Gadzooki

The Voodoo Knife Block

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Sometimes a geek has to have gadgets that extend beyond the study and the lounge. In this case, why not look up the Voodoo Knife Block for a striking addition to your kitchen. Designed by the Italian design guru Raffaele Iannello, the ‘Voodoo’ knife block, is perfect for any ladies that have a grudge against any men in their lives – or indeed, any would-be Gordon Ramsay.

It comes complete with a set of 5 stainless steel knives: a paring knife; bread knife; carving knife and a large and small chopping knife. Each of the five knives is held in place by a small magnet in the body, and the blades are protected at the rear by a frosted plastic sleeve.

The knife blades are made from Molybdenum and Vanadium stainless steel. Knives made from this material are considered sharper, more durable (in terms of keeping their sharpness, as it is a harder and more wear resistant material) and more resistant to rust than 18/8 (standard) stainless steel knives.

Overall, the Voodoo Knife block makes a great kitsch addition to your kitchen!

When Buying A Car…

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There are of course a few things you should consider when buying an automobile. There is a huge range of them out there, both issues to consider as well as potential vehicles. As such, it can help to narrow down your options in order to come to some sort of short-list. Let’s take a look at a few questions you might want to ask yourself:

What’s my budget?
Well, that’s up to you to decide. Unless you’re absolutely crazy about cars, it’s probably not worth getting into a huge amount of debt over. After all, the other costs including insurance and breakdown cover etc should all be factored in when considering this issue.

What is the car going to be used for?
One of the most obvious questions really. If you’re going to be using a car for the track, there’s little point getting a huge Oldsmobile (unless you are racing in an Oldsmobile tournament). On the other hand, if you’re a mother with two children that you have to drop off and pick up at school every day, then you’ll want something with space.

How far are you going to drive?
One of the most important issues that are not often considered is how far you’ll drive the car. Bigger cars can feature more creature comforts – which would be more appealing to a salesman for instance who may have to travel a great distance every week for his company. The same car however could prove uneconomical for a single person doing regular short trips or just using the vehicle at the weekend.

New or used?
This is one of the biggest issues in buying a car – do you go with second (or third or fourth) hand, or do you take the plunge, add finance and then drive away in a car with single digit mileage on the clock? Whilst the latter option can look quite attractive, the idea of losing up to one fifth of the value of the vehicle after less than a year makes it sometimes seem like financial idiocy.

Diesel, LPG, electric or petrol?
There are a whole host of various fuel options available today in the modern automotive market. What you pick can make a difference in how the car performs (diesel engines tend to be more torquey for example), how far it can go without refuelling and even how good it is for the environment. This is no doubt an issue that will become more important over time – this is especially apparent here in the UK. The other issue regarding fuel is consumption – just how much will it cost to run?

Which style and bodyshape?
This really ties in with the first question. What you buy depends on the purpose of the vehicle, but it also depends on personal taste. My parents for example favour smaller cars, though this is more because of their appearance over their economical qualities. I myself prefer a saloon bodyshape, though not necessarily the fuel consumption.

What about service?
Servicing the car and the availability of parts is a very important issue when buying a car. Unless you’re in love with a particularly rare brand (and I mean really in love) it will always be worth considering a more widely available model if just because you’ll have less trouble sourcing parts when inevitably things do go wrong.

What about the brand – that’s important right?
Well, it depends where you are. Brands carry certain connotations. Some countries don’t care; the car is after all a mode of transport. Here in the UK though it tends to say something about the owner. I guess in that respect brand and model is important.

Just picking up from the last point, ownership satisfaction is the most important issue really when it comes down to owning a car. If you’re sure of the car, it will give you exactly what you want for years to come – whether that’s space, freedom, speed or just a reliable way to get from a to b.

Pagani Zonda R

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The Pagani Zonda R is a truly awe inspiring car. With a price tag of about £1.3 million, this was always going to be a special motor. What made it even more impressive is just how tuned it is, the level of performance and technical specification is breathtaking. Here’s the official line from Pagani:

While we certainly cannot say the Zonda F lacks performance figures, driving around the Nürburgring in 7:27:82 and achieving lateral G forces of almost 1.5 G, it is however a road car, easy to drive, intuitive and setting the benchmark for comfort, safety and lightweight. Paired with a quality finish and the attention to detail this made the Zonda F one of the most desirable supercars resulting in the 25 Coupé models being sold out in record time.

This did not seem to fulfil the requirements of our most demanding customers, who adore the weekend drive on a racetrack.

