Batman is on the phone…
Just when you think Italian supercar maker Lamborghini can’t top their latest insanemobile, they go a bit more insane. Well, maybe not, actually. Check out the Lamborghini Terzo Millenio concept car. If it looks like it’s from a sci-fi future, you’re right, as it’s a concept car and won’t be hitting dealerships anytime soon. Also: it’s a full-on electric concept supercar.
The Terzo was developed as a joint exercise with MIT to see how far Lamborghini could push electric car tech, and they pushed it pretty damn far indeed. Power and storage comes from a mass of carbon nanotube-filled super-capacitors instead of old-school batteries, and the carbon fiber bodywork can also store energy. The sleek bodywork can also “heal itself” to a certain degree if it’s damaged.
There’s a motor in each wheel, and each rim has a series of coil-like “displays” or LEDs, which would be illegal pretty much everywhere except in Concept Car City, where the Terzo currently resides. Sadly, this amazing thing isn’t a runner – there may also be a small issue with ground clearance – but it does show that Lamborghini is looking toward a possible electric future after decades of making a long line of amazing gas-powered wondercars.
Do the twist
Speaking of amazing substances, some smart folks over at Carnegie Mellon University have come up with could a revolutionary new metal alloy that could make future phones, tablets and TV truly bendable. Designed by the aptly named Soft Machine Lab at the school, researchers have come up with a metallic material that stays in liquid form at room temperature. Best thing about it: it’s a good electrical conductor, so it could lead to super-flexible circuit boards.
Another key property: it’s able to heal itself, sort of like that Lamborghini. And since it likes to be in a liquid state at normal temperatures, it doesn’t need a lot of cooling or heating to work well. There is another metal that is liquid at room temperature of course: mercury. But mercury is one of the most toxic materials on the planet, especially if it gets into your body. This new material is totally non-toxic, scientists say. Sounds like a winner to us.
The sweet center of innovation
In the increasingly sophisticated world of ultra-complex computers, there’s one machine that still makes a lot of hardware geeks smile – and is still selling in the millions: It’s the diminutive Raspberry Pi, a $25 open-source PC that’s at the heart of a million robotics competitions, and millions more other fun projects. DT has taken a long look at the history around this perky little PC, which went from an obscure hobbyist device to a mass-market phenomenon in 2011.
We’ve even used one to cobble together our own NES Classic home build, which turned out pretty good. It’s a great story of innovation, perseverance, and a lot of late nights after the inventor expected to sell a few thousand of the tiny computers and then got hit with over 100,000 pre-orders. Check out the interesting history of the little computer that can.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
