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Tesla Model S owners can pretend they're in a James Bond submarine
Elon Musk loved that Lotus Esprit car/submarine from Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me so much, he dropped $866,000 to buy it in an auction two years ago. By the looks of it, though, that's not all he did: he also paid homage to Bond's transforming vehicle by using it as a Model S easter egg. If you have one of Tesla's best-selling EVs, just hold down the T button while on the entertainment system's menu to trigger the Access Code prompt. Yup, you guessed it -- you need to type Bond's number code into the box (hint: it has two zeros and a seven). The screen on your Model S dashboard should then show the Lotus Esprit sub and a "Depth"drop-down menu with the max option of 20,000 Leagues.
Your BMW just downloaded a security patch
Have a BMW, Mini or Rolls Royce with the ConnectedDrive feature parked in your driveway? Maybe all three? Well, it turns out there was a bug that allowed ne'er-do-wells to manipulate it -- entirely wirelessly. According to Reuters, by simulating a fake phone network researchers at German outfit ADAC (essentially Deutschland's AAA) were able to gain access to systems governed by the platform's SIM card by spoofing a cell tower. They've even put together a video describing the gap in security which you can check out after the break -- if you speak German. While the vulnerabilities didn't include anything related to steering, acceleration or braking, the ConnectedDrive does have access to traffic information, air conditioning and... door locks.
The government wants you to buy a car with smarter brakes
Autonomous cars may have been all the rage at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, but most of the tech showcased is still pretty far off. What isn't, however, are smarter stopping systems. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is adding crash imminent braking and dynamic braking support to its list of recommended advanced safety features for new cars. The former uses sensors to activate the brakes if a crash is imminent and the driver already hasn't. Dynamic braking support, on the other hand, increases stopping power if you haven't put enough pressure on the brake pedal. Like lane-departure and front collision warning systems, these features are available on some models already -- this move gives them high-profile attention, though.
How NVIDIA plans to drive the adoption of autonomous cars
One of the biggest surprises at this year's Consumer Electronics Show was just how deep NVIDIA is getting into the automotive field. Given how reliant on armies of sensors the autonomous cars of the near future will be, however, it makes sense that the company best-known for its desktop computing power is at the forefront of transportation tech. We briefly spoke with the company's senior manager of automotive technology, David Anderson, about where he sees driver-less cars going, how long it'll take to get there and how the insurance industry might react once we do.
NASA and Nissan team up to on self-driving cars and space rovers
NASA and Nissan believe they've got a lot to learn from each other when it comes to autonomous vehicle technology. So, the two have decided to team up for the next five years and develop a self-driving system that they can use not just on Earth, but also in space. A team of scientists from both organizations will design an autonomous vehicle technology at the NASA Ames Research Center, home to Moffett Field, where Google is also testing its self-driving auto prototypes. The duo will start by conjuring up a fleet of zero-emission robotic cars, presumably modified Nissan Leafs, as that's exactly what's pictured above. They expect to start test driving the first one by the end of 2015.
BMW wants plug-in hybrid options for all its major models
Let's say you've been itching for a plug-in hybrid BMW, but the i3 SUV isn't your style and the i8 is a bit too sporty. Well, maybe your patience will pay off as the automaker's recently announced that the platform powering the aforementioned rides will make its way to the "core-brand models." This starts with a 3-series eDrive prototype debuting in Miramas, France. What's under the hood? a TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder that's based directly off the power-plants of the i3 and i8, as noticed by Autoblog. BMW says that its plug-in hybrid tech is flexible enough that it can go into basically any of its vehicles and that the implementation can happen pretty quickly, too. If you're curious as to what it all looks like, we've embedded an official mock-up image after the break.
Next year's Hondas will have Tegra and Android inside
Curious as to just which Honda models you'd see Android pop up in first? If you had money on the 2015 Civic, Civic Tourer and CRV it's time to collect your prize from the pool. Google's mobile OS will appear as standard equipment in those vehicles with a little help from Nvidia, naturally, and as the GPU giant tells it, Honda Connect will be the first infotainment system to run embedded Android on a Tegra chipset. Nvidia says that Connect will sport a 7-inch customizable touch-screen display that acts a lot like what you'd expect from a smartphone or a slate. Naturally that means there are swipe, pinch and zoom gestures along with an app store for the Ice Cream Sandwich-based system. How this will all play with Android Auto, though, remains to be seen.
