Slashdot Mirror
Hungarian Electric Car Splits Into Two Smaller Cars
Lanxon writes to mention that Antro, a Hungarian car manufacturer, is developing a new electric car that can split into two smaller cars. Antro plans to have it on the market by 2012. "The environmentally-conscious company started research back in 2002 and, with backing from various local sponsors, has invested 1.5 million euros in market research and development of a working prototype. The Antro Solo concept is a three-passenger car, with a hybrid drive and solar cells on its roof that the company says could generate enough electricity for up to 20km a day at city speeds. Futuristic looking in itself, the grander plan for the car is much more audacious: Antro intends to allow users to be able to connect two Antro Solos to form a six-passenger Antro Duo. Or perhaps more interesting still, owners of a Duo could split the car into two smaller Solos should Mum have different weekend plans to Dad. Or if they divorce."
People don't like futuristic looking stuff. If they did, we'd all be wearing white or silver jumpsuits.
Great, so now you can separate the saucer section and let the civilians escape while the crew remains on the battle bridge to distract the Romulans.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
"You doing OK back there, kids?"
"Kids?"
"Oh, where have they gone off to now?"
No.
It can do up to 20km per day with just the charge it can get from the solar panels. Its internal power source is a "conventional" hybrid.
No gas tank size is specified, so it's not clear just how far it can go without refueling.
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
One day while driving, an engineer's wife was nagging the shit out of him...
Table-ized A.I.
I worked on crime statistics reporting software before. Changing all those reports to use Float instead of Integer is gonna be a pain.
Table-ized A.I.
Let's just say I hope we'll all be able to choose our own vehicles.
I hope there's at least one manufacturer bold enough to actually SELL the cars they are constantly presenting as proof-of-concept, pre-series, prototypes and all that.
There's a ton of incredibly beautiful, modern, futuristic or even plain future cars at major trade shows, but they never ever sell the damn things.
I don't want to *put* kids in the back, they can crawl into the backseat themselves. I don't want to put groceries in the *boot*, I can put them in whatever cargo compartment is aerodynamically perfect. I don't need to sit in the upright grandpa position, I love to lounge or slouch comfortably, thank you.
That said, I would prefer http://www.geekologie.com/2007/12/07/future-car-1.jpg all the time.
Because the other model frankly looks like all the others on the parking lot at the mall, bland, boring, traditional, practical, economical and above all like it was designed for or even by my grandmother.
We need Spice in design. And we need Moar.
But what if you are NOT stupid?
That rule fell for its own error in logic a looong time ago.
The error was, that the ideal is efficiency! Simplifying it to “simplicity” is on oversimplification, causing loss of purpose. Because too simple means harder again. Because in that case, you actually lose efficiency.
Clippy is a perfect example. If one is really dumb (no offense), one will find Clippy useful. But every normal human being will loathe that thing.
The same happens to everything, if you apply KISS long enough. It’s only a matter of time.
Which is why I went back to efficiency a long time ago.
Please stop parroting that old wives tale. It’s deprecated. Thank you. :)
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.