Nissan LEAF becomes London Taxi

Nissan has been ferrying Londoners and tourists round the capital in the Nissan LEAF EV free of charge as part of its ‘Big Turn On’ campaign. Yesterday we reported that a Nissan LEAF was going to go backwards up the hillcimb at Goodwood in a bid for a reversing speed record, and to draw attention to the LEAF’s strengths as part of Nissan’s ‘Big Turn On’ campaign. We’re not too sure how being able to go backwards as quickly as you can forwards in a LEAF is a big selling point, but Nissan’s stunt in London this week is far more relevant – they’ve been offering fee taxi rides in the electric LEAF to tourists and Londoners alike.

New dynamic 3D button touchscreen tech

A pioneering new technology allows touchscreens to ‘grow’ dynamic buttons from flat surfaces. The new technology, developed by US company Tactus Technology, uses minute channels within the screen to siphon liquid into button shaped cavities that then rise when pressed, alleviating some of the muscle-memory and distraction issues often leveled at touchscreens. Craig Ciesla, CEO of Tactus Technology, says that it was his desire to merge the elegance of the iPhone's user interface with the tactility of Blackberry buttons that led to the technology's development.

Redesigned 2012 Subaru Impreza bows at the New York auto show

The redesigned 2012 Subaru Impreza made its debut in New York on Wednesday with a more refined look, a longer wheelbase and a new four-cylinder engine. The Impreza's horizontally opposed 2.0-liter produces 148 hp and returns 36 mpg on the highway, even with all-wheel drive. Fuel economy is maximized with electric power steering and low-rolling-resistance tires.