Car Tech: An automotive blog from CNET

Text message sender off the hook in car accident lawsuit

Liane Yvkoff — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:00:06 PDT

A New Jersey judge ruled today that a person sending a text message cannot be held liable for an ensuing car accident caused when the recipient replied to it, a CBS New York article reported.

Shannon Colonna was recently named in a lawsuit brought by two motorcyclists injured in a distracted-driving accident in 2009. David and Linda Kubert each lost part of their left legs when a truck driven by Kyle Best struck their motorcycle. Best pleaded guilty to using a handheld cell phone while driving, careless driving, and failure to maintain a lane, and was sentenced to $775 in fines and community service delivering anti-distracted-driving lectures to 14 high schools, reported The Daily Record.

However, in addition to naming Best in their damages lawsuit, they recently added his then-girlfriend Shannon Colonna to the suit. The Kuberts' lawyer argued that by engaging in back-and-forth texting with someone she knew was driving, she encouraged the illegal practice. Colonna's lawyer requested dismissal from the lawsuit, saying the sender assumed the text message would be read at a safe tim... [Read more]

The real prize for GM's EcoCar2 challenge? A job offer

Liane Yvkoff — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:45:42 PDT

Ohio State University students participating in the EcoCar2 Design and Simulation competition.

(Credit: GM)

In each of the three years of EcoCar2 Challenge, General Motors will give away approximately $100,000 in prizes to the students participating in the alternative fuels vehicle competition. But for some students, the real prize will be a steady paycheck.

Headliners GM and the Department of Energy, along with 25 suppliers, sponsor EcoCar2, a three-year alternative fuels vehicle competition, as a way to encourage college students to enter the automotive industry. It provides a chance for young engineers to apply the theoretical education they gain in the classroom in the lab, giving them an advantage when it comes to finding a job at the end of their higher education. It also provides GM a great opportunity to find budding automotive innovators.

Students setting up their booths at the 2012 EcoCar Challenge sponsored by GM and the Department of Energy

(Credit: GM)

The 15 teams from across North America participating in EcoCar2 will be tasked with developing, implementing, and refining an alternative-fuel power train for a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. In this first year of the competition, teams are being judged on their engineering design plans and technology simulation, and those t... [Read more]

How can I spruce up my subpar stock stereo? (Roadside Assistance)

Antuan Goodwin — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:30:18 PDT

There are quite a few reasons why one would want to remove a stock stereo system from a car. Like most things with moving parts -- in this case, speakers -- components wear out, which results in degradation of sound quality over time. Sometimes, a nearly new stock stereo just isn't loud enough or clear enough for the driver's tastes and needs a good overhaul.

That's why in this week's Roadside Assistance, I'll be helping two readers replace the worn, outdated, and underpowered components of their stock stereo systems and avoid some of the pitfalls that litter the pathway to better sound.

Can removing a factory receiver affect other vehicle systems?

Howdy Antuan, I have a 2004 Toyota Avalon XLS with the JBL system. I wanted to replace my system with an updated head unit and a sub woofer since mine has dry rotted. The dealer wants $300 to replace a paper cone speaker. Not. Anyways, I also figured to update the entire system. I am being told by installers that they have to leave the old head unit connect in the car while they install a new unit because removing it somehow affects the climate control. Is this possible?

Eric J.

The short answer is yes. In some cars, particularly newer models, yanking out the OEM headunit can wreak all kinds of havoc on your car's auxiliary functions. More and more, automakers are combining the electronics that run the climate system, security system, door chimes, and the like into the ... [Read more]

Ann Arbor to use V2V tech to prevent car crashes

Liane Yvkoff — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:13:34 PDT

A V2V communication device that alerts drivers to potential collisions.

(Credit: DOT)

Until supposedly safer autonomous vehicles become the norm, it's still up to the drivers to prevent car crashes. However, a few thousand drivers in Michigan will be getting a little electronic assist in staying out of harm's way.

