No matter where you go, shopping for new clothes can be quite a hassle. Long lines, overcrowded shopping malls and depressing price tags are just a few of the many problems one might encounter on a shopping trip. Thankfully, online shopping has remedied many of these problems, but one problem remains: some clothes just don't seem to fit very well. Thanks to British body-mapping firm Bodymetrics, the future of shopping experiences may turn out to be much more effective in quickly getting you in and out of the store. The Bodymetrics Pod is a system equipped with eight Kinect scanners that analyze your body based on a 3D model and categorizes it into different classifications. The current model splits you into one of three groups each with their own set of sizes and styles: Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby.

Scosche CellControl Disables Cell Phone Use While Driving

We all recognize how dangerous it is to be distracted while operating a vehicle, but somehow we all seem to believe ourselves to be much better drivers than we really are. Despite the implementation of laws prohibiting it, we still see way too many people on the road with their thumbs twiddling away on their smartphones or conversing without the use of a headset. Smartphone and mp3 accessory manufacturer Scosche recently unveiled a new gadget that hopes to prevent the dangerous use of cell phones in a moving vehicle. Called Cellcontrol, the device includes an application and dongle that works together to facilitate safer driving habits. The dongle plugs directly into the OBD-II port under the dash of any car made in or after 1996, while the application runs on your mobile phone.

Whenever the dongle detects that the car is in motion, it communicates with the application to shut down use of the cell phone including functions such as texting, tweeting, emailing, calling, taking pictures and more. If the application detects a handsfree headset, it will allow the driver to make phone calls using the headset. Although Scosche certainly means well with this product, we're a bit skeptical as to how effective it may be. If you are purchasing Cellcontrol to prevent yourself from any reckless phone use, you'll still have to practice some restraint not to disable the app or remove the dongle. If you happen to have a reckless teenager driving around on the streets, Cellcontrol could be a good investment, but there are still a few problems. The first problem is the lack of an emergency call function while the car is in motion, which means you'll have to either stop the car or reach under the dash and pull the dongle out if you're being chased around by a madman. The second problem is how easy it is to simply remove the dongle or disable the app, though you'll be notified via email if it has been removed or disabled. Finally, the $129.95 price tag means it might just be easier and cheaper to practice a little restraint and willpower when you feel the urge to update your Facebook status while driving.

Hybrid Watch Combines the Best of Analog and Digital

If you're a fan of futuristic technology but can't seem to leave your analog watch behind for a digital one, the Tokyoflash Hybrid may be exactly what you've been waiting for. Sure there are plenty of watches that already combine digital and analog displays, but those are mostly just analog faces with a small digital lcd screen inside. Designed by Peter Fletcher, the Tokyoflash Hybrid truly combines both analog and digital displays.

The Hybrid watch features a face with a single arrow that moves clockwise like the hands on an analog watch face. The arrow features 12 backlit LCD bars that light up to represent the hour of the day, while the position of the arrow represents the minutes. The outer-ring features 60 backlit LCD bars that represent the seconds. It may be a little confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, the Hybrid is easy to read. As with all of Tokyoflash's concepts, you have a chance to turn this watch into a reality by voting on the Tokyoflash Design Blog. Head on over to the blog for more renders and to cast your vote for the device.

