Infotainment is an increasingly important consideration when buying a new car. Buyers want a system that’s easy to use with key features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with the ability to customize the screen to their preferences. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles delivers with the fifth generation of its Uconnect infotainment system. Personalized User Profiles […]
High-Tech 2020 Range Rover Sport HST Makes Easy Work Of Winter Weather
We took the 2020 Range Rover Sport HST into the worst weather we could find to see how it coped with snow and ice. The quick answer? Splendidly.
The Cruise Origin is Your Autonomous Car of the Future
Today’s cars have autonomous features, but none of them are fully autonomous. No matter how much steering and braking they can manage, a human driver is still required as backup. The Cruise Origin has no such restrictions and looks completely unlike today’s cars. Cruise Automation is the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of General Motors. It debuted […]
Why Are Everyone’s Headlights So Obnoxious?
If you’ve operated an automobile over the last decade or so, you’ve probably been aware that headlights have become exceedingly obnoxious. Ford Super Duty drivers, in particular, must spend half their nighttime driving flashing oncoming drivers that, no, their high beams aren’t on, but their low beams are so blinding that it makes the high […]
Keyless Entry is Still An Unsecure Means of Protecting Your Car
Half of all new cars sold in the U.S. have keyless entry as a standard feature. It’s convenient, but it leaves your car wide open to thieves to either break in or drive the car away, using nothing but a $17 amplification device and a small loop antenna. You can defeat thieves, but isn’t as […]
Former Google Engineer Indicted for Stealing Self-Driving Car Secrets
Former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for stealing trade secrets from Google when he left the company and headed over to Uber. Levandowski worked on Google’s self-driving car from 2009 until early 2016. He was the lead of Google’s Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) engineering team so he […]
Virtual Designated Driver Doesn’t Need to be in the Car to Drive
The days of human drivers may be numbered once fully autonomous vehicles hit the road, but we aren’t there just yet. The technology is making its way into our cars, but this is a process that will take time. One step in the process could be virtual drivers. Designated Driver, based out of Portland, Oregon, […]
When Will Advanced Safety Features be Standard?
Last week at the MIT MediaLab, the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) held its annual conference on advanced vehicle technology. The panel included executives involved in incorporating autonomous, semi-autonomous and infotainment technologies in our cars. The panelists came from auto manufacturers (Toyota and Hyundai), professional associations (SAE), suppliers (Qualcomm), academia (MIT) and consumer advocacy […]
Fiat Chrysler Chooses Harman and Google for Global Connected Car System
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced it will use Harman and Google technologies to create a new connected vehicle system that will be used by all of its vehicles across the globe. It will include an off-board system based on Harman (Samsung) technologies and an on-board system that is Android-based. The off-board system will securely manage […]