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Eliica: 230mph Electric Car What has eight-wheels, goes 230mph, and takes ten hours to recharge? Okay, yes, DildonoTron 9000¡Xbesides that. The Eliica electric car designed by Hiroshi Shimizu, is what, and Auto Express got to take one out for a ride. It's as ugly as sin, but it'll do 0 to 60 in just four seconds, powered by separate 100hp motors in each of its eight wheels. It's just a prototype, sadly, and will likely remain that way until they can figure out a way to produce one for less than a quarter of a million dollars. Eliica eight-wheeler [AutoExpress via Jalopnik] - lev (joeljohnson@gmail.com) [Gizmodo] 10:38:41 AM

Hitachi's Tabletop Display Hitachi has developed a new display that is embedded in a table-top. The touch-sensitive unit can be drawn on and can even respond to gestures, so that drawing a circle around something, for instance, could trigger a zoom in on an image, or inscribing the sacred pentagram could automatically call your principal and tell him you're skipping Algebra. It's not an LCD, but instead an acrylic-topped piece with a projector underneath and an infrared system to recognize motion. Hitachi plans to commercialize the tables next year, starting with the bargain basement price of $20k. Apparently they're working with Namco to develop some arcade games that utilize the technology as well. Multiplayer, touch-sensitive Ms. Pac-Man? Hitachi News Page (Japanese) [HitachiJP via NearNearFuture via PopGadget] - lev (joeljohnson@gmail.com) [Gizmodo] 10:25:11 AM

ATRON Shapeshifting Robot This new robot was shown off in Japan yesterday by Danish researcher Hautop Lund. The ATRON is designed to be completely modular, able to reconfigure itself into one of 100 different shapes with corresponding motions, from snake-like slithering to walking to rolling. Each link communicates with the others via an infrared link and is self-powered¡Xthey can even help charge a weaker unit but using their shells as a conductor. (Thanks, Kaspar!) Shape-shifting robot shows off its moves [NewScientist] - lev (joeljohnson@gmail.com) [Gizmodo] 10:22:55 AM

Nokia 9500 Communicator Reviewed All About Symbian gets the first proper Nokia 9500 Communicator review out the way and it's a pretty interesting read if you're a clamshell fan. Nokia isn't doing anything terribly fancy in this $1,000 phone, but the addition of Wi-Fi and more memory make it looks like a worthwhile upgrade for Nokia 9000 loyalists. On the other hand, it doesn't have enough whiz bang to win over any new converts, either, especially when there are more powerful Windows Mobile devices out there (with a different form-factor, I'll grant you) for about half the price. Ewan says this is just the first part of his look at the 9500, too, but so many people were lighting up his in-box that he felt he needed to get an overview out of the way¡Xif you can't get enough about the 9500, there's more coming. Nokia 9500 Review (Part One) [AllAboutSymbian] - lev (joeljohnson@gmail.com) [Gizmodo] 10:20:24 AM

Rolleiflex MiniDigi...Finally Remember the Rolleiflex MiniDigi we talked about a while ago? We were told it'd debut in the US in July, but that didn't happen. Months passed with no word, and now we're hearing it'll be shipping before the end of November, just in time for the holidays. Price is still expected to be around $350, and it's just as cute as ever. Retro RolleiFlex MiniDigi comes to US [I4U] - Ryan [Gizmodo] 8:48:54 AM