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Apple puts an iPad in a Ferrari, more collaboration on the way?
Today at the Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari announced that its four-seat FF sports car, originally debuted in 2011, is getting a touch of Apple in the form of two iPad minis mounted in the headrests of its front seats. According to Bloomberg, the inclusion of the tablets marks the start of an expanded partnership between the Cupertino company and the renowned Italian auto maker, which added Apple's internet software and services boss Eddy Cue to its board of directors last year. There's no further word from Bloomberg -- which insists on referring to the iPad as "I-Pad" for some reason -- on how the deal will unfold, but the inclusion of iPad mini in other models makes sense for starters. As it stands with the US$300,000 FF, the car's entertainment system supports audio integration and Siri-based voice controls.
Ferrari outs 949HP LaFerrari hybrid, gives FF drivers iPad minis and Siri (video)
Everyone knew Ferrari was cooking up its first hybrid, and that it would be very quick when it was pegged as an Enzo successor. Still, we didn't quite expect the sledgehammer that is the LaFerrari. Never mind the very redundant naming scheme: there's a 789HP V12 mated with 160HP of electric power, the 949HP combination of which takes the supercar to 62MPH in less than 3 seconds and makes it the overall fastest Ferrari to date. There's a nod to eco-friendliness with relatively low emissions, but the hybrid component mostly powers a KERS system that fills out the few weak points in the torque band. You won't have the chance to buy the LaFerrari -- all 499 units of the €1 million ($1.3 million) flagship are spoken for -- but there's already talk of future hybrids that will run solely on electric power some or all of the time. Don't be too forlorn if you have money to burn on a tech-centric Ferrari, though. The Maranello crew is also showing the very first results of its Apple collaboration through an upgraded FF. The four-seater GT now has Siri voice integration and ships with a pair of iPad minis to keep backseaters entertained when the 652HP V12 somehow isn't exciting enough. Ferrari hasn't said how much the upgraded FF costs, although we imagine that the iOS-linked costs are drops in the bucket next to the vehicle itself. Chairman Luca di Montezemolo hints that it's just the start of the Apple relationship, too, as Ferrari will be "more precise" about the union in the months ahead.
Logic3's Ferrari-branded headphones and speakers make their stateside debut, no license required to rock
Ferrari isn't a stranger to licensing its brand for use on gadgets. As of this week, the automaker's added some new offerings in the US on the audio front with the help of Logic3. Way back at CES we got our eyes on the duo's full lineup of co-branded headphones and speakers, and now folks in the US can officially get their hands on two such offerings (Tim Stevens-approved racing gloves not required). Its $400 Cavallino T350 headphones come in black or tan, featuring 40mm drivers, active noise cancellation, an inline remote / mic for your smartphone and a tangle-proof cord. As you'd expect, they're crafted from premium metal and leather for an extra luxurious feel on the ears. Those looking to fill a room with sound should take note of the $500 Scuderia FS1. It's a 2.1 speaker system complete with Bluetooth and the ever-aging 30-pin connector for older iOS devices. Sure, it's been a slow start to market, but here's to hoping the performance matches the prices -- hey, it still beats an actual payment on one of Ferrari's actual whips. Full press release after the break.
Daily Update for November 8, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Eddy Cue joins Ferrari board of directors
Apple's head of Internet software and services, Eddy Cue, is now a member of the board of directors at Ferrari. Ferrari announced on Wednesday that Apple's well-known dealmaker has joined the board and will bring his Internet commerce experience to the company. Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo said in a statement that "I am delighted that Eddy Cue, one of the main driving forces behind Apple's range of revolutionary products, has now joined our board. His huge experience in the dynamic, innovative world of the Internet will be of great assistance to us." Cue also chimed in about his appointment, extolling his fondness for the company, "I am pleased and proud to become a member of the board," Cue said. "I have personally dreamed of owning a Ferrari since I was 8 years old and have been lucky to be an owner for the past five years. I continue to be awed by the world-class design and engineering that only Ferrari can do." This isn't the only interaction between the Italian car maker and Apple. Earlier this year, di Montezemolo confirmed that he sat down for two hours with Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss business strategy and management. He said the two companies "share the the same passion, the same love for the product" as well as the same "maniacal attention to technology, but also to design." [Via Engadget and AppleInsider]
Apple exec Eddy Cue joins Ferrari board of directors, raises hopes for truly high-tech exotic cars
Ferrari loves to extol the advances found in its drivetrains, but the unspoken rule is that its interior technology leaves something to be desired; unless you're thinking of a 458's manettino, even a less expensive car like the Tesla Model S is virtually in another league. The automaker may be narrowing that gap by putting Apple online lead Eddy Cue on the Ferrari board of directors. Without giving too much away, Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo points to Cue's experience with the "dynamic, innovative world of the internet" as the motivation -- as good a sign as any that the Maranello team wants to take connected cars seriously. Whenever the Apple Senior VP's experience comes into full effect, we may see one of the few supercar lineups whose cabins are as advanced as the engines. Just don't look for any tight integration with Ferrari-badged Acer gear in the near future.
