Autoblog

Hughes Telematics and Chrysler relationship looks to be over

Chris Tutor — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Technology, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Earnings/Financials

Back in 2008 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we got to spend some time in a Jeep Grand Cherokee outfitted with a bunch of technogoodies from Hughes Telematics. And again at this year's CES, Hughes let us play with even cooler stuff in a Dodge Journey. They bragged of downloadable apps for your Chrysler-branded vehicle and super-cool, futuristic travel guides from your in-dash nav system. Stuff that might convince someone to actually purchase a Journey.

But, alas, since then, Chrysler went bankrupt and it seems the company's relationship with Hughes soured. In an official statement Hughes tells Autoblog:

New Chrysler introduced additional business terms that were not part of either the prior business discussions or the original arrangement. As a result, we reached an impasse in the negotiations and are ceasing our work with new Chrysler to deploy our hardware and launch our services with them in the fourth quarter of 2009, as was previously planned.

That's okay, Hughes says, because they still have Mercedes-Benz as a customer, and they don't need Chrysler anymore. We're not financial experts by any means, but as we stumbled through the SEC report, it was obvious Hughes had invested a lot of time, money and emotions into making things work with Chrysler and that it might take a while to get over losing the bond they once cherished.

In any case, you can read the SEC filing for yourself here or check out Hughes' full official statement to Autoblog after the jump. Thanks for the tip, MBAcurafan!

Gallery: Hughes Telematics at CES 2008

[Source: SEC.gov]

Continue reading Hughes Telematics and Chrysler relationship looks to be over

Hughes Telematics and Chrysler relationship looks to be over originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart, but flawed: Steering wheel navigation screen

Dan Roth — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Gadgets, CES, Technology

The latest gizmo from Japan's Takata will tell you where to go, but not like those verbally abusive digital keychains from the '90s. The Takata CSW steering wheel is designed to interface with sensors in your vehicle and display different messages on an LCD screen in the 12 o'clock position. There are already lights and sirens to let you know if your door is ajar or the washer fluid is low, but the CSW wheel's best trick is that it will talk to the Navigon 7100 navigation system, should you have one. It's an interesting cross-brand lashup that is pushing the envelope of aftermarket integration.

The screen in the wheel works in conjunction with the larger screen in the navigation unit to display instructions, though the improvement over just the Navigon would likely be sufficient. Both the wheel and the Navi can reportedly poll vehicle sensors, though we're not sure exactly how, so the systems would be more aware of what the driver is doing beyond merely position data. Both companies hope the wheel will reduce driver distraction, though we're not convinced that looking down to the wheel rim is any safer or more convenient than the slight gaze diversion to the customary upper center of the dashboard. We don't know of any manufacturer plans to OEM-issue these units, but the effort could portend a future convergence in the gadget galaxy.

[Source: Navigadget via Kicking Tires; Photo: SoundDomain]

Smart, but flawed: Steering wheel navigation screen originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: The cars of CES

Chris Tutor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:34:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Chery

Among the never-ending sea of house-sized LCD TVs, untold navigation devices and cutesy robots at CES are more than a few cars. While last year the theme among custom-car builders was overwhelming gaudiness, this year someone must have written a rule mandating at least a little class.

We expected to see automotive LCD screens installed in more places than is acceptable, and we saw a few, but far fewer than 2007. We looked forward to a few exotics, but were surprised when we found Jay Lenno's EcoJet. Other surprises were a Year One Bandit, a Cadillac Escalade in flat gray primer, and a Morgan Aero 8.

As we approached the Dolby booth we were a bit intimidated by what we assume is a life-size model of the Transformer Bumblee. Very impressive indeed.

Perhaps the most surprising automotive find at CES was a Chery CrossEastar (shown at right) at the Delphi booth. Seating for eight, luxury to rival at least the Big Three, and an expected bargain-basement price has us looking forward to seeing what the company finally sends us. In the opinion of a dad, aside from the potential quality problems, it's an attractive vehicle. Delphi had it at CES to show its global reach, since it supplies its technology products to the Chinese automaker.

We're sure there were tons more we didn't see, but Ford and GM kept us busy this year. Check out our gallery of 60 high-res images for more cars we spotted CES.