Nestle making tastier ice cream with avalanche research

Ice cream and avalanches are two subjects that usually only fit together in a child's dreams, but Nestle is now looking at how research on one could help in making the other. The food company recently teamed up with an avalanche research center in Switzerland to study how ice crystals grow within ice cream as it sits in the freezer. Typically these crystals dilute the flavor of the ice cream while also making it harder to scoop and eat. By using the center's equipment and research with their own products, Nestle hopes to develop a method for slowing the ice growth and produce a creamy dessert that will retain its taste and texture much longer. Scientists at the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos, Switzerland usually study the formation of ice crystals in nature that can lead to avalanches, but Nestle has found their research applies to ice cream quite well. The company has wanted to study ice cream more closely in the past but only had methods that left it melted, and thus couldn't accurately mimic freezer conditions. Using an X-ray tomography machine from the institute, researchers have been able to capture microscopic images of the ice cream's structure at sub-zero temperatures. The research has already found the more visible white frost on top is the result of temperature fluctuations as the dessert is transported and stored. Some of the problem has to do with the freezers most people have in their homes, which often don't keep a steady temperature, causing ice crystals to melt and then re-freeze over and over. This process changes the ice cream's overall structure, which alters its taste. So far researchers have managed to create time lapse images of ice crystals only a few microns wide as they were subjected to differing temperatures. Currently, Nestle's main goal is to discover the specific conditions that trigger the ice crystals to expand and merge, since this will be the key to inhibiting their growth. Once the company can identify what factors cause the crystals to form, it can then work on slowing them down and keeping their ice cream fresh.

There was a time, back in the days of film cameras, when the only ways of getting underwater photos were to buy an expensive waterproof SLR, an expensive waterproof housing for a regular SLR, or a cheap disposable waterproof camera that took horrible shots. Now, all you have to do is buy a housing like the TAT7 iPhone Scuba Case, and start snapping high-res pics – assuming you’ve got the phone to go with it.

The TAT7 is made from clear polycarbonate, and has a hinged opening on the bottom. Double gaskets on that opening help keep the water out once the phone has been slid in, down to a maximum depth of 30 meters (100 ft). Three buttons on the back allow users to access basic touchscreen photo and video controls – if you’re looking for a housing that will let you Tweet from the briny depths, look elsewhere. It’s available now, for US$84.95. Undersea iPhone photographers looking for something a little more substantial might want to check out the dual-handled FourPro.

ION AIR PRO actioncam uploads real-time footage to the cloud

Whether you're speeding down the slopes, on a biking epic through the woods or riding the rapids in a kayak, having to wait until you get to a laptop to share your recorded adventures with friends and family is nothing short of inconvenient. The ION AIR PRO HD Sports Video Camera is said to be one of the first actioncams capable of recording full HD video and sharing it in real time on social networking sites. The camera does this by wirelessly connecting with a smartphone or tablet running the company's free-to-download app, although users will need to buy an extra bit of kit to make all this possible. The ION AIR PRO is a handy, lightweight (123g/4.5 ounces), Contour-like video camera that consists of two parts. Users can simply use the device to record full 1080p High Definition video at 30 frames per second and save to microSD media for later transfer via USB, or they can attach a circular disc called a Wi-Fi PODZ to the back of the camera to wirelessly upload footage to an online social networking portal via an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet running the ION app. The disc also makes it possible to preview what the AIR PRO HD sees in front of the lens or replay what's already been captured, and the ION the GO app allows a user to fully control the camera's functionality from a smartphone or tablet - providing it stays within range.

Unlike the somewhat boxy HD HERO from GoPro, the ION AIR PRO is waterproof to 30 feet (10 meters) without the need to add an extra outer casing. Its f2.8 fixed-focus, wide-angle lens offers a 170 degree field of view, it benefits from one click record and has a built-in mono microphone with auto gain control. It can be used as a single shot, 5-megapixel stills camera or can be set to sequence stills at one photo every 10, 20 or 30 seconds or one quick burst of ten frames for those must-see, action-packed stop motion movies. The camera's 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion battery should be good for around 2.5 hours between charges, and users also get 8GB of free online storage at ION CLOUD. The basic ION AIR PRO HD camera bundle - which includes a mini-tripod and cables - will be available in the UK next month for a recommended retail price of £199.99 (US$318.50). You'll then need to get hold of the Wi-Fi PODZ module for another £80 ($127.40) to take advantage of the wireless connectivity detailed above. Other options - including a complete CamLOCK system for securing the camera to bike handlebars and helmets, an extended battery pack to boost the fun to seven hours of shooting, and/or a Wi-Fi dongle - are also available at different price points.

Solar Impulse to attempt its longest, furthest flight yet

After its successful inaugural Paris-to-Brussels flight last year, the Solar Impulse solar-powered aircraft will attempt to fly all the way to Morocco in May or June of this year, a journey almost ten times the distance, and its furthest flight and as a close as it has yet come to a trial run of its round-the-world flight planned for 2014.

