Monthly Archives: May 2015

Fiat magnifies utility and comfort in 500X compact SUV

Fiat magnifies utility and comfort in 500X compact SUV

Cars, , , , ,

Nine gears, 180 horsepower and a dial on the console that lets me set steering, throttle and gearbox to sport mode, all packaged in a short wheelbase hatchback I’m driving along steep, twisty southern California mountain roads. That formula sounds promising for automotive enjoyment, and the 2016 Fiat 500X delivers for the most part, although I’m mostly taken with this new compact SUV’s comfort and well-tuned running gear.

Fiat introduced this extension of the 500 model line-up at the Paris auto show last year, but given the underwhelming 500L, my expectations for the all-new 500X were diminished. When I got behind the wheel at a Fiat-sponsored event, however, the 500X showed well-crafted capability and utility, with enough power to satisfy most drivers.
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2016 Jaguar F-Type gets smarter, faster, louder

2016 Jaguar F-Type gets smarter, faster, louder

Cars, , ,

The first rendition of the sultry Jaguar F-Type Convertible quickly drove straight into our hearts, instantly becoming one of our favorite new cars. Then, when the hard-top Coupe came a year later, we fell even deeper in love.

In 2016 the changes aren’t so drastic, but they do make an already great car even greater — and gave us an opportunity to get back behind the wheel again. The biggest update surrounds the R model. You can now get your F-Type R in either convertible or coupe flavors, and that supercharged V-8 now delivers 550 horsepower across the board, up from 495 in the former S V8. AWD is also available for either the coupe or convertible, and in fact, American buyers will no longer have the option of an RWD V-8 motor. Jaguar personnel has seemingly decided that ham-fisted Americans aren’t capable of keeping up with it.
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Android Pay hands-on: Google wants your money

Android Pay hands-on: Google wants your money

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Android Pay is coming, and it’s impressively streamlined compared to the overly-complicated and feature-bulging Google Wallet. Officially revealed alongside Android M at Google I/O today, the mobile payments system supports both NFC for dropping virtual cash out in the wild, and in-app integration for retailers wanting to enable easy payments. I grabbed a Nexus 6 and a Nexus 5, both equipped with pre-release versions of Android Pay, to go shopping on Google’s dime.

Google’s first demo consisted of in-app payments using Android Pay. Using a specially-created app for I/O, we bought an Android figurine and then opted to pay for it using Android Pay.

The payment confirmation came up, all pre-populated and complete with shipping details, and then it was another tap and the toy was ordered.
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Driver fined for using Apple Watch while driving

Driver fined for using Apple Watch while driving

Wearables, , , , , , , ,

Smartwatches were designed to actually pry us away from our smartphones by only bringing to our attention very critical notifications, and even then only for a short while. At least that’s the theory. And that theory will be one that still needs to be tested by the law, which has grown rather indecisive when it came to the latest breed of smart devices in the market. That is something that a driver from Pincourt, Quebec found out the hard way when he was fined with a $120 ticket for driving with an Apple Watch.

The incident looked straightforward enough. The driver, a certain Jeffrey Macesin, was asked to pull over by the Surete du Quebec, the province’s police. Macesin was puzzled since he was not aware he was breaking any law. The cop, however, begs to differ. He cited Section 439.1 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code which prohibits the use of any handheld device with telephony functions. Macesin’s iPhone was actually inside a bag, charging, while connected to the car’s radio.
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Latest 15″ MacBook Pro is first to support 5k displays

Latest 15″ MacBook Pro is first to support 5k displays

Computers & IT, , , , ,

The newly introduced 15-inch MacBook Pro has officially become the first with the “MacBook” name to support both 5k-resolution displays and 4k displays with a full 4096 x 2160/60Hz resolution (single-stream). Such is made official via a support document Apple updated earlier today, which details the display support for the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro as well as a bunch of other MacBooks of varying years. This means you’ll be able to use it with your 5K Dell monitor or whatever 4k/5k display you might be using, expanding the device’s usefulness for graphic designers, photographers, and more.
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Ford recalls nearly 423,000 older cars for steering issue

Ford recalls nearly 423,000 older cars for steering issue

Cars, , , , , , , , , ,

Ford has announced that it has issued two recalls on some of its cars in North America. The first recall covers almost 423,000 cars and is for older models with electric power steering. The specific number of cars is 422,814 and the recall covers 2011-2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles.

