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DECEMBER 22, 2000 VOL. 26 NO. 50 | SEARCH ASIAWEEK Cutting Edge
When you think about futuristic vehicles, you usually think of sexy little numbers that go really fast. Maybe something with wings. But Volvo's vision of the future is a little different. Its Safety Concept Car is the Jetson-mobile for moms. A heartbeat sensor warns you before you get in if someone is lurking inside. The doors unlock via a remote-controlled keypad that reads your fingerprints. When you first get in, the system adjusts the floor, seat, pedals, steering wheel and center console to fit you, after sensing where your eye level is. Blind spots have nearly been eliminated, with see-through front pillars and back pillars that are curved to match the front seat profile. If you're driving at night, a computerized fiber optic light system automatically adjusts the height and width of the car's light beams, depending on how fast you're going. The seatbelts are different too. Volvo is trying out two new types: a racecar-style belt with a center buckle, and a criss-cross version. It's surveying consumers to see which they like best. Okay, so maybe it's not the stuff of James Bond flicks. But you have to admit, your mother would certainly be impressed. Gadgets: Exercise Spy in the Sky Dieters with discipline problems may one day look to the heavens for help. Swiss scientists think one way to fight flab lies in the Global Positioning System — the network of 24 navigation satellites orbiting the earth. Researchers at the University of Lausanne monitored people who walked or ran with GPS receivers, and were able to work out exactly how far and how fast the exercisers went. They think 24-hour monitoring would show people just how little activity they actually do. Of course, if you're really determined to sit on the couch, even a high-tech taskmaster won't get you up.
Nothing on TV? You could sit back, put your feet up (on your desk) and watch episode one of a new Web animation series, Racing Zeebra. It's the first offering from American firm Tetrafx, which bills its site, Tetrafx.com, as a multicultural, multi-lingual virtual cinema. Racing Zeebra is only available in English now, but other versions, including Hindi, are coming soon. The 52-part series follows an orphan and his pet hyena as they race across war-torn Africa in a truck for Teem Zeebra. Other productions to come include a romantic drama and a sci-fi thriller. Write to Asiaweek at mail@web.asiaweek.com Quick Scroll: More stories from Asiaweek, TIME and CNN
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