Corvette's 'valet mode' is illegal depending on where you live
When we took the Corvette Performance Data Recorder for a spin at CES this year we'd never have guessed that the system could cause a run-in with Johnny Law. As it turns out, the system's audio recording feature that activates when the car's put into valet mode doesn't jive with privacy statutes in a handful of states. In fact, using it could be a felony depending where you live. Chevrolet, for its part, is apparently attempting to skirt any legal issues that may arise by notifying dealerships and giving them letters to pass out to customers. The correspondence alerts owners about the possible privacy issue, as noticed by Jalopnik when a sample was posted to Corvette Forum.
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Forza Horizon 2' on Xbox One! (Update: it's over!)
Welcome, ladygeeks and gentlenerds, to the new era of gaming. The one where you get to watch, and comment, as other people livestream gameplay from next-gen consoles. Because games! They're fun!
Watch these guys try driving a car from a drone's point of view
It's a pretty well-known fact that if you're looking for a proper sense of speed in a racing game, you play from either the cockpit or bumper viewpoint. Using the chase cam isn't exactly natural, and really, how is it even realistic? Well, thanks to the future we now live in, that question's been answered: drones. To see just what it'd be like to drive a car from that omniscient point of view, YouTuber Tom Scott played emergency spotter as pals tooled around a closed course wearing a pair of video goggles receiving real-time footage from the trailing hexacopter.
Stunning Bentley ad shot entirely with an iPhone 5s and edited on an iPad air [Video]
Bentley has published an intriguing black-and-white video documentary capturing its design philosophy. The car featured in this video is the Bentley Muslanne, a sleek ride that only costs US$298,000 at a minimum. A real steal! Intelligent Details, a short documentary film commissioned by Bentley Motors, introduces Luc Donckerwolke, Director of Design, and SangYup Lee, Head of Exterior Design. Filmed in the Bentley Mulsanne in New York, Intelligent Details focuses on what inspires Luc and SangYup in their roles as design leaders for Bentley Motors. The film highlights the fusion of luxury, performance and technology within the Bentley Mulsanne and reveals the manner in which Intelligent Details was filmed, assembled and edited using the in-car connectivity and entertainment platform. But what does this have to do with Apple? Well, the entire video was shot with an iPhone 5s and edited on an iPad Air. The video footage is top notch, but to be fair, any smartphone worth its salt today can capture crisp, high-def video. What's really intriguing, I think, is that this pro piece was put together and edited entirely on an iPad, sometimes within the Bentley itself. Impressive, to say the least. Note that this isn't the first luxury oriented video to be shot with an iPhone 5s. This past September the Burberry-hosted London Fashion Show was captured exclusively with a 5s.
Mazda is updating car software to fix problems with real, living bugs
Just like Toyota, Mazda's also recalling cars due to a nasty bug -- the difference is, Mazda's problem involves real, live multi-legged creatures. Apparently, the company's recalling roughly 42,000 Mazda 6 sedans in the US, because of a certain yellow sac spider with a penchant for the smell of gasoline. If this spider makes the engine its home, the webs it'll inevitably weave could block fuel flow and increase internal pressure. This, in turn, could lead to cracks and fuel leaks that increase the risk of fire, though the automaker claims it has yet to receive complaints about spontaneously combusting sedans.