This is the carbon fiber core of Ferrari's first hybrid
Ferrari has already said that it will never make an electric car -- at least, not while Luca di Montezemolo is in charge -- but we already know that a hybrid Ferrari is in the cards. And, this is what will hold it all together. At this year's Paris Auto Show the company rolled out this carbon fiber cage that is the core chassis of the machine. Other than a pledge that the thing will use F1-inspired technology nobody would tell us what it would be called (possibly F70, at least internally) or just when the rest of its components will be bolted on. But, for now, enjoy this sneak peek under the skin of Ferrari's next hypercar. Steve Dent contributed to this report.
Thrustmaster unveils Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition and Ferrari gamepad for Xbox 360, we go hands-on
It's been almost a year since Thrustmaster rolled out its first replica Ferrari 458 Italia racing wheel and pedal set for Xbox 360, and the company's finally outed its successor: the Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition. Like its elder, the GT Cockpit has an 11.2-inch replica of the Ferrari 458 Italia's steering wheel, with A,B, X and Y buttons in place of turn signals and an Engine Start button that's actually a d-pad. It also sports brushed metal paddle shifters and 16-bit resolution to ensure a realistic digital driving experience. However, the new wheel is attached to a base sporting a pair of stamped steel pedals via an adjustable steering column. The whole thing has metal underpinnings and weighs 22 pounds to provide stability as you virtually race around Sebring or Laguna Seca. Plus, it's foldable, so you can easily stow it out of the way when you're not doing your best Stig impersonation.%Gallery-162413% In addition to the GT Cockpit, Thrustmaster has also outed the GPX LightBack Ferrari F1 Edition Gamepad. It largely looks like a standard corded 360 controller, with a Ferrari-style white and red paint job (replete with racing sponsor logos), backlit thumbsticks and two rows of LEDs at the top of the controller. The LEDs are programmed to provide visual indicators for engine speed or braking power, and the thumbsticks have been tweaked to be more precise than those on other available 360 gamepads. The F1 gamepad's up for pre-order today for $49.99, and the GT Cockpit can be yours in September for $300. Wanna know more? Check out our hands (and feet)-on impressions after the break.%Gallery-162412%
Ferrari, Logic3 team on headphones, may be closest we get to an Enzo's engine note
Ferrari likes to brand just about everything. That said, the two new lines of in-ear and over-ear headphones it's introducing with Logic3's help seem like more natural fits for the supercar brand than for other gadgets. The speed-loving elite will inevitably swing towards the Cavallino series' premium materials and universal microphone remote. Us plebeians have to consider the more plastic-laden Scuderia range, which still manages to pack in some Formula 1 styling along with the remote control. Prices are high at $150 to $315 for the Scuderias, or $201 to $352 for high rollers eying the Cavallinos -- but it's hard to dispute that either series is much more likely to turn up at our houses than a hybrid Enzo.
Ferrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this year
We've seen both the fast, and the furious, when it comes to hybrid cars -- but we've yet to see a battery-packing Ferrari roll out of concept, and onto the forecourt. Well, according to Luca di Montezemolo -- the firm's chairman -- we'll finally be able to strike the latter off the list as soon as this year. A limited special edition Enzo was announced at the tail end of the supercar manufacturer's recent financial report. No further details at this time, but the optimistic among you might want to start getting trade-in quotes on that Prius now. Catch the full report is after the break.
