Fusion Electronics has a new in-dash unit, the CA-IP500, that gives iPod owners the sensation of those long-lost cassette days, while allowing you the generous portable music library to which you’ve become accustomed.  The unit will accept a wide range of iPods, slid into a docking slot, Cassette-style.  A face plate will then cover the unit, making it look like any other modern car audio receiver. The unit is compatible with 5th, 6th and 7th Gen iPod Classics,  2nd 3rd and 4th Gen iPod Nanos, and all iPod Touches.

I’m still not sure I’d leave my iPod in the car when parked, thefts being what they are, but this is certainly a nifty answer to the age-old question of where to put your iPod while in the car.

Via OhGizmo!

So you’d like the Smart Car, but think it’s a little on the big side?  Looking for a commuter car that’s a bit more diminutive?  Look no farther than Norway, home of the ElBil Norge company, makers of the Kewet Buddy.  The Buddy is a three-person electric car developed in Denmark, now built in Oslo.

A few specs: It’s 244 cm long and 144 cm high (about 8 feet long, 4.75 feet high).  Its range is 50 – 150 km (about 30 – 90 miles), depending on a number of conditions, including road conditions, battery type, and temperature.  Time to recharge a completely drained battery is 6-8 hours, 3 hours going from a 30% charge.  Acceleration is 0-50 km/hour (31 miles per hour) in 7 seconds.  Top speed is 80 – 90 km/hour (about 50 – 56 miles per hour), depending on battery type.

Don’t look for it on American roads any time soon, but the manufacturer aims to broaden its availability outside Norway and throughout Europe. If you’re interested in a car that uses no gasoline while being extremely maneuverable in tight city streets, the Buddy might just fill your need.