Certain 2011-2012 Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, and 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles are also covered in the electric power steering recall. The recall is due to a potential intermittent electrical connection in the steering gear that could result in the loss of electric power steering assist while driving.
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Ford opens EV car patents to auto rivals (for a fee)

Ford opens EV car patents to auto rivals (for a fee)

Cars, , , , , , , , , ,

Ford is throwing open its electric car patent portfolio, offering rivals access in the hope of driving EV development, though unlike Tesla it will be charging a fee. The IP will include technology around better battery charging, regenerative braking, and how to assess driving styles and habits to better balance powertrain use. In total, Ford says, it has in excess of 650 electrified models, including both all-electric and hybrids.

Sharing patents isn’t exactly new in the EV landscape. Back in June last year, citing surprise at the speed at which the eco-friendly vehicle market had developed, Tesla offered access to its patent portfolio at no charge.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the time that he had expected his auto rivals to poach his tech. Instead, he argued, they’d let EVs languish.
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MIT’s latest robot cheetah can jump higher than you

MIT’s latest robot cheetah can jump higher than you

Wearables, , , , ,

MIT’s Biomimetics Robotics Lab has created a new version of its robotic cheetah. The Cheetah 2 is capable of even more animal-like actions than DARPA’s faster and simpler predecessor. The Cheetah 2 can reliably identify and jump over objects up to 40 cm (about 15 inches) high. When it jumps, it mimics the movements of an actual cheetah, creating a double arc as its fore and high legs clear the hurdle.

To make the robotic quadruped jump successfully, the bioengineering team had to create a three different real-time algorithms. The first involves the evolved robot’s newly equipped front-facing laser sensor, allowing it to detect obstacles in real-time.
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NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Review

NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Review

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If Nexus Player was Android TV’s trailer, NVIDIA SHIELD is the platform’s first big blockbuster. This piece of hardware exemplifies all of the high points of NVIDIA’s hardware history, taking the Android TV operating system to a place that not only shows off everything Google’s done, but adds on features that make this environment even better. In NVIDIA SHIELD you’ll find your new best bet for a top-notch living room TV controller, gaming system, and media center all in one.

We went into reviewing the NVIDIA SHIELD expecting an experience similar to that of the SHIELD Portable or the SHIELD Tablet. Boy were we wrong. While the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV exists in a similar general ecosystem, the Android TV user interface changes everything.
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Lamborghini luxury SUV is a go, slated for 2018 debut

Lamborghini luxury SUV is a go, slated for 2018 debut

Cars, , , , ,

Not all concept cars have the good fortune to make it to the production line, but it seems that the Lamborghini Urus has beaten the odds. “Luxury SUV” almost sound like an oxymoron, but that is exactly what Lamborghini’s new model will be. The luxury SUV, which still doesn’t have a name aside from the Urus concept, will be the third model to join the luxury marque’s product line. It’s production will take place in a soon to be expanded Sant’Agata Bolognese plant, keeping the new car within Lamborghini’s “Made in Italy” category.

Introduced back in 2012 at the Beijing Auto Show, the Urus SUV concept represented a new direction for Lamborghini. Back then, nothing was set in stone though it was envisioned to become an actual future model. It took three years for the luxury SUV to finally receive the green light and it will take another three years before it actually goes out to the market.
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Audi reveals release dates for new Q1, Q6, Q8, and A4

Audi reveals release dates for new Q1, Q6, Q8, and A4

Cars, ,

While German automaker Audi has been somewhat busy lately teasing us with some sweet, high-powered concepts, the company is also making headway on the release of its new, consumer-line models. During a recent meeting with shareholders, Audi revealed that there will be eight new models and trims hitting the market between now and the year 2020. This included solid release dates for three of its brand-new crossover vehicles, the Q1, the Q6, and the Q8.

Already known was that the compact Q1 would be hitting the streets sometime in 2016. The new information consisted of the electric Q6 seeing release sometime in 2018, and the extra-large Q8, which is based on the existing Q7, debuting in 2019. For those more interested in Audi’s four-door sedans, the 2016 A4 will be out in the second half of this year.
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New Lamborghini Asterion video surfaces, reminding you of what will never be

New Lamborghini Asterion video surfaces, reminding you of what will never be

Cars, , , , ,

Back at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini left us speechless with the unveiling of the Asterion LPI 910-4, the company’s first plug-in hybrid. They made it clear then that the car was just a working concept, meant to serve as a technology demonstration. It offered just about the best of everything with a 5.2-liter V10, three electric motors, and an incredible 910 horsepower with 57.3 mpg. It was practically cruel to show us such a thing and then say it would likely never enter production.

