Autoblog

It goes without saying that this isn't an officially-sanctioned Ferrari F430 cell phone. This is called the "F1 Phone," coming at you in bright-red injection-molded plastic direct from non-Ferrari manufacturing China. Like the Italian exotic, the F1 Phone offers a lot of performance with its dual-band support, a 2.2-inch touch-sensitive LCD display, music player, video player, memory expansion slot, USB connectivity, flashlight, and a slew of other electronic goodies (including three pre-installed games, though not a single one involving driving). Unlike the Italian exotic, this one sports a price tag of just $190, allowing you to save the other $185,000 for your text messaging bill. In case you were wondering, that bulls-eye smack in the middle of the windshield is the built-in 1.3 megapixel camera - you won't find one of those on any showroom Scuderia!

[Source: Techpin via Engadget Mobile]

Chrysler may be struggling with vehicle styling and interior quality, but the gang in Auburn Hills sure does love the gadgetry. Sirius satellite TV, heated and cooled cupholders, and Swivel-N-Go seating will soon be joined by in-car Internet access. The Washington Post reports Chrysler will utilize cell tower signals and a mobile phone account to make the radio a WiFi port, giving passengers access to the web. The technology will be offered as a dealer add-on for existing models later this year, and it will be available as a factory option at some point after that. With Chrysler bringing web connectivity to cars and trucks this year and Ford following suit in mid-2009, it looks like access to Autoblog will soon be available everywhere.

[Source: The Washington Post]

In light of the "backwards-travelling wave" that researchers recently discovered as a cause of congestion, another study has pinpointed a possible major contributor. The University of Utah's Traffic Lab uncovered that drivers paying more attention to yapping on their phone – hands free or not – add to the suffering of us all. Talking while driving leads to drivers who take considerably longer to change lanes when following slow-moving vehicles, drive slower overall, and take longer to arrive at their destination.

Any benefits from slower speeds and more deliberate movements are mitigated by the distraction of a conversation. Thinking along the lines of chaos theory, even the small slowdowns created by poky drivers can grow into exponentially larger traffic problems quickly. Then, when we're all stuck in the stop and go, we call someone else and bitch about how bad the traffic is. Sounds like what they've really discovered in Utah is the fuel for a perpetual motion machine. Car stops, jaw continually flaps.

[Source: Reuters, Photo: hotrodscustomstuff.com]

Cell phone usage has proven to be very distracting for drivers, and several states have banned the use of the hand-held devices for drivers. Now lawmakers in a dozen states are taking a broader approach to what electronic devices should be banned. Although there is little in the way of concrete evidence that links front seat DVD players, fax machines, iPods, and computers to accidents, it's pretty obvious that they're a distraction to the driver. To curb the usage of these devices, states like Texas and New York are considering fines ranging from $50 and $600 for offenses.

California has had some level of success enforcing these laws, as they've pulled over 3,200 drivers since 2003 for watching DVD movies. We agree that text messaging and watching a movie is way too much of a distraction for anybody that is simultaneously operating a two-ton vehicle, but it's tough to foresee how well such a law could be enforced. Users of their favorite digital devices may feel like they're being singled out, since major distractions like kids (I have three) and makeup application are still legal.

What is the craziest thing you've ever seen someone doing while driving?

[Source: USA Today]

Automakers continue to take branding to new heights by slapping their logos on everything from computers to speakers to fitness apparel, but HUMMER has gone one step further by introducing the HT1 slider cellphone. Rather than merely affix their iconic logo to some high-end cell phone from South Korea, HUMMER had French design firm ModeLabs Group actually develop a new cell phone from the ground up. You won't be able to find this cell phone from Nokia, Motorola or any other major cell phone manufacturer.

Being a HUMMER branded product, the HT1 can be had in a variety of colors that match the paint chips used for the actual SUVs. One can even get a camouflaged battery pack cover. Perhaps the latter is a nod to the original HUMVEE that still pounds the pavement for the U.S. military.

It seems to be packed with all the bells and whistles including GSM/GPRS connectivity, a 2.2-inch 260K Color TFT Touchscreen, 2-megapixel camera, 256 MB of memory, and a microSD memory card slot. It also comes loaded with 10 wallpapers and two videos from HUMMER, which certainly doesn't help justify the €300 price tag for us. That's around $400 USD, though it doesn't matter much since the HT1 will only be available in Europe, which totally doesn't make any sense.

[Source: MobileBurn]

NOTE: After reading some of the excellent comments on this post, we decided to test this again from 30 miles away... and it didn't work. We're going to retest at a different location but similar distance to see what gave us the positive test. Stay tuned.


