Yes, it’s hard to believe, but we assure you there were no special effects used to create this image. Here’s beloved action movie star Jackie Chan once again doing his own stunts — the most embarrassing one he’s ever done. Believe it or not, he says these are hard to sell in China.

Josh T: “Police Story 5: Loser Cop”
Paul: “In his next film, Jackie Chan will pose exactly zero threat to anyone at all.”
Ryan: “This, Jackie Chan, is your punishment for ‘The Tuxedo.’”
Chris: “Jackie Chan avoids Rush Hour 4 thanks to his trusty Segway.”
Josh F: “Legend of Drunken Decisions”
Thomas: “Enter the Dragon, exit the nerd”
Jackie Chan: “Don’t try to be like Jackie. There is only one Jackie. Study computers instead.” (Seriously, he said that!)

Another day, another means of converting waste heat into something decidedly non-wasteful. This one comes to us from the folks at Cyclone, whose self-starting Waste Heat Engine can apparently be powered by virtually any source of waste heat, including exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine, the “direct burning of biomass,” or even the waste heat from another Waste Heat Engine. The company is also touting the engine’s ability to provide a boost to solar-power generators, with it apparently able to capture heat using inexpensive panels attached to a roof, which Cyclone says could be installed at just 20% of the cost of other systems relying on pricey photovoltaic panels. Of course, there’s no word as to what the Waste Heat Engine itself will cost, or when it’ll be available, but you can check it out in action in the (auto-playing) video after the break.

You know how we love the electric cars around here, but internal combustion sure does sound sexy — a big V-8 literally brings the noise in a way the nearly-silent whir of an electric motor can’t hope to match. Well, it looks like the mad geniuses behind the $80,000 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid have hit upon an appropriately high-tech solution: speakers placed inside and out that allow drivers to give their rides any sound they want, including one described as “like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane.” Interesting, to be sure — but seeing as the Karma can hit 125mph and go from 0-60 in six seconds, we’d be happier if that rig just screamed at people to get out of the left lane.

[Via Autoblog]

GM refines its hybrid powetrains

Over the past two weeks, we saw the unveiling of two mild hybrid powertrains for sport utility vehicles: one from BMW and one from Mercedes-Benz. The two German auto makers worked together on the hybrid powertrain and both hooked the system up to small, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines.

General Motors introduced its first mild-hybrid belt-alternator-starter (BAS) system over two years ago and it is now ready to bring out its second generation unit. While the Germans decided to pair their mild hybrid systems with diesel motors, GM system will instead be paired with cheaper gasoline engines.

GM says that its second generation mild hybrid system now employs a lithium-ion battery which is nearly three times as powerful as the previous generation’s nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery. The battery is also smaller which could allow the system to be used in smaller vehicles like the Saturn Astra and Chevrolet Aveo.

GM promises a 20% fuel economy improvement over non-hybrid versions of the same vehicle with its latest hybrid system.

“This new system is another important step in our broad-based strategy to reduce vehicle fuel consumption and emissions,” said GM Chairman Rick Wagoner at the Geneva Auto Show.

“In order to have a real impact in reducing oil consumption, oil imports, and CO2 emissions, advanced technologies must be affordable enough to drive high-volume applications,” Wagoner continues. “We plan to roll out this next-generation hybrid technology globally, across our brands and regions, starting in 2010 in North America, and we expect that volumes will eventually exceed 100,000 units annually.”

GM’s first generation mild hybrid system is currently used on the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Saturn Aura Green Line and Saturn Vue Green Line. The company’s more efficient, two-mode hybrid system is used in the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, GMC Yukon Hybrid as well as the upcoming Cadillac Escalade Hybrid.

GM’s commitment to hybrid vehicles is sure to pay off as the company expects to have eight hybrid models on the market by the end of the year and 16 more over the next four years.