Ferrari president reportedly meets with Tim Cook
Speaking at Stanford University's View From the Top lecture series, Ferrari President and Chairman Luca di Montezemolo talked about a recent meeting he had with Apple CEO Tim Cook. When talking to the Stanford students, di Montezemolo had many good things to say about Apple, according to a Wired report. di Montezemolo said he saw many similarities between his role at Ferrari and Jobs's role at Apple - both men took ailing companies and brought them back to life. He praised Apple for its inspiring management and leadership style, and admired the company's focus on simplicity, design and "a passion for product."
New 'March Pirelli' DLC for Forza 4 is basically a sack of cars
Themed DLC packs are great and everything, but there's no law that say all DLC has to be themed all the time. Take Forza 4's March Pirelli DLC pack, for instance: The 10 cars contained within the pack have literally nothing to do with each other, other than the fact that they're all cars of some variety and would probably be jolly good fun to drive. It's like a big grab bag of Hot Wheels, only digital and impossible to step on in the middle of the night.Available March 6 for 560 MS Points (or "free" to Season Pass holders), the pack comes with the 2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato (Villa d'Este), the 1971 Ferrari #2 Ferrari Automobili 312 P, the 2012 Ultima GTR, the 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS 396, the 2010 Renault Clio RS, the 1966 Ford Country Squire, the 1995 BMW 850CSi, the 2011 Wiesmann GT MF5, the 1969 Chevrolet Corvair Monza, and our personal favorite, the 1986 Alfa Romeo GTV-6.%Gallery-149222%
CES 2012: headphone and speaker roundup
Audio-wares may not be on the forefront of many geek's minds during CES, but that doesn't mean you won't find a bevy of sound-pumping gizmos while traversing across the crowded show floor. From giant AirPlay and iPod dock systems to premium audiophile headphones (and a bevy of dinky iDevice-compatible buds), we've picked out a few of our favorites. Whether you're focused on getting great sound or something packed with technology, jump past the break to visualize it all for yourself.
NVIDIA's Tegra 3 chips coming to cars, starting with the Tesla S, as well as Audi and Lamborghini
Well, here's something we were not expecting to hear at today's NVIDIA CES press conference. The company just announced that its Tegra 3 chips will power not just tablets, but in-car entertainment systems. For starters, this will include Tesla's model S, though it's also going to find a home in Ferrari Lamborghini and Audi (announcement to come, we're told). That's all we know for now -- nothing on availability, the mix of Tegra 2 / 3 chips or NVIDIA's roadmap -- but given how ubiquitous Tegra is, we think we have a handle on how well it handles multimedia content. Billy Steele contributed to this report.
Thrustmaster's Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On takes you from zero to hero in $200
You may never get the chance to join Ferrari's Formula 1 team, but indulging your imagination is about to get a lot easier, now that Thrustmaster has unveiled its new Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On -- a life-sized replica of the wheel you'd find within the 150° Italia. Announced yesterday, this rubber-textured wheel features a full slate of professional-grade rotary knobs, switches and action buttons -- including two rotary encoder switches, eight push-buttons and a set of "push and pull" sequential shifters that, true to form, are attached directly to the wheel face. Designed to seamlessly attach to your T500 RS, the accessory will be available in two models: a PC- and PS3-compatible mode, with 13 action buttons and three D-Pads, or an advanced PC-compatible mode, with 25 action buttons and one D-Pad. No mention, however, of that And if you look in the upper left corner, you'll even find your very own boost button. The Add-On is slated to start shipping in early October for $200, so buckle up and steer past the break for more details, in the full PR.