The spark has been set by an Italo-American customer, enthusiast and already proud owner of 3 Zondas. He describes the project this way: “The thought has been on my mind for quite some time, but I am not interested in racing”.

The Zonda R is born with full liberty. The target: the ultimate performance at the racetrack without any implications of rules, except for safety, where no compromise is allowed.

In September 2006 the first drawings were ready, but it was crucial to have the support of Mercedes-AMG for a high revving engine with a power output of 750hp, dry sump, light and with a low centre of gravity. The basis was the self supporting engine of the mighty CLK GTR, which has dominated the GT championships.

Even at constant racing pace the engine would have to cover over 5.000 km before servicing. The challenge has been accepted without hesitation.

The Zonda R is a car designed from scratch, with only 10% of the Zonda F components to be carried over. The suspension forged in Avional, a new Pagani six speed transversal sequential gearbox, carbon fibre monocoque, aeronautical four pump fuel tank are only part of the equation.

The wheelbase has grown by 47mm, the overall length by 394mm and the track is increased by 50mm. The bodywork and aerodynamics have been studied to offer maximum downforce. Even though built for the track, the project would not have received kick off, if the quality and finish of the car and its details was not up to the level of the Pagani road cars.

One of the first cars to be delivered however will be kept in a living room, designed by Pagani and built with the same materials as the Zonda F, beautifully textured carbon fibre, avional, titanium, inconel and other state of the art materials. Additionally it will feature a bespoke HiFi System that will allow the customer to listen to the sound of this car at Le Mans and the Nürburgring.

Technical Specifications
This Zonda is purpose made for track use, without restrictions of any competition rules or homologation, with the only exclusion of the passengers’ integrity, where no compromise is tolerated according to our philosophy and state-of-the-art safety measures are featured.

A new heart
The engine is built by the racing specialists at Mercedes AMG, where the championship winning DTM cars are born, as well as the CLK GTR, probably the most devastating and effective weapon ever to compete in the GT series. From it’s engine the Zonda R borrows the basic architecture including an ingenious dry sump allowing a low centre of gravity. This self-supporting engine with 750 hp at 8000 rpm and 710 Nm of torque carries a lightweight carbon fibre high- performance intake system, a racing multiple disc sintered clutch and Formula 1 style exhaust system, hydroformed in Inconel 625 and ceramic coated for optimal heat dissipation. The power unit combined with a 6 speed transversal manual sequential synchronised gearbox is designed to satisfy the most ambitious drivers.

The chassis
The central carbon chassis will incorporate a roll cage and a rubber racing fuel tank with 4 fuel pumps and quick refuel filler like on GT race cars. The wheelbase has been increased by 47mm to offer the best stability. The front and rear subframes are brand-new, built to accommodate a new suspension geometry, produced in avional. The magnesium forged rims with central wheel nut and a quick pneumatic lifting system allows fast and effortless changes of the slick tyres.

Bodywork and aerodynamics
The new bodywork has been honed to offer elevated downforce even in low speed corners. The longer front bonnet with flaps, closed underbody and the rear overhang with the adjustable rear wing and race derived diffusor translate into shattering aerodynamic efficiency and will let you experience cornering speeds beyond imagination.

The car displays and logs information about the amount of dowforce that the car is generating at each moment. Combined with the adjustable wings you can easily find the best setup for each track.

Workstation
The interior is designed to accommodate the driver and passenger in bespoke seats, built to offer the best support, when the G-forces from the vehicle dynamics come into question. The Digitek instrumentation provides the essential information and a sophisticated telemetry allows through a variety of sensors to monitor every single component of the car.

Sony To Announce Non-Blu-ray PS3?

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According to a city analyst (not that they ever get anything wrong mind you), there’s rumours abound that Sony is to announce a price cut for their hardware, along with, perhaps, a non-Blu-ray version of the PS3.

“Recent channel checks indicate increased speculation for a PS3 price cut announcement from Sony in the next couple of days” said Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey on Tuesday. (source – Edge).

One of the easiest ways to reduce the price of the PS3 would (naturally) be to cut the expensive Blu-ray player feature out of the machine, resulting in (potentially), a saving that could be passed on to the consumer to the tune of around $100.

However, this move would seem unlikely given the fact that all current PS3 retail games are produced on the higher capacity discs rather than the older format of DVD. Moving to a two-tiered console base would require Sony to produce two variants of each game – something that they are unlikely to move to. Perhaps then Sony will announce a console that requires an add-on to play Blu-ray movies such as a dongle of some kind?

It’s my guess that a price cut might well arrive, but I can’t see it being at the expense of the Blu-ray player. Perhaps instead they’re working on a killer IP that will actually help to sell their console in larger numbers than they are currently achieving. One or two killer exclusives would cement the console into the homes of many.