Gallery: CES 2008: The cars of CES

CES 2008: The cars of CES originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Sirius and Ford present Travel Link for your factory nav

Chris Tutor — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, CES, Ford

As Ford, Lincoln and Mercury roll out their 2009 models, customers who opt for Ford's advanced GPS get six months of Sirius Travel Link service. Larry Pesce, senior VP of media services for Sirius (seen above) demonstrated Travel Link for us at CES on Monday night. We got to see how the system provides drivers and passengers with information about traffic, weather, entertainment, fuel prices and sports.

It's a slick system, that, at least in the demo we saw, responds quickly to touches of the screen and was impressive with how smoothly it worked.

Follow the jump to read more about how each feature of Travel Link works, as well as the company's official press release.

Continue reading CES 2008: Sirius and Ford present Travel Link for your factory nav

CES 2008: Sirius and Ford present Travel Link for your factory nav originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Dolby surrounds Ford's Flex in sound

Chris Tutor — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:25:00 EST

Filed under: Audio, CES, Ford

We had the opportunity to sit in a dark maroon Ford Flex at the Dolby booth for a demonstration of their 7.1 Surround Sound system they've developed with the Blue Oval, and the first thing I notice is the super-nice croc-print leather seats beneath me. Michael Becker, Dolby's Global Marketing Director, says something like, "Oh, yeah. This is Funkmaster Flex's Flex." So don't look for the sweet, lizard-like leather on the production version.

But we weren't actually at the Dolby booth to ogle celeb-designed cars, we were there to listen to them.

Becker says one of the premium audio options in the upcoming non-Funkmasterized Flex will be the Sony system we heard with 12 speakers and 7.1 surround sound. With 375 watts it's an awesome-sounding system, especially for what is essentially a station wagon. We can assure you, your parents' Vista Cruiser never sounded this good.

Which brings up the question, "Why put such a high-end sound system in a family car?" So Dolby's Becker demonstrated. If you want to retain some of the premium sound, but still keep the kids asleep in back, use the touch-screen fader to move the sound up front. In most cars, that would have produced sound a little better than a pocket-sized transistor radio. But the Flex's system retains Dolby 5.1 for the front system or the rear if the fader is moved towards the back. This means the sound is still far ahead of that Vista Cruiser, and probably better than what you're driving now.

We can't wait to see how this sounds with real-world noise outside instead of within the crowds of CES-goers. Speaking of which, Becker said the Flex had attracted major attention from show-goers, with one even way overestimating the list price above $100k. It's nice, but not that nice. As if to demonstrate what he meant, while in the car demonstrating the sound system, we had to lock the doors to keep out the curious, even with the car roped off. Possibly a very good sign for Ford's Flex.

Gallery: CES 2008: Dolby surrounds Ford's Flex in sound

CES 2008: Dolby surrounds Ford's Flex in sound originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Navigon takes GPS back to the basics

Chris Tutor — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, CES

To bring you every GPS device on display at CES, we'd need to start GPSblog. Instead we're gonna hit the ones we think stand out from the crowd, like the Navigon 7100 you see here.

While the thing to do these days for GPS manufacturers is to cram everything they can into that black box on your dash, Navigon is taking a simpler approach. No MP3, no video capability, no Bluetooth. The 7100 gives directions like a good GPS box should.

It's not a low-end device, though. Navigon helps you get where you're going efficiently and safely. Imagine speeding down the interstate and your nav system says "take next exit." If you're stuck in the center lane, which way do you go? Navigon tells you which lane you need to be in, and on the screen shows representations of the overhead exit signs you'll be seeing.

The 7100 will keep you out of trouble, too. In the upper left corner of its screen is displayed the speed at which you should be driving if you want to avoid the cops. It'll keep you out of trouble when searching for a place to eat, too. Navigon has exclusive rights to use Zagat data to help you make decisions on restaurants while on the road.

The 7100 potentially saves you money as well, with a lifetime subscription to traffic data. No more paying monthly fees to know how congested your route is because the price of traffic info is covered in the $500 street price.

It's a good looking device, too, as you can see from our gallery of high-res photos. The company's full press release is available after the jump.