When you hear a few more details about the Asterion, it’s a bit easier to understand why Lamborghini could never mass-produce it. The car’s battery pack was 551 pounds alone, and in order to reduce that weight in other areas, the parts, materials, and manufacturing needed would set new records in cost. But a hybrid with a top speed of 198 mph and capable of 0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds would make it worth it, right?
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Chevrolet fits 14 cars with Android Auto and CarPlay

Chevrolet fits 14 cars with Android Auto and CarPlay

Cars, , , , , , , , ,

Chevrolet has announced the most ambitious Android Auto andApple CarPlay roll-out so far, with a full fourteen of the GM brand’s 2016 line-up supporting the infotainment systems. “There are a lot of smartphones out there today,” Dan Kinney, director of user experience at Chevrolet pointed out, “and not all of them are being used responsibly.” Unlike rival manufacturers, Chevy will be making the advanced smartphone connectivity a standard-fit item, not charging more for it.

There’ll be two systems Chevrolet will use, each branded MyLink Infotainment, one with a 7-inch touchscreen and another with an 8-inch touchscreen. The former will be near-entirely reliant on CarPlay or Android Auto: while it will have its own basic features, like an FM radio, there won’t be a navigation upgrade option or native speech control (though there will be a voice command button on the steering wheel).
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Lenovo ThinkPad 10 tablet gets a second-gen update

Lenovo ThinkPad 10 tablet gets a second-gen update

Tablets, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

At the Lenovo Tech World event in Beijing, Lenovo has introduced the second-generation of its ThinkPad 10 tablet and the improvements it brings with it, including a ThinkPad Pen Pro and a new Folio keyboard. The tablet looks very similar — though not identical — to the first-generation version (check out our review of it), but stands out in all the ways needed to (hopefully) produce a sharper, better-abled upgrade for those who are ready for a next-gen device. We’ve a gallery after the jump!

The new ThinkPad 10 tablet can be had with either an Intel Atom Z8500 or a Z8700 quad-core SoC. Joining the SoC is a 10.1-inch 1900 x 1200 10-point multi-touch display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 2GB or 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB internal storage, triple-array microphones, a standard 3.5mm audio jack, graphite black color, and Bluetooth 4.0.
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“Proactive” to turn iOS Spotlight into Google Now rival

“Proactive” to turn iOS Spotlight into Google Now rival

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Despite many hailing Siri to be exponentially better than Google’s equivalent voice-controlled feature, it seems that Apple might be taking a few pages from Google Now’s book in future iOS releases. Dubbed “Proactive”, the initiative is tipped to turn iOS Spotlight, the lesser known search feature on mobile, into something that mimics and might even surpass Google Now’s functionality on Android. This means more timely and relevant search results and information and even deep app indexing that will let users jump right into an app’s particular screen or function.

Like on Mac OS X, Spotlight on iOS focuses mainly on searching. Already a feature since iOS 7, Apple augmented the search functionality in iOS 8 by adding Wikipedia results. According to insiders, this has actually reduced the amount of Google clicks on iOS 8. That said, Google Now does have one thing Spotlight doesn’t have, at least not yet. It can show relevant information in cards, like upcoming appointments, flight reminders, or news, without the user having to search for anything yet.
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GoPro has set its sights on drones and virtual reality

GoPro has set its sights on drones and virtual reality

Cameras, , , , , , , , ,

GoPro, maker of the ever-popular little action cameras by the same name, has expanded its horizons a bit, or at least its vision of those future horizons. The company is eyeing both virtual reality and drones, GoPro’s CEO Nick Woodman revealed earlier today. The virtual reality aspect would be facilitated with something dubbed the Six-Camera Spherical Array, which is an accessory designed to hold six of the maker’s Hero 4 action cameras. The other project is a quadcopter said to be in the works. Unfortunately, precious few details about that particular project were revealed, though we can imagine it’ll include a nifty camera.