Help Build A Performance Car – Project Splitwheel

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Project Splitwheel is a brand new concept that aims to design and build a performance car with input from enthusiasts from around the world. Each person who signs up has a vote that can help steer the direction of the design and build of the car from what sort of engine it will use all the way to how it should look. Register to get involved. Here’s some further information on the project:

– The vehicle must be a ‘performance car’
“The only restriction is that the project must design a ‘performance’ car…the most important factor is that this car must be enjoyable for an enthusiast to own and drive in its own right.” from splitwheel.com FAQ Nov ’08

– Ultimate performance is not necessarily the overiding objective
It is for the Project Team to establish performance targets for the vehicle based on the performance levels of existing (and predicted future) cars in the marketplace. The car must have appropriately high performance for its target market. The car’s positioning in the market may or may not require prioritisation of ultimate lap times, acceleration figures or top speed.

– The viability of ‘environmentally-friendly’ propulsion technologies must be considered carefully
The Project Team will need to consider the current (and future) trends in the marketplace towards reduced-emissions technologies, along with the increased legislative pressure to adopt them. Any viable alternatives to petrol combustion will be considered (e.g. diesel, hybrid, electric, biofuel, hydrogen), however it will be imperative to establish that any such technology used in the car will result in a desirable, true ‘performance car’ which is viable to manufacture and sell profitably.

– The starting point of the Project is a ‘blank canvas’, but with caveats
Splitwheel and Caterham agreed to start the Project off from a very broad position where any format of performance car will be considered. However, the resulting vehicle must be a viable, saleable product for the real world that Caterham can realise. This will mean that a clear business case will need to be made for any vehicle to reach the prototyping stage. For example, a million-pound Bugatti Veyron rival would have exceptionally high R+D costs with a tiny potential marketplace, which would almost certainly prohibit Caterham from proceeding with development. The Project Team therefore needs to demonstrate who would actually buy the finished vehicle.

– The vehicle will need to be suitable for circuit driving and racing
Caterham is a global leader in grassroots motorsport, with the Seven being one of the most popular track and race cars in the world. It is therefore a requirement that any new Caterham model is inherently suitable for (or can be modified at low cost for) track and race driving. Note that this does not mean that the brief requires a stripped-out ‘track-day special.’

Bottom Line:
1. No shopping cars, vans or trucks.
2. We need to set some performance benchmarks to aim for
3. Green is good, but only if it will sell
4. Super-exotic ‘Veyron-killers’ unlikely to suceed
5. Need to establish who will want/be able to buy the car
6. Caterham has racing ‘in the blood.’ The new car must share at least a bit of that DNA.

The Caparo T1 – Relaunched

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The Caparo T1 was launched in the UK and was met with a rather derisive reception, due to it setting fire to Jason Plato (British Touring Car Driver of note), wildly understeering and having bad mechanical problems. However, a relaunch is due, with different trim levels and a new partnership that will actually see the car being delivered to dealerships. This is the news from direct from Caparo:

Caparo T1, the fastest performance super car available, is set to make its debut at Salon Privé on 12th February 2009 at London’s Hurlingham Club. The prestigious event will also be used to announce the T1’s 2009 programme.

True to form this year’s Salon Privé, the UK’s ultimate Super Car and Lifestyle Event, will once again attract a number of high profile guests with its promise of getting up, close and personal with the most exotic modern and vintage super cars in the world. Held in the luxurious and exclusive environment of the Hurlingham Club, the show is regarded by many as London’s favourite motoring party because of its mixture of fashion, style, luxury and automotive haute couture.

Caparo T1, the two-seater performance car that recently took the racing world by storm, will occupy centre stage during the event and is expected to attract a high level of interest. Alongside the car’s distinctive profile, information will also be available on its five new levels of specifications; stating from the most cost effective race track option, to its Race Extreme version, boasting the T1’s most powerful engine, a upgraded electronics package, fully carbon brakes and the latest light weight magnesium wheels.

The Caparo team will shortly be unveiling the brand new partnership with one of the most reputed prestigious car dealerships in the country. The agreement will see Caparo concentrating on the continued development of the T1 and associated technologies, with the continued evolution of the car’s driving experience and pushing further its track and on-the-road performance. The chosen Caparo partner is going to take control of the super car’s sales, marketing and after sales service.

