Crave

Joules was born out of a challenge from its maker's son, a former pro bike racer. Could his dad build an electric tandem based on actually pumping the pedals?

(Credit: Endless-sphere.com)

Joules might be a robot, but that doesn't mean he can't enjoy a calming tandem bike ride with his creator, Carl. He's not dead weight, either--he actually pedals, thanks to a PMG-132 motor.

There's trouble in paradise, however. Carl writes on the electric-vehicle-technology forums Endless-sphere.com that Joules "does all of the pedaling," which sounds like the start of every sci-fi plot in which overworked robots rebel against their makers. Besides that little hiccup, this is a really cool project, and sort of cute in a weird, nerdy way.

More photos and a video after the jump.

The BioLogic FreeCharge comes in a tiny silicone-encased box that hooks to your generator hub to transfer your body's power into your iPhone.

(Credit: Dahon)

Every year at the Multnomah County Bike Fair in Portland, Ore., someone brings a bike hooked up to a blender and lets people pedal their way to their smoothie of choice. Sometimes the simplest, most obvious ideas are also the most brilliant.

So it comes as no surprise that far lighter, more portable charging devices are being designed to fit on bicycle generator hubs. Folding-bike maker Dahon has just unveiled its Biologic FreeCharge at the Eurobike Fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and it has the cycling world all atwitter.

The FreeCharge connects to any dyno hub on the market and charges a small gadget (iPod, cell phone, GPS unit, etc.) by transferring some of the energy your body generates pumping away on your bike to a high-capacity battery, which in turn directs a steady current to said small gadget. A simple silicone casing both secures the unit to the bike and seals the charger (although being zapped by the charger might give one that extra push to continue powering the device).

It remains unclear whether the FreeCharge has the capacity to power these devices as quickly as a 120-volt outlet does--a rate that likely also depends on how fast one pedals. Regardless, an iPhone takes around three hours to fully charge, so unless you're touring the countryside (for which this gadget would be perfect), it's more likely that this has more practical use for smaller top-off charges.

The BioLogic FreeCharge should be available for around $99 in March.

(Credit: Alison Rosen)

Alison Rosen is back on the program today, and no, she's not really shrinking. That said, she is mystified by Craigslist missed connections, so we debate about what sort of scenario would lend itself to the use of the site's bizarre feature.

Next stop, Cougarville--better known as San Fransisco--where we investigate a disturbing new expo: The National Single Cougars Convention. Should cougars be given their own convention or should they be hunted in public, the natural way?

Finally, it seems we're just never going to get rid of Autotune. Especially now that the new T-Pain Autotune iPhone app makes robot voice manipulation so easy--as if it wasn't to begin with.

We've got all this and more on today's 404. Enjoy the weekend! (No show on Monday).

Check out Alison's blog or The Daily Alison.

EPISODE 419

Beware the CarMac.

(Credit: Caroline McCarthy)

It's not easy doing a show without Wilson G. Tang, but luckily our good friend CarMac steps into the game to help us out! Today, we tackle Cable versus Fios, Adult Twitter clones, and McDonalds' suspicious new Web site, 365black.com.

CNET reporter Caroline McCarthy fills in for Wilson while he's off in Rhode Island dining fine at a Red Lobster, but we ain't complaining because CarMac represents 1 out of 7 total females that listen to The 404. Jeff takes the first quarter of the show to complain about Verizon Fios not running his stick and puck games on television, but after that's over, we get to more important stories like this a spicy new Twitter offshoot.

Stick around for another Call from the Public courtesy of Sally Henderson and Sean Connery, and stay tuned to the rest of this week's Wilson-less shows!

The women's version of the Comfort Cruiser.

(Credit: Pedego)

Editor's note: This post was updated at 8:59 a.m. PDT August 7 to remove the incorrect statement that Pedego is also the maker of the eZee bike.

You have heard of the eZee bike, which is cool but rather expensive. Now there's a slightly more affordable option from Pedego, another electric bike maker, for those who want to be in shape and stay green, but just can't stomach the price tag of the eZee. The new offering is another electric bike, called the Comfort Cruiser, and it costs around $1,600--$400 less than the eZee.

According to Pedego, the Comfort Cruiser is a lightweight bike designed to provide comfortable riding. It has a wide, cushioned seat and a throttle that's controlled by revving the right handlebar grip, similar to that of a motorcycle.

Pedego electric bike photos

The bike is equipped with a rear-hub motor, which is incorporated inside the rear rim, and a lithium battery that has enough juice to power the bike for about 30 miles at up to 20 miles per hour. The battery is detachable, allowing you to quickly take it off for recharging. Pedego says the battery can go from completely dead to fully charged in 4 hours.

