Innovator is going to try to revolutionize biking in poor countries, with a recycled cardboard bike

Once ready for production, the bicycle will include no metal parts, even the brake mechanism and the wheel and pedal bearings will be made of recycled substances, although Gafni said he could not yet reveal those details due to pending patent issues.

cardboard and other recycled materials could bring a major change in current production norms because grants and rebates would only be given for local production and there would be no financial benefits by making bicycles in cheap labor markets.

"This is a real game-changer. It changes ... the way products are manufactured and shipped, it causes factories to be built everywhere instead of moving production to cheaper labor markets, everything that we have known in the production world can change," he said.

 Elmish said the cardboard bikes would be made on largely automated production lines and would be supplemented by a workforce comprising pensioners and the disabled.
Elmish said the business model they had created meant that rebates for using "green" materials would entirely cancel out production costs and this could allow for bicycles to be given away for free in poor countries.

 Producers would reap financial rewards from advertisements such as from multinational companies who would pay for their logo to be part of the frame, he explained.

 "Because you get a lot of government grants, it brings down the production costs to zero, so the bicycles can be given away for free. We are copying a business model from the high-tech world where software is distributed free because it includes embedded advertising," Elmish explained.
http://news.yahoo.com/cardboard-bicycle-change-world-says-israeli-inventor-090732689.html

Cat moves it, and ought to use this video as advertisement! The Ghirardi Oak was moved by Hess Landscaping Construction by using a D7 dozer, a D8, and a trio of 345 excavators

This video looks great in full screen, and the lack and white images are only there for a historic perspective for the first minute

http://hesstrees.com/comptonoak/ for a gallery of images

http://hesstrees.com/comptonoak/blog/ for the what, how, and why of this Compton Oak... which was an acorn brought by the first immigrants to this area of Texas from Louisiana

Hess landscape Construction is a company from near San Jaun Capistrano, California

A new kind of keyring that is easier to use, just a small variation on the decades old design

http://www.fenixoutfitters.com/freekey-system---press-to-open-keyring---in-stock-473

best new idea I've heard of

in the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta they put active ducts in the lower front fascia, to open and cool the front brakes during heavy cornering, to close for high speed aerodynamics

a rat rod on a train theme

the hood was made from a semi fuel tank, the grill looks like a semi truck's rim... on the pickup bed are railroad spike pullers, held to the top of the bed sides with railroad spikes, and the hood ornament is a spittoon
Found on http://steampunkvehicles.tumblr.com/ 

Highway signs increasing visibilty 20% by changing their font slightly

increasing the size of the letters a little makes them easier to read from farther away, learned about it in Autoweek, August 6 2012 issue

a couple motorcycle things from "TheFancy.com"

turn signals on the helmet... good idea!

http://www.thefancy.com/cars-and-vehicles

Simon Charlesworth wrote a piece about the car addiction, "The Old Car Spiral"... he nailed it. Absolutely spot on

these are selected excerpts from: http://www.dep-o.co.uk/unhinged/unhinged-the-old-car-spiral/ written by Simon Charlesworth, ( car guy expert analyst! ) photos I pulled from my archives to put them where they seem to add visual context


Whatever you call your old car fixation – a hobby, interest, movement or scene – by now you should have realised that it is not a static creature. You may start drooling over retro machines from the Eighties, but I can tell you now that it won’t end there.


 Indeed, if you value your sanity and sense of perspective, I would advice you to run, forget all notions of old cars and to adopt a normal 2012 life instead. 

 whilst an appreciation of old cars is both an enjoyable and enriching part of life, it starts a craving for ‘new’ old car experiences. As with anything which is experienced enough times, the extraordinary soon becomes ordinary and in little time, you find yourself chasing a different more intense sensory buzz. 


New cars are deftly placed in perspective and quickly, you lose touch with what is what. When mates rave about the latest wheeled contrivance, it won’t register because it won’t provide a big enough hit of the good stuff: feel multiplied by involvement and excitement. 


 Seat belts will disappear, whilst dynamos, crossply tyres and then all around single-circuit drum brakes will start to make an appearance. 

 Retro motors become yesterday’s score, classics cars just don’t do it and now, you’re chasing a veteran fix.  

You might think this madness, but this really is the fate of all old car junkies who can’t resist experiencing a wide spectrum of old cars. Once I was happy tooling around in a knackered Marina, now I’ve got it bad for Thirties sports cars. 

The challenge of central throttle pedals, the knack of a crash gearbox – or better still, a Pre-selector – cable-operated brakes, front and rear live axles, and suicide doors which threaten to spit you onto the road during left-hand bends.

 Even with a speedo full of big MPH, the hit is no where near the sensation you can obtain at 50mph in a sports car bathed in pure eau de Castrol R. 

 Bearing this in mind, if, one day, you come across a dishevelled looking individual in a derelict shop doorway who is holding out his palm, begging for pennies and rambling on about an Edwardian chain-driven aero-engined special – please do be kind to the old bugger. 

Have you heard of the Detroit Maker Faire?

there is a 500 dollar limit to what you can pay for stuff you get a kids toy faster with

"With a limit of $500 spent on modifying a kid’s Power Wheels car – hacker spaces race for the championship in the 2012 Power Racing Series.

The innovative racing series makes engineering entertaining and approachable. The goal of the Power Racing Series is to advance technology education and encourage people to try something new. (And have a good time, too.)"

found on http://www.makerfairedetroit.com/