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Google Maps Send-To-Car feature goes live on Ford SYNC systems
Avid OnStar users received this here functionality a fortnight ago, and BMW owners have been bragging about it for years. But it looks as if the world's other automakers are finally coming around to one of life's undeniable facts: Google Maps is top-notch, and in almost every instance, trumps whatever factory mapping system that any given consumer has overpaid for. Today, drivers of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the US enabled with Ford SYNC can send business listings or addresses found on GMaps directly to their cars (from a web browser, naturally). With the new additions, Google's Send-To-Car feature is now active in 19 countries and across 20 brands, but we're guessing that your brand isn't one of them. Or maybe that's just us moping and looking for company.
Pontiac G8 still in Wheelman despite brand's dire outlook
MTV Multiplayer has pointed out that, although GM's Pontiac line is slowly bleeding out as a casualty of the US economic downturn, Midway's Ubisoft's upcoming Vin Diesel vehicle, Wheelman, will still feature one of its rides: the Pontiac G8. Oh, and there's also a Saturn -- well, the Opel Astra -- in it, evidently. Saturn is no more. (Though last we checked the planet was still there.)At this point, you're probably asking yourself, "Where's the news?" Funny you should ask. It's doubtful that Wheelman will be the last game to feature a Pontiac. Heck, there are all shapes and sizes of racing sims coming out in the next few months, some or all of which will probably feature the GM-owned brand. And lest we forget Transformers: Rise of the Fallen: The Game. (Autobots only wear GM.) It would have been more newsworthy -- not to mention quite cruel -- if Ubisoft announced it was yanking both cars from the game and keeping whatever money Midway was paid to advertise include them.
Virtual World ad agency already at home on Home
According to a recent report from the Virtual Worlds 2008 conference, Millions of Us, an advertising agency specializing in the production of marketing campaigns in virtual worlds, is already hard at work developing projects for Sony's Playstation 3-based Home. According to Millions of Us president and co-founder Christian Lassonde, "Certainly I think in the future, console manufacturers will get into user-generated content." We weren't aware that advertising for Pontiac was considered user-generated content these days, but we'll give them a free pass because we're probably taking that quote out of context.In any case, it may be telling that advertisers are getting early access to Sony's anticipated new virtual world while the would-be customers and fanboys are still waiting outside the gate trying to sneak a peak where we can, in the cold. It may also be raining, it's hard to tell. Home is seeming more and more like a transparently corporate tool for selling us on the next big product and less like the free-wheeling virtual wild west we're used to seeing from this category. We're OK with that, at least for now, just let us play the damn thing already!
Pontiac ad is glorious homage to Spy Hunter
Spy Hunter, one of the great arcade games of the '80s, is given proper tribute in the amazing commercial found above. OK, ignore for 30 seconds that this is a Pontiac commercial and just bask in the awesomeness of it. The music, the look, the feel ... seriously, if we could focus on what car the company is selling for even a split second we might consider buying it. But don't be fooled folks, there is some brilliant marketing at work here. Even the car's website is designed with our demographic in mind; featuring a mosaic of the car made up of images like Transformers and Halo (clearly being promoted at the bottom of the page). Admittedly, the whole thing is very slick. Now, if only this car wasn't $30,000 ... oh yeah, and a Pontiac.[Thanks Josh ... even if you might be a Pontiac marketing guy]
Electric Sheep Company lays off 1/3 of their staff
var digg_url =http://digg.com/tech_news/CBS_contractor_Electric_Sheep_Company_lays_off_1_3_staff; In a shocking blog entry today, Jeremy Flagstaff noted that the Electric Sheep Company has laid off approximately one-third of their staff, or about 22 people. It has been previously noted that ESC had to cut back on the number of islands for CSI: NY, and now both AOL Pointe and Pontiac are pulling out of Second Life. This news should come as no surprise, but it's still heartbreaking to hear that it happened so close to Christmas.While it is not known at this time exactly why the layoffs occurred, Jeremy speculates that they will be focusing on technology like OnRez. Joel Greenberg, whose job status is unknown at this time, announced on Twitter that ESC is shutting down their virtual ad network project. In a prophetic blog entry written last week by Rez Menoptra, he speculated on how long builds will last in virtual worlds and who will remember them.Massively will update you with the latest news on this topic as we hear it. Stay tuned!
Pontiac wants you to be the first to play Halo 3
Want to be the first to play Halo 3? Want to see and experience Halo 3 in all its glory on an IMAX screen? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then go and enter Pontiac's Be The First promotion. We say this only because you could win a ticket into a New York or San Francisco IMAX play session or win a copy of Halo 3 to be delivered to your door on September 24th, which is one full day before your friends will get their copy. If your interest is piqued, head on over to Pontiac's Be The First website (US residents only) and sign up. Once all signed in you'll have a chance to enter both giveaways separately by completing some sort of puzzling puzzle. Yeah, it's a tad bit tedious, but it's for Halo 3 so suck it up and play their mind games. Also note that you can enter once every day, so keep heading back for more chances to win. We smell winners amongst us, now who could it be?
Free Game Fuel and Pontiac downloads
There are a few free theme and gamer picture downloads for our US and Canadian fanboys this weekend with both Mountain Dew and Pontiac offering up retail tie-in content. Available to US Xbox Live members is a free Mountain Dew Game Fuel gamer picture and theme and even though the theme is rather lame (same picture for every blade ... come on!) the gamer picture is quite sweet. Canadian Live members can download a Pontiac theme, picture pack and the week four Drive Fast gamer picture too. All downloads are free and should make you thirsty and ready to purchase a new vehicle within' the next five minutes.
Advertising coming to Xbox 360 achievements
They've been embraced by major publishers. They've infected everything from first-person shooters and MMOs. They even occasionally served as the entire basis for a game's existence. Now, in-game advertising's inevitable extension is reaching into a new area -- Xbox Live Achievements.A quick skim down the list of achievements for EA's upcoming NCAA 08 Football shows sponsored goals such as the "Old Spice Red Zone Perfection" and "Pontiac 4th Quarter Comeback." Each achievement is accompanied by a logo for the company in the achievement's image.We can only imagine the possibilities for future Xbox 360 games. Halo Around the Collar, sponsored by Tide? Mass Effect sponsored by the Axe Effect? Grand Theft Auto IV's Bounty Beatdown (great for sopping up blood spills)? The possibilities are endless.
OnStar signs with CDC to beam real-time crash information
While you'd probably agree that having a perfect stranger tracking your car's every move is less than comforting, we certainly wouldn't mind the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention taking a peek at our status in case of a crash. In a recent deal between General Motors and the CDC, the company's OnStar system will soon be working hand-in-hand with the agency by beaming "real-time crash data to help emergency services provide a more targeted response to those injured in a car accident." Basically, the OnStar system would alert emergency responders when one's airbag was deployed, but it would also send crash-specific information concerning the severity of the hit(s), where it was struck, and if it was rolled over. The idea is to provide more accurate information to officials that are required to make critical decisions regarding care, and this new system will purportedly go live sometime in 2008 -- if your OnStar will actually connect, that is.[Via MedGadget]
Online College Hoops 2K7 Final 4 tourney
2K Sports, partnering with Pontiac, is hosting an online College Hoops 2K7 tournament. You'll have the chance to win numerous prizes including a Pontiac G5 GT, NCAA tournament tickets, and a trophy if you are the best of the best. The tournament is open to all Xbox Live members, registration and qualifying rounds must be completed by March 10th, and the first 2,000 members to sign up will receive an exclusive Final 4 theme. Full contest rules and overly complicated details on how the contest works are listed after the break.
