Jalopnik: Noise

Toyota Prius, Now With Fake Engine Noise!

Travis Hudson — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:20:00 EDT

The ongoing saga of THE SILENT KILLERS continues to unfold. Today we encounter researchers at Stanford University demonstrating their external speaker system for the Toyota Prius, designed to warn the blind, children and other susceptible parties that an unusually silent vehicle is on the prowl.

Congress is currently evaluating a bill that would establish minimum sound levels for all vehicles and potentially make these two Stanford students very, very rich. Or at least the Chinese company that makes a knock-off version for a fifth the price. [NewScientist]

The Vibering Concept Won't Provide Pleasure, May Protect You From Hybrids

Travis Hudson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:40:00 EDT

Despite the sexual connotations of the name "Vibering," it's actually a concept in design that's purpose is not to please the nether regions. In actuality, the ring's designed with the blind and/or deaf in mind to protect against THE KILLER PRIUS. The concept sure sounds simple — with two sound-detecting rings and a wristwatch, the Vibering listens for a variety of different sounds, including car engines and honking horns. It will then warn the wearer on the distance and proximity of the car with a series of vibrations. In addition to being able to detect auto noises, the Vibering also listens for common phrases like "Excuse Me" and more. It's only a conceptual design by the design team of Kwang-seok Jeong, Min-hee Kim and Hyun-joong Kim (yeah, we've never heard of them either), but it's a hell of a lot better than the external speaker idea. [Yanko]

Tim Robbins Really Doesn't Like Car Alarms

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Let's say you're Tim Robbins for a minute (we know, only in your dreams), and in your latest movie play a guy living in New York City whose wife plays the cello and a car alarm goes off. That would be enough to make you spin out and become a bizarre anti-car alarm vigilante calling himself the "Rectifier," right? Well, maybe not. But that's the premise of a new movie called "Noise" (why not "The Rectifier"). If you're frustrated by the agonies of the occasional car alarm and find yourself fantasizing about vandalizing unattended cars whose alarms are going off, this movie has your name written all over it. Make the jump for a nice little preview.

[Filmdrunk]

Toyota Prius: The Silent Killer Strikes Again

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:00:00 EDT

We've known for a while that, after electricity and gasoline, hybrids are powered by the crushed souls of the blind. Old news. That is until the hybrids go after our children. At least that's what the fearmongers at CNN would have you believe. The real story seems to be that a kid, not paying attention, turned in front of an oncoming Prius and slightly bruised himself. Just to round out the story they interviewed a hybrid driver that didn't hit anyone, but in order to make the story easier to follow for the average cable news viewer identified him as the man who ran into the kid. All hybrid owners look alike, right? (h/t Snep) [Source: CNN.com]

Bill Introduced To Protect The Blind From Hybrids

Travis Hudson — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Despite how ridiculous it sounds, the above headline is absolutely true. A bill is being introduced in Congress that will establish some kind of safety standards to protect the walking blind from hybrids. Hybrids and other electric cars pose risks to the blind because they are too quiet. The blind listen for cars when crossing the street and having fleets of too quiet hybrids poses a dangerous risk, New York representative Edolphus Towns said. There's research to prove it too!

A study at the University of California at Riverside showed that hybrids operating at slower speeds must be 40 percent closer to be heard by a blind individual. There aren't any standards set in place, but we would love to see a bill requiring hybrid owners to honk when approaching an intersection. We'll be damned, Al Gore. There is a downside to hybrids! [AP] (Image)

New Yorkers Looking To Tech To Cut Down On Cabbie Honking

Travis Hudson — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EDT

If you've ever been to New York you likely know that cabbies can be pretty big d-bags when it comes to using the horn, honking at damn near anything, now people are finally taking a stand. A new proposal is looking to modify taxi cabs so the vehicle will be visually identified when honking. It's illegal to honk a horn in New York except in cases of imminent danger, but an officer has to physically see a horn being honked to issue a ticket. This new proposal would make seeing a horn honking a lot easier.

Don't expect the honking to subside anytime soon. The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission will look at the proposal as part of the "Taxi of Tomorrow" project which be considering designs for the new cab. Until then, those living in nightlife-busy areas of New York are better off investing in earplugs. But hey, baby steps, baby steps. [Reuters via Gridskipper]

Fisker Adding External Speakers To Karma, Michael Stipe Alarmed

Wes Siler — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:20:00 EDT

Henrik Fisker has announced that his new Karma plug-in hybrid sports car will come equipped with external speakers for pedestrian safety. The four seat Karma goes on sale late in 2009 and is capable of traveling up to 50 miles without using the gasoline engine. While in electric-only mode it's virtually silent, prompting fears that pedestrians could be at risk if they're unable to hear it coming. Capable of playing any sound its owner chooses, one option according to Fisker is, "like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane."

Fisker goes on to claim that his company has been receiving "between 50 and 100 orders a week" for the Karma, meaning it now has a one-year waiting list. Most of those orders have come from Europe.

The $80,000 Karma was first unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January. It has a top speed of 125mph and reaches 60mph in six seconds. [Via Forbes Autos]