Automatic brings the Internet of Things to your car
If there's one topic that absolutely fascinates me these days, it's the "Internet of Things" -- connected devices that talk to our smartphones and tablets that can provide us with information. Now that information can be as simple as telling us what the temperature is, whether a door is opened or closed, or if somebody has entered or left a room, or it can be as complex as telling us how we're driving. That latter use case is exactly where Automatic (US$99.95) comes into play. Usable in practically every car manufactured in the US since 1996, Automatic consists of a dongle called the Link that plugs into the data port of your car -- otherwise known as the OBD (on board diagnostics) port -- and an application that runs on your iPhone. The two communicate via Bluetooth 4.0, so that at the end of every drive you have an idea of how far you drove, how much gas you used (works for gasoline and hybrid vehicles), how much it cost to drive that distance, and what your average gas mileage was during that drive. But that's not all Automatic does. By watching how you drive, it provides a 0 to 100 score (with 100 being the best) on how efficient your driving is. That is determined by looking at how many times you accelerate too quickly, jam on your brakes, or drive at speeds over 70 miles per hour. There's a new beta feature that can notify emergency personnel and loved ones if your car is in an accident, and the combination of the app and the Link always remembers where you parked your car -- even if you don't remember. If you ever get one of those "Check Engine" lights on your car, Automatic will tell you what's happening and in some cases will even let you turn the light off. I'm currently testing one of the Automatic dongles and so far have found it and the app to be a surprisingly powerful combo. I have a 2007 Honda CR-V and found the OBD port without difficulty under the steering wheel of the car. The Automatic app takes you step by step through entering a specific code that identifies the Link, setting up a free account, initializing the link between Link and phone, and then acquiring the vehicle identification number (VIN) and doing an initial conversation with your car's computer. The setup process is fast and easy, taking me about two minutes to complete. All you need to do after you've set up the Link is drive. The device and your iPhone will notify you if you're stomping on the gas pedal or brakes too hard, or if you happen to get into that inefficient driving zone above 70 mph. After a drive, your stats are immediately viewable in the app. I was happy to see that I'm a very efficient driver, scoring a 100 (top score!) so far. Yesterday I went to our local grocery store and was confronted with bad traffic due to an accident. Sure enough, looking at the Automatic results after the fact, it's obvious that it not only took longer to drive the 3.4 miles to the store than it did to return from there, but that sitting in a traffic jam while the police cleaned up the accident cost me an additional 22 cents of fuel. What initially got me interested in Automatic was noticing that the device has its own IFTTT (IF This Then That) channel. Automatic triggers include New Trip Completed, Ignition Turned On, Ignition Turned On In Area, Ignition Turned Off, Ignition Turned Off In Area, Check Engine Light Turned On, and Check Engine Light Turned Off. The IFTTT integration is amazing, because it means that you can create recipes that do things like automatically log all of your trips to a Google Drive spreadsheet, have an email sent to your mechanic automatically if the Check Engine light goes on, upload or email a map of your road trip, and more. While I will wait to do an official review of Automatic until I've had some time to use it and test out the IFTTT integration, I'm already very impressed with what appears to be a solid and very useful tool for anyone who drives.
Automatic Link driving assistant can now auto-post to Facebook, other apps
One of the greatest benefits of Automatic's Link driving assistant dongle is that it finally made it possible to hook your car's metadata to the web. You could then use your smartphone to do things like track your trips, note your parking spot and even figure out your Check Engine light problem without going to a mechanic. Well today, it's about to go one step further thanks to a partnership with IFTTT. IFTTT, if you're unaware, is a service that hooks up a variety of apps and services together with a series of "If This, Then That" formulas. Now with Automatic, you can create recipes that'll prompt an action once it detects certain information from your car. For example, you can set it so that you get a text message every time the car starts up, or send a push notification to your spouse whenever you're running late. You can automatically post trip summaries to Facebook, tweet if you're ever in an accident or keep track of your mileage in a dedicated Google Spreadsheet. It even works with other Internet connected hardware -- a possible recipe is to turn on all your Philips Hue lights as soon as you get home. IFTTT's Automatic channel already has a pretty healthy set of triggers, but Ljuba Miljkovic, Automatic's chief product officer, tells us they're hoping to build more around activities like speeding or braking hard. "We see this as a step toward Automatic really being connected to the wider world," says Miljkovic. "For example, we announced that the Link now has iBeacon thanks to a software update. We really see third party integration as a big thing in our future [...] We're making it possible to add your car to the Internet of Things." If that sounds like an exciting proposition to you, head on over to the source to find out more about the Automatic Link, IFTTT and its plans for an even more connected car.
JVC outs more MHL-ready in-dash receivers at CES 2014
Face it: Your old car's factory stereo system isn't going to last forever -- eventually, you'll need to upgrade. Luckily, JVC is here to trot out its latest head units at CES 2014. Just like last year, the company has outfitted two of its new receivers (the KW-V0BT and KW-V40BT, specifically) with MHL support, giving Android users easy access to their mirrored apps while on the road. The new receivers can mirror iPhone 5 apps too, provided one brings their own Apple Lightning AV adapter. Folks without MHL-capable devices (or those who opt for the company's lower-end receivers) will still find support for 20 iPhone 4 and 4s apps through Bluetooth, including Waze and MotionX navigation. All seven of the company's new models also support Pandora, iHeartRadio and a standard assortment of hands-free features; you know, wireless music streaming, one-push voice calling and other phone functions. JVC says its new receivers are starting to roll out this month and will continue to arrive through March.
