Over Half of 2009 Vehicles in America Offering iPod Support
Posts with tag automobile
Electric Cars from Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Revealed
Teenager Hacks Hardware to Control Your Car Via Phone
That's not all, though -- it'll also let you dial into the car and listen in on any conversations going on within. The young man says he's seeking additional funding to take his project to the next level, but in the meantime, don't even think about making off with a white Mitsubishi the next time you're in Mombasa. Follow the break for a video of the system in action. [Source: 69mb via AfriGadget]
Giant Moscow Billboard Is Peppered with Real Cars
This isn't so much a technology story as a super-sized, impress you with the audacity story. A giant billboard in Moscow, stretching up and across approximately 1.5 ACRES (no, not a typo), features real BMWs affixed sideways to appear as though they are racing across the advertisement's expanse.
In the Western World, we know they do things big in Texas, but this enormous ad tops anything we've seen of this type.
Stuck to the side of the billboard are a BMW Z4 M Coupe, an M3, an M5, and an M6. The headlights are on, although no one is behind the wheel.
There have been some other creative billboards mounted highways and famous byways. Just take a gander at the bright and creative ads all over New York's Times Square or London's Piccadilly Circus.
From Autoblog. (Image from English Russia.)
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Could This Flying Car be for Real?
At the New York International Auto Show later this month the pair will unveil their prototype convertible car / plane. The vehicle is small, no larger than a standard sedan such as the Toyota Corolla. Part of the compact size is thanks in part to its retractable and foldable wings which hide some of the airplane hardware.
The dash holds two computer displays that switch the information displayed based on whether the vehicle is in driving or flying mode. When on the ground, the car has a top speed of only 85 miles per hour, but that should be fast enough. When the aircraft engines are engaged, theoretically at least, the vehicle will be able to cruise at 200 miles per hour at 25,000 feet.
From Daily Mail
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World's Cheapest Car Launches at $2,500
We may be half a world away at CES in Las Vegas, but this announcement out of the 9th annual Auto Expo in New Delhi certainly caught our attention. India manufacturer Tata officially unveiled what is now known as the Tata Nano. But whether you call it the Nano, the People's Car, the 1-lakh, or the $2,500 car it's still a feat of engineering.
Sure, for $2,500, you're forgoing a lot of comforts and features (no iPod dock or even power steering here). But what it lacks in modern technical amenities it makes up for in value. Despite the low price tag, this little car gets 54 miles to the gallon, and either meets or exceeds safety standards around the globe.
Interest note: Now that Tata is bringing automobiles to developing nations, it's looking to expand its reach in the opposite direction and has begun talks with Ford to purchase the luxury Jaguar brand.
From Engadget
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Garmin Launching Loads of New GPS Devices at CES
At the top of the heap is the new Nuvi 880, a 4.3 inch car navigation unit with more features than you could possibly imagine using. The usual suspects are there: text to speech, Bluetooth, digital audio playback, and picture viewing. But there is also plenty new packed in to the dash mountable device, including -- terrifyingly enough -- games. (If we ever see someone playing Tetris on their GPS while trying to drive we're pulling over to the side of the road.) The 880 also comes with MSN Direct service which provides traffic updates, weather, news, movie times, local events, and even gas prices.
The most innovative feature packed into the new 880, and its stripped down sibling the Nuvi 850, is speech recognition technology. If you're driving on a particularly icy, or winding stretch of road and taking a hand off the wheel feels like it's inviting disaster, now you can talk to your GPS device to perform all but the most advanced functions, including searching for points of interest or setting an entirely new route. The 880 will be hitting the market with a suggest retail price in the $1,000 range, while the 850 gets its price down to about $800 by ditching the Bluetooth and MSN.
Also of interest is Garmin's new Colorado series of hand-held units that feature three-inch screens and the trademarked Rock 'n Roller™ wheel, which is essentially a ruggedized version of a click wheel. The Colorado will come in four different flavors: the base level 300, which retails for $499; the 400t, which is aimed at hikers and comes loaded with 3D topographical maps for getting your bearing; the 400i tackles the fishing market with maps of the shoreline, and locations for boat ramps on inland lakes and rivers; and finally the 400c goes after the boating enthusiast with shorelines, depth contours, harbors, marinas, and coastal roads for the United States and Bahamas. The 400t, i, and c all retail for $599.
Every member of the Colorado series comes packed with an electronic compass, temperature sensor, altimeter and the new Wherigo (where i go) platform. Wherigo allows Colorado users to create "location-based multimedia experiences in the real world." Which is of course a fancy way of saying creating guided tours, adventure "games," and scavenger hunts. All of this info can be shared wirelessly with other Colorado users.
We'll be sure to check out the new Wherigo features at CES and let you know whether the folks at Garmin have truly stumbled across something innovative.
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Google Maps Coming to Gas Pumps, But Is It Complete?
Google is making sure that you can find it everywhere. Eventually, the search-engine-cum-portal may start showing up bedside to give you suggestions on how to be a better lover, but until that creepy, creepy day arrives, you'll have it on your PC, your cell phone, on your TV, your radio, in your newspaper, your car, and now even at the gas pump.
Following on the heels of the announcement of Android, the Google-backed OS for cell phones, Google has announced a partnership with Gilbarco Veeder-Root, a manufacturer of gasoline pumps, to put Google Maps at your local filling station.
The pumps will come with an Internet connection and a small LCD touch screen pre-programmed with local landmarks by the gas station owner. The hope is that lost motorists will be able to type in specific destinations. After selecting a location, they will be able to read directions and view the maps on the screen and print them out to take on the road with them. It will also print coupons for businesses on the way, a cute money-making scheme for partner Gilbarco Veeder-Root.
Google's slow creep into every aspect of our lives may be slightly disturbing, but Google Maps at the gas station is sure to be a boon for those of us who are prone to getting lost and/or too stubborn to ask for directions.
That said, with the relative ubiquity of GPS devices and maps on cell phones, we wish this service did a few extra things, like:
- Send the directions to your cell phone
- Send the destination info along with your current location to your PC or GPS device
- Send telephone numbers and addresses as contact business cards to your cell phone
- Send a Google Map URL to your e-mail address
- Get in the car with you and ask, "Are we there yet?"
From AOL News and Engadget
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