Gallery: CES 2008: Navigon takes GPS back to the basics

Continue reading CES 2008: Navigon takes GPS back to the basics

CES 2008: Navigon takes GPS back to the basics originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Danica Patrick hearts Autoblog

Chris Tutor — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, CES

Well, sorta. The not-at-all unattractive Indy Car driver is at CES with one of her sponsors, GoDaddy. We figured Indy Cars are fully within our beat and raced over to get a couple of shots of Ms. Patrick.

And, whatdya know? Once she saw the Autoblog press badge she went nuts, grabbed a t-shirt and a Sharpie and went to town. We were able to stop her before covering the t-shirt in loving missives expressing her adoration of Autoblog, and refused to give her our autographs, too. We just can't go handing those out to everyone ya know.

OK, truth. She grudgingly signed our shirt after about a gazillion others and then even more grudgingly did the Autoblog thing. But the not-at-all unattractive bit is true.

Gallery: CES 2008: Danica Patrick hearts Autoblog

CES 2008: Danica Patrick hearts Autoblog originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Wagoner to unveil Cadillac Provoq Concept tomorrow

John Neff — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:35:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, CES, Green, Cadillac

In addition to announcing that General Motors plans to have invest heavily on research of driverless vehicle technology in the coming decade, GM CEO Rick Wagoner will also debut a concept vehicle tomorrow at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas called the Cadillac Provoq. While very few details were released, GM says that the Provoq will be "free from petroleum fuel and emissions." That means the Provoq could be either an all-electric vehicle or possibly another variant of the automaker's E-flex platform that has spawned the Chevy Volt and Opel Flextreme. Those two concepts are both series hybrids with a gas engine and diesel range extender, respectively. While GM did show off the E-flex platform with a hydrogen fuel-cell range extender at last year's Shanghai Motor Show, we've yet to see it paired with a body. Perhaps then the Provoq will be the hydrogen fuel-cell series hybrid concept that we've been waiting to see. There's one more day to go before Wagoner takes the podium in Vegas and reveals all.

[Source: GM]

Continue reading CES 2008: Wagoner to unveil Cadillac Provoq Concept tomorrow

CES 2008: Wagoner to unveil Cadillac Provoq Concept tomorrow originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Wagoner expected to announce driverless cars within a decade

John Neff — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:57:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Technology, GM

General Motors' CEO Rick Wagoner won't be making his keynote address at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show until Tuesday, but word is that a big talking point in his speech will be driverless cars. According to CNN Money/Autos, Wagoner is expected to reveal that GM will be testing driverless cars by 2015 and have cars on the road by 2018. What is meant by "on the road" remains to be seen, as buying a real production Tahoe with this technology within ten years seems like a stretch. Still, the success of the DARPA Grand Challenge these past three years in which driverless vehicles pilot themselves through a miles-long course shows that we do have the technology to take our hands off the wheel. GM played its own part in sponsoring the Carnegie Mellon team that has done well in each competition, including the most recent one in which the university's driverless Tahoe called the "Boss" won the whole thing. We've confirmed that CMU's Boss will be on stage with Wagoner as he gives his speech on Tuesday. Thanks to its association with Carnegie Mellon and the DARPA Grand Challenge competitions, GM is definitely on the forefront of developing driverless tech, but promising hands-free driving in ten years is a bold move. We'll just have to wait and see what the Ricker says when he takes the stage on Tuesday.

[Source: CNN Money/Autos]

CES 2008: Wagoner expected to announce driverless cars within a decade originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Preshow Peek

Chris Tutor — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 23:33:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, CES

click above for more high-res preshow pics of CES 2008

CES doesn't officially open until Monday morning, but we were able to get a really quick, escorted tour of the Las Vegas Convention Center's north hall where all of the automotive booths are concentrated.

Many of the photos are badly focused, almost all are badly lit, but you can get an early glimpse of what CES has to offer automotive enthusiasts before anyone else does.

GPS navigation is big again this year, as is MP3 connectivity. The bigger thing, though is rolling both of them together with voice control and Bluetooth. And for those who haven't already bedecked every inch of their cars with LCD screens (inside and out), we saw plenty in our quick walk through.

