telematics
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If you’re a new driver, you know that the cost of car insurance can, in some cases, be more than the cost of your first car. Get a ticket, or have an at-fault accident, and you may find yourself with the kind of insurance rates that would make Bill Gates wince, if your company doesn’t just drop your coverage altogether. Insurance cost isn’t just a problem in the United States, so French automaker Citroën is offering up a unique version of its Facebook-designed C1 Connexion subcompact, aimed at young drivers in the U.K.. Fitted with a "black box" telematics system that...
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Chrysler Introduces Access Assist To Its UConnect System
GM’s OnStar may have been the first to offer drivers a panic button and a help button for on-the-road emergencies or questions, but in the years since OnStar’s launch the technology has become widespread. Today, help buttons are offered in telematics systems from Hyundai (Blue Link)...
Kurt Ernst -
BMW's ConnectedDrive Updates, Explained: Video
BMW’s defines its ConnectedDrive as “the innovative connection between you, your BMW and the rest of the world.” That’s a more poetic way of saying that ConnectedDrive blends apps, navigation, smartphone integration, infotainment and telematics to create an improved driving...
Kurt Ernst -
Ford's Innovative SYNC System Inducted Into Computer Museum
When you think of Silicon Valley's Computer History Museum, you may imagine Eniac, or a DEC PDP-8, perhaps even such early personal computers as the Altair and Apple II. Well, think SYNC, too. Curators at the museum have added Ford's SYNC in-car connectivity and communications system to its...
John Voelcker -
Ford Opens Its New Silicon Valley Lab
Last January, we told you that Ford would be opening a lab in California’s Silicon Valley, specifically to “drive innovation in personal mobility.” Ford has recently opened the doors to its Ford Silicon Valley Lab facility, which has a mission based around three priorities: big...
Kurt Ernst -
Mercedes-Benz Picks CES To Launch Mbrace2
Looking to highlight its latest advances in telematics, Mercedes-Benz is demonstrating its latest mbrace2 system at this week's Consumer Electronics Show.
Kurt Ernst -
BMW has incorporated the Yelp application into its BMW Online service, allowing owners to search for nearby businesses and restaurants and even sort by rating.
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BMW And Hyundai Partner On Next-Gen Vehicle Connectivity
Two major automakers competing in very different segments have partnered to help develop the next-generation of vehicle networking and connectivity technology. Those two automakers are BMW and Hyundai, which have joined global tech firms Broadcom, NXP, Freescale, and Harman to establish the Special...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
OnStar Now Protects You From The Zombie Apocalypse
For Halloween, OnStar is offering subscribers a "Monster Dodger" service to route them around monster outbreaks.
Kurt Ernst -
Buick Making Pandora Internet Radio Standard Across Lineup
Buick is rolling out Pandora Internet radio services as a standard feature across its lineup, integrating it with the new IntelliLink infotainment system announced in April. It will be made standard initially on the 2012 Buick Verano, Regal and LaCrosse, and on the Enclave crossover in 2013...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Automobiles To Be Biggest Mobile Device Growth Area
Over the next five years, the amount of "connected" cars on the road is expected to grow from 5 percent to 100 percent, raising questions about both features and costs.
Kurt Ernst -
Car Of The Future: BMW ConnectedDrive Offers Ambitious Infotainment Upgrades
New ConnectedDrive in-vehicle technologies make the car more functional and intuitive than ever.
Chris Weiss -
While the idea of implementing mind reading technology in an automotive application is nothing new, in fact, it’s something Ferrari has previously been reported as dabbling in, this is the first time that we’ve seen an automaker actually confirm an interest in the field. Nissan is undertaking this pioneering work in collaboration with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland (EPFL). Research on what’s being called the “Brain Machine Interface” (BMI) already allows disabled users to maneuver their wheelchairs by thought...
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2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Speeding, 2012 Acura TSX: Car News Headlines
We spy the 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet, and it looks like you would expect. Learn how to drive your Ferrari in the winter at Ferrari's new winter driving school. We personally love seeing a prancing horse in the snow. Don't fight a speeding ticket in Massachusetts, even if you're innocent. You'll...
Joel Feder -
Kia's Next-Gen Telematics Tech Now Under Development
The last few years have seen a step-up in in-car telematics, with more connected systems than ever now available to drivers and their passengers. Kia is currently developing its next generation of telematics, to expand on the first-gen UVO system found in its current 2012 range of cars. The new...
Antony Ingram -
Garmin's Big News Is...Updated GPS Units
Late last week, Garmin rolled out a teaser campaign for something to be unveiled on August 24th. Assuming that Garmin is a forward-thinking manufacturer of high-tech gadgets, we imagined that the company might roll out an Android app (finally) or perhaps a telematics service to compete with OnStar...
Richard Read -
Ford, Toyota Team Up On Telematics: What's It Mean For You?
Automotive heavyweights Ford and Toyota joined forces yesterday to make a very interesting announcement. Toyota's executive vice president for research and development, Takeshi Uchiyamada, appeared with Ford's group vice president for global product development, Derrick Kuzak, to say that the...
Richard Read -
Ford And Toyota To Develop Rear-Wheel Drive Hybrids Together
Ford and Toyota, two of the leaders when it comes to hybrid technology, have announced a new alliance to help develop hybrid drive systems for rear-wheel drive applications, specifically, light trucks and SUVs. The move should ensure the future viability of full-size pickups and SUVs in a world of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Garmin has launched a new teaser campaign via email and Facebook, and because it's a slow news day, our crack team of marketing specialists has decided to take some guesses at what all the fuss is about. So far, it appears that Garmin's campaign has two components: an email containing an image that reads, "Reimagined. Redesigned. Ready to move you. 08.24.2011", and a video that the company has posted only to its Facebook page. Unfortunately, the folks at Garmin don't seem to understand that Facebook videos can't be shared outside of Facebook, and the company hasn't yet bothered to upload the...
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We Were Right To Be Dubious: HP Effectively Shuts Down WebOS
On Tuesday, we wrote about Hewlett-Packard and about how some at the company were hinting that HP's mobile operating system, webOS, would soon come to dashboards. We expressed a heavy dose of doubt about that -- and it turns out that we were right to raise an eyebrow. Today, HP indicated that it...
Richard Read -
Mercedes-Benz Working On 3D Displays And Hand-Gesture Recognition
In addition to new 3D technology and hand-gesture recognition technology, Mercedes-Benz is also planning a whole new range of apps for its current COMAND Online multimedia system.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford Testing Live SYNC Operators, Should OnStar Worry?
Ford is experimenting with live operators to assist SYNC customers with a limited trial. But can it make up for 15 years lost to GM's OnStar service?
Nelson Ireson -
Onstar Versus Sync: Can Ford Catch Up? #YouTellUs
Ford is beta testing live operator assistance for SYNC services, similar to what OnStar offers. But can Ford catch up to OnStar? #YouTellUs
Joel Feder -
Can Better Voice Recognition Boost Ford's Quality Ranking?
Yesterday, Ford Motor Company received quite a wallop from research firm J.D. Power: after several years of steady improvement, Ford plummeted from 5th place to 23rd on the firm's Initial Quality Survey. How can Ford climb back toward the top? Better voice-interaction with the company's SYNC system...
Richard Read