Of course, sans battery, the bike can be used just like a regular bike. You can always power it the traditional way and use the battery power just to ease the pedaling when cycling in rough terrain.

The Pedego Comfort Cruiser bikes are available in two versions, one for men and one for women. Each version comes in 12 color combinations, including black with pink wheels, white with mint green wheels, or orange with orange wheels. The bikes can also be customized with accessories such as baskets, bells, and cup holders.

Currently, Comfort Cruiser bikes are only available in Southern California.

Ever wondered why Europeans seem to be in so much better shape than us Americans? Well, instead of driving everywhere, they bike around town. The good news is that one of their secrets, the eZee electric bicycle, is now available in the U.S.

eZee electric bicycles photos

View the full gallery

eZeebike USA announced Wednesday a major expansion of the eZee brand of electric bicycles into the American market. The eZee brand is already popular in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

eZee bicycles are just like regular bikes except they're equipped with an electric motor that helps power the vehicle to ease the pedaling during long rides or rides on rough terrain.

Each e-bike has a rechargeable battery that takes about five hours to fully power and then has enough juice to run the bicycle at around 20 mph for a distance of about 20 miles. Of course, you can always turn this off and power the bike by yourself, the traditional way.

eZee bicycles are obviously not for hardcore cyclists. ... Read more

RunKeeper provides useful info as you run, then uploads it to the RunKeeper site.

Can I gush? RunKeeper is the coolest freakin' iPhone application ever. OK, maybe not for everyone, but it's definitely the coolest for runners, hikers, bikers, and anyone else interesting in tracking their outdoor activities.

Let me explain. This summer the running bug bit me hard, and I'm now running farther and faster than in years past. Consequently, I've grown interested in determining my pace, distance, total run time, and so on.

My first thought was to get Apple's Nike + iPod, which is reasonable at $29--but incompatible with my iPhone 3G. Plus, I didn't want to have to buy a pair of Nike+ shoes or "hack" the Apple sensor to latch onto my own shoes.

Quite by accident, I discovered RunKeeper Free, which leverages the iPhone's built-in GPS to track duration, distance, pace, speed, and more.

All this happens in real-time as you run, but where it really gets cool is at the end: When you tap Save Run, RunKeeper quickly uploads that data to the eponymous Web site, where you can track all your runs and get very specific information about each (such as how fast you were going at any particular point along the way). You also get to see your exact route on a map. It's really, really cool.

You can, of course, play your music while RunKeeper is running, and the app recently added integration with Facebook and Twitter (for those who like to crow about their runs).

I wasn't sure I wanted to carry my relatively big, bulky iPhone with me when I was accustomed to something Shuffle-size. But it happened to fit just perfectly in an old Zune armband case, and obviously, it's great to have both a phone and a GPS with me in case of emergency.

I'm using ad-supported RunKeeper free, which suits me fine. There's a $9.99 Pro version that offers audio cues and support for custom workouts (based on time, distance, and so on)--closer to what you get from Nike+iPod.

If you're a runner, I can't recommend this application highly enough.

Brendt Barbur, founder and director of the Bicycle Film Festival.

(Credit: Justin Yu/CNET)

As a longtime fan and patron of the Bicycle Film Festival, we're proud to welcome its founder and director, Brendt Barbur, into the studio for a sit-down interview about the international filmfest. The BFF is a celebration of everything that encompasses cycling: joyrides, casual trips, long-distance journeys, trick sessions, racing, and so much more is captured by the unique program offered.

Brendt tells us about the bike accident that motivated him to immerse himself in bicycle advocacy and the production of bikecentric movies. Eventually, the wheels started turning, more people submitted videos, and nine years later, the festival reaches tons of people across the world in dozens of cities including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Paris, and Melbourne, to name a few.

Most of the movies are independently shot and produced with innovations in helmet-cam technology and mixed-media design. To further promote cycling, Brendt and the BFF team also host an annual art show that features both established and independent artists who use bikes as inspiration. If you have a chance, we highly recommend checking out at least one of the programs as the festival comes around to your city. By the end of the show, I think I might have convinced Wilson to actually buy a bike! Much thanks to Brendt and the Bicycle Film Festival for all that they do for the cycling community.

If you watch today's video (coming soon, check later today), you'll notice some serious changes to the introduction. We're very proud to announce that The 404 is now sponsored by Beck's Beer, so a big thanks to them for supporting the show. We're also going to be debuting several new weekly segments over the course of the next few months, so be sure to listen to tomorrow's episode for the first of many new changes coming to The 404 Web show. And don't forget that we'll have Blake Stevenson, the winner of our logo competition, on the show tomorrow to talk about his design. See you then!