Friday, July 28, 2006

An in-car Macintosh-based PC

"When it comes to the disciplines of performance, handling and spectacular body design, the world’s most exclusive sports cars rarely leave anything to be desired. That changes when it comes to the interior as many of their discriminating owners wish to customize according to their own, often very personal tastes. German company Mattes Interieurtechnik specializes just in interior automotive design for ultra luxury cars. Every detail of how the interior will be customized is discussed in a personal conversation with the customer and there is no limit to the colours the customer can choose from, regardless of whether it's the leather or Alcantara used, the floor and trunk carpeting or the thread for the stitching, or one’s choice of personal computer. Until now all existing multimedia and business systems on wheels were based on PC technology. Mattes Interieurtechnik responded to the request of many of its customers who prefer Apple computers and developed a high-end in-car system based on an Apple iMac G5, whose entire hardware in turn is integrated into the 17-inch monitor that is only 5 centimeters thick. The iMac G5 multimedia system can be integrated into any car, though it is pictured here in the new Mercedes CLS where it'll set you back around UE 3,500. The computer comes covered in the finest magnolia-colored leather and is installed on the driveshaft tunnel behind the front seats. By unplugging one cable and unfastening the locking mechanism the computer can be removed from the car in less than an a minute for use at home or in the office.

The team of Reinald Mattes placed equal emphasis on an extensive range of functionalities of the multimedia equipment as well as on the stylish integration of the Apple iMac G5 into the interior.

An integrated DVD player also makes use of the large 16:10 iMac display. A wireless keyboard and mouse control all office and multimedia functions of the Mac OS X operating system. Downloading photos from an external source such as a digital camera is as easy as logging on to the internet via UMTS or GPRS connection.

In addition to the extensive color palettes of the leading manufacturers Mattes Interieurtechnik offers the option to custom-dye the high-quality materials in any desired color – including the hue of a partner’s favorite lipstick. Just as extensive is selection of upholstery design. Smooth or gathered surfaces, square or rhomboid seam patterns: There are no limits to personal expression. (Via Gizmag.com)

A Man, a Blunt and 12 String starring J-Rock





The Revolver Report Exclusive

Monday, June 26, 2006

A Yakuza-class bulletproof case for the iPod

What do you do when you accidentally destroy your treasured glossy media player from the Apple? How do you recover from having your iPod bludgeoned to death by being jammed against the handrail on a subway train? You make a bulletproof case, of course. That's at least what one fellow from the Kanto region of Japan decided to do when his iPod Photo was destroyed on his daily commute.

The case is 5mm thick all around, said to be strong enough to survive a .22-millimeter bullet. Of course, if the sniper has such perfect aim as to strike the click wheel or color display, then you're pretty much SOL anyways. The aluminium A5052 case is held together by beefy M3 hex bolts for good measure. Dubbed the "Armor Plate for iPod Photo", this crazy chromy yet powerful protector (Terminator?) tips the scales at nearly half a kilo (446 grams), making it 2.5 times the weight of a new iPod Photo.

Now I wonder if anyone would do something like this for the more contemporary Nano...
mobilemag.com