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Honda's Uni-Cub hacked to be a boombox and a personal guide

Honda has a history of developing technology that strays from its famous car and motorcycle lines. A few years ago, the company added to that legacy of gadgets that aren't cars by introducing the Uni-Cub personal mobility device. It was more or less a Segway that did away with the whole standing thing, meaning that riders simply had to sit down and lean in whatever direction they wanted to go. That's all well and good, but Honda wanted to see what else the device could be used for, so the company updated the mobility chair to allow other people to code applications for it. Then Honda hosted a hack-a-thon for people to come out and see what they could do with it. Based on the video above, it seems plenty of people have ideas for the little wheeled wonder. One team developed the perfect party companion by attaching a speaker to the Uni-Cub and creating an app that would let people upload tracks to a playlist from their phone. And since the Uni-Cub is mobile, it can bring the tunes to wherever the people are. All it needs now are some cup holders. Another team developed a way to get people around new, confusing office buildings by turning the Uni-Cub into a guide. Upon entering a building, a person can request a Uni-Cub to come pick them up and then hop on to take a ride to their destination. The Uni-Cub can then return to its home base, and, if the person programs it ahead of time, can return on its own to take the user back to the entrance. Of course this would mean no more excuses to showing up late to a meeting. None of these ideas are planned for any sort of production, but they certainly are interesting. That said, our favorite Uni-Cub application remains the video for OK Go's "I Won't Let You Down". You should probably just go watch that one again. Related Video: Image Credit: Honda Auto News Green Honda Technology Videos personal mobility honda uni-cub

Boston woman's car finally free from 100 inches of snow

It's a car owner's worst winter nightmare: Snowfall so heavy that you can't dig your vehicle out of it. That's exactly what happened to Jillian Tenen, whose 2007 Honda Civic was buried in the snow in Boston for seven weeks after historic winter storms. Tenen's car was initially stuck after a snowfall in late January, but she didn't dig it out because she had the flu. "I'm 5' 2," and it was all ice, an iceberg on top of my car," she told the Boston Globe. "I couldn't reach it. I couldn't lift it. And even if I could, there was nowhere to put it. I just didn't know what to do," she said. Tenen reached out for help to the city, her insurance company and a tow truck company, but they refused to help her. Finally when the weather warmed up, Tenen used an ice chopper to get into her car. The windshield was damaged, however, the car started on its own. "If I had to do it again, I would definitely do one thing differently... I would not park on the corner," Tenen said.

The Honda Ridgeline returns for 2017

The midsize truck segment is red hot right now, thanks to the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon twins, not to mention the redesigned Toyota Tacoma. So after killing the unibody Ridgeline truck a few years ago, Honda's back with another attempt. The 2017 Ridgeline keeps all of the old truck's rhythms intact, in a fresh, modern package. Slab-sided and with a tweaked version of the new Pilot's face, the Ridgeline is at the very least a brawny looking pickup. Honda says the truck's bed is five feet wide and five feet, four inches long, two figures that are larger than the first-gen Ridgeline, not to mention the four-door versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma. But while those trucks offer different cab and bed configurations, the Ridgeline should be a one-size-fits-all affair. Keeping with that theme, the Ridgeline only offers V6 power, courtesy of Honda's excellent 3.5-liter VTEC six-pot. Honda doesn't give any power figures, but the Pilot does its job with 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, so we expect similar numbers for the Ridgeline. But here, Honda will forgo the Pilot's nine-speed automatic in favor of a more traditional six-speed box. An optional torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system is available, but base Ridgelines will send power to the front axle only. Yes, a front-wheel-drive pickup truck. This one's definitely not for those who need true truck capability. Here's the best thing we can say about the new Ridgeline: it will continue to be a stellar tailgating partner. The first-gen truck was perfect for partying before a big game. There was room for four, and the ample bed had plenty of room for stuff and featured a unique dual-opening tailgate for easy unloading. The highlight, though, was a drainable, water-tight, 8.5-cubic-foot compartment built into the bed. A bed to sit in, and a place for the drinks. And a secure place to hold cargo the rest of the time. Those innovative features are joined by an industry first in-bed stereo system. In the cabin, that stereo system will be able to pump out the tunes from an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes complete with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.