InventorSpot

Hurricane Ike came and went and in between left a lot of people, among other things, without electricity for days (some people weeks). If you have ever had to live without electricity you know it isn't impossible to do, but it is a hassle and it does take a lot of rethinking on how to stay cool and keep fresh food. Those who could afford it had the option of using gasoline-powered generators and the very lucky had the opportunity to use the Solar Stik.

The Audi R8 has been hailed as one of the best supercars ever made since hitting the streets in 2007, which is most likely why someone wanted to have a custom racing boat designed around it. The best part? The company may put the design into limited production.

Parents will be the first to admit that one of the most stressful things they have ever gone through or will be going through is when it comes time for their teens to start driving. The dangers that present themselves are numerous and the temptations are just common. Ford is hoping to alleviate some of these worries with a new system they have named MyKey.

When it comes to agility on the road, sport bikes are pretty hard to beat. That won't stop people from trying though, and Brudeli Tech thinks they may be close to reaching that goal. Their new bike based design, called the Leanster, adds a new level of excitement on and off the road.

Once again, we return to the realm of the Nissan GT-R, but this time the news is not so good. It seems that a few owners of the coveted sports car have had some issues while stretching the legs of the Twin-Turbo V-6 and they aren't getting a favorable response from Nissan.

The designers at Venturi, an automotive company based out of France, are accustomed to designing electric vehicles. The Fetish, their first electric sports car, debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. This year, they have another sport-based all electric vehicle to unleash on the world.

Let's face it: spies are cool. And what kid (or adult, for that matter) hasn't fantasized about fast cars, exotic locations, and nifty gadgets that are the trademarks of the spy-trade?

Lamborghini may soon be joining Koenigsegg in the "Super Sports Sedan" arena. Using the Paris Auto Show as a stage to introduce their new 4-Door rocket, Lamborghini is already talking about production feasibility.

The Ford Ka has made a large impression on both the European and Latin American market since its introduction in 1996. To keep people interested and sales up, Ford introduced 3 new styles of the Ka, each with its own personality.

As expected, the next model of Mitsubishi's Colt was out and about at the Paris Motor Show and the new styling definitely gives it a sportier look. And with three different engines available, the Colt promises to be the perfect entry vehicle.

Not idling is one of the many good ways to save gas and be more environmentally friendly, but there are few to keep cool on hot days when, for some important reason, you just have to sit in your vehicle and wait. What is the average Jane and Joe to do to not idle and yet stay cool when there is need to stay cool in a vehicle and opening the windows just isn't enough? How about truckers?

It comes as no surprise that as soon as the Nissan GT-R hit the streets, people wanted to customize it. The only real issue was the very limited number of things you could do without voiding the warranty or illuminating a check engine light. Since a body kit won't void the warranty, that's where many people are looking, which is why Wald International has released their version of the GT-R.

The Dodge Viper is one of the few remaining American Supercars and sadly, it too many soon be removed from the Chrysler production line. But the Viper isn't done fighting yet. Rather than just discontinuing the Viper, the rights may be sold to a third party where the legacy can continue.

The Paris Motor Show is in full swing, and as expected, the new concepts and hybrids are among the top reveals. One of the more interesting vehicles present at the show is the Joule MPV, which is the first electric vehicle to come from South Africa.

If your dogs just can't get enough exercise and you don't live in a very cold, wet climate where you can sled, there are snowless equivalents of dog sledding. You can go carting or scootering and leave the driving to them! Mush! Mush!

As City Cars are becoming more popular and widely accepted, automakers are beginning to open up the market for them and add their own version to the mix. Nissan unveiled their addition to the city car genre at the Paris Motor Show and is promising a release date of Spring 2009.

Even though Ford's current EcoBoost system has gotten a lot of positive feedback, they have already started working on the next iteration of the system. The project has been code-named Bobcat and it is moving through the stages of design very quickly.

The Wall Street Journal announced the recipients of its 2008 Technology Innovation Awards. The top award went to Vidacare, a U.S. firm, that created the EZ-IO device, a high-speed drill that delivers medications and other fluids directly into bones.

It is no secret that our beloved internal combustion engines are not very efficient. In fact, the average amount of energy lost is somewhere in the 65%-70% region, with most of this figure being lost in the form of heat through the exhaust system. Eric Mattessich, a senior at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, has developed a way to harness some of this energy and put it back into the system.

Is it a bat? A plane? It's neither yet. Instead, it's the Army's bat-shaped innovative spy plane concept. The idea is to create a miniature spy plane resembling a bat and its use of echolocation. The spy plane would run off a lithium battery recharged by wind, solar power and even vibrations.