Showing posts with label gadgets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gadgets. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

BMW Takes the Joy Out of Driving with Autonomous Technology


The maker of the so-called "Ultimate Driving Machine" is testing a new technology that allows the car to replace the driver under certain conditions such as highway driving or in traffic jams.

BMW first told us about its experimental Highly Automated Driving system last summer but now we have the opportunity to see it work in action through a video report released by the German automaker.

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Feds Can’t Install GPS Devices on Cars without Warrant, Says the Supreme Court


In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that law enforcement agencies cannot attach a global positioning system device to a vehicle without obtaining a warrant first.

The court's ruling dismissed the Justice Department’s claim that it did not need to have permission to tack on a GPS to a Jeep Grand Cherokee owned by the wife of Antoine Jones, a Washington, D.C., nightclub owner and suspected drug dealer who has been sentenced to life.

Government agents had indeed obtained a warrant, but installed the device after the 10-day deadline had expired. During the four-week period that they tracked the vehicle, they collected over 2,000 pages of data – and even had to secretly replace the GPS battery when it was parked in Maryland.

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

BMW Designs a Crafty Computer Mouse for Thermaltake's Level 10 Series


We don't know how it will perform or if it will be ergonomic, but the new Level 10 Mouse penned by the BMW Group's DesignworksUSA will surely grab some attention with its stripped out looks, which for some reason, kind of remind us of a robotic part that fell from the Terminator.

The BMW design consultancy created the computer mouse for Thermaltake and its Level 10 series.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Prada Burns Some Rubber with 1950s Cadillac and Hot Rod-Inspired Collection


This is not the first time we've shown you footwear inspired by the world of automobiles, but unlike the rendered Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera heels and the one-off, promotional Opel Agila pumps, the tail finned high-heels from Prada seen here will soon go on sale. And that's not all.

In fact, Prada's entire haute couture line for spring and summer 2012 is a tribute to the fabulous 1950s and especially the American automobile industry with Cadillacs and hot rods taking a center role.

Among the more impressive offerings from an automobile perspective are the high heels, wedges and pumps with flame designs, chrome trims, tailfins and cone-shaped tail lamps!

However, don't go promising your other half a pair of Cadillac Coupe de Ville heels unless you're willing to put your hands deep into your pockets as these babies are expected to cost as much as $1,450 a pair. More photos after the break.

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Volkswagen's 256HP Golf R gets its Own iPad App


The marketing buffs over at Volkswagen have gone to work to promote the newly launched in the U.S. Golf R with the release of a dedicated iPad application called the “Golf R Drivers Forever”.

The app covers the history of both the regular Golf and Golf R models in the States and includes a variety of photos and videos, a brochure with tech specs, a 360-degree view of the car and even an interview with designer Chip Foose on the VW brand and the Golf.

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

New Hyundai Veloster Turbo Debuts on Forza Motorsport 4


It's a bit too early for anyone to get behind the wheel of Hyundai’s 2013 Veloster Turbo as the U.S. version was only just revealed last week at the Detroit Motor Show and isn’t scheduled to go on sale until next summer.

However, there is a way to experience the Veloster Turbo, not in the flesh but in the virtual world of the XBox 360 Forza Motorsport 4 racing game. If you own Microsoft’s gaming console, all you have to do is download the free Hyundai Veloster Bonus Pack on XBox Live.

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Updated Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition Rolls Out in Stores Today


Polyphony Digital has released an updated version of its Gran Turismo racing simulation game for PlayStation consoles named the XL Edition.

Along with all the content from the original GT5, the XL Edition disc packs the new features from the free downloadable game updates up through Spec 2., which is said to save you about 2GB of space.

What you don't get are the two DLC updates that were also released today. The first one is the Car Pack 3 for $5.99 that includes six new cars: Lamborghini Aventador, Jaguar XJR-9 LM racecar, Aston Martin V12 Vantage, the 1966 VW 1200, Mini Cooper S Countryman, and the…mother of all sports cars…the Nissan Leaf.

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Monday, January 16, 2012

Nissan Creates Self-healing iPhone Case Featuring the Brand's Scratch Shield Paint


Technology transfer from one sector to the other is nothing new but it's not often that we hear about an automaker using one of its innovations on a cell phone accessory.

We're talking about Nissan and its Scratch Shield paint technology that can heal scratches and which the Japanese company will soon premiere on a new series of mobile phone cases compatible with Apple's iPhone 4 and iPhone 4 S.

The unique Scratch Shield paint finish promises to heal small scratches in as little as an hour, with more severe cases taking up to a week's time, according to the company.

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

New Acura NSX Concept Meets Old in Gran Turismo 5 Video


Now that was pretty fast. The creators of Sony's wildly successful Gran Turismo racing game series have released a new video that brings to life both the brand-new Acura NSX Concept that was revealed just the other day at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and the original model, which was marketed under the Honda brand name outside North America. Read more »

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

This is the All-New 2013 Audi A3's Interior


In a similar way that General Motors used the presentation of its new CUE infotainment system to reveal the dashboard of its Cadillac XTS back in October, Audi brought a cutaway of its upcoming 2013 A3's interior to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to display its current technologies and future projects.

We'll get to the technological features later on, but for now, let's concentrate on the design of the dashboard that will find its way on all body styles of the next A3 including the three door hatchback, five door Sportback, four-door sedan and two-door convertible models.

The styling is typical Audi and closely resembles that of the smaller A2 series albeit polished up with decorative trims plus a more upscale instrument panel and center dash. The latter is also angled more towards the driver.

