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Looks Like Marty Went Back to the Actual Future – Hoverboards Are Almost Here

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Looks Like Marty Went Back to the Actual Future - Hoverboards Are Almost Here

If you’ve never seen the Back to the Future saga, well, you should. They’re great movies. But mostly, because without seeing it this article might not bring as much nostalgia out of your childhood memories as it should. In Back to the Future II, Marty McFly traveled to the future where he utilized his 1985-skateboarding skills to hop on the new version of his old transport. You guessed it (well, maybe you didn’t, but again if you’d just watch the movie…), a HOVERBOARD!

Watching a young Michael J. Fox float around town on a hovering skateboard without wheels brought joy to kids everywhere, and they immediately wanted one. But since the movie came out in 1989, the technology has never been mastered, leaving kids and teens everywhere tied to their “old school” skateboards instead of what they really wanted. Well, believe it or not, it appears the time is finally here.

A startup company in California called Arx Pax has been working on the technology to make the iconic hoverboard possible, and the company founder Greg Henderson has created a prototype of the futuristic board called the Hendo. The prototype is nowhere near what Marty rode in the movie, but the technology is already a lot further than I would have ever imagined I’d be seeing in my lifetime.

Looks Like Marty Went Back to the Actual Future - Hoverboards Are Almost Here

Roads? Where we’re going we won’t need roads.

Right now, the Hendo utilizes Magnetic Field Architecture, a proprietary technology similar to what is used in levitating trains. It allows the board to hover an inch or so off the ground, and reacts to your weight distribution in order to turn and stop. The main issue currently is that it only works when over the correct surface type, like copper or aluminum. It’s also battery operated, so it only has a life of around seven minutes.

But Arx Pax has promised they are continuing to work hard at developing the technology further, as well as releasing the technology to those willing to make donations for a chance to work on its applications as well. Henderson and company have stated that they plan on having a fully functional hoverboard available by October 21, 2015, which just so happens to be the exact date that Marty McFly journeys to in the future. How badass is that?

Henderson has also stated that the technology was not originally intended to create a hoverboard, but rather to be used for other applications such as saving a building from certain destruction like an earthquake. If the hoverboard is a possibility, I have to believe that other applications such as this has to be a possibility as well. So what does that mean for the world of automobiles? Could we be seeing fully hoverable vehicles much like those in the same Back to the Future movie in a short period of time as well? Only time will tell.

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But damn it I hope so! That would be a far better way for automobile manufacturers to spend their time and money than developing a vehicle that drives by itself.

Tyler is a full-time writer, former professional wrestler, and film/television aficionado. His first car was a 1997 Buick Park Avenue, cleverly nicknamed Buffy the Highway Slayer. She met an early fate, like most slayers, at the young age of twelve. He then upgraded for a 2005 Ford Mustang, giving it the very original name... Buffy 2. He currently writes for phantomcopy.com.

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Ford Continues to Please Minivan-Skeptic Soccer Moms

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Ford Aerostar Minivan Exterior Does Ford Still Make

If the words Aerostar, Windstar and Freestar mean anything to you, you know that Ford is responsible for some of the best minivans ever made. Beginning with the first model Aerostar in 1986, Ford’s snub-nosed minivan set the standard of what would be created by automotive manufacturers in this class for decades.

The Aerostar was also the first minivan in the United States to feature upgraded, luxury packages. With an XLT package, and Eddie Bauer trim levels, the Ford Aerostar allowed drivers to bring passengers, cargo and more in style. For the first time, drivers could take advantage of the versatile and reliable minivan platform, without sacrificing comfort and convenience.

Does Ford Still Make a Minivan?

The Aerostar continued in the mid-90s as the Ford Windstar. The Windstar was a complete reinvention, shifting the drivetrain from RWD to FWD, and bringing the flagship minivan more in line with current minivan design. The Windstar became the Freestar in the early 2000s, lasting until the 2007 model year, with the final Ford “Star line” minivan rolling off the assembly line in December of 2006.

While we don’t know for sure what was behind Ford’s decision to discontinue their family-marketed minivan, we can take a guess. For starters, Ford has extended their reputation for reliable cars and trucks into the crossover market. With options covering a wide range of size and seating configurations (everything from the subcompact Ford Ecosport to the boxy family hauler Ford Flex), crossovers have become the new favorite for family vehicles.

Ford’s versatile crossover line has a vehicle that can meet almost any need. Do you have a small family? Go with the popular 2018 Ford Escape. Big family with lots of stuff to haul? The 2018 Ford Expedition has your back.

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Although crossovers and SUVs provide some distinct advantages (presence of AWD, higher ground clearance, and uni-body construction), the market for minivans hasn’t completely died, and neither has Ford’s commitment to providing drivers with a competent and compelling option.

Good News: Ford Still Makes a Passenger Minivan

ford transit connect passenger van in solar color_oAlthough Ford’s marketing has shifted toward promoting their incredible range of crossovers and SUVs as family choices, they still offer a more traditional minivan in the Ford Transit Connect Passenger Wagon. Utilizing the same body construction as the Ford Transit cargo van, the Transit Connect Passenger Wagon features up to 7 seats, and plenty of standard safety and comfort technology.

Lower ride height (easier in and out), sliding doors and greater visibility are among the reasons people still prefer vans for transporting their families. Additionally, the more contoured shape of most crossovers (not looking at you, Ford Flex) means that vans provide better cargo room! Family of four traveling cross-state with three suitcases? A Ford Explorer should be a great option.

Family of six, with a dog and 10 bags going cross-country, however, and the Ford Transit Connect Passenger Wagon starts to look a lot more up to the job.

Ford has a sterling reputation across the spectrum of vehicles they manufacture. Although the Transit Connect Passenger Wagon isn’t among their more well-known, it’s among the most competent and best value options in the minivan class.

 

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I Wasn’t Always a Dale Jr Fan – But Now I Get It

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It was the crowning moment of the career of Nascar’s most popular driver. The 2004 Daytona 500. The chosen son, Dale Earnhardt Jr, had won the race that his father tragically died competing in only three years earlier.

Reports of the day say that everyone in the crowd was on their feet, cheering. Grown men were in tears. It was quite the moment, they say.

Well, I can tell you that there was at least one person that wasn’t cheering. That’s because I was that lone defector. (more…)

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The Essence Of 90’s Chevy Truck Commercials

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If you ever watched television for more than an hour at any time during the 90’s, you probably remember Chevy’s “Like a Rock” commercials. They aired on just about every channel, so they were pretty hard to miss—and pretty hard to forget as well. Even two decades later the sound of Bob Seger belting out those now-famous words is still shockingly memorable. (more…)

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