Welcome to another episode of “If college students can do it, why can’t the rest of the world figure it out too?”

An enterprising and organized group of undergraduate and graduate students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have fitted an old sail boat with a spiffy set of hydrogen fuel cells and plan to run the boat from Manhattan to upstate New York later this month in a “green power” tour of sorts.

I love it when college students do this kind of stuff. Seriously. If I could have stayed in college forever, I would have. Believe me, I tried.

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iPod docks have evolved to this: the Altec Lansing iMT620 inMotion Classic, a small audio device that sounds a whole lot bigger. Like most examples of its ilk, you place your iPhone or iPod into its base and it dutifully charges your handset while you listen. This one adds an extra dimension — that shiny kickstand in the back transforms into a carrying handle, letting you rock your iPhone/iPod, FM radio or any other audio player in the field for five hours, unplugged.

We tested the inMotion Classic with an iPhone 3GS, which caused no interference whatsoever, a problem we’ve seen when the iPhone is anywhere near many other audio devices. The most remarkable aspect of this tiny powerhouse is its kick-ass sound, nailing the bass with digital signal processing that really works. The twin 3-inch drivers sound a whole lot bigger than that, creating nicely balanced sound with crisp highs and clean midrange.

There are clever touches and design throughout, including a slot in the back where you can place the remote when you’re not using it, luxo-sport looking aluminum construction, and an cool-looking backlit LCD display that shows source, iPod song and artist info. That FM radio comes complete with an old-style telescoping antenna, a nice hidden-away touch for those who can’t get too far away from the radio. And if you want to take this rechargeable hotshot out on the town, it’s small, just over 11 inches wide and much lighter than it looks, folding flat enough to fit in a backpack or carry-on bag.

This is one of the best iPod docks we’ve seen and especially, heard. Just released a few days ago, it’s already been discounted from its retail price of $150 to $141.88. That’s still a bit of a steep price to pay for an iPod/iPhone dock, but for one with this kind of power, impressive sound and easy portability, we think it’s worth it.

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Computers of the future will be completely hidden, and master craftsman Jeffrey Stephenson leads the way, hiding a clunky mid-tower PCs behind a stately, dignified façade. He’s calling is latest creation “Mission,” a construction lovely enough to be surrounded by an assortment of Stickley furniture.

This PC’s beauty is way beyond skin deep. He’s built his Mission-style case around a standard ATX mid-tower, gracing it with his characteristically high-quality craftsmanship that would be a complement to any living room. You’ll have to wait until next Spring if you want to buy one of these.

If you’re not a gamer or oil-and-gas explorer, you’re not going to need a case this gigantic sitting next to you in your living room, but Stephenson has an Art Deco-style micro PC ready for you, too. We’re such big fans of Stephenson, just about any in his PCs would be welcome in our humble abode.

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You want to scare somebody? Just mutter something about radiation and you’ll be able to sell an iPhone case for $60. That’s one dollar for each percentage point of deadly cellphone radiation this silicone case is said to prevent from reaching into your brain. Could this be a lifesaver?

Despite the lack of credible evidence, the fearmongers at Pong Research hope to sell their iPhone case by comparing cellphone radiation with cigarette smoking. Will cellphones kill you with brain cancer? It’s possible, but unlikely, according to the World Health Organization. But there’s a big difference between possibility and probability, which is a concept that most people have trouble grasping. Beyond that, iPhones are not even in the top 20 emitters of cellphone radiation.

Pong Research should also make hats out of this magical silicone stuff, because this tin foil we’ve been wearing is just not very comfortable.

Via CrunchGear

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One of the things people who’ve driven electric cars seem to enjoy (including myself) is the complete silence of the electric motor. The only noises you hear while driving an EV are dependent on how fast you’re driving, the kind of tires you have, and the condition of the road. For a commuter, this feature alone can be worth millions in sanity.

But at low speeds while driving around town, EVs represent a bit of a threat to people who aren’t able to pick up on the visual cues of such a silent car — namely the visually impaired, children and the elderly. In an effort to address this problem, Nissan has decided that at speeds under 12 mph, the upcoming LEAF EV will emit a “beautiful and futuristic” noise reminiscent of the sounds that flying cars emit in sci-fi movies such as Blade Runner.

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Set your DVRs: The Science Channel’s “How It’s Made” covers Audi clean diesel technology. Debuting TODAY, September 18th, 2009 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with an encore broadcast on the Discovery Channel on Thursday, September 24, 2009, 7:00 and 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“How It’s Made” is one of those head scratchers of a show for me. Take one part horrible muzak and one part kind-of-boring monotone narrator; mix it with some cool behind-the-scenes manufacturing footage of stuff that you normally take for granted; throw in some occasional history and you’ve got yourself… a winner? As much as the show bores my wife to tears, for some reason I love it. It’s so cheesy and cool at the same time.

