Fun Stuff

When I was 19, I was in Rhode Island attending college while trying to figure out ways to make the radio in my '87 Honda Prelude louder. I wound up being forced to sell that car when I got bad grades my first semester and nearly lost an academic scholarship.Romanian student Ionut Budisteanu is doing quite a bit more than I, and probably a bit more than most of you as well. Budisteanu recently competed in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, where he won the top prize of a $75,000 scholarship. His focus? Making autonomous car technology more affordable.As it stands, autonomous car tech is still rather expensive. The fancy high-resolution 3D radar used by Google, for example, runs in the range of $75,000. Budisteanu says his system can be created for around $4,000.How does he do it? By replacing the high-resolution system with one that utilises a much lower resolution. He has created an artificial intelligence program that can pick out curbs, lane markers, and all the other obstacles that drivers face on the road. That data is processed through a webcam while a low-resolution radar system handles the bigger objects such as cars and houses. All of the data collected is sent to a computer that is in charge of the system, and then decides on how the car should behave as it rolls driverless through town.In 50 simulations run through the system, the autonomous vehicle performed perfectly 47 times. Those three other times might scare you, but Budisteanu is already working to sort that out with a slightly higher-resolution radar system. He says the price will climb no higher than $4,000. The intelligent young man has attracted great attention through this competition. Budisteanu has received funding from a Romanian company that will allow him to begin working on a prototype.Meanwhile, I'm still trying to figure out how to make the radio in my current car louder.www.motorauthority.com 

Most Lego models are created from off-the-shelf kits full of specialised parts, but a Spanish student is proving you can use ordinary Lego to build extraordinary things.Civil engineering student Fernando Benavides de Carlos, 27 – whose online name is ‘Sheepo’ -- created this intricate model of a Caterham 7 using more than 2500 pieces of the iconic children’s toy.The 45cm model includes as working steering and suspension, electric drive, a five-speed gearbox (with reverse), and disc brakes. He used a computer program to help design the model, which can be operated via a remote control. De Carlos said it took around 300 hours to build the Lego Caterham. "I started the car the past October, but I had many problems with the design because I couldn't put in the car all mechanisms I wanted. In March I developed a new gearbox (my third generation of sequential gearboxes) which is smaller and more reliable. With this new gearbox I was able to complete the car in April."The sequential gearbox was the hardest part. To build this car, I needed to design a completely new gearboxt. I built a smaller and more reliable mechanism, keeping and features of the second gen gearbox, like gear ratios and auto-clutch."He’s also created a similar model of Land Rover’s iconic Defender and a Porsche, and has published the instructions for all models on his website -- 448 pages of them – in case you’re keen to create your own.We haven’t read through all the instructions, but with that much Lego around the house, we’re betting one of the first ones should be: don’t walk around the house barefoot.And while these cars are ones he's designed himself, would he like to one day design an official Lego kit? "Of course... I think this is the dream of all Lego fans," he says.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Fiat has pulled out all the stops to be part of a new music video for a track that has already become known as ‘the Fiat song’ from previous ads.All the Sexy People, sung by Arianna with help from Pitbull, looks set to be another Fiat video hit with appearances from Charlie Sheen – his second stint for the brand – a beach full of dancers and a couple of mermaids who lose their tops.The song itself has a retro flavour, and has previously been used for Fiat’s ‘Immigrant’ ad, which saw the little 500 model emerging from the ocean onto US beaches – a stunt reprised in All the Sexy People with a Fiat 500 jetski.A video takes us behind the scenes for the shoot on a Miami beach in Florida, with the expected crowd scenes of women dancing around in bikinis – and Charlie Sheen playing Charlie Sheen (or his former character from Two and a Half Men).Arianna drives a Fiat underwater,  a pod of Fiats skim the waves, Sheen circles two mermaids on his own private island and makes off with their tops, then turns up in a cryovac bed with a pair of lingerie models.Following on from the steamy ads featuring supermodel Catrinel Menghia, this is becoming signature marketing for the Italian car brand.

Armchair racers all around the globe, this is the moment you have all been waiting for; Gran Turismo 6 will be released on November 28, 2013.The date suggests a formal announcement is likely to be made during June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), though Sony may have a surprise or two up its sleeve.The release date was leaked by Italian electronics retailer Multiplayer.com, which has since pulled down the page containing information on the game, though not before CNET could jot it all down.Along with the date, which may only reflect the European launch, the page also included this cover art, which, if real, confirms that Gran Turismo 6 has been designed for Sony’s existing PlayStation 3 console and not the next-generation PlayStation 4 due out at the end of this year.Not much else is known about the game, though we know that a pair of unique muscle cars will be among the lineup of cars offered.The cars, a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 40 custom as well as a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, were handpicked for a virtual appearance in the latest instalment at previous SEMA shows by the game's creator, Kazunori Yamauchi.The original Gran Turismo was first launched in 1997 and has since sold more than 65 million copies of its various versions. The game is recognized for its realistic graphics and physics and the upcoming sixth instalment should be the best version yet.www.motorauthority.com