The University of Michigan is conducting a pilot program to test a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications device that could help drivers avoid accidents, reported AnnArbor.com. This technology could prevent up to 81 percent of all vehicle crashes, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT). The school's Transportation and Research Institute is seeking 3,000 drivers in the Ann Arbor, Mich., area, and will equip their vehicles with wireless equipment that will alert the drivers to vehicles moving erratically. Intersections will also be outfitted with communication devices, and eventually the system could facilitate "dynamic real-time timing of traffic signals," according to the article.

Last year the DOT announced that it will test consumer acceptance of V2V technology in six cities, including a 100-driver study in Brooklyn, Mich. The UM study, which is funded partly by the DOT, will focus on system reliability and consumer response to the service to figure out which ... [Read more]

From Nuance, Siri in your next car

Liane Yvkoff — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:00:00 PDT

Nuance's Dragon Drive platform lets the driver use natural language voice commands to send text messages.

(Credit: Nuance)

If you find yourself with Siri envy but don't want to pony up the $600 for a phone, you may be able to get that same level of convenience and computerized companionship in your car.

Nuance's technology powers Apple's voice-recognition system, and the company is making its natural language command platform available to automotive manufacturers with Dragon Drive. Vehicles equipped with Dragon Drive will enable drivers to use spoken commands to get the system to perform a range of tasks, including open-ended conversational text messaging, getting directions to restaurants, or finding traffic information.

The benefit of Dragon Drive's natural language technology is the elimination gateway commands and command trees. With natural spoken queries, you no longer need to say 15 different keywords just to get directions to the airport like you need to do with many current infotainment systems, and you won't struggle to remember the exact word combination to change the radio station. Just tell it what you want it to do, and the system will figure it out. Dragon Drive will function similarly to what's offered with Siri and Nuance's Dragon Go app, but perhaps even better.

Like Apple's Siri, Dragon Drive can find almost anything you ask.[Read more]

Volkswagen tries to conquer the world with tech

Brian Cooley — Sun, 20 May 2012 23:59:00 PDT

Driving into the future at VW's Electronics Research Lab

California is not known as a carmaking state, but every carmaker is here. And few have been in Silicon Valley longer than Volkswagen Group with its Electronics Research Lab. There they try to crack the code on loading cars up with social media, connected navigation, portable integration, and more without distracting you to death.

CNET Conversations is part of a CBS Interactive special reporting project.

I spent a day with wide-ranging access to the VW lab, in conversation with its director, Peter Oel. I came away with the impression that VW, like the rest of the industry, feels the tech cat is out of the bag and we aren't going back to a day when our cars are digital ghettos. That's also because carmakers know that high-touch technology is a key way they'll clobber their competitors, but they also keep their eye on the rear view as the government makes more and more noises that sound like distraction regulation.

It's important to note that the VW parent company doesn't keep its brands on equal tech footing. Our most recent review of a VW was the 2012 Volkswagen CC, which could use a swift kick in... [Read more]

Do hybrid cars kill you with silence?

Chris Matyszczyk — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:26:42 PDT

(Credit: Audi Screenshot Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

The first time you get into a hybrid car, it can be quite eerie.

Not merely because of the peculiar sanctimoniousness of its owner, but because when it comes to a halt, there seems to be no engine sound. At first, you think it's stalled. Then you realize that cannot be. So your innards have to train themselves for this odd sensation.

However, it seems conclusive now that this little lamb's silence is proving to be somewhat injurious.

As a very fine analysis in Slate tells me, at speeds under 35 mph, hybrids and electric cars are 37 percent more likely to hit pedestrians and 66 percent more likely to hit cyclists than normal gas-guzzling machines.

However, the hybrids' silent factor has become so difficult that the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration is being forced, by this summer, to begin creating rules that will stipulate the minimum noise enjoyed by any car on the road.

Yes, oh newly minted Facebook millionaire, your new Tesla may have to be a little noisier.

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Texas school district to track kids through RFID tags[Read more]

CoPilot GPS review: You can argue with free

Wayne Cunningham — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:43:17 PDT

The CoPilot GPS app offers very basic route guidance and does not recalculate automatically.

(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

When heavy hitters such as Microsoft and Google can offer iPhone navigation apps with turn-by-turn guidance for free, smaller companies find it tough to compete. ALK Technologies makes a play for continued relevance with its free CoPilot GPS iPhone app, building on the company's previous CoPilot Live Premium apps.

