped” the door linings are complete; only lattices are used, which grant a complete view of the interior mechanics of the door.

What about a 30cm cooling fan? – Akihabara News

[Source: BusinessWeek]

This year at Computex 2007 (one of the largest computer hardware trade shows on the planet) several companies are displaying some radical new designs for basic computer components. One of thoee new designs is ThermalRight’s new heatsink chassis. This new computer case is actually one giant heatsink built to help dissipate heat from the processor, perfect for a fan less HTPC application. the concept is very simple, inside, there’s a base plate that allows for contact with your processor, the base plate is then connected directly to the main body of the case, which allows for a completely unique and effective cooling solution.

bit-tech.net | ThermalRight demos heatsink chassis

Well it looks like a Ferrari, and its going to be powered by a Ferrari engine but sadly this beautiful concept won’t be built be Ferrari but instead by VandenBrink Designs. This new design will feature a Ferrari Enzo power plant and the famous “GTO” markings as tribute to the early-sixties Ferrari 250 GTO. This beauty comes in either handcrafted aluminum or carbon fiber but with only a planned production run of five total cars and three of those already spoken for it might be to late to own this gorgeous tribute to classic Ferrari design.

Tons more pictures of the 599 “GTO” -

VanderBrink Design Homepage

New pic of Vandenbrink 599 GTO released – Autoblog

Well just the other day Palm announced the interesting Foleo ultra-portable laptop and now it seems that other company’s are starting to unveil more laptops based on this new style of computing. Today VIA introduced the NanoBook Ultra Mobile Device and to be honest this editor was excited to use Palm’s new Foleo but now i cant wait to get my hands on one of VIA’s new Ultra Mobile Device. The NanoBook simply adds a significant amount of hardware to the device and allows for a much broader range of uses as opposed to the Foleo’s strictly business approach. The NanoBook runs on either Windows XP or Vista (I’ll believe it runs Vista when i see it), weighing in at just under two pounds it features a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor with up to 1GB of RAM Also included is a 30GB hard drive, 7-inch WVGA display, 802.11g WiFi , Bluetooth, and a DVI-out port and even comes in at a price of $600. Along side the 7-inch screen is a secondary slot to add the function of GPS, VoIP, or even WWAN which grealy increases the capabilities of this tiny laptop as opposed to the non-upgradeable Palm Foleo. Currently this is only a reference design but with Packard Bell and another unknown company already signed on, the prospects of bringing his incredibly versatile laptop to the US market seems to be fairly good.

News Release

VIA to Define Mobility 2.0 with Revolutionary New VIA NanoBook UMD Reference Design

Provides rich computing, Internet, and multimedia experience in a light, ultra portable notebook delivering up to five hours of battery life

Taipei, Taiwan, 05 June 2007 – VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and device platform solutions, will unveil the new VIA NanoBook UMD (Ultra Mobile Device) Reference Design at VTF2007 on 6 June 2007 in Taipei.

Designed to meet the needs of today’s Mobility 2.0 lifestyle, the VIA NanoBook packs the performance, connectivity and functionality of a notebook PC into a sleek and light ultra portable clamshell form factor that weighs less than 850g.

The VIA NanoBook is powered by the ultra low voltage 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor and delivers up to 5 hours of battery life. Powered by a choice of Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista Basic operating systems, it comes with host of advanced features, including a full keyboard, a crisp 7″ WVGA screen with touch panel, up to 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, and a minimum 30GB HDD, as well as 802.11g WiFi, Bluetooth and Ethernet support, plus a DVI and two USB 2.0 ports.

To provide users with additional flexibility when they are on the move, the VIA NanoBook also features a USB slot next to the screen that will enable the snap-in integration of a variety of World Time Clock/Calendar, GPS, VOIP, and broadband wireless modules.

“The VIA NanoBook UMD Reference Design turns my dream of creating a full featured Ultra Mobile Device that delivers a rich computing, communications, and Internet computing experience into a reality,” said Wenchi Chen, President and CEO of VIA Technologies, Inc. “With its highly-functional yet ultra compact form factor and extended battery life, it will enable people to enjoy the Mobility 2.0 lifestyle at any place and any time.”

Recognized Manufacturing Quality

The VIA NanoBook UMD Reference Design has been designed and manufactured in collaboration with First International Computer, Inc (FIC), a world leader in the design and production of computing and other electronics devices, ensuring world class levels of quality and reliability, rapid time to market, and a flexible response to customer needs.