We saw a Tesla being charged in anticipation of the big show, a bright orange SUV with ridiculously large wheels being navigated through the displays and a Cadillac limo possibly being assembled from scratch on the show floor. We caught BMW prepping its huge F1 display including a life-size clear plastic Formula One car.

We're interested to see how all of the booths look completed when the doors officially open in a few hours and hope to bring you numerous photos of the Cars of CES 2008.

Gallery: CES 2008: Preshow Peek

CES 2008: Preshow Peek originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 23:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Pioneer's speakers beat paper with rock

Chris Tutor — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Audio, Gadgets, CES

Pioneer speakers have been outputting headache-inducing rock for decades. But the company has just announced its TS-D line of speakers with cones made of basalt fabric. The company says the volcanic stone is pulverized and melted at 2700 degrees before being drawn into fibers. The resulting fabric increases the speaker cone's rigidity and strength while keeping weight low.
In a press release, Larry Rougas, Pioneer mobile business group's VP of marketing, said, "Our speaker engineers are extremely passionate in their quest to build speakers that reproduce the highest sound quality possible. They are constantly looking at different materials that can be used to make a more efficient speaker with a stronger more rigid cone. The basalt rock achieves this goal without adding weight to the cone, resulting in an open and smooth frequency response."

Their are 13 speakers in the TS-D lineup, will be on sale soon at prices starting at $150.

Read the entire press release after the jump.

Gallery: CES 2008: Pioneer TD-S basalt speakers

Continue reading CES 2008: Pioneer's speakers beat paper with rock

CES 2008: Pioneer's speakers beat paper with rock originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Cobra Nav One 5000 keeps Baby Boomers on track, ticket free

Chris Tutor — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, CES

Thanks to World War II vets returning in huge numbers way back in the 50s, America's drivers are getting older, their glasses are getting thicker, and gadget manufacturers are paying attention.

Take Cobra, for example. Their new Nav One 5000 portable GPS unit features oversized icons and text on its 5-inch touch screen so that even those of us with bifocals can see just what we're clicking on. Cobra says the display's icons are 50% larger than their competition and the LCD's backlighting is enhanced for improved visibility. Cobra also decided to make the screen more vertical than some GPS units, which they say provides 20% more of the road ahead of you instead of to the sides.

The 5000 features red-light and speed camera warnings, as well as all the usual GPS features like Bluetooth integration, text-to-speech, real-time traffic updates and maps upgradeable via your computer's USB port.

Cobra also brags about the 5000's My Favorite Brands feature. Choose your favorite stores and restaurants from a list of 600 well-known brands, and with just a touch of the screen, your preferred names show up on the map.

Cobra's Nav One 5000 is on sale now for MSRP of $510 with an additional $160 for a 15-month traffic subscription.

Read Cobra's full press release after the jump.

[Source: Cobra]

Continue reading CES 2008: Cobra Nav One 5000 keeps Baby Boomers on track, ticket free

CES 2008: Cobra Nav One 5000 keeps Baby Boomers on track, ticket free originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Autopage lets you start your car from ANYwhere

Chris Tutor — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, CES

Ever been sitting in a cafe in, say, Paris, and wanted to impress your new French friends by starting your car back in the States remotely? No, neither have we, but if the opportunity ever arises, Autopage can make it happen.

We poke fun, but Autopage's new C3 system is actually pretty cool and won the 2008 CES Best of Innovations Award. After installing several of Autopage's various modules in your car, you are, virtually, Michael Knight. Using your most any smart phone, you can not only remotely start your car from anywhere you have service, you can also roll windows up or down, disable the starter and open your trunk.

But those are not the coolest things it can do. If your car moves more than 25 feet without your permission (stolen, towed, rolled into a lake after you forgot the parking brake, etc.) you will be notified via text message that sumthin's up. Then you can invoke yet another feature: GPS tracking via your mobile. C3 shows you a map updated every 5 minutes of your car's direction of travel so you can help the fuzz track down the perp who stole your ride. Or you can use it to keep dibs on your teenager who's headed to Vegas instead of the movie theater.

Speaking of teenagers, C3 will also alert you via text message if the car exceeds a set speed limit. So next time Junior takes the Camry over 90 again, you'll know it. Then you can lock the doors, disable the starter and know exactly where he is.