Free always sounds good, and CoPilot GPS makes its case against Google Maps and Microsoft Bing by offering downloadable maps. As part of the setup process, CoPilot GPS presents a list of maps for different regions you can download. With this very thoughtful approach, you can load up the U.S. and Canada, at 1.3GB, just the U.S., at 1.2GB, or individual regions, such as the Midwest, taking up 300MB. You can choose at any time to change the maps on your phone, as well.

To keep the downloads small, and make up for the app being free, CoPilot GPS does not include 3D, or perspective view, maps. Similar to the free competition, the maps only show in top-down view. However, CoPilot GPS does offer a variety of color schemes.

Where the interface for CoPilot Live Premium was confusing, ALK has cleaned up the menu structure in CoPilot GPS somewhat. The map screen sho... [Read more]

Mitsubishi builds i-Miev Evo electric car for Pikes Peak

Wayne Cunningham — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:33:45 PDT

The i-Miev Evo looks nothing like its production cousin, and packs all-wheel-drive.

(Credit: Mitsubishi )

Mitsubishi Evos, performance-modified versions of the Lancer model, became legendary on the offroad rally circuit for their exceptional handling. Now Mitsubishi takes the Evo designation into the future with the first i-Miev Evolution, a performance version of its pod-like i-Miev electric city car.

Mitsubishi built the i-Miev Evo for the annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb, a race featuring 156 turns over 12.42 miles with a 4,700 foot ascent. The company says it started with a stock i-Miev, but the specs show heavy modification. Along with a completely new, carbon fiber body, the i-Miev Evo gets three 80 kilowatt electric motors, one for the front wheels and two at the rears. These motors get juice from a 35 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

A Mercedes-Benz hydrogen SUV or sedan in the works

Liane Yvkoff — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:52:49 PDT

Actress Diane Kruger with the Mercedes-Benz F-CELL.

(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)

The hydrogen highway is still unrealized, but when it comes, Mercedes-Benz is planning a lineup of fuel cell vehicles to ride it.

The auto manufacturer plans to release two new hydrogen vehicles in the next few years, according to an Automotive News article. Mercedes-Benz currently leases an F-Cell hydrogen-fueled vehicle based on the compact B-Class model in a handful of states. The F-Cell has a 240-mile driving range, emits only water vapor when driven, and can be leased for $849 per month.

Fisker Atlantic plans, specs leaked

Liane Yvkoff — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:58:54 PDT

Fisker Automotive unveils the Atlantic

If you're in the market for a luxury plug-in hybrid sedan, start saving up the $50,000 to $60,000 you'll need to buy the Fisker Atlantic sedan. And you'll have plenty of time -- don't expect to see the car in the showrooms for another couple of years.

Details of Fisker's second plug-in hybrid were leaked to InsideEvs.com. The Fisker Atlantic, formerly known as Project Nina, is the startup's follow-up to its $100,000 Karma plug-in hybrid sports car. The Atlantic is a smaller, more affordable luxury coupe that will be equipped with a 300 horsepower electric motor and make it to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds.

Fisker's Atlantic unveiling (photos)

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[Read more]

Fiat brilliantly punks VW on Google Street View

Chris Matyszczyk — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:17:26 PDT

(Credit: Google Street View Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

As so many struggle with the ins and outs of advertising cars on Facebook, one piece of sublime inspiration from Sweden might show there are other media with more promise.

An employee of Fiat near Stockholm, Sweden noticed that Google's fine Street View drivers were making a sweep of the area.

As the Daily Mail reports it, he drove a Fiat 500 and parked it in front of Volkswagen's HQ in Sodertalje, around 30 miles south of Stockholm. He thought it might make for a fun picture when the Street View car came around. He was right.

More Technically Incorrect

[Read more]

Five OEM navigation systems that are worth your bucks

Antuan Goodwin — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:06:09 PDT

While just about any navigation system on the market will get you where you're going, not all of them are created equally. This is especially true in the world of OEM in-car navigation systems where screen size, interface design, feature sets, and (most importantly) price vary wildly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some automakers offer cutting-edge GPS navigators with innovative features that you'll wonder how you ever got along without. Others will make you wish you'd skipped the pricey navigation package and just packed a smartphone.

