A recent survey conducted by research firm NuStats and funded by GPS-maker NAVTEQ found that drivers equipped with in-car navigation units use 12% less fuel than their non-guided counterparts. The study focused on three groups of drivers in Germany. The first used no GPS at all, the second had a basic GPS and the third had a GPS unit that included traffic information. None of the participants had previously owned navigation units.

Once the participating drivers that had been given GPS units got used to relying on the computer's directions, some interesting results were observed. Drivers with navigation units ended up driving shorter distances and spent less time behind the wheel. As a result, these drivers used less fuel than motorists without GPS units. Want to know more? See the full press release after the break.

[Source: NAVTEQ via Jalopnik]

Navigation systems have become ubiquitous in vehicles ranging from $100,000 luxury cars to $16,000 compacts. The auto industry has been grappling with the best way to safely navigation, with some companies going to touchscreen units, while others opting for a joystick solution like BMW's iDrive. Either way, you're still taking your eye off the road, making nav use a potentially dangerous endeavor.

Apple may have other plans, however, as Cupertino has filed a patent for a safer touchscreen system. According to the filing, Apple's ideas include voice-activated directions; a detachable, iPhone-like device that can also be used as a still or video camera; and navigation that can only be accessed by the front seat passenger when the vehicle is moving.

The 11-page document also includes mention of wireless communication subsystems, such as 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, CDMA, GSM and EDGE. The wireless communications would enable the nav system to sync up with an iPhone to load information already stored on the latter before entering the car. The proposed Apple system sounds like SYNC on steroids, but the road from the patent office to the dashboard can be a long one. Hit the read link below for more info on Apple's extensive patent filing.

[Source: Apple Insider]

In the near future, Ford vehicles may fire back a retort if you get cheesed off enough to yell at the car. According to the details of a patent filing, Ford is working on an Emotive Advisory System (EAS) that simulates emotions when interacting with occupants, and may also use an avatar to express itself.

The EAS also uses sensors to detect the emotional state of occupants and generate responses based on that data. We all tend to forge some kind of bond with our cars, but it's a little too fantastical and hilarious to imagine rocking down the blacktop in a new Taurus SHO and having the car say "You don't need to drive like a jerk just because you're mad at me."



[Source: swdelaw]

More and more people are adding electronic gadgetry to their car's arsenal after their initial purchase, which often makes sense since it almost always costs less to add audio equipment or GPS navigation from an aftermarket company than it does to spec if from the factory.

Sadly, recent statistics prove that you'd better be careful with that shiny new piece of technology. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 24,700 portable navigation systems were swiped in 2008, representing a whopping 700% increase over 2006. While the number in thefts has rocketed skyward, the number of units sold have likewise gone supernova, leading us to wonder if the actual percentage of thefts over units in service has changed appreciably overall.

Apple's iPod is also attractive to thieves, who stole 17,000 of the little music players in '08. Perhaps the rise in iPod thefts helps explain why half as many car stereos (14,000) were stolen last year than in 2006, although we are willing to bet that automakers' continued move away from standard-sized, non-integrated head units is also a major factor.

Our common sense advice? Add-on nav systems and iPods are portable for a reason... remove them from your car when you leave it parked. Disaster averted.

[Source: Ecommerce Journal]

We suspect that one of the most popular gift this holiday season will be portable navigation systems. Their prices are plummeting and every day new features are being added to these magical maps-in-a-box. TomTom is arguably one of the biggest and best manufacturers of portable nav systems, so we're proud to be giving away a TomTom XL330·S on Day 6 of the 2008 Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes.

The XL330·S features a 4.3-inch widescreen for easy viewing, an EasyPort mount that folds into the back of the unit, TomTom's Map Share technology that allows you to edit your own maps and incorporate the edits of other users and it's RDS-TMC traffic ready. Of course, TomTom has a full line of portable nav systems that range in price from $99.95 to $449.95, which is still about 1/4 the cost of an OEM nav system. Read below on how to enter to win your own TomTom XL330·S.

HOW TO ENTER:

• Leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all of your comments will be disqualified)
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
  
• Limit 1 entry per person during entry period
  
• This entry period begins 1:30 PM EST on Monday, December 22nd and ends at 12:00pm EST on Tuesday, December 23rd. We'll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive a TomTom XL330·S navigation system (ARV: $199.95). Please check your e-mail!
  
• For a list of complete rules, click here

Click here to view official rules and come back Monday around 12:30 PM EST to see what else we're giving away. Happy Holidays from your friendly neighborhood Autoblog!

Congratulations to hunterharleyinc who is the winner of the 2008 Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes - Day 5! If you're hunterharleyinc please check your email and verify your eligibility. If you're not, comment on this post for your chance to win a TomTom XL330·S navigation system!