To recap briefly on the engineering marvel that is the Solar Impulse, the aircraft has the wingspan of Airbus A340 at 63.4 m (208 feet) but with only the weight of a family car (1600 kg/ 3527 pounds). Solar cells, some 12,000 of them, are built into the wing, providing pollution-free renewable power to four 10-hp electric motors. But they also charge 400 kg (882 lb) of lithium batteries which can keep the Solar Impulse in the air at night. The night-flying capabilities of the Solar Impulse will be tested in what is to be the aircraft's longest-distance flight to date, expected to take 48 hours. However, there is a scheduled stop at Madrid to switch pilots. It's hoped the flight will allow Solar Impulse pilots and founders Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg to gain in experience with the technicalities of long-distance flight, including cooperation with international airports and adapting to air traffic flows. Earlier this month Borschberg completed a 72-hour non-stop simulated flight in a full-size mock-up to test the human stresses of continuous flying. "Thanks to a careful management of the rest periods I was able to maintain optimum vigilance throughout the flight," Borschberg said as he emerged from the simulator (in what I can only imagine was a pre-prepared statement). "We learnt a great deal about the practical management of life on board." The forthcoming flight appears to be sponsored at least in part by the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy which intends to have built five solar power installations generating 2 GW of solar power by 2020. But as long-standing fans of the Solar Impulse we couldn't resist an update on what is another fascinating paragraph in what's still the first chapter of the book of green aviation.

Grace Digital launches FireDock speaker dock for the Kindle Fire

We've seen our fair share of portable device docks here at Gizmag, from the acoustic to the power-hungry and everything in between. Most of those capable of charging the docked device as well as amplify its audio tend to have been designed for use with an iDevice, which is not much use to the 14 million U.S. Kindle Fire users. Rallying to the cause, Grace Digital has launched the FireDock - one of the first speaker docks crafted specifically for Amazon's Kindle Fire 7-inch tablet and featuring full-range stereo speakers, a Class D digital amp and an additional auxiliary input for an optional secondary audio source. Although Amazon's Kindle Fire includes built-in stereo speakers, there will be occasions when the output could do with a significant boost to fully enjoy content provided by the likes of Netflix, Pandora Internet Radio or even Amazon's own audio books. Grace Digital's new FireDock speaker dock features a 16-watt Class D digital amplifier and 3-inch full-range, base-ported stereo speakers rated at 3W/8 ohms, with a frequency response of between 60Hz and 18KHz and signal-to-noise ratio of 89dB.

The cradle includes a USB port that allows the Kindle Fire to be charged while docked, whether Amazon's tablet is being used or not, and rotates for portrait or landscape viewing. Next door to this sits a strategically-positioned audio jack. In addition to operating from AC power, Grace Digital is also making an optional 7.4 V /2200 mAh Lithium-ion battery pack available (at an extra cost) to play the device on the road. The FireDock battery pack won't charge the Kindle Fire's own battery but will give mobile playback for up to six hours. The 13 x 4.3 x 3.75-inch (330.2 x 109.22 x 95.25 mm) Grace Audio FireDock comes supplied with a wireless remote and has been given a shipping date of July 2, 2012 at a suggested retail price of US$129.99.

Savage Rivale has an interesting way of getting a convertible's top off

Savage Rivale is in the process of building its anomalous Roadyacht GTS, a four-door, four-seat convertible supercar. Not only is the layout of the car a bit unconventional, but the Netherlands-based company gives us a new take on the retractable hardtop.

