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Don't stop pedaling on bike-powered Ferris wheel

If you're a fan of amusement rides and exercise, here's a homemade thrill you won't want to miss.

Kinetic sculptor Paul Cesewski (aka Paul Da Plumber) is building another pedal-powered Ferris wheel that can seat three daring riders.

As seen in the vid below, the wheel gets plenty of laughs--and squeals. Paul and collaborators plan to show the wheel this summer in conjunction with artists' collective Miss Rockaway Armada.

"The Ferris wheel is just in the beginning stages and will eventually be floating on a junk raft on a river," says collaborator and photographer Tod Seelie, adding that a smaller version of the wheel previously sailed down the Mississippi. … Read more

30-foot Hot Wheels playset is every kid's dream come true

Metropolis II is a four-year project by performance artist and sculptor Chris Burden that uses more than 1,100 Matchbox-style toy cars curved around 19 roadways to show the last days of what he calls the "free car"--in other words, the independent ability to simply jump in an automobile and travel.

In advance of a Metropolis II exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art this fall, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman of "Catfish" fame just released this short documentary that shows the 20-foot by 30-foot art installation in action.

More pictures of Metropolis II after the jump.… Read more

Next-generation steering wheel folds entirely away

The latest telescoping steering wheels extend and retract to make it more comfortable for people of all sizes to drive, but that doesn't help much if you have trouble getting behind the wheel in the first place. To make it easier to enter and exit vehicles, TRW Automotive is developing a collapsible steering wheel that retracts entirely into the dashboard.

Renderings of the new dashboard technology show a steering wheel with two handles attached to the steering column. When not in use, the handles collapse around the column, which retracts into the dashboard. By opening up more space in the cockpit, the retractable steering wheel should make it easier for people to get in and out of automobiles. The steering wheel automatically deploys into driving position when the driver starts the car, and like adjustable seats with memory options, the steering wheel position preference can be saved. … Read more

Car Tech Live 218: Nissan Leaf sticks it to Chevy Volt (podcast)

Nissan slams the Volt as being a cousin to the leaf blower, a new app keeps an eye out for accidents ahead, and we drive the Mini Cooper S Countryman.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 218 SHOW NOTES

• CNET drives the Mini Cooper S Countryman

• App keeps an eye on accidents about to happen

• New Corvette coming in 2013?

• Nissan Leaf sticks it to Chevy Volt, oh so subtly.

• Tanner Foust pulls off a huge Hot Wheels jump

• CNET's LOLcars gallery!

Not all all-wheel-drive systems are created equally

We see all-wheel-drive (AWD) badges on cars, crossovers, and SUVs all of the time. However, for those who really care about how their cars work, that badge can often stir up more questions than answers. Are all four wheels always being driven? Does AWD improve handling or does it improve safety? Are some systems better than others?

The answers to those questions vary by automaker and even by model. For example, there are automakers who use on-demand AWD systems across their lineup (Mazda comes to mind) and others, like Subaru, use full-time AWD for their vehicles. Other manufacturers, like Nissan, … Read more

Team Hot Wheels attempts longest car jump at Indy 500

Spectators at this year's Indy 500, the 100th anniversary of the race, will see a 10-story-tall door free-standing in the infield of the old Brickyard. Attached to that door will be an orange track, a full-scale roadway designed to look like Hot Wheels' signature plastic tracks.

A driver from the newly formed Team Hot Wheels will speed down the 90-foot ramp, launching into the air in an attempt to break the current world record of a 302-foot jump in a four-wheeled vehicle. Hot Wheels won't name the driver, but we think of him as crazy brave.

Hot Wheels has not released details of what sort of car the driver will use. From the promotional video below released by Hot Wheels, it looks like it will be a custom truck, similar to the kind used in off-road races.

The race, and jump attempt, take place on May 29. … Read more

How to restore a Route 66 motel--and stay sane

CUBA, Mo.--You, too, can be a part of American history by restoring one of the deteriorated jewels of the Mother Road. Today, the Geek's Guide to Route 66 looks at what it takes to join the glamorous life of motel ownership. Here's a hint: it's not all champagne and chrome.

To-do list

1. Buy a Route 66 motel. An operational, but run-down, motel can be picked up for a song. Look for a motel with a distinct neon sign and an architectural style that whispers about the mysteries of yesteryear. For example, you could have picked up the 1930s-era Wagon Wheel Motel here in Cuba, Mo., at a bargain price a few years ago. Current owner Connie Echols did just that. "I gave them an offer I didn't think they'd take," she says. Much to her surprise, she became a motel owner.

2. Don't look too closely. You really don't want to know just how bad of a shape the motel is in. At this point in the process, enthusiasm is key.

3. Start the restoration. Pick a room or a building, such as the office. Redo the roof, walls, plumbing, electrical, sidewalks, paint, and floor. Get out a hot-air gun and start peeling the paint off of the original doors. Don't think. Just do.… Read more

The 404 794: Where all we are is dust in the wind, dude (podcast)

Babysitting troubles steal Natali away from today's podcast, but Keanu Reeves brings us news about the next "Bill & Ted" sequel and we spin off into the rest of today's rundown, which includes a FaceTime camera glitch, a tilting Safari Easter egg, and a new way to promote viral advertisements.

The 404 Digest for Episode 794

A new "Bill & Ted" is in the works, says Keanu. A supposed FaceTime glitch shows random pictures when you initiate a call. Googling "tilt," "askew," and "slanted" reveals misaligned search results. Hot Wheels erects a clever marketing campaign on a bridge in Columbia. Would you let a company paint an advertisement on your wall? What if they paid your mortgage?

Episode 794 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The iPhone 4G Steering Wheel with Speakers (hands-on)

Fact: developers have whipped up some mighty fine racing games for the iPhone. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking Asphalt 5, Driver, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, and Reckless Racing, to name just a few.

However, these games share a common obstacle: controls. Either you're futzing with onscreen buttons that offer no feedback, or you're "steering" the iPhone itself--which I find too small to grip comfortably.

Enter the iPhone 4G Steering Wheel with Speakers, a slick little accessory that wraps, well, a steering wheel around your phone.

If this sounds familiar, you might … Read more