2009 Ford Mustang glass roof interior.
(Credit: Ford Motor)Here's some bright news to go with your daily dose of bad these days.
It may sound like sacrilege, but owners of new Ford Mustangs may actually have a chance to look cooler than Steve McQueen while driving.
The $1,995 factory-installed panoramic glass-roof option that Ford announced last December is now available on its 2009 V-6 and GT models, the company announced Wednesday.
From the photos, this really looks like more than just your typical moonroof.
Not only will the glass roof look cool, it might also help you stay cool. Ford claims that the specially tinted glass actually "reduces energy used by the vehicle's air conditioning system by 20 percent."
2009 Ford Mustang
(Credit: Ford Motor)Those of you lucky enough to live in a state where sun is a serious issue will also be glad to know that the roof comes with a built-in roller blind.
To refresh your memory, the V-6 Mustang coupe comes with a 210-horsepower 4-liter, 6-cylinder engine in 5-speed manual or automatic. The GT coupe and convertible each come with a 300-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8 engine also available in 5-speed manual or automatic. Both come with the Ford instrument panel that allows you to change the lighting color based on your whims that day.
Ford is also bringing back its "Warriors in Pink" package, for which it donates $500 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity for every car sold. Thankfully, this is not a pink Mustang at all but a Mustang with some zazzy little touches: a pink ribbon and pony fender badge, pink trim in the steering wheel and floormats, and pink stitching on the seats.
As for break-in fears with your glass roof Mustang, for what it's worth Ford is offering a new anti-theft security package for the GT that includes a wheel locking kit.
Of course, in my unprofessional opinion, unless you're taking the wheels with you most car alarm systems are pretty useless. If it's a professional thief after your personal Eleanor your car will really be "Gone in Sixty Seconds" no matter what you do. If it's amateurs attempting, you might as well reduce the damage done to your car when they steal your radio and whatever you "oh-so-slyly" hid under that coat on the floor.
Ford also announced that it's decided to build an additional 3,000 of the Mustang Bullitt limited edition replicas it introduced in 2008.
Native ferns mark the first step toward greening the exterior walls.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)A San Francisco nightclub installed on Monday what it's promoting as the city's first vertical garden. Several plant-filled boxes turned on their sides and bolted outside near the entrance are the first step in the Zen Compound's plans to cover the facade of the building in greenery.
"The hope is to have a living building," said Mike Zuckerman, director of sustainability at the 40,000 square foot complex. He spotted a butterfly hovering near native licorice ferns on Tuesday.
Green rooftops are in vogue in cities around the country. Hanging, wall-mounted gardens, on the other hand, are few and far between--except, naturally, where ivy climbs.
Zuckerman envisions eventually shaping plants into the form of the club logo, or sculpting Styrofoam embedded with sprouts to make the facade green all over. And spray-on seeds could cover the building with plant graffiti, making it the architectural equivalent of a Chia Pet.
The existing plants, a test run, may not be ecologically perfect. They're inside of nonrecycled plastic boxes, for instance, but those last at least five times longer than bioplastic. And they will be hooked up to plumbing from the roof to be watered, though the long-term goal is to harvest rainwater.
Don't dis the plants, a sign suggests.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Zuckerman aims to turn the compound's nightclub and restaurant, which attracts 1,000 people on a decent night, into a showcase of sustainability.
Planned for next year is a dance floor coated in piezoelectric crystals that turn the pressure from dancing feet into electrical power. He already knows someone who can handle the job for only $10,000.
"We have a mystical physicist in residence here," Zuckerman said.
Eco-chic event planning is expanding as more people seek to celebrate without expanding their carbon footprint.
A club in Rotterdam has already harnessed piezoelectrics (more at Inhabitat) to power its lights and sound system. Several other nightclubs are pushing green efforts, including the Butterfly Social Club in Chicago and even some sex clubs in Tokyo.
For now, the Zen Compound serves organic spirits with corn-based cups and straws that get composted rather than trashed. Club marketing is moving away from using paper fliers, even if recycled, to online-only promotions with Flash animation.
Zuckerman is updating the lighting with efficient fluorescent and LED bulbs, which will reap a refund from Pacific Gas & Electric. Future plans include adding an energy monitor to display the building's vital signs, such as water collected from the roof and power generated from planned solar panels. Wind power is on the wish list.
Full disclosure: CNET's holiday staff party is being held here tonight. Sorry, you won't get past our bouncers.
Plans are in the works to cover the club in a living, green skin that can be seen from the freeway nearby.
(Credit: Zen Compound )
Hope you didn't buy that Mustang Bullitt for the Ali MacGraw in your life just yet.
Ford announced it's now offering a factory-installed panoramic glass roof option for both the Steve McQueen-inspired Bullitt and the Shelby GT500KR. The glass roof, as an option for its V-6 Mustang and Mustang GT, will become available in the summer of 2008, according to Ford.
(Credit:
Ford Motor)
To be clear, this is not a hardtop convertible, but a fixed glass roof option. It will be available for $1,995.
And, as no one wants an over-heated driver, the glass roof is made of tinted privacy safety glass that reduces passenger exposure to infrared rays and also includes protection from solar radiation deterioration (i.e., it won't let the sun fade your seats). Vinyl was also incorporated into the glass material to reduce pollution from outside noise.
The glass roof also includes a built-in manual roller blind. Too bad it isn't electric. Ah well, maybe that's for the next iteration.
Ford was prompted by a J.D. Power and Associates statistic that said 62 percent of sports car buyers said they want a moon- or sunroof on their next vehicle, the company said in a statement.
It should be noted that Ford already introduced this idea of an all glass roof with the Giugiaro Mustang concept it debuted at the 2007 LA auto show in November.
(Credit:
Smarthome)
It's bad enough to be perennially paranoid about the status of one's home, scoping out all makes and numbers of cameras to keep an eye on your property while you're at the office. But anxiety levels rise exponentially when you're away for extended periods or have a vacation home to worry about. Cameras may be useful for limited surveillance but can't detect all the physical threats to your abode, such as those from the elements.
That's where the "Sensaphone 400" comes in, according to Gadgetizer, with sensors that monitor "water, wind, temperature, rain and freeze that will alert you by phone if it detects abnormal conditions." Plus, unlike its earlier version, this one will actually lets you control the thermostat remotely by phone.
It retails for $430, but you'd end up spending a lot more than that for a housesitter anyway. Besides, it can't steal the towels.
(Credit:
RealPIX Camera)
Only a few years ago, Crave spent more than $1,000 for a 1-megapixel camera that weighed more than a brick. Today, we'd probably be lucky to get $25 for it on Craigslist.
With the price of digital cameras dropping like broadcast celebrities, it makes sense that manufacturers try whatever they can to separate themselves from the pack, catering to specific types of consumers. But real-estate agents?
"RealPIX" is a camera designed specifically for agents and homeowners in need of a quick snapshot that captures as much house as possible in a single frame. It accomplishes this with a lens that's wider than that of most other cameras, according to Electronista. But with no zoom and a resolution of only 0.3 megapixels, the $299 price seems awfully high. Unless, of course, the subject is a house that should not be seen that closely.
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