Instead of a traditional retractable hardtop with a main roof panel, the Roadyacht GTS uses a system with multiple roof panels connected to a telescopic axis. It's an interesting system that allows the roof to slide into a particularly small space behind the cabin. Savage calls it the retractable telescopic multi-panel (RTMP) roof system. It's designing it with the help of Inalfa Roof Systems, an auto roof specialist from the Netherlands. The system looks similar to the multi-panel system shown on the MILA Coupic concept built by Magna Steyr for the Geneva Motor Show. That system, however, uses two roof zones with glass-embedded soft panels. We covered the Roadyacht GTS in more depth already, but a quick recap: The four-doored convertible is motivated by a 6.2-liter V-8 engine worth 670-hp. With a curb weight under 3,000 lbs (1,363 kg), that V-8 is able to push the car to 62 mph (100 km/h) in around 3.4 seconds on up to 205 mph (330 km/h). Last we heard, Savage Rivale planned to unveil the production version of the Roadyacht GTS this year, at an undisclosed Middle Eastern Auto Show. Small supercar start-ups have a way of delaying things, though, and Savage now indicates that it will spend the next year or so testing and fitting the roof system, so we suspect that debut will get bumped.

Watch the Roadyacht's top in action in the Savage Rivale video below.

Specialized Turbo claims title of world's fastest e-bike

Specialized has just announced its new Turbo electric bicycle, which it claims is the fastest e-bike ever made ... a claim that the makers of the BlackTrail e-bike would likely dispute. Whatever the case, the Turbo's top motor-assisted speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) should definitely limit where it will be sold – in the U.S., Britain and most of Europe, for instance, it would be illegal. Nonetheless, limited numbers of the bike should reportedly be available for sale (although it hasn’t been stated in which countries) as of May.

According to an article in BikeRadar, the Turbo was officially unveiled today, after three years in development. Some of its more noteworthy features – besides its speed – include a 250-watt Specialized Turbo Direct Drive rear hub motor, a 432Wh lithium-ion battery mounted in the down tube (recharge time is reportedly two hours), and a wireless handlebar-mounted control unit that allows riders to control the bike’s integrated LED head and tail lights. That unit also displays the battery level, along with various other features common to bicycle computers. Additionally, with the flip of a switch, the rear brake can be used to help extend the bicycle’s range via regenerative braking. Both the front and rear Magura hydraulic disc brakes are made of carbon fiber, as are some other components, although the frame itself is a custom alloy – there’s no word on the bike’s weight. Fifty of the Turbos should be showing up at various European Specialized dealerships in April, for prospective buyers to try out. The price has yet to be announced.

The e-bike can be seen in action in the video below.

Floating wind turbines to produce low cost renewable energy

Altaeros Energies has announced the first testing of its Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT) prototype that resembles a sort of blimp windmill. The test took place at the Loring Commerce Center in Limestone, Maine, USA where the AWT floated 350 feet (107 meters) into the sky and successfully produced power, before coming back to earth in a controlled landing. The turbine was deployed into the air from a towable docking trailer, while demonstrating that it can produce over twice the power at high altitudes than generated at conventional tower height. There are hopes to energy costs can be reduced by up to 65 percent by harnessing stronger winds that occur at and above an altitude of 1,000 feet (305 meters). "For decades, wind turbines have required cranes and huge towers to lift a few hundred feet off the ground where winds can be slow and gusty," explained Ben Glass, Chief Executive Officer of Altaeros, a company led by alumni of Harvard and MIT. "We are excited to demonstrate that modern inflatable materials can lift wind turbines into more powerful winds almost everywhere—with a platform that is cost competitive and easy to setup from a shipping container." The AWT features an inflatable shell that is filled with helium, allowing it to float to higher altitudes where winds are often five times more powerful than those closer to the earth’s surface. The employment technology has been inspired by aerostats, the industrial cousins of the well-known blimp, that commonly raise heavy communications and radar equipment into the air. Traditionally aerostats have survived hurricane-level winds and employ safety features that ensure a slow descent to the ground. The AWT prototype, which has been developed in partnership with Doyle Sailmakers of Salem, Massachusetts, has been designed to have little impact on the environment while creating minimal noise pollution. When deployed, it's claimed that the AWT requires minimal maintenance and will displace expensive fuel used to power diesel generators at remote industrial, military, and village sites.

