This Kickstarter keeps the iPhone 5, iPad Mini, and iPad with Retina Fully Charged in a New Way

"A lot of people love their iPhone 5," says David Foster, CEO of Wireless NRG, "but many are frustrated having to find an outlet after lunch to power it back up. The only option until now was an iPhone 5 battery case snapped directly onto your phone. This usually doubles the weight and thickness of the once nice and slim iPhone 5. That's where the KudoGlide comes in."

The KudoGlide is unique. Rather than putting a bunch of bulk and weight onto the phone, Kudo has a separate carrying case to slide the phone into when it's not in use. By doing this Kudo could squeeze in a whopping 2,500mAh battery to more than double your iPhone use and keep it powered up throughout the day.

As a nice touch the KUDO logo fades on momentarily as soon as the phone "glides" into the case. This let's the user know the phone is powering back up with a softly brilliant white glow.

Even with a combined total of 3,940mAh, at some point the pouch and phone will need to charge. When that time comes there's no need to look around for a cable because it's simply built right in. Tucked away into the back of the pouch is a USB that can be plugged into any laptop or USB source and power the Glide and iPhone 5 back up. All this, and it syncs to back up the phones data too!

The KudoGlide's belt clip is removable and it also comes with the KudoCage, a unique case designed to protect the iPhone directly while it's out of the pouch, but with half the weight. Kudo just launched a pre-sale for this iPhone 5 battery case on Kickstarter for a discount price of $65.00. Retail price is expected to be $79.95 + shipping.

A unique battery case for the iPhone 5 is just the beginning. Kudo is also making a solar powered case for the iPad Mini, the iPad 4 with Retina, and the Google Nexus 7 that generates some serious power from the light all around the tablet. That's the KudoSol. Not only does it charge and protect the tablet, it has the smart cover built in for the iPad, multiple stands, and even a secondary USB power-out port on the bottom to charge a phone from the case as well. That's awesome! There's an ultra-thin 5,000mAh battery inside the KudoSol to store the power that's generating throughout the day to charge just about any portable electronic device up even at night!

View the original article here

Self-Driving Nissan Leaf Controlled From iPad (4 VIDEOS)

Following Google’s early lead in self-driving vehicles, and adding a twist, Oxford University is testing a driverless Nissan Leaf electric vehicle. It is controlled by an iPad which enables a person to take over the car or switch to “auto drive,” which permits the robot system to drive itself. Check out these videos below, followed by more text.

The system is being tested in Begbroke Science Park, near Oxford. The next stage of research involves teaching the robot to understand complex traffic flows, and to decide the best routes to take, according to Dr. Ingmar Posner, who is co-leading the project

Self-driving cars have been under development for a while, and they do work. However, would they actually provide a net safety benefit?

Automation in general has come a long way, and is now, in many cases, very accurately done. Factory machinery now achieves unparalleled consistency and high accuracy. A factory machine can be like having the perfect employee that never slacks off, and always exercises the best practices, no matter how tedious they may be.

But let us explore the safety of this concept by first considering the nature of most automobile accidents. They are often caused by inattention in various ways. An intentional failure to pay attention when text messaging; an inevitable loss of attention even when doing nothing; interruption of attention caused by phone calls; loud, distracting music; reduced attention due to high levels of alcohol in the body; and much more.

An automated system always “pays attention,” and can actually watch all sides of the car, unlike people. It also has potential efficiency benefits. Robots are not temperamental — they can drive at consistent, lower speeds for a longer time than many people can without getting frustrated. This is a highly efficient way to drive, and a way to extend vehicle range.

Will self-driving cars provide all these benefits without adding notable downsides? What do you think?

Source: Autoblog Green

View the original article here