We've taken a look back on the most recent OEM navigation systems to have graced the Car Tech garage and picked out a few manufacturers, in no particular order, that consistently knock it out of the park when it comes offering the best in-dash technology for getting from where you are to wherever you want to be.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Audi MMI Navigation plus with Audi connect

Audi's decision to roll an always-on cellular data connection into its MMI navigation is what makes this navigation system stand out from the pack. In addition to features like traffic data and weather forecasts, this Web connection enables advanced functions such as Google Maps satellite imagery overlays and web-connected destination search. Check out th... [Read more]

Tata commercializing an air-powered car

Liane Yvkoff — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:35:02 PDT

The AirPod is a three-seat and three-wheel car that runs on compressed air.

(Credit: CNET)

An air-powered car may not be a pipe dream after all. Tata Motors announced last week that it is beginning phase two of development to bring this technology to market.

Lightweight cars powered only by air have made the rounds on the auto show circuit for the past two years. But since 2007, the Indian automotive manufacturer has been working with Motor Development International, which is pioneering this technology, to make this highly conceptual propulsion system a reality.

Tata has successfully demonstrated the compressed air engine concept in two of its vehicles, and will enter phase two of the partnership agreement. The next step for the car maker, which owns Land Rover and Jaguar and is famous for making the world's cheapest car, is to work with MDI to fine-tune the technology and processes needed to commercialize an air-powered car.

The MDI OneFlowAir concept.

(Credit: MDI)

MDI has developed a handful of air-powered concepts, including the cutesy four-seater AirPod. It also makes slightly more conventional looking vehicles, such as the center-driven ... [Read more]

Buy a DeLorean (of sorts) for a mere $5,500

Amanda Kooser — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:44:34 PDT

It doesn't fly or go back in time, but it is a DeLorean.

(Credit: DeLorean)

Forget the hoverboard. Forget the self-lacing shoes. The ultimate "Back to the Future" fan prop is a DeLorean, the stainless steel machine that zipped around through time.

When DeLoreans first went on sale in the early 1980s, they cost around $25,000. Buying a used one today will set you back about $50,000 due to their rarity and mechanical fickleness. Now you can pick up a DeLorean for just $5,500, but there is a catch. It's a bike.

Check out the belt drive. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: DeLorean)

The DeLorean Bicycle is a collaboration between DeLorean Motor Company and Marc Moore, a cyclist and former DeLorean owner. In a nod to the famous car's construction, the bike's frame is made of stainless steel.

Several models will eventually be available, but right now your only choice is the DeLorean Anyday, which features a belt drive rather than an old-... [Read more]

Chevy SS: Everything old is new again

Wayne Cunningham — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:48:38 PDT

Chevrolet is already testing its Nascar Sprint Cup racer, the basis for the 2014 SS model.

(Credit: GM)

It seemed that the progression of automotive engineering would eliminate the rear-wheel-drive car by 2020, but GM believes the architecture still has life enough for a limited production run. Next year the company will make a Chevrolet SS with rear-wheel drive and a V-8. We can only hope a manual transmission might be part of the mix.

In the Chevrolet SS announcement, GM noted there has not been a rear-wheel-drive Chevrolet sedan for 17 years. Has it really been that long?

The new car will be based on the same platform as the Camaro, and it seems likely it would also get the 6.2-liter, 426 horsepower V-8 powering the SS version of that model. It also serves as a homologation for a Sprint Cup car Chevrolet will enter in next year's Daytona 500.

GM says it will produce the new Chevrolet SS in limited numbers, but did not specify the amount of the production run. It would go up against the Dodge Charger as the last non-luxury rear-wheel-drive sedans.

GM offered up this photo history of Chevrolet's SS, or Super Sport, models.

[Read more]

Toyota, Nintendo team on in-car navigation remote

Steven Musil — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:15:28 PDT

Ready to control a car's navigation system with a handheld game?

For those who often feel they are competing against their in-vehicle navigation system to get to their desired destination, Toyota has a new tool that may help you beat the voice that lives in your dashboard.

The Japanese automaker has teamed up with Nintendo to turn the Nintendo DS into navigational remote control that allows users to set destinations, map out routes, and even get sightseeing information.

