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The new UK driving test will use a sat nav
Over the years, the standard UK driving test hasn't changed all that much. Since 1996, learners have had to prove their road-worthiness by completing a set of multiple-choice questions and demonstrating decent hazard perception, but it's always been about proving you're a safe driver. In its biggest shake-up since the introduction of the theory test, the government will require new drivers to demonstrate their ability to navigate using a satellite navigation (sat nav) device in the hope it will promote safety, boost confidence and widen potential areas used for practical tests.
The government is shaming people for texting and driving
It's a bad idea to text and drive. Beyond just being dangerous, it's now illegal in most US states and in several countries around the world. Yet, despite the many ad campaigns telling them it's wrong, people still do it. In fact, some of them actually brag about it on social media. Well, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will have none of that. The government agency has actually taken to Twitter to name and shame those who publicly confess to using their phone while behind the wheel:
Waze helps you plan future trips based on expected traffic
Traffic can ruin your careful planning for that appointment in the 'burbs, but Waze can help with a feature called "planned drives." After you enter the destination, date and time, it will open a special screen that shows how busy your route will be at a given hour. "This takes into account expected traffic conditions based on smart algorithms, aggregated traffic history and predictive analysis," according to the Google-owned company.
Smart car algorithm sees pedestrians as well as you can
It's one thing for computers to spot people in relatively tame academic situations, but it's another when they're on the road -- you need your car to spot that jaywalker in time to avoid a collision. Thankfully, UC San Diego researchers have made that more realistic than ever. They've crafted a pedestrian detection algorithm that's much quicker and more accurate than existing systems. It can spot people at a rate of 2-4 frames per second, or roughly as well as humans can, while making half as many mistakes as existing systems. That could make the difference between a graceful stop and sudden, scary braking.
Google's self-driving cars don't crash as much as humans do
Evidence is already starting to pile up that autonomous vehicles are pretty darn safe, but would you like to slap a number on it? Okay, we've got one: according to a study commissioned by Google itself, self driving cars get in one less crash per million miles driven than human-controlled vehicles. Or, in other words, a self-driving car is 27-percent less likely to crash over a extended period of time.
Here's what Hyundai's first all-electric vehicle looks like
The Hyundai Ioniq is poised to be a bold vehicle -- a sedan sold with drivetrain options that can turn it into a gasoline-hybrid, a plug-in or a fully-electric car -- but beyond a couple of teaser images, we haven't actually seen much of it. Today that changes: Hyundai just released a handful of clear, high resolution images revealing the exterior and interior of the vehicle.
Volvo is making a media streaming system for autonomous cars
We've all thought the exact same thing: when self-driving cars hit the mainstream, I'll be able to catch up on Game of Thrones during my commute. In reality, however, lawmakers are preparing to make sure your full attention is on the road even when you're not driving. Still, it's a good dream -- and Volvo and Ericsson are working on a streaming platform designed specifically for autonomous vehicles.
Uber shuts down in three German cities amid driver shortage
Surprise: Uber has having trouble in Germany, again. No, the company isn't facing another nationwide ban, but the trouble does seem to stem from a previous court decision -- apparently Uber is just having a hard time finding drivers. "For many prospective Uber drivers, the process of registering an independent rental car enterprise has proved as too costly and time consuming," the company told Reuters, referring to a German court ruling that requires Uber drivers to hold a valid taxi license. The company is pulling out of Hamburg, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf as a result, leaving Berlin and Munich as the country's only cities with Uber service. The company says it plans to "intensify the dialogue" with law makers, and hopes to be able to restore wider service to the country in the near future. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
In-car voice commands cost you 27 seconds of safety
We all know that taking your eyes off the road is a bad idea, but now researchers have added another paper to confirm that using voice commands is just as unwise. A team from the University of Utah, in partnership with the American Automobile Association, believes that the mental effort of driving and talking on your phone is still dangerous. According to the research, it takes a full 27 seconds after completing a distracting task — queuing up a song even with your voice alone — before your brain is fully able to concentrate on the art of driving.
Uber's new app gives drivers more incentives to pick you up
You might care the most about Uber's app for customers, but the drivers' app matters a lot, too -- after all, you won't get a ride if cars aren't waiting for your request. Appropriately, Uber has revamped the driver app to make it far more informative and give workers more reasons to offer you a lift. The software provides a real-time status feed with notes, tips and (most importantly) extra chances at making money. It also has an always-available activity map that shows drivers where they're most likely to get customers, even when surge pricing isn't involved. Earnings and ratings are easier to understand, too. You may never catch more than a fleeting glimpse of this app, but it could make all the difference if you get a timelier trip home from a driver eager to make a buck.
