telematics

Sync Services – Ford's lesser-known on-demand, voice-activated news and information service – has begun running a very OnStar-like beta. The new system allows registered Sync customers to connect with a live operator to fulfill business searches and address entry, but don't think of ...

On a recent trek to Germany, Mercedes-Benz pulled back the veil on its tech strategy for the next few years and provided Autoblog with a glimpse into what we'll find in its next generation of vehicles. With more than 2,000 patents filed in 2009 alone, the technologies range from the mind-blowing ...

Declining Highway Death Rate Challenges Distracted Driving Fears

My weekend nearly got off to a disastrous start when a driver, busy texting, suddenly realized he was going to miss his exit. At the last possible ...

Toyota has officially announced that it's teaming up with Microsoft. The two have formed a partnership with a goal of developing the next generation of telecommunication and information technology for automobiles. Telematics, as readers are no doubt aware, encompasses technology that ranges from ...

Ford has announced it will debut its SYNC system in Europe in the 2012 Ford Focus, expanding its current language range from three to 19. The Microsoft-based system first launched in the States in 2007, and has met with enough success to pursue global marketing of the platform. Ford is working ...

At CES, OnStar introduced an aftermarket rearview mirror that could widen the company's reach to 55 million cars, including Ford, Honda and Nissan models. Now that it's made the move out of General Motors vehicles, we grabbed a moment with Greg Ross, OnStar's vice president of business ...

As part of its quest to match the rest of the industry point-for-point, Hyundai has just announced at the Consumer Electronics Show that it's entering the world of telematics with the introduction of Blue Link, its first foray into the ...

It recognizes hundreds of voice commands. It will interface with your Bluetooth-enabled smart phone. It was co-developed with Microsoft. Sounds like Ford's popular SYNC tech, right? Sure does, but it also smacks of Fiat's Blue & Me system that has been in production in Europe since 2007. The ...

In-car entertainment turned it up another wireless notch at last week's Chicago Auto Show when Volvo showed off "the industry's first Internet connected Rear Seat Entertainment System with Windows XP, WiFi and a 500G hard drive." Officially, it remains a test-bed study for the moment, but the ...

Concerned that "gadgets and bells and whistles" are distracting drivers, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is reportedly pushing to keep the technologies out of driver's hands – without going so far as to say he'll try to restrict them. LaHood, who has already campaigned for a ban on ...