While they didn’t put it though quite the same rigorous tests that the feds did, our pals at AutoblogGreen did recently get to spend a fair bit of time being the wheel of Tesla’s much-hyped Roadster, and they’ve now thankfully churned out a fairly thorough review to make us all a little jealous. As you might expect, they readily admit that the car is “not for everyone” (even among those that can afford it), but for those that know what they’re getting into, they say you can expect a “hard-edged sports car that fits like a pair of good leather driving gloves.” That extends in no small part to the car’s Lotus roots, which AutoblogGreen found evident in everything from the car’s “cozy” interior to its non-boosted steering system, which they say provides “amazing feedback to the driver.” If that’s not enough to convince you, you can hit up the link below for the complete review and, of course, plenty of pictures.

Dephi’s press image for its dual-view nav screen was ridiculously janky, so we sent Mahalo Daily’s Veronica Belmont over to investigate — and it’s pretty awesome. Check it out after the break!

Tags: ces 2008, Ces2008, delphi, dual view, dual-view, DualView, engadget video, EngadgetVideo

Dephi’s press image for its dual-view nav screen was ridiculously janky, so we sent Mahalo Daily’s Veronica Belmont over to investigate — and it’s pretty awesome. Check it out after the break!

Tags: ces 2008, Ces2008, delphi, dual view, dual-view, DualView, engadget video, EngadgetVideo

GM is planning a few of these E-Flex vehicles, and while the Chevrolet Volt is the current flagship, this one ain’t no slouch in the looks department. Perhaps more importantly, the Cadillac Provoq crossover looks much closer to a ready-for-market car than your average concept. This edition of E-Flex uses a fuel-cell stack to power a 70-kilowatt motor for the front wheels and a pair of in-hub 30-kilowatt motors in the back. A pair of 10,000 psi hydrogen storage tanks and a lithium-ion battery should muster about a 300-mile range, with only about 20 of that coming from the battery. Still, you can charge the battery with plugs on both sides of the car, and that 20 miles might be just enough to complete your daily commute — or perhaps fuel a desperate attempt to track down a hydrogen filling station. There’s a solar panel on top to help power internal electronics, and the powertrain design allows for a good amount of storage and leg room. It’s unclear at this time if GM’s going to take Provoq to market, but we’re certainly looking forward to one of these E-Flex dealios going all the way.

GM is planning a few of these E-Flex vehicles, and while the Chevrolet Volt is the current flagship, this one ain’t no slouch in the looks department. Perhaps more importantly, the Cadillac Provoq crossover looks much closer to a ready-for-market car than your average concept. This edition of E-Flex uses a fuel-cell stack to power a 70-kilowatt motor for the front wheels and a pair of in-hub 30-kilowatt motors in the back. A pair of 10,000 psi hydrogen storage tanks and a lithium-ion battery should muster about a 300-mile range, with only about 20 of that coming from the battery. Still, you can charge the battery with plugs on both sides of the car, and that 20 miles might be just enough to complete your daily commute — or perhaps fuel a desperate attempt to track down a hydrogen filling station. There’s a solar panel on top to help power internal electronics, and the powertrain design allows for a good amount of storage and leg room. It’s unclear at this time if GM’s going to take Provoq to market, but we’re certainly looking forward to one of these E-Flex dealios going all the way.

Not that it’s been that long since we heard from Becker or anything, but it’s never too early for yet another numerically named navigation unit, right? Available now in the UK, the Becker Traffic Assist 7827 sports a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution touchscreen, 400MHz processor, 128MB of RAM, a SiRFstarIII GPS chipset, integrated TMC receiver for traffic avoidance, an SD expansion slot and USB connectivity. Additionally, you’ll find a rechargeable battery good for around five hours, a 2GB SD card with maps for 37 European countries, a headphone jack and a multimedia player that handles photos and MP3s. All things considered, we suppose it’s not priced too outrageously at £249.95 ($497), but if you’re still unsure if it’s worth the coin, may we point out the elusive “mood light” feature to push you over the edge.

[Via NaviGadget]