George Barris, the custom car designer who created the Batmobile  and other famous Hollywood cars, recently turned his attention to the Smart Car.  The result is Batsmart, a one-of-a-kind Smart Car with red pinstriping, a jet blast nozzle, bat wings and a $39,500 price tag.  He also created a Smart Woodie.  For more information, see this article in USA Today.

See George Barris and the original Batmobile in this YouTube video 😉

As the demand for e-readers continues to expand, Sharper Image has decided to jump into the fray. The company is best known for its store and catalog that sell high tech gifts and gadgets. Now Sharper Image has decided to complete with Sony, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, who are emerging as the leaders in the e-reader gadget category. Already, early competitors in the field like Plastic Logic have dropped out of the reace.

The Sharper Image e-reader is named “Literati” and will retail for about $160. It features a color screen and will be powered by the Kobo e-book store. The device has wi-fi connectivity and supports wireless downloads, plus free reading apps are promised for the Literati. Sharper Image plans on selling its e-reader in its own stores and in other stores including Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s, Macy’s, JC Penney and Best Buy.

When you live in a small space like a dorm room, you have to take advantage of every space-saving device possible. Here’s a handy gadget that combines all the appliances you need for a nice hot breakfast – coffeemaker, frying pan and toaster oven. The Supentown 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker combines stainless steel and heat-resistant glass into the ultimate multitasking breakfast machine. While your coffee brews, crack an egg into the frying pan and pop a piece of toast into the toaster oven. By the time you’re done checking your email breakfast will be waiting!

The 3-in-1 Breakfast maser is available for just $45 at Target. Since the start school year will be upon us soon, check out some other great dorm gadgets here.

Digital media such as CDs can be ripped, copied and backed up, but did you ever think you could backup vinyl records?  Now Mike Nese’s DO IT website has instructions for making a silicon copy of a vinyl record.  Mike is the co-host of Punkin’ Chunkin’ and Catch It Keep It on the Science channel, so he seems to know what he’s talking about.  He’s also a contributor to Wired and ReadyMade magazines.  On his website he also explains how vinyl records are made, which is a fascinating topic in itself.  Visit the DO IT website to and see if you think you’d like to try to copy a record.

The 2011 Nissan Leaf offers a revolutionary new design for an electric vehicle (EV).  The name “Leaf” stands for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car.  This compact 5-door electric hatchback will go on sale in late 2010 and will retail in the U.S. for about $33,000.  The announced all-electric range is 100 miles for city driving.  The Leaf will feature an advanced IT system that allows the vehicle to connect to a global data center that will provide driver support, navigation information and entertainment 24/7.  A dash-mounted monitor will display remaining power and a list of nearby charging stations. 

Read more about this new EV at the Nissan Leaf website and see it in action in this YouTube video:

The name Dyson has been associated with innovative household cleaning appliances, such as vacuum cleaners.  The Dyson Bladeless Fan is next generation oscillating three-blade portable fan.  The Bladeless consists of a ring sitting on a stand with no visible blades or cage.  The technology behind the Dyson Bladeless Fan is called “air multiplier.”  Inventor James Dyson explains the concept this way: traditional fans cup up air waves and propel them out, but the Dyson fan (since it has no blades) provides a constant air stream with no chop.  Dyson also claims that the Bladeless fan’s lack of blades also makes it safer, especially for children’s rooms.

The Dyson Bladeless Fan retails for about $300.  Read more about it on the Dyson website.  You can see air multiplier technology explained in the YouTube video:

The latest green innovation isn’t a solar-powered battery – it’s a water-powered battery!  This calculator runs off a unique battery that uses moisture to activate energy-producing carbon particles.  The battery produces the same amount of energy as an alkaline battery, but the fact that it’s made from carbon means that it’s not toxic.  To charge, just fill the battery with tap water and the calculator can be operated for two to three months.   You’ll never have to buy an alkaline battery for this calculator!

This innovative calculator is available in bulk quantities at epromos.com.  It makes a great promotional item for eco-friendly businesses.

The American band OK Go has earned viral video status on YouTube for their unique and creative music videos.  In 2005,  they danced to their song “A Million Ways.”  In 2007 they took it up a notch with an elaborately choreographed routine on treadmill machines for their song “Here It Goes Again.”  That video has racked up over 4 million views on YouTube. 

In 2010, OK Go produced 2 videos for their song “This Too Shall Pass.”  The first features the University of Notre Dame band and has also gained about 3 million views on YouTube.  The second video involved the creation of an elaborate mechanical Rube Goldberg machine (or a giant version of the Mouse Trap game) designed by Adam Sadowsky’s Synn Labs.  Sadowsky recently spoke at a TED conference about the creation of the machine and filming of the amazing music video, which currently has over 16 million views on YouTube:

The BBC’s Top Gear show recently put on a series of Football matches between 2 teams of cars. In the Car Football World Cup Final, Richard Hammond led the Toyota Aygo team against a Volkswagen Fox team led by James May. See the exciting match in this YouTube video from the BBC:

The GPS Angel V4e is a 100% legal gadget that will help you avoid red light cameras and speed cameras. Many cities have installed red light cameras as a quick way to write tickets. Being in the intersection even a hundredth of a second too late can result in a ticket with a several hundred dollar fine. Now this clever device uses proven GPS technology to calculate your position in relation to a database of red light can speed camera locations – risk areas – and warns you when you are about to enter into a risk area. No installation is required, just place the GPS Angel GPS V4e on your dashboard and you’re good to go.

Find out more about this red light detection gadget on the GPS Angel website.