Woodman revealed the company’s focus at the Code Conference earlier today, and during it he explained what we can expect from GoPro’s VR future. The aforementioned six-camera accessory is a mount that can hold six of the small action cameras, which would then all record video and images from slightly different angles.
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Lenovo Cast: a puck-shaped Chromecast competitor

Lenovo Cast: a puck-shaped Chromecast competitor

Wearables, , , , , , , , ,

There’s the Chromecast (check out our review) and the litany of casting devices that have come in its wake, and now Lenovo can be counted among them. Today the company has taken the wraps off its new Lenovo Cast, a puck-shaped wireless hub compatible with just about any Miracast or DLNA device; it can be connected with any display that supports HDMI, as you’d expect, and serves to cast content from gadget to display.

As far as specifics go, the Lenovo Cast features a single micro USB port and a single micro HDMI port, a pair of antennae, 802.11 a/b/g/n dual-band WiFi, HDCP 2.0, support for resolutions up to 1080p, and distance support up to 15 meters when in maximum resolution.
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Verizon starts LG G4 pre-order 28th May, G Pad X8.3 in tow

Verizon starts LG G4 pre-order 28th May, G Pad X8.3 in tow

Phones, , , , , , , , , , ,

The ball has started rolling for the LG G4’s launch in the US, and, unsurprisingly, Verizon Wireless is one of the first on the scene. The carrier has just announced that starting May 28, with a shipping schedule that starts before June 4, when the smartphone will land in Verizon stores. Available from its newly revamped Edge program, Verizon is also throwing in some discount deals when you buy an LG G4, including an LG Watch Urbane or an LG G Pad X8.3, which also launches on May 28.

You’re probably filled to the brim with info about LG’s latest flagship, so let’s cut to the chase and bring some notable highlights forward instead. LG, of course, wants to emphasize the genuine, not faux, leather rear covers, which can be swapped with plastic ones if desired. But the real attention grabber isn’t exactly one that can be immediately seen.
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Mophie Watch Dock for Apple Watch Review

Mophie Watch Dock for Apple Watch Review

Wearables, , , , , , , ,

Splash out $10k+ on an Apple Watch Edition and the gold-plated wearable’s box doubles as a charging dock; the rest of us have to look elsewhere. Mophie waded inwith its Watch Dock back in April, a $60 stand promising to elevate your wrist jewelry with the same sort of style that Apple might reserve for its own hardware. Having squeezed its aluminum and leather foot onto the cable-madness that is my desk, though, does Mophie’s dock fit the bill?

I can’t fault Mophie’s design, the Watch Dock being a slender-necked cradle on which the Apple Watch perches. It’s primarily brushed aluminum, with the square base and the angled mount itself both topped with a layer of black leather. A rubber cable-tidy channel runs up the inner edge of the arm, which stands around 4.6-inches tall.
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Lexus RC 350 F SPORT Review – Wolf’s Clothing

Lexus RC 350 F SPORT Review – Wolf’s Clothing

Cars, , , , , , , ,

When you’re driving a bright orange Lexus RC 350 F SPORT, you quickly realize two things. First, that even when you’re in laid-back San Francisco, people are going to stare, even if they’ll try to make it look like they’re not interested. Second, that nobody is going to let you out of junctions or to merge in their lane (though they’ll often match your speed, just ahead or behind of you, so that they can peer at the badge; Lexus is still more associated with sensible – maybe staid – sedans than outlandishly swoopy coupes). Like the RC 350 F SPORT itself, relationships on the road are complicated.

No Mellow Yellow

In an odd case of timing, I’d picked up the RC on my way back from the airport, having flown into San Francisco from the New York Auto Show. There, one of the highlights of the show was the new Lexus RX, probably the most important model in the company’s line-up when it comes to the US since it alone accounts for more than 1-in-3 of all sales.

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Audi makes synthetic diesel again, this time from plants

Audi makes synthetic diesel again, this time from plants

Wearables, , , , ,

Car makers are on a quest to develop more sustainable and more environment friendly sources of power for the cars of the future. Some have, at least for the time being, resorted to using electricity instead of conventional fuel. However, even electricity has its own eco footprint. And some car makers haven’t entirely given up on the advantages of fuel. That is why companies like Audi are also investing in research and development that will produce fuel using nothing but carbon dioxide or, in this case, plants.