Apple offers refunds to Australian iPad owners

Australian owners of the "new" iPad are being offered full refunds by Apple after the country's consumer watchdog found Apple had misled customers as to the device's 4G capabilities in the region. Though Telstra offers a 4G network in Australia, the frequencies used by Apple's third-generation device (700 MHz and 2100 MHz) are incompatible with this service. The problem is that Apple specifically marketed the device as "iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G", which the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said gave Australian customers the impression that the device "can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case." The ACCC says it wrote to Apple a day before launch to raise its concerns with the marketing of the new iPad, which it now claims contravenes sections 18, 29(1)(a), 29(1)(g) and 33 of the Australian Consumer Law. It is now pressing for stickers to be placed on all packaging - a move resisted by Apple. However, Apple has agreed to email customers offering a full refund, and will clarify 4G capabilities at the point of sale. We'll be interested to see what, precisely, the latter involves.

Galileo lets you remotely pan and tilt an iPhone

With their built-in cameras, microphones and speakers, iPhones can be very handy for video conferencing. Should you be trying to talk to a boardroom full of people through a phone that’s propped up on the table, however, it can be kind of frustrating – you’re stuck with the stationary shot provided by the phone, and can’t see people who are outside of that shot unless you get someone to move the phone for you. Well, that’s where Galileo comes in. It’s a motorized iPhone holder, that allows a remote user to pan or tilt the phone 360 degrees. Galileo is the brainchild of Josh Guyot and JoeBen Bevirt, who previously brought us the popular Gorillapod flexible tripod. Guyot came up with the idea for this latest device when he was trying to have video chats with his son, while away from home. To use Galileo, the person receiving the video call would place their phone in the device. The person making the call could then use their iPhone, iPad or web browser to pan or tilt the device, using a touchscreen interface or their mouse. Because it provides smooth, motorized 360-degree pans and tilts, however, Galileo could also find use with film-makers. Guyot and Bevirt are currently working on apps that would allow users to program the device to perform complex movements, including ultra-slow ones that could be used for time-lapse videography. A Bluetooth-controlled mount for a GoPro HERO camera is also planned.

Other potential uses include baby monitoring, distance learning, or real estate photography. It includes a software developers kit, so users can incorporate the device into existing apps, or create new apps around it. Power is provided through a USB cable, or by the onboard rechargeable lithium-ion battery – anywhere between two to eight hours of use per charge is possible, depending on the activity. Like just about everything else that an iPhone can be plugged into, Galileo also serves as a charging dock for the phone. Guyot and Bevirt are presently raising funds on Kickstarter for the commercial development of their product. They have already exceeded their funding goal, however, so it looks like it should be a go. Pledges can still be made, with a minimum contribution of US$85 getting you a Galileo once they’re shipping. The estimated retail price is $129.95.

The device can be seen in action in the pitch video below.

Handpresso Auto takes quality coffee on the road

Imagine the convenience of brewing a creamy, steaming cup of espresso right in your car and you'll get a sense for the impetus behind the latest creation from Handpresso. The company has added to its range of mobile espresso machines with the Handpresso Auto, a well-designed in-car gadget which is designed to turn just about anyone into a mobile barista.

Weighing in at just under a kilo (880g/1.94 lbs) the Handpresso Auto looks a little like a water bottle you'd carry on a bicycle but the similarity ends there. Powered by 12V DC from the nearest cigarette lighter (it draws 140 watts), you add 1.79 ounces (53ml) of water, a circular E.S.E. (easy serving espresso) 'pod' of coffee grounds, screw on the lid and in two minutes, with steam driven at 232 psi (16 bars), you'll have your fix. Doubtless the urge to make a cup while on the roll is an exciting prospect, but, as the video below suggests, brew responsibly and pull over safely before firing it up. Of course, if you're gridlocked, you might just be able to make a few bucks selling shots to your fellow prisoners! The Handpresso Auto costs €149 (around US$200).