The Leatherman Skeletool CX

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When it comes to multitools, Leatherman are the true professionals with unequalled build quality and resilience. Often however, multitools can go over the top with functionality and have far more stuff in them than you’ll ever use. This where Leatherman’s latest piece of genius knocks all other multitools into the bin. The Skeletool, aside from looking achingly cool (very important of course) is one of the best multitools ever made.

Weighing in at an amazing 142g, they have stripped out all the unnecessary bulk and ensured that most of the super useful tools are instantly available, without you having to unfold and pull out endless hinged bits with your fingernails. The bottle opener is always out (yeah hey), the screwdriver (cleverly a universal multi-bit one) is pre-extended when you open the tool, and the knife blade is quick release – they really have designed a truly practical beauty here.

More substantial than a pocket knife and less bulky than a traditional multitool, the Skeletool has the following functions – a combination straight and serrated blade, pliers, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, hard-wire cutters, a universal bit driver, a 3/6″ and ¼” Phillips screwdriver bit, a bottle opener and a removable belt clip. And all of this comes in stainless steel with a hardwearing Tungsten DLC coating and has a very comfortable ergonomic hand fit.

With its truly excellent design, exceptional quality and the perfect level of functionality, the Skeletool has raised the bar on multitools to a whole new level.

Features:

  • A stainless steel, super-lightweight multi-tool
    A hardwearing Tungsten DLC coating
    A combination straight/serrated blade
    Pliers
    Needlenose pliers
    Wire cutters
    Hard-wire cutters
    Universal bit driver so you can pop on whatever bit is required
    Storage for a bit in the handle
    A Phillips 3/6″ screwdriver bit
    Phillips ¼” screwdriver bit
    Bottle opener
    Removable pocket clip

    • The Leatherman Skeletool CX is a great must-have gadget for the more practical geek – just take a look, I guarantee that you’ll want one. It is available now for around $150.

    Nova Slider X600 Laser USB Extreme Gaming Mouse

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    The winner of various awards including GametheWorld’s ‘Gold Mouse’ and ‘Top Product’ from www.vortez.co.uk, I was expecting something quite special from this mouse. I can safely say that I was actually quite impressed.

    The Nova Slider X 600 is the ultimate fusion of innovation and smart technology. Featuring indestructible super-glide ceramic feet, an innovative cable management system and a powerful 3200dpi laser engine, this revolutionary mouse delivers superior precision and response. With 3 programmable mouse profiles, 8 programmable buttons and 5 different colour illuminations, you can customize your Slider X 600 Gaming Mouse to fit your style and play to give you that extra edge over the competition.

    With sensitivity ranging from 400 to 3200DPI that can be set every 100 DPI, the Slider X 600 provides one of the fastest glides available with incredible sensitivity. 3 sensitivity selections are available per profile and are programmable, which allows for on-the-fly sensitivity switching during the game giving you the exact sensitivity setting when you need it.

    A new revolution in glide pad material, the Slider X 600 features indestructible ceramic glide pads. The ceramic material guarantees a superior response, movement and speed that deliver a gliding sensation that is unsurpassed. Plus you get to save on the cost to replace your traditional mouse feet every few months as NOVA Gaming stands by its product with a lifetime guarantee on the glide pads.

    The Slider X 600 is completely customizable to fit your play style with 5 buttons and the 3 roller controls that can be configured according to a complete list of actions. You can even assign any key on the keyboard to a button on the mouse. In addition, 2 DPI selection buttons allow you to select one of the 3 profile pre selections at any time.

    Lastly, there’s a two year guarantee to make sure that your mouse stands up to the test of time. Whilst it appears to be quite an expensive bit of kit at £60, if you’re serious about your PC gaming (for example if you have an Alienware rig), then you won’t mind the extra expense to have a comfortable, customisable mouse with huge accuracy.

    The KTM X-Bow

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    The KTM X-Bow
    Fascination and Hi-Tech
    An aggressive design and sporty potential: the X-Bow is not merely a milestone in the KTM brand’s more than 50-year history, it’s also a new citation in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars. This exceptional position is the result of the concept: for their first car, KTM employs the finest materials, high-tech and the know-how of respected development partners such as Audi and Dallara. The result is a street-homologated sports car with racing technology, like an avantgarde, carbon fibre monocoque. Thanks to the basic version’s light weight and the 177 kW (240 hp) Audi TFSI engine, the performance values of the KTM X-Bow outstrip those of super-sport cars with more than twice the power: with a deadweight of approx. 790 kilos, the KTM X-Bow accelerates to 100 kph in just 3.9 seconds.