Engadget previews Ferrari's future hypercars at the World Design Contest (video)
Ferrari's been one of the most respected car manufacturers in the world since the 1940s, but it hasn't exactly gotten there by being bleeding-edge. In the early '60s, when rear-engined cars were sweeping the charts in Formula One, Il Commendatore -- Enzo Ferrari -- refused to take one racing, famously saying "the horse doesn't push the cart along with its nose." It would take many humiliating defeats before his company would finally put that horse where it belongs. Being an early adopter, obviously, was not a priority. It's only in the past few years, with cars like the Enzo and 458 Italia, that Ferrari has truly embraced modern ideas of whizz-bang tech to make their cars genuinely faster -- not just easier to drive. That's just the beginning. Automotive technology is finally starting to accelerate the way personal computing devices have for the past few decades. New means of propulsion are combining with ever-greater integrated systems and it's easy to see this as leading us toward a generation of cars faster and still more efficient than anything we've yet seen on the roads. Ferrari calls this four-wheeled singularity the "hypercar," and to get an idea of just what that car of the future might look like it invited 50 teams of designers from major universities around the world to compete. Join us as we look at some of the best creations. %Gallery-133210%
Acer's Liquid Mini gets Ferrari-fied, doesn't get any faster
Acer's Liquid Mini won't be breaking speed records anytime soon, but at least it can look like a red hot racer, now that it's received the Ferrari treatment. Following in the Liquid E's skid marks, this Liquid Mini Ferrari Edition features a vibrant red exterior emblazoned with the automaker's iconic shield, and ships preloaded with engine ringtones, racing-themed wallpaper and other apps. Under the hood, however, lies the same, Gingerbread-based handset, replete with 512MB of RAM, a 3.2-inch display, five megapixel camera and rather underwhelming 600MHz processor. No word yet on when the device will be hitting the raceway, but you can get a closer look at the source link, below.
The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET!
The Engadget Show is live again, tonight, starting at 6:00PM ET! Not only will it be filmed live in New York City, it will be streaming live to you on these very internets. Lock your browser in to this address at that time and you'll receive yourself a visual treat and an information smorgasbord. We'll be looking at RIM's latest smartphones and seeing how they fare, taking a trip to Italy to get a peek at what the Ferrari of 2030 might look like, chatting with Fusion Garage's Chandra Rathakrishnan about the Grid 10 and Grid 4 (and why his company deserves a second chance), taking over Times Square, and chatting with the EFF to figure out just what the heck Google is going to do with all those patents. Again, it'll be live here at 6:00PM ET. Update: Thanks guys. Look for the recording early next week!
Thrustmaster unveils Ferrari F458 racing wheel and TH8 RS shifter, dares you to get fast and furious
Is that regular ol' Xbox 360 controller leaving you unfulfilled after a marathon session of Forza Motorsport 4? Don't fret, Thrustmaster has announced the launch of its Ferrari 458 (F458) Italia Racing Wheel for Microsoft's gaming console. The 11-inch wheel features a rubberized grip to stay comfy, built-in metal paddle shifters, a Manettino dial for mid-lap adjustments and progressive resistance to keep you on the straight and narrow. Not wanting to leave PS3 and PC racers in its dust, the company also revealed the TH8 RS gear shifter -- which connects to the T500 RS or the outfit's other PC wheel controllers via USB. This bad boy lets you release your inner Michael Schumacher with either H-pattern or sequential configurations plus 360-degree rotation adjustment to tailor the gearbox to your liking. Both the TH8 RS and the aforementioned F458 will be hitting your garage... er, game room in October for $180 and $90, respectively. Check out the full PR for the pair after the break, and make sure you fasten your seatbelt.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo doesn't believe in electric cars, Santa Claus (video)
As saucy as some of them may be, today's electric car is definitely a novelty. Still, it's not too hard to imagine a future where the majority of autos run on electrons -- whether they're pushed from batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. Not everybody's down with that idea, and one of those EV detractors is the incredibly suave Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo. We recently had a chance to chat briefly with the man who said -- in no unequivocal terms -- that there is no electric Ferrari coming: You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don't believe in electric cars, because I don't think they represent an important step forward for pollution or CO2 or the environment. But, we are working very, very hard on the hybrid Ferrari. This should be the future, and I hope in a couple of years you can see it. So what's next for the brand of the prancing horse? A hybrid, of course, which we're guessing will be more Porsche 918 than Toyota Prius. Still, ruling out EVs in the future seems perhaps a bit... restricting, but keep in mind Luca did say this was only his policy.