The Audi Smart Display is a 10.2-inch Android tablet that lives in your car
German car manufacturer Audi just pulled the curtains back on its Audi Smart Display, a 10.2-inch Android tablet wrapped in brushed aluminum that lives in your auto. The slate is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 4 chip, boasts crash resistance and the chops to survive temperatures as high as 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit). Of course, drivers aren't the target users for the device; passengers are. The hardware hooks up to vehicles over in-car WiFi and provides folks along for the ride with access to the web, media and navigation systems, and control over the radio, to boot. It's not clear what version of Google's OS it runs or if and when it'll find its way into autos on the road, but expect more details -- and a hands-on -- as CES continues.
Audi's Sport Quattro Laserlight concept officially debuts at CES
Audi teased us with concept drawings of its Sport Quattro Laserlight months ago, and tonight it decided to show off the vehicle in the flesh (or metal and carbon fiber) at CES. Before we wax about the auto's looks, it's important to note the machine's technical details, as they alone inspire a fair bit of awe. The car's titular feature is its headlights, whose laser light can cut through through five football fields of darkness. Aside from the futuristic headlamps, the car's calling card is the combination of electric and gas motors -- the latter of which takes it 90 miles per gallon -- for a whopping 700 horsepower. Simply put, Audi's crafted the Laserlight to look stunning from any angle. From the front, its rectangular beams offer a dose of futurism, and its large grille looks eager to breathe in as much air as possible while tearing through the freeway. From the sides, it's difficult to ignore how the top of the car swoops down into its base, still leaving room for two seats in the rear. From behind, the iconic lights make a return alongside a carbon fiber accent, which can be found as trim in other areas of the hybrid. Of course, there's still no word on price or availability, as the automobile is still in the conceptual stage. To ogle at Audi's Sport Quattro Laserlight yourself, take a peek at the gallery above.
Google, Audi to announce in-car Android plans next week, says WSJ
Google has big plans to put Android in cars, and will start by announcing a tie-up with Audi at CES 2014 next week, according to the WSJ. Its sources said that Android will power an in-car entertainment system for that automaker, which will run on hardware built directly into the car rather than your smartphone. The collaboration will also involve NVIDIA, and such a system would give you access to the same navigation, entertainment and communication functions available on your handheld device. Audi recently announced LTE for select models, and a recent report from EE Times suggested that Google's had the automotive space squarely in its sights since Apple announced its iOS in the Car initiative supported by BMW, Daimler and others. We'll remain skeptical until we see a product demo, but it would be more surprising if Big G didn't do something with car companies to stymie its arch-foe.
Nissan's autonomous Leaf shows its smarts on Japanese test track
Now that Nissan's partially automated Leaf has the proverbial green light to traverse some of Japan's roadways, we figured we'd place our lives in the hands of various computer systems in order to have one whisk us around a test track at CEATEC. This year's autonomous Leaf demo was a step up from last year, with our test vehicle trained to not only stay between the lines, but also pause and evaluate the situation when faced with a fellow car. An on-site representative informed us that off-the-shelf PC components are being used to calculate its motions at the moment, and yes, it's a Windows-based system underneath (for now, anyway). A suite of prohibitively expensive lasers keep the car from veering outside of its lane, while onboard processing determines whether a stopped or slowed vehicle is passable or not. The company has tested the automated Leaf at speeds as high as 70 kilometers per hour, but we barely broke 15 on the track. Speaking of which, you can catch a bit of footage from our ride just after the break. Mat Smith and Richard Lai contributed to this report.
Google reportedly working on its own car, considering autonomous taxi service
It's no secret that Google has been slowly but surely finding its way into the automotive industry, as it's already been working with manufacturers to build self-driving cars for quite some time. However, according to Amir Efrati, a former star reporter for the Wall Street Journal, the software giant is looking to drive a few extra miles down that road by designing and building cars of its own. The company has been in talks with component suppliers like Continental AG and Magna International in the hopes that it could put together an entire car under Google's command. The idea, Efrati says, is to put more pressure on car brands to develop autonomous driving tech, regardless of if Google is directly involved or not. So what would Google do with such a vehicle built under its direct supervision and brand? One idea on the drawing board is a "robo-taxi" service, which is exactly how it sounds: a self-driving car would come and pick you up and drop you off at your destination; at first, a human would need to be behind the wheel just in case, but that could easily change as the tech progresses and becomes more reliable. Steer toward the source link for a few more details about the thought process behind Google's efforts.
