Concepts

So Lit Motors is developing what looks a lot like a motorcycle, but with several traits from a car: You don't have to balance and you don't get wet. They call this model the C-1 and the full-size running prototype is, admittedly, in a very basic state. But here we see the sort of thinking that is perhaps just this side of too radical, while performing drastic surgery on one of the last great areas of waste in our daily lives: the amount of car we lug around for no particular reason.

I like Daniel Kim, he wants to change things but isn't up "there" in a world of intangibles. He began his career as a Land Rover mechanic and, like Steve Jobs, did a little coursework at Reed College in Oregon before moving on (probably bored with the routine progression of college.) He's assembled a team of about a dozen people in a old warehouse in San Francisco that looks like a poster child for urban renewal. … Read more

Do children still enthuse about cars? Toyota is hoping they'll become future buyers with the Camatte, an EV concept showing this week in Tokyo.

Named for the Japanese verb kamau (to care), the Camatte is designed to prompt tykes to care about car ownership. The seats and pedals can be adjusted so that kids can drive while an adult in the back seat helps with steering.

It won't be road-worthy, however, and is designed for use on go-kart tracks and other private facilities, with a top speed of 25 mph. Can that really rev kids up? … Read more

It's a completely new way to capture pictures that moves the process of focus, composition, and even interpretation from the photographer to the viewer. Ren Ng is the founder of startup Lytro in Silicon Valley, where they are building this new kind of camera and new kind of mindset to go with it.

The things Lytro exposes in consumer photography have always been just a little out of the grasp of the mainstream photographer. By making them simple, this company's technology could popularize some of the finer points of photography like depth of field and perspective control. Biggest challenges? Definitely the smartphone and the flight to convenience, social connectivity and low commitment that it represents. … Read more

No, it is not the resurgence of the Axis, but a brilliant partnership showcasing the excellent automotive engineering of BMW and the beautiful design work of Zagato, an Italian automotive coach-builder. Zagato completely redesigned the body and cabin of a Z4, turning the roadster into a stylish coupe for the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, an exclusive automotive show held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy.

The Zagato name came up last year in regard to Aston Martin, a partnership that resulted in the V12 Zagato. That limited-run Aston Martin model went for a 1 percenter price … Read more

Electric vehicle startup Lit Motors unveiled a working concept of what could be the answer to a conventional motorcycle's biggest drawbacks: one, tipping over, and two, the road rash and laundry list of other ills you could incur if it does.

A YouTube video the company released shows an electric two-wheeled vehicle cruising along San Francisco streets. Rather than straddling a chassis, the driver rides recumbent and is enclosed in a protective metal shell. But what sets the Lit Motors C1 apart from other electric vehicles is its capability to stay upright at a standstill without help from the … Read more

California is not known as a carmaking state, but every carmaker is here. And few have been in Silicon Valley longer than Volkswagen Group with its Electronics Research Lab. There they try to crack the code on loading cars up with social media, connected navigation, portable integration, and more without distracting you to death.

I spent a day with wide-ranging access to the VW lab, in conversation with its director, Peter Oel. I came away with the impression that VW, like the rest of the industry, feels the tech cat is out of the bag and we aren't going back to a day when our cars are digital ghettos. That's also because carmakers know that high-touch technology is a key way they'll clobber their competitors, but they also keep their eye on the rear view as the government makes more and more noises that sound like distraction regulation. … Read more

An air-powered car may not be a pipe dream after all. Tata Motors announced last week that it is beginning phase two of development to bring this technology to market.

Lightweight cars powered only by air have made the rounds on the auto show circuit for the past two years. But since 2007, the Indian automotive manufacturer has been working with Motor Development International, which is pioneering this technology, to make this highly conceptual propulsion system a reality.

Tata has successfully demonstrated the compressed air engine concept in two of its vehicles, and will enter phase two of the partnership … Read more

For those who often feel they are competing against their in-vehicle navigation system to get to their desired destination, Toyota has a new tool that may help you beat the voice that lives in your dashboard.

The Japanese automaker has teamed up with Nintendo to turn the Nintendo DS into navigational remote control that allows users to set destinations, map out routes, and even get sightseeing information.

Dubbed the Kuruma de DS, the game card is Bluetooth-enabled for easy pairing of the handheld game with the vehicle's navigation system, according to a Kotaku report. The interface features Nintendo Mii … Read more

Like the Segway before it, Honda's new Uni-Cub solves a problem that does not exist; it's a means for able-bodied people to rove around when they could just as well walk. Not to mention looking silly while doing it.

The Uni-Cub is the latest iteration of a personal mobility technology Honda previously showed off as the U3-X. It incorporates a pretty big gee-whiz factor with its self-balancing and multidirectional movement. The sitter (the word driver seems less appropriate) controls the Uni-Cub by shifting his or her body weight. … Read more