Now there are no excuses for the kids to be late for school any more.

This is a jet powered school bus which will burn up the road and reach take off speed, or rather you would have thought so but there is no data available on the performance, or in fact if there is any room left for seats anyway!

Source [Hacked Gadgets]

This is great idea for the family dog, throw this in the back of an SUV or station wagon and the family dog will be as happy as anything.

This will fit most cars with a back door, but will need to be plugged into the cigarette lighter as this is heated for the pooch to feel nice, warm and relaxed, which is probably unlike the rest of the family who are arguing and fighting up front.

Priced at around $190

Source [Born Rich]

This is the sort of thing that you would expect to see in a horror movie or something where you have the gang that ride along on motorbikes terrorising innocent people.

It also looks as if it wouldn’t give much protection, but I suppose that it must have past the required tests etc.

The one good thing about it is the ventilation that is gained by having the eye sockets in the front.

Priced at around $149.99

Source [New Launches]

Wow, check out this nifty Stand-Up Trike, tight! Will they send us a sample? (We will give it out as a prize if they do.)

Stephan Soder came up with the idea as a way to pull himself along while wearing rollerblades. He built the first one in his garage with a small petrol motor.

The commercial version is called the Easyglider X6 which riders can use with a skateboard or roller-blades or stand on a two-wheeled rear platform.

It features an electric-powered front wheel, a handbrake, a headlight, and three power levels. Optional extras include a music system, complete with a pair of mini speakers.

To use the Easyglider, you simply turn it on, stand on the platform and twist the throttle.

But the price may prove too much for some. It sells at £699, with a kids’ version available for £399.

via Keetsa

This one is going to really upset people around the office, it’s just a pity that it is a replica motorcycle engine; I don’t see what is wrong with getting a nice V8 on the desk purring away!

It’s a nice gadget for petrol heads, makes a different from all of those furry animals and massage USB powered devices.

Motorcycle Engine USB Hub features:
3 port hub - USB 2.0, of course
Loud motorcycle sounds with moving engine
Starter pedal and gear shift moving parts with appropriate sound and motion
Dimensions: 4.5″ x 4.7″ x 3.5″

All you need next is some leathers and a crash helmet to complete the illusion!

Priced at £39.99

Source [Think Geek]

This seems like a logical choice for an electric car, the rear engined VW Beetle was so far ahead of its time, that it is has taken decades of technological innovations just to catch up with it.

Now the balance has been restored and the electric Beetle is ready to go, the problem is that you first need to find yourself a decent looking Beetle; there are some good ones in Mexico! And now the conversation can begin.

Once completed the travel will cost around two cents a mile, yet you could reach 75 mph and with a range of 70 that is not bad going, the beauty of this is that you can drive a great classic car across the states for about $112, it don’t any cheaper than that!

Price for conversion $29,995.

Source [Ubergizmo]

This is what we could all be driving to the shops in soon! These little scooter type cars are based around a 50 cc air cooled four stroke engine which will take you up to 30 mph which is fast enough considering that it only has three wheels and measures only 56 inches wide.

The eco bit is that if you fill it up with fuel, about one & half gallons and you will be able to travel around 100 mile road trip carrying two adults, which is great fuel economy!

Features:

Automatic transmission.
Independent all-wheel suspension.
Shock absorbers.
13″ alloy wheels.
Rubber tires.
Two-point restraint seatbelts.
Steel tube frame is covered by a fibreglass body with a high-gloss gel coat finish.
The chrome dashboard includes gauges for fuel, a speedometer, and tachometer.

There are three great colours to choose from Red, Yellow, Green, or Blue.

Priced at a realistic $5,999.95.

Source [New Launches]

Looks like Lady Ladyada hacked an industrial sewing machine. Definitely check it out.

Unlike little portables which turn on the DC motor when the foot-lever is pressed, industrials use a clutch motor. The motor is running the moment you turn it on, and when the foot-lever is pressed, it moves the clutch towards the motor, engaging it. This means higher torque when you turn it on, thus getting rid of the frustrating “have to help the machine along” stuff necessary with small sewing machines. Great. only problem is that the motor runs at a perky 1750 RPM and the clutch is very sticky. This means it requires some practice to get used to the foot pedal: instead of being linearly related to stitch speed, its much more ‘exponential’. Seems like either nothing is happening or its going at a ridiculous 2000-2500 stitches a minute — much too fast for someone out of practice.

The solution? Basically everyone says “you’ll get used to it with lots of practice.” Which is another way of saying “this design really sucks”. (There’s DC servo motors that have no clutch because they can give high instantaneous torque but I’m not 100% sure they solve the speed-control issues)

Another solution is to change the pulley, which will bring the max speed down, and tweak the clutch setup for better response. For $20 it’s a nice simple fix. I spent a few days figuring out how the hell one does this. I figure if I post all of this now it will possibly save someone else the hassle.

via MakeZine

This will make sure that you can get to bar before everyone else, and if the tab gets too much you can make a fast getaway.

On show at the SEMA 2007 show, these little power packs must really pack a punch, however I am reliably informed that they are somewhat noisy, but with a massive V8 underneath you what would you expect, I suppose it could get a little warm there too!

Now this is the sort thing that you need when your neighbours get the F1 mowers!

Source [New Launches]