Wow, I can’t say I ever saw this one coming. After the company’s restructuring, General Motors realized the value of their OnStar service and has been trying to find new ways to further take advantage of the brand. This has led to smartphone apps letting users interact and monitor their vehicles, and new services integrating OnStar with social networks like Facebook. But today the General revealed just how far they want to expand the OnStar brand by introducing an OnStar-equipped standalone rearview mirror that can be installed in older GM vehicles, or more surprisingly, non-GM vehicles.
That’s right! If you’ve ever used the Sync system in your Ford and wished it had all the bells and whistles that OnStar does, your wish has come true. For $299, plus installation which is expected to run between $75 and $100, you can have your rearview mirror professionally replaced so that your vehicle can take advantage of the more popular OnStar features like turn-by-turn navigation, voice control, vehicle recovery, crash and emergency response and even hands-free calling. Of course some of the more advanced integration seen with GM’s current vehicle lineup isn’t available with this solution, but if you really want them just go buy a GM vehicle. In addition to the cost of the mirror and installation, there are also monthly or annual fees for the OnStar service which start at $18.95/month and go up to $199/year.
Saving money on gas is one thing, but having a car that doesn’t go through fuel like its not a precious commodity is also part of the equation. Ford announced today their plans to bring their Auto Stop-Start Technology to the United States in 2012. Also called idle-stop technology, or even microhybrid, it’s designed to turn off the engine when the car is not in motion. The electrical system stays on, so you’ll still have music and heat, but the engine will be off. As soon as the driver puts their foot back on the gas, the engine fires back up, and they can be on their way.
The technology is actually used by Ford in their current-generation hybrid vehicles, like the Ford Fusion. As Ford puts it, the company will be bringing the technology to the United States in 2012 in other vehicles, like their standard diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles. That means crossovers and SUVs will be getting the treatment as well. With the system in place, Ford says that fuel efficiency can be increased from anywhere between 4 and 10 percent.
Ford plans on introducing Auto Stop-Start Technology into every country in which they operate. In Europe, the technology is already in place in different models.
Ken Block’s Gymkhana videos have racked up millions and millions of views, and quite frankly they look like just about as much fun as anyone can have with a car. And while you can head out to your local Ford dealer and pick up a Fiesta for yourself, it unfortunately won’t come with the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of improvements needed to pull off those Gymkhana tricks. So what’s the next best thing? Why a 1/16-scale version of course!
Out of the box this miniature version of Ken Block’s ride features all the livery and graphics of the full-scale version, and is capable of hitting 30mph+ with the included battery. And if you get the optional upgrade which includes a second battery, pinion gear and speed connector, you can push that to 50mph+. It’s 4WD too allowing you to pull off a lot of the same stunts that Ken does (including shallow depth-of-field promo videos as seen below) but since you’re driving a safe distance away via a wireless controller, you never have to worry about protective gear or even wearing a helmet.
And while it won’t cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, or a new set of tires after every run, you can still expect to pay about $300+ for this mini Fiesta, not including the controller.
It’s hard to find fault with a novelty, light-up, tree-shaped air freshener. But the fact that this one doesn’t actually have any scent at all besides “natural cardboard” is a complete and utter rip-off. Who cares how much good cheer you’re spreading with this hanging from your rear-view mirror when your passengers can still smell the wet dog you rode with last week?
I mean they couldn’t have just splashed a dash of cinnamon on there or something? Christmastime is literally a cornucopia of recognizable smells! I’m not even sure if the random, blinking LEDs make up for this oversight, but since Perpetual Kid is currently sold out of them, I suspect many people were more than happy to pay $7.50 for an air freshener that DOESN’T FRESHEN THE AIR!
Next to the kitchen and living room, the bathroom is probably the most frequented room in your house during the holidays. And with guests coming and going all day long are you willing to risk using a shoddy plastic toilet seat? I didn’t think so. If you want something that will stand up to the rigors and abuse of post-holiday feasting then carbon fiber is the only way to go. Some might say that $279 is a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a toilet seat, but I suspect they’ve never experienced a seat failure firsthand. Trust me when I say that this carbon fiber alternative is money well spent.
You love war, right? Everyone does. You know who does the most? Robots. Robots love to go to war because even if their body is destroyed, their mind can be transferred back to the mainframe. It’s a fact. Building on that idea (or not) is Lockheed Martin, now creating a helicopter that’ll run entirely unmanned. The contract they’re working on is called K-MAX and this helicopter’s been given a $45.8 million dollar go-ahead by the US Navy.
Lockheed Martin Aviation Systems vice president Dan Spoor says of this helicopter project: “The K-MAX UAS was specifically designed for the battlefield cargo resupply mission. K-MAX’s capabilities directly answer the Marine Corps’ requirement to augment ground and air logistics operations, supplement rotary-wing assets and keep warfighters supplied and out of harm’s way.” Of course, I and we, our first question should be – what’s the point of war if noone’s lives are put at risk?
