Crave

To celebrate the launch of its all-new Auris at the 2007 Geneva auto show, Toyota built a show version with a chrome body. The chrome Auris certainly stands out on the show floor, but Toyota makes no attempt to suggest any metaphor between the show car and the launch in its marketing materials. The new Auris is a C-segment hatchback for Europe, coming in three- and five-door versions. Toyota emphasizes that it's the tallest car in its class. It's available with either a 1.4-liter or 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine, or a range of three diesel engines. … Read more

GM's booth at the 2007 Geneva auto show features a particularly featureless slot car setup. The orange and white cars racing around the track show no marque or model distinction, instead designed to represent an "everycar," just as the featureless buildings around the track represent an "everycity." This display is not intended to demonstrate GM's lack of style, but rather its vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology. As the cars race around the track, another car pulls out of a parking garage, causing an obstruction. Both approaching cars receive a warning through their V2V hardware, and … Read more

Construction workers appreciate music on the job as much as anyone, as we were reminded recently with a Makita radio designed specifically for building sites, so it makes sense that someone would eventually come along and market a music toolbox for them as well. The "G-Tech Tune Time Tool Box" not only has plenty of space for power drills and wrenches, but it also comes with built-in NXT speakers and an abundance of pockets for digital accoutrements.

Tech Digest says the $108 bag is made of "durable double-layer 6006 polyester," which means that it would survive … Read more

In the electronics industry's twin obsessions of products that are flat or small, what could be better than something that's both? TDK's Xa-10 mobile speakers, which are planned for the Japanese market, are not only flat but can also fit in your pocket with the approximate dimensions of an index card (but not quite as thin). MobileWhack says the thickness--0.63 inches, to be exact--is necessary to house a battery compartment, though the speakers can also be powered through a USB connection. The best part, other than their orange, lime and silver colors, is the price: $25.… Read more

As though timed to coincide with the much-anticipated release of indie rock powerhouse The Arcade Fire's album release this week (it's a must-listen, by the way), Monday night's monthly NY Tech Meetup at Cooper Union featured a trio of Gotham-based start-ups devoted to spreading the buzz about independent music. One's a marketplace; one's an ongoing competition; and one's a way to discover what the people who are discovering new music are discovering (in other words, an aggregator).

The first of the three is Amie Street, which we have previously written up on Webware. Amie … Read more

Sure, it's just a concept. Nothing to get excited about. Concepts hardly ever make it intact to production, anyway. But it's the new M3, and we're just going to go ahead and get our hopes up anyway. BMW unveiled the new M3 at the 2007 Geneva auto show, and this picture hardly does it justice. It's a sleek, beautiful-looking car and we want it now. In the press materials, BMW nonchalantly says that it will use a high-performance V-8, typical of what you would expect in an M3. We actually expect quite a bit.

The car … Read more

Working with technology used in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, Subaru is trying to give its cars sight. A display at Subaru's 2007 Geneva auto show booth shows how two cameras can produce stereo-optic vision, which can be processed to show how far objects are away from the car. In the demonstration, the single image processed from the two cameras identifies people and other cars and uses a color coding system to show how far they away they are. If this system were deployed in a car, the car could let the driver know if he or she is … Read more

The Europeans can mess around with urea to clean up diesel emissions, but Honda prefers to keep things simple. The company showed off its clean diesel technology at the 2007 Geneva auto show. This technology gives diesel engines the same emission levels as gasoline engines. To get technical for a minute, the system strips oxides from nitrogen oxide emissions with ammonia. The ammonia is generated inside a catalytic converter through a chemical process, then reabsorbed into the system. OK, enough detail. Honda claims the engines will meet federal emissions standards in the U.S., although the company isn't saying … Read more

Tucked away to the side of the Audi booth at the 2007 Geneva auto show is the ultimate kids' toy, a scaled down replica of the Auto Union Type C. The car is powered by a chain drive and has a seven-speed internal gear hub with a coaster brake. It uses alloy body panels and frame, plus an oak instrument panel. We thought maybe, just maybe, we could fit in it, until we read the fine print that says the car is suitable for children no more than 135 centimeters in height. That's just under 4.5 feet.