    But the X-Bow isn’t just a racing machine, even if it is going to accomplish spectacular performance feats on racing circuits. With its modern technologies and exceptional solutions, it’s much more oriented towards sporty drivers who seek a purist’s driving experience. By foregoing electronic assistants and today’s standard comfort features, the X-Bow offers an unfiltered adventure – aided by its standalone wheels in the style of monoposto racing cars, transparent technology and the car’s reduced concept, i.e. no roof, doors or windscreen. The sports car has only a 70-millimeter, transparent wind deflector. With all these unique features, driving the KTM X-Bow becomes an experience with an immediacy that otherwise can only be felt when riding a motorcycle.
      
    Stepping into the future
    For the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer – Europe’s second largest – the decision to expand its business focus to the car market has been of significant strategic importance. This expansion has been made possible by the exceptionally dynamic growth of the company over the past 15 years: since 1992, the company has succeeded in increasing its vehicle sales by an average of 21 percent, as well as increasing turnover by 25 percent. KTM is now a world market leader in the off-road sector and has over the past few years gradually been expanding its range of models to include standard road vehicles. “This step into the automotive sector is the logical continuation of this strategy. With the X-Bow, KTM can now also offer anyone without a motorcycle licence a driving experience typical of the brand”, is the reason Stefan Pierer, CEO of the listed company KTM Power Sports AG, gives for this investment in the future of the company.
       
    Successful premiere at the Geneva Motorshow, Production start in the first half of 2008
    The extremely positive reactions to the world premiere of the KTM X-Bow at the Geneva Motor Show 2007 gave the green light: the Upper Austrian company produces its lightweight sports car in series.

    The production started in the first half of 2008, with the first deliveries to customers in August 2008. In order to meet the high demand KTM will strive to reach the maximum annual production capacity of about 1000 units as soon as possible. In the years that follow, KTM expects a sales volume of more than 500 units per year.

    Plans are still in place to produce the first 100 units as an exclusive special series. These introductory models have long since sold out and will be delivered with plaques showing their sequential numbering in addition to premium equipment.

    The KTM X-Bow meets the requirements for road service as defined by the new EU guidelines for small series homologation. These guidelines have already come into effect in the following countries in terms of a national homologation: Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria. Switzerland will also be complying with the EU guidelines.

    For the other states of the European Union, it is to be expected that the KTM X-Bow will be approved for road service in the year 2008. In all other countries outside the European Union, the KTM X-Bow is classed as a pure racing car for use solely on racetracks. As a basis for this, FIA homologation for the GT4 racing series is planned (and has been completed I believe). Applications may later be filed for approval for road service in countries outside the European Union or are still under scrutiny by the relevant national authorities.

    Power, Beauty & Soul – The Aston Martin V12 Vantage

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    Aston Martin will present the most potent production sports car in the marque’s 95-year history at the Geneva motor show on 3rd March. Based on the hugely successful V8 Vantage, the V12 Vantage will feature a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.2 seconds.

    The latest incarnation of the Vantage family has been designed to provide a unique character, appealing to different driver tastes and complementing the other models in the Aston Martin line-up.

    The original V12 Vantage concept was unveiled to guests at the opening of the Aston Martin Design Studio in December 2007. Continuing the marque’s impressive record of bringing concepts to market in their original form, Aston Martin engineers have brought the V12 Vantage to market in an incredible 12 months.

    Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “This is the ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range, combining our most agile model with our most powerful engine. It represents the definitive driving package; providing spectacular performance to ensure a dynamically thrilling and everyday useable driving experience.

    “The V12 Vantage has a unique character, unlike our other cars. This will appeal to different people with different tastes, allowing more people to enjoy the Aston Martin experience.

    “This also illustrates one of Aston Martin’s key strengths – the ability to act quickly and turn concepts and ideas into reality.”

    Designed for the focused driver, every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed with pure driving enjoyment in mind. Benefitting from race-developed materials and components, and featuring lightweight carbon fibre; performance and agility have been tuned to perfection.

    Visually enticing, the V12 Vantage expresses its performance potential through its purposeful stance created by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids optically widening the car. Equally inviting, the cosseting interior permits the driver to extract maximum performance ability from the car while also enjoying customary levels of Aston Martin comfort on longer journeys. High levels of power and torque are available at all engine speeds making the V12 Vantage responsive and tractable in any driving situation.

    The V12 Vantage will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire joining the DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage model lines which are built in the state-of-the-art production facility combining hi-tech manufacturing processes with traditional hand-craftsmanship. Production will be limited to between just 300-500 examples per year, making the V12 Vantage a truly exclusive driver’s car.

    Deliveries of the V12 Vantage are expected to commence during quarter three 2009 with prices to be confirmed at the Geneva motor show.