MDI

Tata commercializing an air-powered car

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

Open and view MDI files without Office by using MDI Viewer

MDI stands for Microsoft Document Imaging format. This TIFF-based file format is designed to store images by page layout using Office Document Imaging, which can save files as MDIs and TIFFs. TIFF files are widely compatible, but MDI files only open with Office Document Imaging, which can be a problem when you have to share MDI files. The best solution is to save them as TIFFs to begin with, but that's not much help if you're the one trying to open MDI files without Office. MDI Viewer by HAN Software opens and displays MDI and TIFF images without … Read more

Fill 'er up, with air

Among the plethora of alternative fuels being put forth to replace oil, the most odd might seem simple: air. But MDI International, based in Luxembourg, showed off a car at the 2009 Geneva auto show that runs on just that. What motivates the little AirPod concept is the energy from compressed air stored in a tank at 5,000 pounds per square inch (PSI).

The AirPod vehicle is small, holding just three passengers, with a single seat facing front for the driver and a bench facing backward for two more people. MDI claims a range of more than 112 miles … Read more

Photos: The People's Car from Tata

Got $2,500? Then Tata Motors may have just the car for you.

If you live in India, that is. The tiny little bubble of a car, which made its debut Thursday at the New Delhi Auto Expo, is expected to go on sale to Indian consumers later this year, but it won't hit the export market in the next few years--and then it'll likely be to dealerships nearby in Southeast Asia and farther afield in Africa and Latin America. Too bad for a San Francisco-based colleague of mine, whose first reaction was "I want one of … Read more