“The unrivaled portability and functionality of the VIA NanoBook makes small screen PDA devices seem hopelessly obsolete,” stated John Villejo, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for FIC. “Users searching beyond cumbersome laptops will also find familiarity with the ergonomics of the VIA NanoBook but with the added benefit of extreme mobility.”

With its innovative design, long battery life, and rich feature set, the VIA NanoBook UMD Reference Design has been adopted as the basis for the forthcoming EasyNote XS from Packard Bell, one of the leading PC brands in the European market.

“The EasyNote XS is a ground breaking new device that combines the functionality of a PC with the convenience of a handheld,” commented Roger Yuen, Asia Pacific Vice President of Packard Bell. “We are very excited about the potential of this new category of Ultra Mobile Devices in the market.”

VIA NanoBook UMD Reference Design

Weighing less than 850g and measuring just 230mm x 171mm x 29.4mm, the VIA NanoBook UMD Reference Design makes all day mobile productivity and entertainment a reality with up to 5 hours of battery life.

Powered by the 1.2GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor and the VIA VX700 chipset featuring the VIA UniChrome Pro II IGP integrated graphics core, the VIA NanoBook delivers all the performance and functionality for a rich Windows and Internet experience. Despite its small size, it also comes with a complete set of productivity, multimedia, and connectivity features, including a full keyboard, a 7″ WVGA screen with touch panel supporting 840×480 resolution, up to 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, a 30/60GB HDD, and a 4-in-1 card reader, as well as 802.11g WiFi and Bluetooth support, plus an Ethernet, a DVI and two USB2.0 ports plus Mic-In/Speaker-Out ports. The device supports Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista.

To further extend the device’s functionality, the VIA NanoBook is also equipped with a USB slot next to the screen that can be configured to include a World Time Clock, GPS, DVB, VoIP or even 3G/CDMA wireless broadband modules. The standard model has a smart silver finish, though greater personalization is possible with a variety of shell colour options.

Targeted at aggressive consumer price points, the VIA NanoBook is ideally suited to the consumer, business and education markets and versions of it will be available through leading global OEMs and SIs in the second half of 2007. For the full VIA NanoBook UMD Reference Design specification, please visit the VIA website here:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/spearhead/nanobook/

Mobility 2.0

Mobility 2.0 moves people beyond today’s limited mobile Internet to a full-featured Web 2.0 browsing and computing experience at their fingertips through the next generation of Ultra Mobile Devices. Weighing under a kilogram, UMDs are based on the x86 architecture and bridge the gap between the notebook and the mobile phone, bringing the benefits of a PC with all the applications, information and entertainment users require to an ultra portable form factor.

About the VIA C7-M Ultra Mobile Platform

The VIA Ultra Mobile Platform is based on the low power drawing VIA C7-M ULV x86 mobile processor specifically designed for small form factor Ultra Mobile Devices. The VIA C7-M ULV Ultra Mobile Processor utilizes advanced VIA CoolStream architecture and is manufactured using IBM’s 90nm SOI process for high levels of power efficiency. VIA C7-M ULV processors are available at speeds from 1.0-1.5GHz with a maximum thermal design power (TDP) as low as 3.5 watts, and idle power as little as 0.1 watt, ensuring unparalleled battery life. This is complemented by a low profile nanoBGA2 package measuring just 21mm x 21mm, enabling designs with drastically reduced weight, size, and thickness. For more details on the VIA C7-M ULV processor, please visit the VIA website at:
www.via.com.tw/en/products/processors/c7-m_ulv/

About VIA Technologies, Inc.

VIA Technologies, Inc. (TSE 2388) is the foremost fabless supplier of market-leading core logic chipsets, low power x86 processors, advanced connectivity, multimedia and networking silicon, and complete platform solutions that are driving system innovation in the PC and embedded markets. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, VIA’s global network links the high tech centers of the US, Europe and Asia, and its customer base includes the world’s top OEMs, motherboard vendors and system integrators. www.via.com.tw

[Source: Raum & Möbelgestaltung]

[Source: Chris Dimino]

1 PC Laptop – ASUS A8JS – Core 2 Duo 1.83 Ghz 1GB Ram Nvideo Geforce Go 7300 256MB – VGA and DVI out.
1 Pansonic PTD5600U 5000 ANSI Lumens 1024×768 DLP Projector.
1 Watec 221S Security/Astrononmy Camera with manual iris zoom lens.
1 Bogen magic arm and super clamp.
1 Pinnacle PCTV USB capture card.
1 60mW Green Laser (super illegal in a lot of places and very dangerous)
and loads and loads of AAA batteries.

Project Page
Assembly Instructions