So I was excited to hear that the show will be doing a segment on the building of an Audi V6 3.0 TDI clean diesel engine. Audi has recently started a push to bring their new clean diesels to the US and market them as a green alternative to gas cars and even electric cars. In fact, Johan de Nysschen, President of Audi America, recently got himself into a bit of hot water by extolling the virtues of diesel while insulting the people who would buy electric drive cars like the Chevy Volt.

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Nothing is worse that having to get out of bed and walk to the couch. I mean, who has the energy? Luckily, Panasonic has created a robotic bed that makes moving from lying down to sitting up easier than ever before.

Essentially, the bed turns into a chair while you sit in it, and then can wheel around your apartment without you ever needing to stand. Sure, it’s for people with limited mobility, but that won’t stop the supremely lazy from getting on board too.

Panasonic Japan via Engadget

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This one may offend you more sensitive types as “ironic” or not green at all. But the fact is, the world needs bulldozers. Lots of them. But until now, anyone seeking a hybrid bulldozer was out of luck. But Caterpillar, the prolific maker of construction equipment has announced that for 2010 they will be selling the D7E, a diesel-electric bulldozer.

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This solar carport, straight out of Japan, manages to keep your cars safe from the elements while also providing a bunch of free power for your house. Of course, with the thing costing $40,000 plus installation up front, you’ll need to use it for a few decades to pay for itself, but won’t you feel like a good person the whole time?

CrunchGear via BornRich

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Bozen, Denmark’s E-Move Charging Station is the work of that country’s entrepreneur, Valentin Runggaldier, and — while those renders make it look like a flight of fancy — it’s actually real and going through a test.

The idea is to provide a place for electric vehicles to charge up (in this case, eight of them), giving commuters another option than the outlet at home. It also benefits from the fact that it wouldn’t require a lot of infrastructure to be installed, as a city-wide smart grid would.

No word on how much longer it takes to charge a vehicle up at an E-Move power station, but Mr. Runggaldier would like to sell his concept to governments if the tests prove promising. Check out more in the gallery below.

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Intel has started to produce the ultra-dense 32-nanometer chips it needs to bring about the next generation of processors. What’s that mean for you and me? Well, two things, depending on the architecture of the 32nm chips: faster computers, phones and more, or ones that use less energy.

That’s because Intel is focusing on “systems on a chip” production (or SoCs), which allows the company to tweak each chip depending on what it’s going into. Raw power is fine for computers, for instance, but specialty instances of the processors — such as in phones and cars — require a little something different.

It’s also this SoC-oriented approach that represents a departure for Intel, as the company will try to offer a variety of components it doesn’t normally include in the manufacturing process. This shift in direction is thanks, in part, to the $7 billion the company has invested to adapt its US plants for 32nm manufacturing.

Intel wants to be the first to bring the 32nm technology to the market, with chips going into computers and electronics by the end of this year, and opening up the 32nm SoC line early next year.

The 45nm chips we use now aren’t dead, however, according to the Wall Street Journal:

In the meantime, Intel next week plans to discuss Jasper Forest, a 45-nanometer SoC targeted at products such as communications and data-storage equipment. On Thursday, it is expected to follow up with Sodaville, another 45-nanometer chip for digital TVs, set-top boxes and media players that combines its Atom microprocessor with circuitry for graphics, video and other functions.

Via the Wall Street Journal

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The skinny little rider you see perched atop the back seat of this tandem is Joules, robot cyclist extraordinaire. He’s the creation of a guy called Chris who, challenged by his son to create an electric tandem that worked via pedal power, more than satisfied the brief.

The nuts-and-bolts robot is powered by a PMG-132 electric motor and, unlike most lazy-assed back-end tandem riders, does all the work himself. Not sure whether I could live with that — I’d probably get so fat from lack of exercise that the tandem would crumple when I got on, and Joules would never forgive me. Catch a video of Joules and Chris after the jump.

Endless-Sphere.com Via Gizmodo

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Anyone who has ever squinted at a typical tiny GPS screen trying to read an obscure street name, will appreciate the benefits of a screen with four times as much real estate. That’s what you’ll get with the Magellan Roadmate 1700′s 7 inch WVGA monster, with plenty of room for additional info and big, easy to read instructions.

In addition to six million POIs (points of interest), the Roadmate 1700 has AAA TourBook travel guide information, and a video input lets you use that big screen to play videos from an iPod or other video source.

The Roadmate 1700 is available now for about $300.

