concepts

Bonnie's back, just in time to witness a barrage of futuristic concept videos.

We get Samsung's take on the transparent tablet of the future. Also, Toyota's vision of a self-driving psychedelic car from a frightening nightmarescape where the middle-aged are given the "Logan's Run" treatment. We revisit the fashion predictions of 1939 and watch as flying robots construct foam towers. In Geek News, Eric recounts his obsession with MST3K and the latest RiffTrax RiffPlayer, makes amends with Dr. Who fans, and shows us the creepier side of Batman.

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With an exterior skin that doubles as a digital display, an augmented-reality cockpit, and Internet and inter-vehicular connectivity, the Toyota Fun-Vii concept is about as pie-in-the-sky as concept cars get.

However, explaining with words and photos hardly does this concept justice. I had to see it in motion to understand everything that Toyota expects the car of the future to do. In the video below, you'll see tight smartphone integration, augmented-reality gaming, a holographic digital concierge in a De Stijl-inspired tube top, and an amazing (if not tremendously improbably) implementation of vehicle-to-vehicle networking. The video also shows off the Fun-Vii's electrified power-train with wireless charging, its autonomous driving mode, and lots of people dressed in white. Check it out below. … Read more

With bendable smartphones already on tap for next year, Samsung's next big thing may be a flexible, transparent tablet.

Samsung's Mobile Display division posted a video yesterday showing off a concept device that looks to be a smartphone-tablet hybrid that can be rolled up like a newspaper or expanded for different tasks.

In the clip below, you can see the Samsung Flexible AMOLED concept being used as an e-reader, a camera, a video chat system, and an interpreter. The company also imagines the tablet showing off 3D images through the use of an augmented-reality system. … Read more

Tesla may be dropping production of its Roadster, but Honda seems to have taken up the gauntlet with this new electric concept.

The EV-STER is a concept electric car unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Like the Tesla Roadster, it is a two-seater with a carbon fiber body to reduce weight, but that is where the similarities end.

Honda claims a range for the EV-STER of only 100 miles, with acceleration timed at 5 seconds to 60 km/h (37 mph).

Styling takes some cues from the CR-Z, with a big dose of futuristic design thrown in. The driver uses a yoke to steer rather than a wheel, and the cockpit has displays geared toward the electric power train.

The driver's seat is of a different color than the passenger seat, a choice we have seen in a few other concept cars recently, suggesting that in the future people will have trouble discerning right from left.

Although it represents no electric power train breakthroughs, the EV-STER concept is exciting in that it shows Honda is actively exploring new electric vehicle types. The company has already promised to put its Fit EV in production next year.

Click here to view more Honda EV-STER photos. … Read more

What if changing the color of your car was as simple as tapping an app? Toyota's Fun-Vii concept promises exactly that and more.

The Fun-Vii's skin is actually a massive display that can change its color at will, and display graphics, images, and custom messages for other drivers or bystanders. Toyota gives the visual example of a business using the Fun-Vii to display advertisement livery, but I'd love to be able to quickly throw up a "Back off, chump!" to a tailgater.

The custom graphics aren't limited to the exterior. Toyota also envisions that large interior display surfaces can add augmented reality functionality to the driving experience while allowing the vehicle's interior to be "freely adjustable to match the mood of the moment."… Read more

Not the most imaginatively named car, but to our eyes another handsome step forward for Kia.

Sleek, stylish, and sporty are not the type of words you would use to describe a Kia, but the Korean automaker wants you to think about those things, especially in this sedan concept called the GT at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show.

(CNET's full coverage of the 2011 International Motor Show in Frankfurt)

Squint and you are probably looking at the future of the Mercedes-Benz S Class.

With electric wheels at all four corners and hydrogen fuel cell technology feeding them, this future Benz is clearly pondering the future of the S Class, a type of car that is threatened by ever-increasing standards for fuel economy and emissions in its main markets around the world.

(CNET's full coverage of the 2011 Frankfurt auto show)

The Land Rover Defender hasn't been updated in 25 years. That's about to change dramatically.

The Defender has always been a sort of farm implement in the Land Rover lineup: stout, solid, and chunky. This new concept features huge ride height, an alloy frame, four-cylinder motors, and maybe a hybrid.

(CNET's full coverage of the 2011 Frankfurt auto show)

There seems to be a big brainstorm at the Nokia Research Center lately. It recently showed off the all-touch-screen Gem concept and a mind-bending flexible device interface.

One of its latest innovations is a radical new piece of concept hardware called HumanForm.

This fish-shaped concept is a departure from the rectangular devices we gawk over these days, and gives us an peek at a future where smartphone design has evolved beyond limitation. The soul of HumanForm contains part nanotechnology, a flexible display, and kinetic interaction. … Read more