Autoblog

Rear window LED panel the ideal way to scold tailgating drivers

Aaron Richardson — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:04:00 EST

I had a buddy in college who got so tired of tailgaters that he carved a middle finger out of plywood, wrapped it in Christmas lights, and stuck it in the rear window of his Volkswagen. When someone got too close on the interstate, he flipped a button, and the wooden bird illuminated, letting people know exactly how he felt.

Enterprising motorist Gandeep Singh took that idea to the next level, applying some creative thinking, and installing a 40"x16" led crawler in his rear window to give his road rage a serious edge.

Unfortunately, it looks as if most of Singh's programmed messages are G-rated, but he's apparently working on a Bluetooth cellphone hookup, so you can update your crawler in real time. Follow the jump to watch video of it in use.

Continue reading Rear window LED panel the ideal way to scold tailgating drivers

Rear window LED panel the ideal way to scold tailgating drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LG attempting to ban BMW and Audi sales in South Korea over patent dispute

Zach Bowman — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology, Audi, BMW, South Korea

LG Group has taken up legal arms against both BMW and Audi over a patent dispute. The technology company is reportedly aiming to have the sale of vehicles from both German automakers banned in South Korea over an LED patent dispute. According to Korea Times, LG Group is claiming that Osram, the manufacturer of LEDs favored by both automakers, is infringing on LG patents. Oddly enough, LG was once behind the patent game and had to pay Osram to use the company's LED technology in LG products. Now LG has combined its relevant patents with those of a host of smaller companies, allowing it to skip paying Osram and sue the company for infringement.

Twisted.

Is there any chance of a court outright agreeing to ban such a large section of products from two companies that largely had nothing to do with the dispute? That seems unlikely, but Osram and LG Group may have to sit down and have a nice, lengthy chat with checkbooks in hand sometime in the near future.

LG attempting to ban BMW and Audi sales in South Korea over patent dispute originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lit Up: GM RenCen wants more LED signs

Zach Bowman — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., GM

General Motors is looking to deck the Renaissance Center in more LED lighting, according to a report from The Detroit Free Press. The manufacturer has already installed one ring of the colored lights at the top of its tower and has petitioned the City of Detroit to allow the building to be fitted with vertical LED strips along the exterior elevator of the main tower. GM also wants the city to relax its signage regulations to allow it to scroll messages across the sign at the top of the center tower.

GM says that the changes will remain very professional and won't make the RenCen look like a casino, as some locals have fretted. Part of that fear is based in the fact that the LED decorations are far brighter than traditional signage illumination, which makes the additions stand out against the Detroit skyline. But that may change soon. The owners of neighboring structures are currently looking into LEDs for their own use. So far, Detroit hasn't implied whether or not the city will agree to the GM requests.

Lit Up: GM RenCen wants more LED signs originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Coolest Pinewood Derby Car To Never Race

Zach Bowman — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Toys/Games

Pinewood Derby Audi R18 - Click above for high-res image gallery

As kids, there were only so many outlets available to satiate our automotive obsession. While we always had grand visions of things like building the ultimate model A/C Cobra or hewing the sleekest Pinewood Derby racer that the sport had ever seen, our projects typically turned out looking more like Revell nightmares and shop class castoffs. We simply lacked the granular motor skills to turn our hopes and dreams into plastic and pine realities. We're guessing that Sam Francis never had that problem.

As a local Cub Scouts leader, Francis has made a reputation for himself by crafting unbelievably intricate Pinewood Derby cars. Last year he worked up a Keaton-era Batmobile to show the kids in his troop exactly what could be done with a little patience and a lot of skill, but this year, he wanted to do something even more special. It just so happened that while Francis was racking his brain for a little inspiration, Audi yanked back the veil on its new R18 Le Mans machine. Suddenly, Francis had his shape.

Continue reading The Coolest Pinewood Derby Car To Never Race

The Coolest Pinewood Derby Car To Never Race originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: Audi loans eight robot arms for art installation

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Audi, UK

Audi's Outrace Project - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Trafalgar Square is located in central London. It plays host to thousands of people on a daily basis. The square is filled with memorial fountains and allows direct passage to the National gallery, and starting September 16th, it will serve as the backdrop for the London Digital Festival.

Audi has determined this would make a good time to unleash its opening salvo in favor of the impending revolution by Skynet and the robots. The automaker's mechanical beast consists of eight robotic arms and weighs over 10 metric tons. It's known simply as The Octopus. Fine, it's not an octo-armed assault system but rather a new art installation device.

Each arm features a LED headlight taken from the Audi R15 TDI racecar, mounted at the end of each arm. Messages up to 80 characters in length can be sent to octopus from a computer or smartphone via the Outrace.org website, and these bits of text will be chosen at random and written in real time in the form of "light paintings." The images will be captured by SLR cameras and then transferred into a video. The images and video will be available via the Outrace site, as well as sent to the chosen contributors. To see the arms in action, you can view streaming video at both the Outrace site and Audi.com. The footage will be available 24 hours a day, for eight days.

