We understand, it’s practically impossible to either bike everywhere you need to go or have your General Motors’ Flex-Fit rack ready to rock when you’re far from home, but the suitcase bike can seemingly tackle both of those issues with ease. Amazingly, the oft talked about, but hardly taken seriously Suitcase Bike has apparently been green-lit for production, and could be available to suckers interested consumers “later this year.” While it shouldn’t be too hard to guess, we’ll do the honors anyway: the presumably hefty suitcase can morph into an unsightly form of transportation with just a few clips, folds, and snaps, and while public humiliation isn’t necessarily included in the price, we can’t help but imagine that it’ll be bundled in whether you like it or not. Still, having a pair of wheels on your person at all times could certainly come in handy. It’s asking price $399.

[Via TreeHugger]
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From engadget

Clogged highways and frustratingly waiting while your gas needle plummets to empty usually doesn’t conjure up thoughts of green, but it seems like these very roads could become the source of a lot more energy. Several recent student designs have proposed that major roadways be retrofitted with various forms of wind energy collection devices, ranging from overhead turbines that collect energy from quickly-moving cars below to barrier panels (pictured after the jump) that harness the wind from closely passing vehicles moving in opposite directions. Ideally, the wind energy could then be sent back out to the grid to power nearby communities, light-rail transportation systems, or even intelligent billboards. Of course, most of these ideas are still in the research phase, and even if proven feasible, we can’t imagine the up-front costs (or inconveniences of installing these things) to be minor, but we’re sure that government subsidies should be able to to lend a helping hand.

Read – Barrier panel prototype, via Inhabitat
Read – Overhead turbine design, via Inhabitat

From engadget