Well, not plants per se, but technically biomass sugars, like glucose extracted from corn. These are fermented to produce gaseous isobutane which is a raw material used in many applications, including fuel. The gaseous isobutane is processed into liquid form under pressure to be converted into isooctane fuel, which, in turn, can be used to create pure, 100 octane gasoline to power cars.
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2016 Cadillac ATS-V First-Drive – BMW baiting

2016 Cadillac ATS-V First-Drive – BMW baiting

Cars, , , , , , , , , , ,

The 2016 Cadillac ATS-V is not your grandpa’s Caddy. Neither is it the BMW M3 or M4, despite the team responsible for the sedan and coupe duo admitting that the Bavarians were the primary target. V-Series has been Cadillac’s sledgehammer retort to German Autobahn-bruisers since 2004, and the ATS-V is the third generation of car to wear the badge. It’s straightforward in principle: take an existing Caddy, put it on a diet, slam a beefy engine under the hood, and market it as American power. Now, for the first time, the V-Series line is splitting, and it’s doing so in a mighty interesting way.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/WFMo4hG892o”]

 

First we’ll get the ATS-V in sedan and coupe forms; that’ll be followed by the third-gen CTS-V, an “express jet” of “mind-boggling power and performance” as – with no shortage of showmanship – Cadillac’s Dave Leone, executive chief engineer of GM Global Performance Luxury Cars describes it.
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BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage pays tribute to a classic 70s BMW coupe

BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage pays tribute to a classic 70s BMW coupe

Cars, , , , , ,

BMW has created a new and modern take on the famous BMW 3.0 CSL coupe from the 70s and the new car is called the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage. The CSL in the name of the car stands for “Coupé Sport Leichtbau,” which translated means coupe, sport, lightweight. The 3.0 CSL Hommage has an aluminum hood, trunk lid, and wings. To keep weight to a minimum BMW ditched glass for the windows and used Plexiglass all around.

The 3.0 CSL of the 70s was pared down in weight so much that it was 200kg lighter than its normal siblings. Copious amounts of aluminum were used in the 70s version of the car and while aluminum is used in the Hommage, the new lightweight material used copiously in the construction of the Hommage is carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).

[su_slider source=”media: 6663,6664,6665,6666,6667,6668,6669,6670,6671,6672″ height=”400″ title=”no”]

To reduce aerodynamic drag BMW ditched the normal side mirrors and replaced them with rear-view cameras. The front air deflector of the car is designed to route cooling air to the engine compartment. The wings over the rear wheels are designed to route air optimally over the body of the car.
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2016 Honda HR-V first-drive – The crossover that would be king

2016 Honda HR-V first-drive – The crossover that would be king

Cars, , , , , ,

Small cars are big money to Honda, and none might demonstrate that so well as the new 2016 Honda HR-V. Launching the brand right into the midst of the flourishing subcompact crossover segment, Honda isn’t playing it safe with its ambitions, targeting 70,000 sales in the first year. With prices kicking off at under $20k, there’s a tricky balancing act involved to achieve the winning mix of styling, performance, equipment, and safety, however. More importantly, does the HR-V do enough to differentiate itself from its own more affordable Fit stablemate, or are you simply paying for a loftier seat?

We’re big fans of the Honda Fit, its perky styling and not only capacious but cleverly-organized interior making it one of our top picks in the compact line-up. Turns out we’re not the only people Honda has convinced, with Fit sales flourishing.

Given that demand, it’s hardly a surprise that the Fit has gained a chunkier sibling. Honda is hitting all the typical subcompact crossover keywords for its target demographic, even going so far as to describe the car as having “coupe allure with minivan practicality”, but at its core it’s that appealing mixture of elevated driving position, practical space, and more striking styling that has been in demand ever since SUVs first made their way onto town and city streets.
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Ford GoDrive car-sharing offers London EVs for one-way trips

Ford GoDrive car-sharing offers London EVs for one-way trips

Cars, , , , , , ,

Ford has launched its own car-share program, offering drivers in London, UK, the option to rent a car by the minute with a choice of EV or EcoBoost vehicles. Dubbed Ford GoDrive, the system is part of Ford’s ongoing “global mobility” experiment that also includes autonomous/semi-autonomous vehicles and more, kicking off with fifty cars parked across twenty locations in the UK’s capital city. Bookings are made through a smartphone app, and the car is unlocked using a smart card similar to how Zipcar and similar services operate.

Unlike Zipcar, however, Ford is hoping to explore how timely on-demand car sharing might change the city transit dynamic. Rather than encouraging reservations well in advance of travel, GoDrive is expecting users to simply turn up and access cars when they need them.