Magellan GPS

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This hot little number is an external Blu-Ray player for computers that Asus hopes to have on shelves later this month. What surprised us the most is the fact that the one and only connector you’ll see along the sides of the unit is one for a USB attachment — no HDMI, no AC jack to plug this thing into the wall. It does everything via USB.

Hopefully Asus will give it a cooler name than “SBC-04D1S-U” by the time it launches. According to the company it can write DVD-Rs and CD-Rs in addition to reading Blu-Ray. It also has a “Turbo Engine for enhanced USB Connectivity” — which is vaguely responsible for cranking HD goodness to your screen — and comes with a vertical stand and Cyberlink software.

Pricing information isn’t available just yet, but we’ll let you know when we do.

Still sounds pretty sweet — and it looks good, too. Hook it up to this crazy motorized Stargate PC case we showed you earlier and you have one beautiful couple on your hands.

Via our Twitter

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The Gyration Air Mouse isn’t exactly new, but the latest Air Mouse Elite adds a lot of new features. In addition to the basic Wiimote style hand gestures, this one will also work on a desk as a laser mouse, The MotionTools software lets you optimize your Air Mouse Elite for running presentations, or operating a home theater, and a matching RF wireless keyboard is available for when you really need to do some hard core typing.

The Gyration Air Mouse Elite will be available next month for $99 by itself, or $150 with the wireless keyboard.

Gyration

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Where’s the best place to keep your Bluetooth earpiece without losing it – besides in your ear? MoGo thinks the right place for it is on the back of your iPhone or BlackBerry, in a shallow cavity molded into a clip-on false back into which the flat MoGo Bluetooth earpiece snaps. The earpiece doesn’t stay flat – the actual earpiece piece folds down to go in your ear.

Under the earpiece stowage cavity is a flip-up micro USB jack, which enables you to connect your iPhone or BlackBerry to one charger and the earpiece to a separate USB cable without removing the Talk from the phone.

It’s a clever arrangement, but works only if the earpiece fits in your ear comfortably (it did mine) and if it sounds halfway decent. We can’t help you on this latter bit – it was impossible to hear anything from them in the crowded, noisy exhibit hall.

The iPhone version just came out, and the BlackBerry version is expected before the holiday season, both priced at $130.

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For those of us that like to travel extremely light, Thanko has introduced what may be the smallest MP3 player you’ve ever seen. The Micro Sports MP3 Player is so tiny that it’s likely most onlookers will assume you’re wearing a Bluetooth headset rather than a full-fledged portable media player.

The device comes in 2 gigabyte and 4 gigabyte configurations, supports Windows and Mac OS, and connects to your computer via USB. The device also lets you to connect another earpiece for your other ear allowing you to achieve stereo sound. You can pick yours up for just 4,980 yen ($55) here.

Via Thanko

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If you find you usually have more phones than you have outlets to charge them with, Durcell’s myGrid conductive charging pad may do just the trick. Duracell sells sleeves — called Power Clips — along with the pad that you attach to your phone, and then charging is as easy as placing it on the myGrid. It’s child safe, too — the unit Duracell showed us automatically switched off when we touched it with our fingers, and then automatically turned back on when we pulled away.

The myGrid itself fits four devices comfortably and currently has sleeves available for Nokia, Motorola and Blackberry devices. Duracell also has plans to include the iPhone in the coming months, and the prototype iPhone Power Clip they showed us looked very much like your average sleeve for the phone.

The myGrid is available on Amazon for an $85 preorder, which gets you the pad as well as a mini-USB compatible Power Clip. The price of the clips aren’t set in stone, yet, but Duracell is looking at somewhere around $30. Look for it all on October 12th.

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Space shuttle Discovery, mounted on leveling jacks, is surrounded by work platforms while undergoing servicing and preparations at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center for its ferry flight to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image Credit: NASA/Tony Landis

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It was big news when Sprint announced last week that it would offer a $69 package on cellphone service, including unlimited calling to any other cellphone, unlimited texting, some fun bells and whistles like GPS navigation, and most important: unlimited data. Lots of people were celebrating the move, with writers and readers pondering switching providers to Sprint. As a former Sprint customer, I’m not in any hurry to get back to the company with the worst customer support I’ve ever encountered (in any industry). But then I look at my iPhone plan with AT&T, which squeezes an extra $20 out of me for unlimited text messaging, and I wonder…

To keep people like me from jumping ship, the other big providers will inevitably respond with similar plans. This could be a great development for consumers — a good old price war! Taking it a step further, though, it could be a good thing for mobile/cellphone tech in general: Since data service is so cheap now, primitive phones will fall into the bin of obsolescence. Soon, pretty much every cellphone will be a smartphone.

As smartphones spread, though, Sprint’s big move might have an unexpected consequence: Putting itself and its fellow providers in a weaker position. My reasoning after the jump.

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