We didn't get a price on the entire system (it can't be cheap), but service plans (you didn't think all those fun things were free, did you?) range from $150 a year for a limited number of uses, to $250 a year for unlimited use.

CES 2008: Autopage lets you start your car from ANYwhere originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2008: Iqua Bluetooth Snake whispers in your ear as you drive

Chris Tutor — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Gadgets, CES

One of the big problems with aftermarket, in-car Bluetooth devices is sound. Most of them plug up in your car's auxiliary power plug (that's a cigarette lighter to those of use born before 1990), and unless you drive a Miata, that's not where your ears are.

Iqua says their Bluetooth Snake fixes the problem by moving the sound closer to your head. The Snake fits onto your car's headrest and sits right at your right cheek to better pick up your voice as well as put the sound where it's needed.

It still gets its power from where you once lit your smokes, so theres some cableage to run. And despite the photo above, the Iqua's CES rep assures us the Snake doesn't obstruct your vision or distract your attention from the road ahead.

More hi-res photos of the Iquas Bluetooth Snake in our gallery.

Gallery: CES 2008: Iqua Bluetooth Snake

CES 2008: Iqua Bluetooth Snake whispers in your ear as you drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES '08 Preview: Ford to show SYNC 2.0, in-dash HD and cheap gas-finding nav

John Neff — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: CES, I.C.E., Technology, Ford

Though GM's Rick Wagoner nabbed the honor of giving this year's keynote address at next week's 2008 CES Show in Las Vegas, Ford may grab the headlines with a suite of new in-car entertainment, navigation and communication technologies that it plans to implement across its brands in the near future. First up will be the second version of its popular SYNC interface, details of which are scant. Considering that the SYNC system's capabilities are already robust, we're not sure what else they can add to it and are eager to find out.

Ford will also be showing off its new SIRIUS Travel Link nav system, which gets updated in real time with all sorts of info from the SIRIUS satellites. Drivers can call up instant traffic data, weather, sports scores and movie showings, as well as plot a course to the gas station with cheapest fuel prices.

Finally, Ford will have its new navigation system sourced from Xanavi on display with what we believe is a ginormous 7.5-inch touchscreen and an in-dash hard drive that can store up to 2,400 songs. Hopefully it will also have the capacity to pause and rewind live radio like Cadillac's system in the CTS. We've already seen the Xanavi system's new, larger screen in images of the upcoming 2009 Lincoln MKS sedan, a car that's slated to be fitted with the gamut of Ford's new in-car technologies when it goes on sale this summer.

Keep your eyes on Autoblog early next week for when we start our coverage of the 2008 CES Show from Las Vegas. We'll have more details on what Ford and the rest of the auto industry has to offer in the way of electronics for the coming year.

[Source: Ford]

Gallery: 2009 Lincoln MKS

Continue reading CES '08 Preview: Ford to show SYNC 2.0, in-dash HD and cheap gas-finding nav

CES '08 Preview: Ford to show SYNC 2.0, in-dash HD and cheap gas-finding nav originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog is headed to CES 2008

Chris Tutor — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, CES

It's the biggest collection of gadget geeks in the world, with 1.7 million square feet of display space and one entire hall full of automotive accessories. It's the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and Autoblog has it covered.

The big draw for gearheads this year, of course, is the keynote address given by General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner next Tuesday. It's the first time a GM CEO has spoken at CES and we're still wondering what he plans to say.

But we're also looking forward to seeing what Alpine's far out tuner car will be this year. In 2007, it was the, uh, interesting, Mercedes RLS, but we're told that this year will be different. Our only hint is that Alpine's products don't require wheels.

And, of course, we'll have full coverage of all manner of custom cars, eardrum-ripping sound systems and in-car LCD screens, just like last year. And although Engadget has already spilled the beans on Garmin's new nav systems, we'll do our best to get one-on-one time with them ourselves.

We also expect to meet with Audiovox, Pioneer, Dolby, Delphi, THX, JBL and Clarion to hear what they have planned for your vehicle in 2008. BMW's F1 Sauber race team will be there, too, entertaining the CES crowds.

The coverage begins soon after we land in Vegastown, so stay tuned.

Autoblog is headed to CES 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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