Mercedes Benz myCOMAND interface

German automakers have gotten plenty of flack for their less than intuitive Navigation/Infotainment systems, but Mercedes Benz is working hard to change that with its myCOMAND concept. The myCOMAND system uses high-speed wireless Internet with upload and download speeds of over 3MB to bring the connectivity of the web into any driver's hands. It's similar to interfaces from the competition in that it gives access to phone info, different types of digital media and the web. The difference comes from Mercedes' decision to go entirely Internet-based. Gone are hard drives, CD/DVD players and most computer hardware. Mercedes stuck with a thin-client and incredibly intuitive graphical user interface coupled with the ubiquitous Mercedes command controller to pull the strings.

We got a chance to sit in a myCOMAND-equipped Mercedes at the LA Auto Show today and were up to speed within seconds. We were able to surf the net (Autoblog was one of the presets, nice), explore Google Maps, check the weather and look for the cheapest gas in the area with minimal effort. The myCOMAND system is a concept right now and Mercedes engineers feel the technology is still a few years from production. It does, however, show the potential of future Infotainment systems, and we like what we see. See how it works by watching our video demonstration of myCOMAND with Mercedes Infotainment and Telematics VP Johann Jungwirth above, and you can view high-res pics of the system from Mercedes in the gallery below. As always, a press release with all the official details is after the jump.

BMW's MY 2009 cars will get a new iDrive system with a 40GB hard drive. According to Bimmerfile, the drive allotment will have 12GB dedicated to navigational maps (and 8GB for entertainment and 10GB for your address book, because you've got more friends than music, apparently). With nav maps placed on the hard drive, BMW will no longer be providing a case full of map DVDs. The maps will have the entire US on them, or Europe if you pick up your car at BMW Welt. When things have moved on and it's time to get your maps updated, you'll take your car and your checkbook to a BMW dealer, and they'll install U.S. v2.0.

[Source: BMW Blog]

Most of us don't like to be yelled at while driving, but a company called IXs Rearch is betting that there must be some people out there who want a suitable replacement for the nagging spouse when they're in the car alone. The tech company has developed a high-tech teddy bear that can do everything from spout directions to yelling "Watch Out!" when you brake too fast. The "Navi-Bear" is packed with technologies that can help drivers stay safe and get from point A to point B without fuss. The robotic bear has sensors that can detect alcohol on the driver's breath, can tell you when you need to turn on your headlights, and use its robotic arm to point in the direction you're supposed to turn. If this annoying little gadget is just what you're looking for, except you're scared of stuffed animals, IXs Research is also working with other forms besides lovable bears, too. Somehow we doubt there will be a Megan Fox navigation assistant coming any time soon.

Do robotic co-pilots have a place on American roads? We hope not, but they're only a few months from being sold in Japan, and if they're a hit there, then there's a good chance they'll end up here, too. We'll be armed and ready if that ever happens.

[Source: Wired]

While Ford's giving the Fusion an LCD large enough to watch feature films, Magna has joined up with Swiss firm u-blox and Germany's Paragon to develop a navigation system that puts the map display in your rearview mirror. The system is called MirrorPilot, and it does look like a slick way to add factory navigation with a minimum of effort on the automaker's part. It's also far nicer than suction-cupping some aftermarket unit to the windshield and dealing with its tangle of cables. It's not just a mirror with a display; the MirrorPilot incorporates a GPS receiver and antenna, as well as a speaker. The mirror itself self-dims electrochromically, and the display automatically zooms at intersections and also comes with a remote control. The screen may be small, but the cost is large; this unit will be priced above $1,000 when it goes on sale in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. While it's a nice idea, it's not $1,000 worth of nice, especially with such a diminutive screen. We'll buy a cheaper unit and stock up on zip ties to keep the wires in check, which should leave enough in our pocket for a very nice dinner out – we'll just punch up a fancy restaurant on the POI menu.

[Source: Inside Line]

We already know that in-car web browsing is on its way. Both BMW and Chrysler have already revealed that the feature is forthcoming in their vehicles, and more automakers are sure to follow. But telematics provider ATX Group is sticking its nose in to ensure that the web we're one day browsing in our cars is safe to use (read: no fun at all). ATX is working with a group called the Connected Vehicle Trade Association to push a standardized method for getting web content into automobiles. ATX is exploring ways to adapt the traditional web experience to meet the demands of the automotive environment, similar to the way mobile versions of websites target cellphone browsers, nevermind that the mobile web experience pales in comparison to surfing normal websites on a device like the iPhone, which works inside cars last time we checked. One idea is to target automobile surfing through implementation of a standard top-level domain, .car, which would house content specifically designed to work with the to-be-determined vehicular web standard.

With safety in mind, we're guessing that ATX and the CVTA will kick around a text-to-speech function that allows pages to be read-aloud to a driver by the embedded hardware, and possibly a standardization of page size for reliably fast loading. Telematics also opens up another area for targeted services, such as remote diagnostics, parental surveillance via performance monitoring, and dynamic traffic information. Developing a standard also helps automakers avoid duplicating each others' efforts as they all race to deliver E! Online to your dashboard. Ah yes, in-car internet will no doubt be the latest whiz-bang distraction from the task of actually driving one's car.

[Source: ATX]