NORML's 'My Canary' app knows if you're too stoned to drive
With cannabis legal in nearly half the US in some form or another, there are a lot more opportunities for people to drive while high. While a number of studies have suggested that driving stoned may not be as dangerous as driving drunk, you try explaining that to the officer who pulls you over. So after the last bong rip, but before you grab your car keys, give yourself a once-over with the My Canary app. It's been designed by NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) as a quick and personal means of roughly estimating your impairment. The $5 iOS app runs the user through a series of mental and physical tests designed to measure coordination, reasoning, reaction time and balance. Pass the test and you're probably ok for that Taco Bell run. Fail, and maybe you're going to want to call an Uber for that Taco Bell run. Because even if that "breathalyzer for weed" is bullshit, getting a DUI isn't. [Image Credit: Aaron Black - Getty]
'Need For Speed' has been rebooted, arrives November 3rd
EA already told us that Need For Speed was taking a... brake, but now it's back. And EA is calling it "the definitive Need For Speed experience." You'll be able to drive around an open-air environment twice the size of its predecessor, Rivals. Customizations have also been cranked up, and there's a suitably Fast And Furious-sounding story mode where you need to build your reputation as well as your car. It lands on PC, PS4 and Xbox One this November 3rd -- and it's looking good enough that you may expect to smell the tires. See for yourself in the trailer, just below. Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
How to hire a car without your UK paper driving licence
As of today, driving licences have gone digital. Don't go throwing away your photocard, though, as that's still vital proof you're allowed to get behind the wheel, but your paper counterpart is now all but useless. The easily misplaced document was introduced alongside the photocard licence for recording additional info like the type of vehicles you're allowed to drive and how many naughty points you've racked up. But for anyone in the UK outside of Northern Ireland, these details are now held and easily accessible online. And it's actually pretty convenient, since you no longer need to dig through kitchen drawers to find it or pay for a replacement if you can't. If you need to share your driving history with anyone -- a new employer, for example -- you can jump online and request a one-use "licence check code" a third party can securely retrieve your info with.
Glympse for Auto shares your car's location without distractions
You no longer have to fiddle with your smartphone (or an in-car interface) to share your location while on the road. Glympse has trotted out Glympse for Auto, an Android app that lets you send your position with a minimum of distractions. You only have to tell it who can see your whereabouts and for how long using a big, car-friendly interface -- after that, you're free to focus on driving. It'll even show up on your infotainment display if you're using either Pioneer's AppRadio 3 or MirrorLink-equipped cars from Volkswagen and Peugeot (more in-car systems will work soon, Glympse says). While this hands-off approach won't get you home any faster, it should spare you from taking risks just to prove that you're still stuck in traffic.
Toyota's VR driving simulator teaches teens to focus on the road
You can tell people that distracted driving is bad and make laws preventing it, but that won't necessarily make the dangers sink in. Toyota thinks it has a way to convey the risks to impressionable minds, however. Its new TeenDrive365 education initiative includes an Oculus Rift-powered virtual reality simulator that challenges both teens and parents to keep their eyes on the road despite a horde of distractions, ranging from text messages to talkative friends in the back seats. As you'd guess, the VR is meant to produce a more realistic experience -- it's more tempting to look down at your imaginary phone than it would be if you were staring at a regular screen.
Honda's cruise control can predict when drivers will cut into your lane
Most cars with adaptive cruise control monitor what's up ahead to automatically manage distance and braking. Now, Honda is taking the idea one step further by actively tracking and analyzing vehicles in neighboring lanes. Its new system is called Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control and should, in theory, make assisted driving a little safer and smoother. In the past, the car might brake sharply if another driver drifted into your lane because its narrow field of view couldn't detect the incoming vehicle early enough. Honda's new system uses a camera and radar setup to monitor the position of other cars on the road, before applying an algorithm to predict cut-ins before they occur. It'll make its debut in the firm's 2015 European CR-V and should result in earlier, softer braking on highways. Honda says it's been designed specifically for Europe (sorry US readers) and will adjust automatically if you cross into a country where you have to drive on the opposite side of the road.
Jaguar's smart windshield will eliminate blind spots
It's hard to spot every possible road hazard. Mirrors and cameras will show what's behind you, but your car's roof pillars can still hide careless pedestrians and aggressive drivers. They won't be issues if Jaguar's 360-degree Virtual Urban Windscreen comes to fruition. The update to the company's windshield project uses cameras to create "transparent" pillars which highlight threats you can't see, giving you an extra moment to take evasive action. It promises distraction-free navigation, too -- the screen generates a ghost car that shows you where to turn, as if you're simply following a friend. The technology is still in mid-development and probably won't be as sleek as Jaguar's concept video suggests, but it hints at a future where you're rarely caught off-guard while driving.
Google Maps now tells Europeans which lane to be in while driving
Driving with turn-by-turn directions is great, but there's nothing worse than rolling up to a junction and realising that you're in the wrong lane. To stop drivers from missing their turn or suddenly cutting across traffic, Google has expanded its "lane guidance" feature (originally launched in the US) across Europe. So if you're headed somewhere that's in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy or Spain, your smartphone will now suggest the correct lanes in a timely manner. Of course, if you would rather the app was mute while you binge-listen to Serial, Google's friendly reminders will also be visible at the top of the screen.
TomTom's new Android app saves you from speeding tickets
We should all be sticking to the speed limit, but there's always a danger any momentary lapse of concentration will be caught by a well-hidden speed camera. It's a constant worry, which is why petrolheads turn to technology like sat-navs to keep them out of trouble. The latest option is TomTom Speed Cameras, an Android app specifically built to notify drivers of these roadside snappers. Your smartphone will trigger both visual and audio speed camera alerts in 28 different countries (mostly European), and will also help you drive using the least surveyed route. The app can even track your momentum as you cruise through an average speed check, making sure momentary negligence doesn't land you a nasty fee.
Sound Off! What apps do you use to cash in on your car?
When you live in a crowded city, having a vehicle can sometimes feel more like a burden than a luxury. Finding parking, paying for insurance, dealing with the occasional fender bender – managing all of these things could drive even the most serene among us to the brink. But hey, it's 2014, so of course a handful of smart folks have come up with ways to make your car work for you instead: Lyft, Getaround and... what are we missing? Tell us in the Engadget forums! Or if you think it's better to ditch a car completely -- how would you go about selling it online? Sound off, people.
