Items tagged with Automobiles
Japan-based Takata Corporation isn't eligible for the Consumerist's Worst Company in America designation, as voted on by its readers, but that hasn't stopped the company from making all the wrong moves. Just a few weeks ago, the company stood accused of destroying test records that showed design flaws in its airbags...
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If you're a BMW enthusiast in search of a hybrid model, you have options, just not many of them. However, that's about to change. BMW this week announced that it's planning to offer plug-in hybrid versions of its core-brand models rather than restrict the more eco-friendly drivetrain to just a few variants. The first...
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Airbag maker Takata Corp fessed up that there may be more defective air bags in the wild than previously thought. A defect in the driver-side air bag inflator has already been linked to at least four deaths and over a dozen injuries, along nearly 31,000 recalled vehicles by GM and Nissan, and now Takata is saying that...
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Word to the wise -- you may want to cover your keyboard with some plastic wrap or other protective layer before reading on, lest you short it out with your drool. It's hard not to work up a slobber when reading about Audi's forthcoming R8 Competition, a limited edition supercar of sorts that was shown off at the 2014...
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A single letter of the alphabet has the Internet pondering what in the world is coming next from Tesla Motors. It's the letter "D," which Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk casually tossed in a vague Twitter post along with a date -- October 9, 2014 -- for the unveiling of whatever the "D" might be, as well...
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Occasionally we'll report on stories that are off the beaten path for a PC and technology website, and though it doesn't happen often, some announcements and happenings are just too big (or awesome) to ignore. This is one of them. If you're a fan of technology in general or of motorcycles or of Kawasaki (and...
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Jay Leno isn't just a talk show host, he's also a car enthusiast. In the latest episode of his Garage YouTube video series, Leno shows off Chrysler's ferocious Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, a beastly muscle car for the modern era with a 6.2-liter Hemi supercharged V8 engine kicking out 707 horsepower and 650 pounds of...
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In what qualifies as one of those, 'Are you freaking serious?' moments, the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC) is suing auto makers Ford and GM for selling cars with technology to rip music from CDs. The feature that has the AARC in a tizzy is called Jukebox, which records songs from CDs to the...
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It looks like Tesla has a few security vulnerabilities to address. That much became evident after Chinese hackers participating in a hacking competition at the annual Syscan conference in Beijing took advantage of a vulnerability in a Tesla Model S electric car that allowed them to honk the horn, unlock the doors, and...
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With all due respect to Jackson Galaxy, the famed cat behaviorist featured on Animal Planet's "My Cat From Hell," some cats just aren't meant to be tamed. Dodge's 2015 model Challenger SRT with its supercharged 6.2 Hemi V8 engine, also known as the Hellcat, is one of them. The Hellcat engine in what Dodge is pimping...
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Go ahead and check one more state off the list of where you're not allowed to text message while driving. New Mexico is catching up with the majority of the country with a ban intended to prevent distracted driving that goes into effect tomorrow (Tuesday), after which offenders will be hit with a $25 fine for the...
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As we dive deeper into the era of the so-called "Internet of Things" (IoT), some exciting things are happening. One of them is a joint collaboration between Ford and Intel to make automobiles more connected, which would include the ability to remotely view what's happening inside your vehicle using a smartphone app...
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Perhaps some day in the far off future, we'll all own self-driving cars that get us from Point A to Point B with no fuss. We're nowhere near that point yet, but we are at the beginning stages. Google is especially pushing the concept and more recently began exploring what fully self-driving vehicles would look like by...
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Should drivers be allowed to wear Google Glass while operating a motor vehicle? That's one of the questions politicians face as a growing number of states seek to pass legislation that would make it illegal to wear Google's head-mounted display while driving. Proponents of such bills claim that wearables like Google...
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Anyone who has ever tried texting and driving at the same time should take note of a video released by police in Fort Meyers, Florida. The short video clip, which was taken from a police cruiser, shows a car veering off the side of the road and narrowly missing a telephone pole before ramming into a tree and flipping...
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The war in mobile is being fought on many different battlegrounds, even your wrist, assuming the whole smart watch movement gains any traction. However, one of the most important battlegrounds could be your car. In response to an initiative launched this past summer by Apple to integrate iPhones and other iOS devices...
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By now you've likely already heard that actor Paul Walker perished in a car accident over the holiday weekend. On the off chance this is the first you're hearing about it, a quick recap is that Walker went on a joyride with his friend and financial adviser, Roger Rodas, while attending a charity event for Walker's...
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Get used to hearing the term "Text Stop" because it's a real thing now. New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the creation of special "Texting Zones" where motorists can pull off the road and safely respond to that all-important text message that just can't wait. The initiative is an ambitious effort to reduce...
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It seems we're constantly hearing about breakthroughs in battery technology, and though some of today's laptops and tablets boast all-day battery life, we're still waiting for the killer technology that will enable days, if not weeks and months of run time. A new lithium-ion battery developed by German scientists...
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Listen up, teen drivers -- put the mobile phone away and resist the temptation to check for or fire off a text message while operating a vehicle. It doesn't matter that you see parents/adults do it all the time, be the smarter (and safer) driver out there by waiting to text and you'll significantly increase the odds of getting from point A...
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Audi and T-Mobile are introducing new and affordable data plans that will give drivers access to in-vehicle Wi-Fi starting as low as $15 per month. Using the Audi connect infotainment and navigation system, drivers and passengers can obtain real-time news, weather and fuel price info, access to Google Earth, and use Google Voice Local Search...
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Text happy teens aren't the only ones putting themselves and others at risk by sending and receiving electronic messages while driving. Adults do it too, and surprisingly, the more experienced and supposedly wiser demographic is the worst offender. Hard to believe, isn't it? Well, believe it, says USA Today, which commissioned a study by AT&T....
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