3D solar towers offer up to 20 times more power output than traditional flat solar panels

While we’ve looked at the development of solar cell technologies that employ nanoscale 3D structures to trap light and increase the amount of solar energy absorbed, MIT researchers have now used 3D on the macro scale to achieve power output that is up to 20 times greater than traditional fixed flat solar panels with the same base area. The approach developed by the researchers involves extending the solar cells upwards in a three-dimensional tower or cube configuration to enable them to better capture the sun's rays when it is lower on the horizon. Solar panels placed flat on a rooftop are most effective at harnessing solar energy when the sun is close to directly overhead, but quickly lose their efficiency as the angle of the sun’s rays hitting the panel increases – during the mornings, evenings, in the cooler months and in locations far from the equator. It is exactly in these situations that the researcher’s vertical solar modules provided the biggest boosts in power output. After exploring a variety of possible 3D configurations using a computer algorithm and testing them under a range of latitudes, seasons and weather with specially developed analytic software, the team built three different individual 3D modules and tested them on the MIT lab building roof for several weeks. The results showed a boost in power output ranging from double to more than 20 times that of fixed flat solar panels with the same base area.

By going vertical and collecting more sunlight when the sun is closer to the horizon, the team’s 3D modules were able to generate a more uniform output over time. This uniformity extended over the course of each day, the seasons of a year, and even when accounting for blockage from clouds and shadows. The researchers say this increase in uniformity could overcome one of the biggest hurdles facing solar energy – predictability of electricity supply that currently makes it difficult to integrate solar power sources into the grid. They add that this uniformity, as well as the much higher energy output for a given area, would help offset the increased cost of the 3D modules, which are higher per the amount of energy generated when compared to conventional flat solar panels. While the team’s computer modeling showed complex shapes – such as a cube with each face dimpled inward – would offer a 10 to 15 percent improvement in power output when compared to a simpler cube, these would be difficult to manufacture. In their rooftop tests, the team studied both simpler cube modules as well as more complex accordion-like shapes that could be shipped flat for unfolding on site. This accordion-like tower was the tallest structure the team tested and such a design could be installed in a parking lot to provide a charging station for electric vehicles, according to Jeffrey Grossman, the senior author of the study and the Carl Richard Soderberg Career Development Associate Professor of Power Engineering at MIT. Grossman and his colleagues believe that with the fall in the cost of solar cells in recent years - to the point where they have become less expensive than their supporting structures and the outlay for the land upon which they are placed - makes it an ideal time to examine the benefits of different solar cell configurations. “Even 10 years ago, this idea wouldn’t have been economically justified because the modules cost so much,” Grossman says. But now, he adds, “the cost for silicon cells is a fraction of the total cost, a trend that will continue downward in the near future.” Buoyed by the success of the tests on the individual 3D modules, the team now plans to study a collection of solar towers that will enable them to examine the effects that one tower’s shadow will have on another as the sun moves across the sky over the course of a day. While the team believes its 3D solar cells could offer big advantages in flat-rooftop installations or urban environments where space is limited, they say they could also be used in larger-scale applications, such as solar farms, once a configuration that minimizes the shading effects between towers has been developed. The results of the MIT team’s computer modeling and rooftop testing of real modules appear in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.

Cardo BK-1 turns your bike helmet into a walkie talkie

Cardo Systems, Inc. has long specialized in radio communications systems for motorcycles. Now the company has turned to the bike market in building what it calls the "world's first Bluetooth communications and entertainment system for bicycle helmets." The stereotypical cyclist with his Lycra jersey and bib shorts doesn't have a whole lot of personal storage space for an electronics device. So, Cardo built a unit designed to be mounted to the bicycle helmet. The BK-1 unit is a waterproof, aerodynamic Bluetooth device that fits nearly any helmet with some simple hardware. The hardware looks a little more streamlined than the similar HIOD One system we saw last year. The BK-1 is a communications device, first and foremost. It can pair with up to two other BK-1 units, allowing you to communicate with fellow cyclists at distances up to 1,640 feet (500 m). It can also work with a mobile phone via Bluetooth, to make/receive calls. Both the intercom and phone functions are voice activated, so you can keep your hands planted on the handlebars. With its click-to-link function, you can even automatically connect to other BK-1 users in the area and have a spontaneous conversation (similar to how you could use a radio to scan for other users on the same channel). The Automatic Gain Control adjusts volume according to speed and ambient noise.