The contract given to Lockheed Martin is set to have them create TWO K-MAX vehicles and three remote control ground stations for the Marine Corps to do a “Quick Reaction Assessment.” Think Tony Stark showing the troops that scatter bomb and giving them drinks. Similar thing.
This aircraft is capable of carrying more than 4000 pounds of cargo at 10,000 feet and 6000 pounds at sea level. An intermeshed rotor system is employed to get rid of the need for a traditional tail rotor. No more rockets to the rear end for these flyers! This system also improves lift and reduces maintenance costs. A four-hook carousel is used to allow multiple supply drops as well. Features and features.
Terry Fogarty, Kaman Aerospace Unmanned Aircraft Systems general manager notes: “K-MAX is the optimal choice for an affordable unmanned cargo delivery capability. With reduced operational and logistics costs, increased fuel savings and less manpower required compared to a ground vehicle convoy or manned helicopter, the K-MAX is the lowest-risk solution for the mission.”
Most car stereos that feature iPhone connectivity usually just have you attach a cable to the dock connector and then stash it away in your glove box. But Oxygen Audio’s O’Car stereo puts the iPhone 3G, 3GS & 4 up front and center where you can access all of your applications, whether you want to play or stream music, or make or answer a call.
The special articulated, pop-out cradle lets the iPhone be used in a landscape or portrait orientation, and a ball joint makes it easy to angle towards you if you want to use the touchscreen while driving. The stereo features a built-in radio tuner as well, and I’m assuming you can download an app which provides a UI for tuning stations and storing presets. It’s set to be unveiled at CES 2011 in January so there’s no pricing info just yet, but we’ll try to follow up with them at the show for more details.
Even though the snowy weather didn’t make for the most memorable of photo ops, yesterday Motor Trend’s 2011 Car of the Year, the Chevy Volt, left General Motor’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant destined for dealerships in the vehicle’s initial launch markets. About 350 Volts will be shipped out this week, marking the end of what’s been a highly publicized development for the vehicle.
To say a lot of stuff has happened since the original Volt concept was unveiled a few years ago is an understatement, and while many believe that General Motors is till standing today because of the Volt, there’s no question the company has invested a lot of time and money into developing the ideal transition vehicle as we move from fossil-fueled powered to all-electric automobiles. So congratulations are in order I guess!
Hey world, check it out, time to get green while cleaning up while saving the world. All of these things are the same thing, in a way, and now they’re all in the same vehicle. This Allianz 4000 vehicle has a top speed of 60 miles per hour and currently resides in New York City. It has a 6.7-liter Cummings diesel engine and two 12-volt lithium-ion batteries with an electric-traction drive system. How much more efficiently does it run than its non-hybrid counterparts? How does 40-45% fuel savings sound to you?
Allianz sales manager Chad Bormann says thusly of the Allianz 4000: “We have the ability to operate using a smaller single diesel engine running at lower RPMs. This alone creates savings against any street sweeper that requires an auxiliary engine in conjunction with the chassis engine to drive and operate the sweep functions. The fuel savings are extreme and the carbon footprint minimal considering that street sweepers are operated for long shifts daily all over the world.”
Not only does the car offer a better fuel savings than all of its predecessors, its emissions are much lower too. In fact, “This alone helps to justify any upfront additional costs that are associated with the hybrid purchase,” says Bormann on how these lowered emissions help cities meet their emissions standards. All this doesn’t help with the speed of the actual cleaning though, sadly, super sadly, as identified in its clean mode which only ends up being between 3 and 7 mph. Chuggin along.
For reals! Did you even know that some cars had these? It’s essentially a camera whose image is displayed within the vehicle, allowing drivers to see everywhere their car would normally impair, namely, right behind, where kids most often are right before their parent backs over them. The USA Transportation Department has now proposed requirements of cars that they improve rear visibility to such a degree that these accidents would no longer occur, most cars being able to meet these requirements by adding a rear-mounted video camera with in-vehicle displays.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides data which suggests that nearly 300 people are killed and 18,000 injured each year (I presume in the USA alone), nearly half of the deaths involving children 5 and under. Cameras such as the ones I’m sure many cars will begin installing soon have already been installed in around 20% of newly released 2010 cars (so says AP), while this new proposal, expected to be complete by next year (after a public comment period) will roll out requirements throughout the next few years.
The vehicle fleet produced by the USA will have to be 10 percent at standard by their 2012 model year, 40% by 2013, and by 2014, all new cars will need to reach new visibility standards. These new rules are going to apply to all passenger cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, and every other vehicle weighing up to 10,000 pounds. No more dead puppies!
The image you see above is of a rear-mounted camera from Sanyo as posted by UberGizmo. This is one you buy and install, in the future we’re looking at similar situations coming in standard.