It all sounds quite odd yet intriguing. The big robotic arms will be able to write out letters up to nearly 12 feet high, yet they are capable of precise movements down to 0.2 millimeters. Be sure to watch the trailer after the jump, and read Audi's press release to understand what all the fuss is about. We haven't throw out that Skynet idea just yet...

[Sources: Audi, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Audi loans eight robot arms for art installation

Video: Audi loans eight robot arms for art installation originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Next-gen 'smart' headlamps to automatically adjust beams around oncoming traffic?

Zach Bowman — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Japan, Technology

A French company may have come with the next big thing in vehicle lighting. Valeo SA has developed a system called Beamatic Premium that allows drivers to keep their high-beams on at all times while still protecting other drivers from being blinded while driving. The tech uses onboard cameras to track the location of vehicles on the road and automated dousers to shield other drivers from glare. Think of it as the ultimate evolution of adaptive headlamps.

The tech was good enough to win top honors at Equip Auto - an international automotive trade show - in 2009. Now Japan's Ichikoh Industries is looking to manufacture and sell the system to the world's vehicle manufacturers. The company plans to sell two versions, one with HID lamps and another with full LED lighting.

With most luxury vehicles these days packing more cameras than a paparazzi party, it probably wouldn't take too much to integrate the Valeo SA system into existing platforms. The question is, how much is Ichikoh going to charge for all of the extra complicated software and hardware? Thanks for the tip, Kevin.

[Source: Tech On]

Next-gen 'smart' headlamps to automatically adjust beams around oncoming traffic? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spy Shots: Next-gen Porsche 911 gets LED indicators

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Porsche

Next generation Porsche 911 - Click above for high-res image gallery

No other automaker subscribes to the "evolution, not revolution" idiom more than Porsche, and the next generation 911 will benefit from yet another styling refresh later this year in the form of some subtly tweaked sheetmetal and a new set of LED indicators that join the current model's daytime running lights.

Although the front-mounted LEDs are the most glaring addition, these newest spy shots hint at slightly reworked front and rear fascias, Panamera-inspired mirrors and the possible addition of a retractable rear spoiler. If we had to guess, we'd expect the newest 911 to debut either at the Geneva Motor Show in March or the Paris show this October, with a few minor mechanical updates and the usual assortment of interior upgrades.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Porsche 911 with LED indicators

Spy Shots: Next-gen Porsche 911 gets LED indicators originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

VIDEO: Audi teases Geneva-bound A1 with LED headlamps

Noah Joseph — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Hatchback, Audi, Luxury

Audi A1 LED headlights - Click above to view the video after the jump

The hype continues... We're still two months away from Audi's official unveiling of the pre-production A1 premium compact at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, but the German automaker's going to milk it for all it's worth.

After unveiling not one, but two concepts to preview the A1, followed by some graffiti and spy shots, Audi has released the following video showing - big surprise - that the A1 will have LED headlights.

Although it's doubtful that Audi's rival for the Mini Cooper will make it across the Atlantic to American shores, Audi reportedly hopes to sell some 80,000 units per year. Ambitious? Maybe. But that's the direction the premium market is heading these days. Follow the jump to watch the video and check out the press release.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading VIDEO: Audi teases Geneva-bound A1 with LED headlamps

VIDEO: Audi teases Geneva-bound A1 with LED headlamps originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Unintended Consequence of Technology: New LED traffic lights can't melt snow

Michael Harley — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology

Traffic lights using state-of-the-art LED illumination use 90 percent less electricity, offer a much longer service life and are more durable than their incandescent counterparts. Taking advantage of the countless benefits, cities around the country have been replacing traditional filament-based traffic signal bulbs with LEDs for years. Unfortunately, the low-watt LED units burn much cooler than its white-hot counterpart making it unable to melt snow off weather exposed traffic fixtures.

"I've never had to put up with this in the past," said Duane Kassens, a driver from Indiana who was involved in an accident attributed to a snow-clogged traffic light. "The police officer told me the new lights weren't melting the snow. How is that safe?" It obviously isn't.

Municipalities around the country are taking different steps to keep their signals shining brightly in the face of Mother Nature. Crews in St. Paul, Minnesota, use compressed air to keep their lights clean. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, city workers brush the snow off by hand in a labor-intensive process. Until a fix arrives, it is best to take the advice of Dave Hansen, a traffic engineer with the Green Bay Department of Public Works. Treat a blocked signal as if the power is out. "If there's any question, you err on the side of caution," says Hansen.

[Source: AOL Autos | Image: Oswego Police]

Unintended Consequence of Technology: New LED traffic lights can't melt snow originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Audi R8 V10 will be all LED, all the time

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Green, Safety, Technology, Supercars, Audi

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi R8 V10

The Audi R8 claimed a number of world firsts - that is, walking away with magazine awards and journalists' hearts the world over. The Audi R8 V10 is about to claim a world first in technology: it will be the first car to offer high and low beam LED headlights as standard equipment. (Note: The 2009 Cadillac Escalade Platinum was the first vehicle in the world to offer all-LED headlamps.) You can buy the package as an option on the regular R8, so it's only fitting that the bigger and more expensive beast gets more tricks.