About a month ago my brother sent me an email explaining that if a friend or family member has the second key fob for your car, you can call them up on your cell phone, ask them to hold the key fob up to the phone, press the unlock button, and your car door will unlock. In theory, the sound waves from the key fob, which are unintelligible to the human ear, will be transmitted via the cell phone, and the doors will unlock. Well, we've seen enough spam emails before that were full of it, but we decided to see for ourselves if this works.

When we tested this theory, we were stunned to find out that it actually works. I was so excited that I pulled out the wife and daughter outside to shoot a quick video on the front lawn. Before getting this on camera, we tested it five times, and it worked every time but one. There was a lot of traffic during the one failed test, so our best guess is that the noise from the passing cars negated the sound from the key fob signal.

Mad props to the wife for getting eaten alive by bugs and keeping the camera still at the same time (for the most part). Hit the jump to check it out, it's pretty damn cool. Test this out with a friend or spouse, too, and let us know if it worked for you.

If you have a 2007 Nissan Altima or a 2007 Infiniti G35 Sedan, you might want to keep your mobile phone in a different pocket than your car's fancy I-Key fob. The fobs, as you're probably well aware by now, enable and disable the cars' keyless ignition systems. According to Nissan, the problem is that if the fob is touched by a cellphone while a call is in progress, the software that controls the I-Key's automagic goodness could be altered or erased, rendering it useless. Furthermore, the damage is not reversible, and the I-Key simply becomes landfill fodder.

Nissan's modifying the key to correct the issue, and will provide new ones to owners once it's straightened it all out. According to the AP, this'll happen sometime in the fall. In the meantime, some dealers are stocking up on spares just in case, and you'd be advised to follow Nissan's advice and keep a little distance between the key and your phone. After all, you don't want the simple act of pressing the Start button to turn into an exercise in futility -- especially over something as mundane as checking your voice mail.

[Source: AP]

As of January 1, 2008, anyone who doesn't have a digital-capable OnStar system in their GM vehicle is going to be out of luck. One customer who bought an OnStar-equipped Cadillac Eldorado in 2002 is so upset about it that he's filed a class-action suit against GM and OnStar for $5 million.

The cell phone companies that provide OnStar service will finish the switch from analog to digital service on the first day of next year. When Robert Weaver, the named plaintiff in the suit, bought his Eldorado, says GM and OnStar knew the analog service in his car would only work for six more years, and that there would be no way to upgrade to digital, but didn't tell him. And for that willful omission, they owe subscribers a whole lot of money.

OnStar says it's frustrating, but there's nothing they can do. GM and OnStar have been contacting subscribers to let them know, but have made no attempt to reimburse subscribers for the option or the subscription fees. Instead, GM is offering a year of free OnStar service if customers buy or lease another GM product. And even if you do have a digital-capable system, GM is going to charge you $15 to upgrade it.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

If Lamborghini can have its own mobile phone, we suppose it's only fair that Ferrari get one too. Introducing Motorola's MotoRAZR Maxx V6 Ferrari Challenge. With a V6, wouldn't that make it a Dino? No matter, because it does have 'the iconic prancing horse shield on the front and "Ferrari" in the company's easily recognizable font on the back. The phone turns on with the sound of a Ferrari Formula 1 engine revving.

It's available for pre-order from the Ferrari Store online for a mere $524 -- about the same price as the upcoming iPhone, but oh so much more, um, Italian. And it's about $1,200 cheaper than that Lamborghini phone which doesn't come with a red Ferrari leather case.

Read the Motorola press release with the phone's full specs and more photos after the jump.

[Source:Motorola]

For the Lamborghini owner on your Christmas gift list (we all have one, don't we?), here's yet another branded item to make sure everyone knows who left the LP640 with the valet.

Our friends at Luxist.com turned us on to the new limited edition Nokia 8800 Sirocco phone that features a stainless steel casing that is etched with Lamborghini's charging bull logo as well as the words "Automobili Lamborghini". The Lamborghini branding doesn't end there, either. The phone also comes with Lambo wallpaper graphics, engine-inspired ringtones and a short video documentary about their cars. Most notably, according to the press release, "ball bearings crafted by Lamborghini have been used, allowing a sophisticated slide mechanism". One can only ponder the cost of that clearly relevant engineering feat.

Nokia will only produce 500 of these exclusive phones, which will be sold through selected Lamborghini dealerships.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Luxist.com]