Another significant difference from Zipcar is not needing to return the car to where you found it. Ford is offering one-way trips, something Zipcar is only operating in beta in a limited number of locations.
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Self-parking Volvo accident may have lacked ‘pedestrian detection’

Self-parking Volvo accident may have lacked ‘pedestrian detection’

Cars, , , , ,

The next time a salesman at a car dealership offers to demonstrate a car’s self-parking feature, you might want to step back—way back. A set of auto-parking features on the Volvo XC60 was being demonstrated to a crowd of eager observers, with dire consequences. The circumstances surrounding the video (embedded below) are still unclear. It appears that a car dealership was attempting to test the vehicle’s driver assistance features for a crowd of spectators who mistakenly expected the car to come to a halt on its own.

It first appears as though the car encounters a glitch while trying to self-park. Actually, Volvo reports that the car dealer was attempting a demonstration of City Safety system in the Volvo XC60. On its own, the system lacks pedestrian detection. The ability to identify bystanders is available after an optional $3,000 upgrade.
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2016 Camaro

2016 Camaro first-drive – Look out, Mustang

Cars, , , , , , , ,

Don’t underestimate the 2016 Camaro, or indeed how important it is. The chunkyTransformers styling may border on the caricature from some angles, but the Camaro is deadly serious when it comes to winning new converts to GM: a full 63-percent of the outgoing model were General Motors virgins. So, when Chevrolet asked if I wanted to take the current engineering prototype out on the track, it seemed rude to say no.

Chevrolet has been playing up the improvements in handling, chassis, and suspension between the 2015 and 2016 cars, and so I started out in the outgoing model for a baseline. In a turn around Detroit’s Belle Isle track- let’s call it warm, edging on faintly spirited – the 2015 Camaro V6 showed no reluctance on the straights, its 323 HP and 278 lb-ft of torque still enthusiastic.

Things aren’t so clean when you reach the corners, however. There the old car’s weight starts to make itself known, rolling through the bends, and generally demanding your attention at all times and some aggressive braking to keep the muscle car in line.
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Android Auto hits Hyundai first as 2015 Sonata

Android Auto hits Hyundai first as 2015 Sonata update

Cars, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Google’s Android Auto push to take over the dashboard has begun in earnest, with Hyundai the first car company to offer the smartphone-tethered system on a production car. As of today, Hyundai’s 2015 Sonata with Navigation will come with Android Auto support off the forecourt, and the car maker is offering upgrades for existing owners. Once installed, hooking up an Android phone via USB and Bluetooth pipes things like Google Maps, messaging, and Google Now through to the Sonata’s in-dash display.

That should help keep eyes on the road and off confusing factory-fit infotainment systems, which have built something of a poor reputation in recent years for their confusing menus.
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2016 Volvo XC90

2016 Volvo XC90 first-drive – Scandinavia on wheels

Cars, , , , , ,

Nordic noir has invaded our television and our bookshelves, and now Volvo wants to do the same for luxury SUVs with the all-new 2016 XC90. As many companies, automotive and otherwise have discovered, throwing money at a problem isn’t necessarily the best way to fix it. Nonetheless, it helps to have deep pockets when you’re tasked with completely reinventing your line-up, and Volvo has spent over $11bn since it was sold to Geely in 2010 and began to rebuild its range from the ground up. Now, we’re getting a taste of what that money bought, and like moody Scandinavian detectives, it turns out to be complicated.

The first example of that ambitious undertaking is the XC90, though there’ll be an additional six new cars over the next four years, not to mention seven new nameplates for derivatives. A seven-seat luxury SUV might seem like an odd place to start, but it follows in the tire tracks of a very popular predecessor.
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Apple Watch

Apple Watch success isn’t sales, it’s stickiness

Wearables, , , , , , , , ,

Apple isn’t saying how many Apple Watches it sold in the first weekend of preorders, but arguably the bigger question is how many will still be wrapped around wrists a few months after. Unofficial estimates of sales have suggested as many as a million of the iOS wearables have been earmarked for eager owners, pushing shipping estimates into the summer at the earliest, and for many it was a case of buy first, try second since preorders opened before store demo displays did.

With average selling price calculated at $707 when Apple Watch model and strap selection was taken into account, that’s a whole lot of money to spend on something only seen in photos, videos, and reviews.

The most eager of the preorder buyers will start to get their new gadget from April 24th, a little short of two weeks from now. Undoubtedly they’ll be keen to dig into Apple Watch’s functionality: Siri on your wrist, apps curating snippets of information, and that all-important ability to mimic Dick Tracy’s watch-phone.
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Read more at:
https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-success-isnt-sales-its-stickiness-13378716/