Autoblog

As of today, we're taking bets to see how long it will take before people realize that "GPS" does not stand for "Auto Pilot." The latest "But the GPS told me to..." story is brought to you by a charter bus driver in Seattle. Piloting a coach through the Washington Arboretum -- as the GPS instructed him -- the driver ignored, or didn't see, or didn't believe (take your pick) the flashing lights and sign warning him that his 11-foot-high bus was too tall for the looming 9-foot concrete overpass.

You can see how the story ends. The overpass ended up with some superficial damage, the coach got a removable top, and the girls softball team inside received some minor injuries. Luckily, the 60-inch sewage pipe inside the overpass wasn't ruptured. The driver was ticketed for $154. And in response to the charter company executive who remarked, "We just thought it would be a safe route because, why else would they have a selection for a bus?", a Garmin spokesman responded "Stoplights aren't in our databases, either, but you're still expected to stop for stoplights."

[Source: Seattle Pi]

The UK's Department for Transportation (DfT) is trying to put an end to situations like the one you see above. A woman headed to a christening party, paying attention to her satnav -- and little else, apparently -- drove down a road marked "Unsuitable for motor vehicles," and then drove into a swollen river because that's what her navi told her to do.

The DfT wants satnav makers to improve their directions, and also wants them to start providing alternate routes depending on the particular car. In addition to consumer complaints, the DfT is also reacting to increasing incidents of truck drivers getting stranded on narrow country lanes. The 2,000 times it happens each year are estimated to cost £10 million and create 5,000 hours in delays.

The DfT will essentially issue a seal of approval that it wants buyers to look for as a sign of directional quality. We still don't know what they plan to do about drivers who ignore signs that say, "Don't drive down this road," and people who think its OK to ford a river just because the little voice inside their cars says so.

[Source: WhatCar?]

Njection is a website for guys like us. In addition to their forums and picture resources, they have compiled a database of more than 50,000 speed traps worldwide -- areas with high radar use and speed cameras -- that works with Microsoft Live Maps. Njection is now offering owners of Garmin GPS units the ability to download speed trap and red light camera information to their portable navigation units.

A SpeedTrap-enhanced Garmin portable GPS unit will be a great companion on a road trip, long commute, or while traveling in unfamilar areas. However, as sophisticated as the technology is getting, GPS still won't find your lost keys.

[Source: PRNewswire via Winding Road]

A little more than a month after one bloke followed his GPS guidance into the path of a train, we find a lorry driver in Great Britain pulling a similar blunder. Instead of looking outside the cab of the truck and noticing the large sign indicating the road was "unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles," he ignorantly followed the GPS display as it led him down a narrow farm lane. Within minutes, his 45-foot tractor trailer became firmly wedged in the mud and thicket. Needless to say, his trip to carry timber from north Wales to Birmingham was abruptly cut short. The driver's job is likely in jeopardy, but he is thankfully uninjured. The owner of the land, who now has to drive an extra two miles around the detour, is understandably irate.

This isn't a rare occurrence. In November, a Czech truck driver in the U.K. was led off course by his GPS and ended up spending three nights stuck in the woods. And who can forget the Brit who followed his GPS guidance into a river? GPS is a wonderful technology, but it is no substitute for common sense! Thanks for the tip Bobby!

[Source: Engadget]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Toyota Yaris SR

The Euro-spec Toyota Yaris is a well-equipped little car. But things like the nine airbags, chrome exhaust finisher, and remote central double locking are merely gravy for the real show on this new SR model: a fully-integrated portable TomTom navigation system that doubles as a touchscreen interface for the car stereo.

It's a neat little trick, and the unit also offers Bluetooth connectivity and a USB connection for MP3 players. We wonder, though, if this is about simply making life easier and aesthetically cleaner for GPS users, or if people are really clamoring for a portable GPS. This blogger has never seen anyone walking down the street taking direction from a TomTom -- but this blogger also lives in LA where nobody walks anywhere, so maybe I'm not the best judge. If nothing else, certain Euro Yaris takers can finally kiss the suction cups goodbye. Uh, Toyota, how 'bout some of that love over this way, please?


[Source: Toyota]

If SYNC sells cars for Ford, the Blue Oval is now going to see how well its latest electronic add-on moves the metal. In an effort to compete with OnStar, Ford has developed SmartAlert with a company called SkyWay Systems, Inc., of Colorado. Available to be installed by dealers by Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury dealers, SmartAlert uses GPS and can operate as a stolen car tracking service, and it will be connected to a call center that can unlock your doors for you. The system can also keep track of your speed, so teens beware: parents can set the system up to alert them to your lead-footed ways via cell phone, e-mail, or text message. To have SmartAlert installed will cost from $700 to $1,200 for the first year, after which, as with OnStar, customers will pay a monthly fee. Add this to the new features coming in SYNC 2.0 like 911 Assist, and it appears we have a nice little rivalry going in the field of in-car telematics.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

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]

It's only a ten-vehicle trial, for now -- but the emphasis is on the "for now." Transport for London, the body responsible for the Underground, bus, and river bus network in London, has put out an RFP for a company that can make an Intelligent Speed Adaptation system. What is that? It's a GPS-based device that would attempt to keep you from speeding.

The device is meant to work by knowing where it is, and what the speed limit is. The same way the Nissan GT-R knows it's on a track and removes the speed limiter, this would be the reverse: the car would know it's in a 30-MPH zone, and would work to keep the driver from going any faster. It's not I, Robot (above) -- although we'll say again: yet.

In the beginning, the system would only vibrate the accelerator pedal, or make a beeping noise to let a driver know he's speeding. At this point it doesn't look like there are any plans for the system to take control of the car, but one would have to assume that such ideas are being debated, and are on their way. We're all for safe driving, and as technology allows politicians and councils to come up with more ways keep people safe, things could get, well, interesting. But at least it's not a revenue grab -- the car doesn't keep track of how fast you're going and not tell you, so the authorities can send you a bill later...

[Source: Auto Express]

Two things plague GPS users: being forced to deal with dubious direction vocalizations and the amount of time spent looking at the screen when you should be paying attention to the road. MVS is developing a solution and it's likely the most revolutionary concept to date.

The system is comprised of a series of mirrors that project a three-dimensional line onto the windshield giving drivers a heads-up display of their intended path of travel. The Virtual Cable shown above the top of the windscreen is usable at night and seems to integrate cleanly into the surrounding environment, allowing users to focus on the road and simply use their peripheral vision to guide them.

The system is currently under development, but the company's website has a few videos showing a mock-up of how it could work.

[Source: MVS]

A few weeks ago, Consumer Reports, alerted online readers to some really good GPS Black Friday deals. But which one should you have bought? Do you want one totally portable? Do you need speech to text capability? Should it play mp3s? Will those cool-sounding traffic alerts work in your area? CR helps the lost and confused GPS shopper get back on track with its handy guide to GPS features.

While we think the magazine should have offered this useful guide before Black Friday, those of you who resisted the super-discounted units can take some comfort knowing you thoroughly researched before paying more. Then again, maybe you're just holding out for something rugged, tough and covered in rubber.

[Source: Consumer Reports]