Recently, Consumer Reports’ Eric Evarts spoke about the i3 with BMW chief engineer Ulli Kranz. Evarts asked of the i3′s optional range-extending engine and, even though Kranz wouldn’t discuss specifics, Evarts seems to have prodded Kranz in such a way that BMW’s range-extending solution was revealed.

Evarts suggested to Kranz that one of BMW’s motorcycle engines would be ideally suited for range-extending duties and, rather than deny this, Kranz’ “eyes lit up when it was suggested that a motorcycle engine might be a perfect fit for such a car,” according to Evarts.

Furthermore, Green Car Reports speculates that handling the i3′s range-extending duties will be one of BMW’s G-Series motorcycle engines, most likely the 48-horsepower, single-cylinder 652-cc unit that powers the U.S.-spec BMW G 650 GS motorcycle.

SOURCE via Consumer Reports

We’ve been expecting this to happen, but we didn’t expect it to be so fast. Sure, plenty of folks are still waiting for their shipments to arrive, but Apple’s latest magical handset is already baring its innards, courtesy of the screwdriver-wielding mad scientists at iFixit.

The good folks over at iFixit have finished mucking about the iPhone 4S’s innards and have confirmed the handset’s packing 512MB of DDR2 RAM, an updated Qualcomm MDM6610 chip and 16GB of NAND flash memory courtesy of Toshiba. There’s no indication that the A5 processor is clocked at 800MHz as claimed by Anandtech though.

Idle hands will be happy to know the phone’s been awarded a six out of ten repairability rating — it’s not quite amateur territory, but you don’t have to be a pro to get your hands dirty.

SOURCE via iFixit

It’s not easy designing and building a car from the ground up, and that’s especially true when the resulting machine is meant to usher in a new styling direction for an established automotive marque or to put on display the latest bits of technological wizardry and high-fashion materials. Such is the case with the Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class.

The German automaker is quite proud of its conceptual entry-level luxury hatch, and it’s taken the time to lovingly craft a video outlining exactly what goes into creating a concept car like the Concapt A from the drawing phase to the official unveil and everything in between.

To quote the video: “It should be something where you would think, ‘Maybe this is a car my daddy wouldn’t buy… This is a car that I would buy.’” Interested? Check out the complete video after the break.

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Darrell Waltrip won Nascar’s Winston Cup three times and stands fourth in race wins among all Nascar drivers. Yet it only took half a lap in an Australian supercar around Mount Panorama to unleash his inner Snagglepuss. NOT THE CORKSCREW!

Only the most unfair race fans would use Waltrip’s shriekfest with Supercar driver Jason Bright as an indicator of how a regular NASCAR driver might perform with a production-based Aussie V8 around Bathurst. The Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore-based cars actually have less power than an unrestricted Sprint Cut car — but they also weigh about 200 pounds less, and their shorter wheelbase and more modern suspension make them just a little bit faster than Darrell’s accustomed to.

Also, right turns.

In the latest instalment of our Guys Jumping Over Cars series, a Swedish man known as Al the Jumper calmly stands in the middle of a road while a Lamborghini Gallardo traveling at 50 mph speeds his way. Then, effortlessly, he leaps over the car just in time to avoid injuries and/or death. Those are some quick reflexes! In addition to Lamborghinis, Al jumps over other types of cars and also blue squares.

The MultiTaction Cell is a modular, 55-inch integrated LCD screen that can be combined into massive touch screen walls that support an unlimited number of users. Up to 24 displays can be stacked to run a single application. User input tracking is achieved via backlight emitter camera modules.

The screens come with a frameless, thin-bezel design that allows customers to build the Cell devices into any type of environment, including custom furniture, MultiTouch said. The displays can also be displayed horizontally and compete directly with Microsoft’s Surface technology.

“The years of research and market development that we have poured into creating MultiTaction have finally yielded what we now know to be the industry’s next platform for creating powerful multi-user multitouch displays,” said Petri Martikainen, CEO of MultiTouch, in a prepared statement. “By working with the world’s leading interactive developers, we have carefully listened to our customers and developed technology that can be used by what we know will be a large community of multitouch software developers committed to touching the future.”

The screen has an active display area of 1209 x 680 mm and delivers 1080p resolution. The brightness is 250 cd/m2 and the contrast ratio is 4000:1. The software and high response time of 200 fps is driven by Intel Sandy Bridge processors. The power consumption is 450 watts per screen.

There was no information on price.

SOURCE via Multitouch

Designed to generate energy as well as reduce heat, 3M’s latest solar film will be a great addition to any residential or business building. The film features a transparent design that allows it to be installed right over existing windows. Expected to go on sale some time during 2012, 3M’s new film will generate approximately 20 percent of the electricity that is generated from traditional solar panels at half the cost.

In addition to costing less than conventional solar panels, 3M’s film will be easier to install and capable of operating under less favorable sunlight conditions. Since the film is designed to be installed over existing windows, no additional space or bulky equipment is required. Senior manager of 3M’s marketing division Yasuhiro Aoyagi explained, “An average person could go to the store, buy some of this, and then bring it home and install it themselves.”

Created from organic photovoltaic material that is printed onto the film, the new film is also capable of blocking or absorbing 80 percent of visible light and over 90 percent of infrared light. This means users will be able to apply tinting applications of the film without losing its solar panel properties. In several demonstrations run by 3M, thermometers attached to both sides of a window with the film installed revealed a difference in temperature of up to 10 degrees Celsius.

Although the company initially plans to target corporate and governmental buildings, 3M is hoping to increase production and reduce costs for general and residential use as well.

SOURCE via Computer World