I'm pretty used to driving on the left side of the road, having driven in Rarotonga, New Zealand, and Australia for several months. But I would be nervous to drive in Japan, because the roads are narrow and I am nervous I wouldn't be able to read the signs. But this video makes me think I should rent a car the next time I go there.
This video tells you about international driving permits, speed limits, rest stops, car rental, tolls, and other tips.
Video: YouTube Read the rest
This stubby screwdriver fits into tight spaces. Read the rest
As a wise man once said, "It's funny cause it's true."
After a long day of driving for Uber and Lyft, this fella decided to work out exactly how much money he'd be taking home after paying taxes and expenses on his income as an independent contractor. While there's certainly a number of tax loopholes and write-offs that he could be taking advantage of, it looks like, for most people, driving for Uber or Lyft isn't worth the time. Read the rest
Last Sunday, Saudi Arabia lifted its decades-long ban on women driving. On the same day, a young rapper named Leesa A released a music video celebrating her new-found freedom. The video has since gone viral.
BBC reports:
Leesa A, who previously had a relatively small social media presence, posted her video on Instagram and YouTube where it has attracted more than 1.6 million views combined.
She is filmed driving, pressing the accelerator, changing the gears, all the while rapping: "Yo, you seem to be forgetting that today is the 10th, this means there no taxis," referring to the date of 24 June in the lunar-based Islamic calendar.
YouTube commenter TrueGamerX14 translated the song's entire lyrics:
Read the restYo, you seem to be forgetting that today is the 10th That means no need for taxis The steering wheel in my hands I smash the pedal under my foot I won't need anyone to drive me I'll help myself by myself I've got the drivers license ready with me So put the seat belt on the abaya (the outfit she's wearing) And keep an eye on the sidewalks and the other on the mirror R is for going back, D is for going seeda (straight) Watch out for every car If it was a Ford or Cressida, your life won't be great Come! Pick me up! Take me there! Bring me back! That'll ruin the plan If you want me to come pick you up, you gotta pay up Gas money! Don't underestimate it! Debt!
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) posted this video of a batshit driver near Canal Winchester, Ohio. Amazingly, there were no collisions. "Don't be that driver," says ODOT.
What, um, "perfect" timing.
(via Laughing Squid) Read the rest
Talk about a tight maneuver. This trucker has to make a sharp right turn onto a single-lane bridge with an enormous load of logs. Read the rest
You might think it's an optical illusion but really it's a glitch in the matrix. The insurance adjuster is gonna have a helluva time with this one.
At Anderson Speedway in Indiana, driver Jeffrey Swinford was not pleased with Shawn Cullen for crashing into him and taking both of them out of a race. Then Cullen was not pleased with Swinford parking his car on top of Cullen's. Read the rest
Silly Putty has an interesting property. It's soft when you squeeze it slowly, but rock hard if you hit it with a hammer. Someone came up with the good idea of making speed bumps (or "sleeping policemen," as they cleverly call them in the UK) out of a Silly Putty like substance. That way, slow drivers get a smooth ride, but the faster you go, the more the bump punishes you. It would be fun to design the speed bump in such a way that it rips the undercarriage out of any car going twice the speed limit.
A Ferrari driver in southeast England ignored warnings not to leave cars overnight on the ninth floor of the Brighton Marina parking garage. The fellow returned on Sunday morning to find his fancy ride in the middle of a bustling flea market.
(HuffPo)
The fine folks at Stop a Douchebag typically catch a lot of heat from the Muscovite scofflaws they bust driving on paths and sidewalks, but when behemoths from BodyMania go out on the street, compliance goes to 100% without a peep. Read the rest
I've been using Aukey's Flush Fit Dual Port USB adapter since early 2016. Once you push it into the car's "cigarette lighter" hole, it's close to a flush fit. It could be a chore to pull it out, but I've never had a reason to. It's regularly $9 but if you use the Amazon code AUKECAR7 it costs $7. Read the rest
After trying lots of different phone mounts for cars, the type I've settled on attaches to an air vent and has a magnet on it. You have to stick a thin metal plate on the back of your phone, but it's unobtrusive. Your phone won't slide off. This mount is by far the most convenient kind. Amazon has a sale on air vent magnetic phone mounts. This 2-pack costs $6.39 with free one-day shipping. Read the rest
Goldfish-driven vehicles continue to make great strides since our previous coverage. Now they are higher up and on a sturdier wheelbase, allowing free movement around any gallery where this iteration resides.
Quentin Destieu and Sylvain Huguet say:
Machine 2 Fish is an artistic installation using a robotic experimental system that translates the movements of a living goldfish into the physical locomotion of a robot. It is a question of allowing a goldfish to move in a terrestrial universe thanks to this prosthesis. The aim is to create a pseudo-intelligent system linking the fish and the machine to a stand-alone device that refers to cyborgs and science fiction. This project was born in 2010 as part of a residency with the support of M2F Créations / Lab GAMERZ, the 2016 version embeds a new system of sensors and computer programming able to respond as closely as possible to the requirements of fish.
When will the BattleBots-style series FishBots start? We're waiting with bated* breath.
• Machine 2 Fish (Vimso / Gamerz)
* Yes, the pun is intentional. Read the rest