Dubbed the Kuruma de DS, the game card is Bluetooth-enabled for easy pairing of the handheld game with the vehicle's navigation system, according to a Kotaku report. The interface features Nintendo Mii characters and even sports a speedometer.

The game will also show you information about where your vehicle has been and even pose quizzes.

However, this little tour de fun is a bit pricey: Toyota's top-end navigation system runs about $2,600, while the game itself costs about $90. And you will also have to factor in the cost of traveling to Japan, because for now it looks as though the pair will be available only in Japan.

[Read more]

From battery covers to bat caves

Liane Yvkoff — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:54:57 PDT

Retired Volt battery covers converted into duck nesting shelters.

(Credit: GM)

Rather than sending Volt battery covers to the landfill, General Motors is sending them into the wild. The company is repurposing the scrapped parts as habitat for Michigan wildlife.

The old Volt battery covers came from prototype vehicles, were damaged in assembly, or were used during training exercises. The company's quality requirements mandate that they can't be used in cars, and due to the type of plastic used to mold the cover, can't be recycled.

Defunct Volt battery cover repurposed as a bat house.

(Credit: GM)

However, John Bradburn, manager of waste-reduction efforts for GM, is an avid outdoorsman and found a second life for these parts as owl and duck nesting shelters. Environmental and facility engineers worked with children from the Lasky Recreation Center in Detroit to construct nesting boxes last year.

GM recently fielded a suggestion from within the company to use the defunct covers as bat houses. Working with Rob Mies, director of the Organization for Bat Conservation at the Cranbrook Institute of Science, the company is now turning out miniature bat caves.

"These battery covers are also great for bat houses because they are the ideal shape, provide great protection from predators, keep the bats warm, an... [Read more]

GM and its Facebook ads: The knives are out

David Hamilton — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:50:42 PDT

The General Motors page on Facebook.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jonathan Skillings/CNET)

Yesterday, word broke that General Motors ended $10 million in Facebook ad spending after determining the ads didn't work for it. The timing of the original WSJ story on the subject was spectacular, coming as it did just three days before Facebook's IPO.

Now folks sympathetic to Facebook are firing back at the automaker, saying GM ran a lousy Facebook campaign and ignored the social network's advice. Which is not terribly surprising when you think about it, since the GM story has ignited a wider debate about the utility of corporate ad spending on Facebook at about the worst moment possible so far as the company and its backers are concerned. Not that it seems to be hurting demand for the IPO very much.

With all that in mind, here's the case one individual familiar with the ... [Read more]

Apple granted patent for iOS steering-wheel remote

Joe Aimonetti — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:38:00 PDT

(Credit: Patently Apple)

Discovered by Patently Apple in a group of 21 patents issued to Apple by the Patent and Trademark Office, the in-vehicle remote-control patent describes a product designed for drivers wishing to control their iOS devices more easily.

Car Tech: An automotive blog from CNET

Text message sender off the hook in car accident lawsuit

The real prize for GM's EcoCar2 challenge? A job offer

How can I spruce up my subpar stock stereo? (Roadside Assistance)

Ann Arbor to use V2V tech to prevent car crashes

From Nuance, Siri in your next car

Volkswagen tries to conquer the world with tech

Driving into the future at VW's Electronics Research Lab

Do hybrid cars kill you with silence?

More Technically Incorrect

CoPilot GPS review: You can argue with free

Mitsubishi builds i-Miev Evo electric car for Pikes Peak

Related stories

A Mercedes-Benz hydrogen SUV or sedan in the works

Related stories

Fisker Atlantic plans, specs leaked

Fisker Automotive unveils the Atlantic

Fisker's Atlantic unveiling (photos)

Fiat brilliantly punks VW on Google Street View

More Technically Incorrect

Five OEM navigation systems that are worth your bucks

Tata commercializing an air-powered car

Buy a DeLorean (of sorts) for a mere $5,500

Chevy SS: Everything old is new again

Toyota, Nintendo team on in-car navigation remote

From battery covers to bat caves

GM and its Facebook ads: The knives are out

Apple granted patent for iOS steering-wheel remote

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