In addition to communications, the BK-1 can pair with a music player or GPS via Bluetooth or hard-wire connection, allowing you to listen to music or GPS routing. An incoming phone call will interrupt intercom audio, and an incoming intercom message will interrupt music. The BK-1 package features several components, including the main control unit, a microphone and earpiece unit, and a cradle. The cradle attaches to a helmet with an included Velcro strap, and the main unit and headphones slide into the cradle. Velcro pads allow you to customize the fit and stability of the system. The main unit has five buttons that switch between audio sources and control tracks. The BK-1 provides up to seven hours of talk time via a rechargeable battery. It comes in both solo and duo packages.

EDAG extends Light Car concept with electric inner-city runaround

Here's one from this year's International Geneva Motor Show you may have overlooked. We first caught a whiff of EDAG's Light Car concept in the September of 2009, when the open source project was in preliminary development. At Geneva this year, EDAG unveiled the third member of what's fast becoming a full range of all-electric Light Cars: the EDAG Light Car - Sharing. Hmm. Let's call it the LC-S for short. A markedly different animal to the Light Cars before it, the LC-S is aimed at inner-city car hire fleets.

The needs of a car designed for such brief excursions have been identified by EDAG as being significantly different to your standard hire car, with a self-explanatory hire system being high among the priorities. As has been the case with the Light Car since its inception, illumination is central to the LC-S idea, but in this case LEDs integrated into gel pads (a departure from the OLEDs mooted in the original Light Car concept), are used to display the vehicle's availability. A traffic light color system is used to let potential users know at a glance whether a given LC-S is available. Green means yep, red means nope, while yellow means I'm recharging. Light plays additional functional roles. Lasers integrated into the mirrors project a safety zone onto the ground, "ensuring that passengers can get in and out in safety". Ensuring is a strong word, but it would at least provide some degree of visual warning to other drivers in danger of invading the LC-S's personal space at critical times. And, when not being driven, the rear window of the car can be rented out as advertising space, though it isn't precisely clear what technology is employed to this end. The LC-S is also designed to be uniquely iconic. "A car sharing vehicle must have the potential to act as a city's visiting card," said EDAG's head designer, Johannes Barckmann. "Consequently, top priority goes to a high recognition factor and iconic character." Clearly this, like the Hiriko, is being pitched very much at the city authority seeking to role out city-wide electric hire car fleets. The visual design does not come at the expense of practicality. The LC-S' 1.9-meter (6.2-ft) height means passengers can get in without need of protective headgear. Shock absorption is instead reserved for the Technogel pads strategically located on the car's bumpers, providing a limited degree of damage-prevention in the event of a minor bump. Thought has been given to the inside, too. The are six seats to accommodate large families or groups of friends, the majority of which fold (the seats, not the friends) to make room for a weekly shop or bulky purchases. The driving experience has been bared down to the absolute essentials: accelerator, brake, steering wheel and indicators. A single display incorporates a speedo, battery gauge and navigation info. This not only makes things as simple as possible for the user - it also reduces cost, and risk of damage, for the fleet owner. The Light Car - Sharing is apparently "designed to last for a good deal longer than 10 years." For this reason components are designed to be modular for ease of replacement.

And hopefully the LC-s will prove as easy to hire as it is to drive. Finding and booking an LC-S will all be done with the use of smartphones - to the point that the vehicle will be unlocked with a Bluetooth key. In terms of its greenness, the EDAG envisage smart-grid technology will be employed to make charging as green as possible. Inductive charging at designated hire points will look for renewable energy availability when considering the optimal time to recharge. EDAG has communicated much more about the LC-S concept than it has the specific technology that will ultimately comprise it. We're told there's a tubular steel base frame. We're told that are steerable electrically-powered axles. But in terms of what goes on under the hood, and the machine's speed, acceleration and range capabilities, we're still very much in the dark about EDAG's Light Car - Sharing.