In addition, the lower console is positioned much higher than were used to in mainstream models like the A3.

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Friday, January 6, 2012

Dodge Expands Availability of 'Beats by Dr. Dre' Audio System to 2012 Charger


Before we delve into the details on the Chrysler Group's latest announcement, let us tell you that murdered out 2012 Charger you see in these pictures is an SXT model equipped with the available Blacktop Package.

With that out of the way, let's see what the Auburn Hills-automaker plans to debut at the upcoming 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas as well as the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, both of which kick off next week.

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Once Again, the Japanese Prove Their Drifting Skills


Typically, radio-controlled car users concentrate more on speed than anything else, but not when it comes to Japanese owners who are renowned for their drifting skills in the real world.

What makes this video even more special is the sheer number of RC cars drifting on the realistically designed miniature racetrack. Check it out for yourself in the video that follows after the break.

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Are High-Tech Cars an Ideal Target for Cyber Terrorists and Criminals?

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As technology creeps its way into our everyday lives, criminals have devised new ways to commit their acts: it’s called cyber terrorism, and it’s so serious that the U.S. military has even created a Cyber Command.

Experts now warn of a new way of cyber-attacks with an unlikely target: cars and trucks. As they become increasingly laden with high-tech features such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, they are at the same time becoming more vulnerable to electronic attacks.

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Friday, December 30, 2011

The Machines Are Coming: 2013 Ford Fusion to Debut New Lane Keeping System


While Ford is not yet ready to let the cat out of the bag on the brand-new 2013 Fusion (which will form the base for the Mondeo's replacement in Europe as well), the Detroit carmaker revealed today that the mid-size model would debut a new optional safety feature called Lane Keeping System or LKS.

Like the lane departure warning systems used by other car manufactures, the LKS is designed to help drivers stay between the lines.

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Must See: Slot Car Tracks Out of this World and Out of Our…Price Range


Some gifted people have a knack for turning the simplest of things into works of art. Like David Beattie, the founder and owner of Slot Mods USA, who took a hobby and turned it into a six-figure business.Link

The former auto show exhibit builder leads a team of artists that create some of the most realistic and staggering hand crafted raceways for slot cars that we have ever laid eyes on.

The choices are endless ranging from vintage raceways to modern day circuits and even replicas of cars that open up to reveal a track like the Porsche 917 racer featured in the opening picture, which is built from fiberglass.

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Brooklyn Designer Creates Autodromo Watch Line Inspired by Car Instrument Gauges


Bradley Price is 31-year-old product designer from Brooklyn, New York, with a special passion for cars and a pretty creative mind. Combine those two and you get an interesting mix.

A couple of years ago, while driving his red 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5 (yes, he's our kind of guy), Price had an inspiration: design a line of watches loosely inspired by sports car instrument panel gauges. Upon returning home, Price went to the drawing board and began rendering watch faces based on car gauges he admired.

The Brooklyn native continued to work on the designs of both the watch faces and casings and ended up creating a new company named Autodromo for his products.

“There are so many wonderful gauge designs from the 1960s and ’70s that I love,” Price told the New York Times in a recent interview. “I did some research and saw that no one was doing that for watches.”

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Hyundai gets Creative with Interactive Racing Game on Time Square Billboard


There are many different ways to promote a product in various areas of media, and Hyundai's marketing division appears determined to try them all out.

Last week, the South Korean automaker launched an interactive racing game called “Hyundai Race” on its prominent video billboard in Times Square, New York City. The game allows users to race the new 2012 Veloster sports hatch on the large video display.

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Tis the Time to Watch Out: Cool Timepieces for the Auto Enthusiast


A red and white McLaren and a bright yellow-helmeted driver behind the wheel storming down the track is one of the images that defined the 1980’s-era of Formula 1.

The driver was, of course, the late Ayrton Senna. And the watch he wore was always a TAG Heuer, something that made many young fans of the most charismatic driver the world has ever seen yearn for one.

The Swiss brand continues its partnership with the Woking-based F1 team, making sure that Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button flash their timepieces at every opportunity.

On the other hand, the most famous, if not really the most exclusive or expensive watchmaker in the world, Rolex, has linked its name not only with the late actor, racing driver and Indycar team owner Paul Newman, but also sponsors and big names, many major events after its most coveted model, the Daytona chronograph.

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Let There be Light: LEDs to Trickle Down to More Mainstream Models


It wasn’t too long ago when LED (light-emitting diodes) lights were a feature one could only find in the top end premium cars. Today, they have become cheap enough to be produced in large quantities and as a result, are storming the car market.

LEDs are much more energy-efficient than conventional halogen bulbs because they do not generate light from heat. For example, a Visteon-designed LED headlight for a Bentley requires only 15 watts for the low beam, whereas an equivalent halogen bulb needs 65 watts to do the same job. They last longer as well; about 10,000 hours or 10 times longer than a halogen unit.

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GM Touts Recovery of Stolen Chrysler 300 Thanks to its OnStar FMV


Detroit's "Big Three" never miss the chance to take a dig at each other when the opportunity arises. And for General Motors, the opportunity came with the recovery of a stolen 2006 Chrysler 300 that was equipped with the firm's OnStar FMV [For My Vehicle] in-car wireless communication system.

This is the first recorded case of a non-GM vehicle fitted with the aftermarket mirror, which encompasses the OnStar system, that was stolen and recovered by the police since the company introduced it into the market earlier this spring.

"OnStar advisors typically assist in the recovery of more than 500 stolen General Motors’ vehicles each month, but helping to recover a competitor's stolen vehicle is a new undertaking," GM said in a statement.

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