This may look like an old hatchback, but take a closer look at the Honda City Turbo, and you’ll discover a tiny Honda Motocompo scooter inside. The hot hatch was produced between September 1982 and 1986, based on the naturally aspirated Honda City AA, and one of the few non-kei Honda cars to be equipped with a 100-hp turbocharged engine. However, the Motocompo motorcycle was a $360 option, complete with a 49cc, 2.5 hp engine. Continue reading for another video, more pictures and information.
Have stinky shoes, and at least 5-hours to spare? Look no further than the Panasonic MS-DS100 Shoe Deodorizer. Simply plug the device in with the bottom nodes placed over the top of your shoes, and then highly charged ions are used to penetrate through the material, thus dissolving odor-causing particles. If the normal 5-hour mode just isn’t enough, there’s also a 7-hour long mode, which according to the company, is for “when you are especially concerned about smell or pollen.” Continue reading for more pictures and information.
The Autozam AZ-1 is basically a mid-engined sports kei (the Japanese legal category for the smallest and most limited power, highway-legal motor vehicles) car that was designed and manufactured by Suzuki, but sold by Mazda under its Autozam brand. It was available in Siberia Blue or Classic Red from October 1992 to 1994, and most noted for its gullwing doors. Power came from the same Suzuki-sourced 657 cc turbocharged engine used by the Mazda Carol that produced 65 hp at 6500 rpm and 63 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. Continue reading for another test drive video, more pictures and information.
Photo credit: Sam Byford / The Verge
A facial recognition system will be used for the first time across an Olympics as organizers work to keep security tight and efficient at dozens of venues during the 2020 Games in Tokyo. NEC’s NeoFace technology will be customized to monitor every accredited person, which includes athletes, officials, staff and media, at more than 40 venues, games villages and media centers. This is being put in place to eliminate entry with forged IDs, reduce congestion at accredited waiting lines and reduce athletes’ stress under the warm weather. Continue reading for more pictures and information.
Batman isn’t synonymous with ninjas, but Good Smile Company has changed all of that with their latest limited edition figurine. Priced at $900 and limited to 1,000-units worldwide, fans can proudly showcase this work of art on its tall base, with the Dark Knight posed in midair, Kunai knife in-hand. Continue reading for more pictures and information.
A Tochigi Prefecture resident donated a Nissan GT-R to the local police force, and earlier this week it was delivered at a special ceremony. It will soon enter service as a patrol car with a few cosmetic additions, including: a black and white livery with matching black wheels, a large light bar, police badging, as well as LED emergency lights in the grille. Continue reading for another video of it in-action and more information. Click here for a few bonus images.
There are supercars, and then Japanese tuner Top Secret’s crazy gold Toyota Supra. On at least one occasion is was driven to a top speed of 197 mph (316 km/h) on a public highway in the UK at night, while later it achieved 222 mph at Nardo during a test run in 2008. Continue reading for another video of this beast from Japan. Click here for a few bonus images.
Photo credit: Bored Panda
For those who’ve never been to Japan, it’s a wondrous place on the cutting edge of technology, but sometimes, you’ll come across things that seem simple at first, but are actually quite clever to say the least, like this toilet tank sink. “This system costs less than conventional toilets and comes in eight- and-16-liter sizes and a rainbow of colors. Also available for bathrooms are artificial flushing-sound generations that people can use to cover up the sound of what they’re doing without wasting water,” according to a Korean newspaper. Continue reading for more. Click here for a few bonus images.
Traditional typewriters still exist, and can be purchased online, but the Pomera DM30 puts a modern twist on the classic device. Featuring a 6-inch E Ink display panel, 20-hours of battery life via AA cells, and a tri-fold keyboard with keys boasting a horizontal pitch of 17 mm and a vertical pitch of 15.5 mm. One caveat: it’ll set you back $499 when it’s released this November. Continue reading for more pictures, information, and the Kickstarter page, which lets you pick up an early bird version for $349.
You’ve probably seen other glass beaches, but this one in Japan has become an internet sensation recently. It’s located in the Nagasaki Prefecture, and just a few years ago this destination was an uninviting rocky outcropping that would always become covered in algae during the summer season, so local authorities decided to cover the sand with recycled glass in order to prevent it from growing. Continue reading for more pictures and information.