Audi trumpets the inclusion as an energy-saving measure - LEDs use a quarter of the energy of halogen headlights, and that number will only get better as LEDs evolve. You probably never thought you could know so much about LEDs, but there's an exhaustive press release after the jump, and for dessert, a high-res gallery of photos below.

Gallery: 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

Continue reading Audi R8 V10 will be all LED, all the time

Audi R8 V10 will be all LED, all the time originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Audi R8 gets first full LED headlamps

Michael Harley — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Technology, Audi

Click above for high-res gallery of the Audi R8

The innovative R8 supercar from Audi is now available for the first time with full LED headlamps. In addition to the standard Audi-signature 24-LED running lamps it's always had, this extremely expensive option (£3,590 converts to $7,100 USD) adds LED high and low beam headlamps and LED turn signals to the front fascia of the mid-engine sports car.

The latest craze in automotive lighting, LED bulbs don't utilize a filament like halogen lamps or gas plasma like HID lamps. Instead, they create light from the movement of current across a semi-conductor chip. They are smaller, more vibration resistant, and much more efficient than traditional bulbs. According to Audi, the light from the LEDs has been designed to closely resemble daylight and provides a greater contrast to be easier on the human eye. LED illumination is also designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle. Audi is no stranger to LED lighting - it first introduced a strip-shaped fog lamp at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2003.

Gallery: 2008 Audi R8

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi R8 gets first full LED headlamps

Audi R8 gets first full LED headlamps originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 May 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Could this be the most trick shift knob ever?

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Gadgets, Etc.

We've always been of the opinion that if it doesn't make you go faster, stick better or be safer, it's generally a waste of money. There have been exceptions, but this has to be one of the coolest.

The idea is pretty self-explanatory: on top of the shift knob is an LCD that after telling it the number of gears and, we're assuming, the movement of the stalk, displays what cog your transmission is residing.

Unfortunately, our German is a bit rusty, so when we downloaded the Indy-Cator's directions, we weren't able to decipher how it's programmed. If you've got the means, we'd ask you to check out the company's website and let us know exactly how this little piece of automotive geeketry works.

According to TMTuning, installation is straightforward, the LCD has an auto-dimming feature and it can be yours in blue or red for $169.00. Worthwhile? That's in the hand of the beholder.

[Source: Gaslock.de via TMTuning]

Could this be the most trick shift knob ever? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford to offer customizable LED lighting?

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Ford

If the Ford Mustang's MyColor instrument panel lighting amuses you, then the announcement of a licensing agreement between the automaker and Colour Kinetics should further expand the joy. The deal allows Ford to legally use "intelligent color-controlled systems" both in the interior and on the exterior of vehicles around the world.

Actually, the deal applies to every patent CK holds, so Ford can customize the lighting on any of its vehicles in a variety of ways. Because of the digital nature of LED lighting, color can be manipulated fairly easily. This would allow Ford to leave interior accent lighting in the hands of the consumer. It could even expand to novel exterior lighting and eventually even beyond automotive applications. When Ford introduced the MyColor lighting option on the Mustang in '05, it had been sued for allegedly failing to secure the rights to this technology. This new deal should clear the way for any future projects it wants to pursue.

Full release after the jump.

[Source: Colour Kinetics]

Continue reading Ford to offer customizable LED lighting?

Ford to offer customizable LED lighting? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Survey Says: Garages lit with LED seem safer

Dan Roth — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:06:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Etc., Safety

It's a scene we've seen hundreds of times in movies - predators emerging from the shadows in a dimly lit parking garage. It used to be that you could look for the cigarrette ember so you could meet up with Deep Throat, but Raleigh, North Carolina has beat back the shadows as it became the first LED City. Parking garages in Raleigh have seen their standing with the public improve since LED lighting systems replaced the old high pressure sodium lighting. The whiter, brighter illumination led to a 76 percent increase in "very safe" replies to a survey on how the security of the garage was perceived. Whether the change has precipitated an actual drop in parking garage crime, or if it was even a problem in Raleigh to begin with, we can't say; but changing perception's not a bad thing, either. It's another feather in the cap of LED lighting technology, along with reducing energy consumption and the aforementioned lighting quality.

[Source: CREE via engadget]

Survey Says: Garages lit with LED seem safer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Scion FUSE teaser pic from ScionLife

John Neff — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Scion, Toyota

A picture of the Scion FUSE that's supposed to ignite next week's NY auto show has been leaked a little early on a forum post over at ScionLife. We learned a while back that the FUSE would feature a topped chop and a short snout, the latter of which we can clearly view in this picture along with a super-sized Scion logo and extra wide front wheel. Those wheels will allegedly house turn signals might employ similar technology to these LED message-board wheels. We'll have to wait until next week to see the total package and find out.

Top tip Scott, thanks!

Scion FUSE teaser pic from ScionLife originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Apr 2006 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments