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Nintendo and Lexus host Wii Tennis tournament
Nintendo and Lexus hosted an intense Wii Tennis competition in Rockefeller Center yesterday. After competing for three consecutive days, the winner will get a free one year lease on a Lexus IS F and VIP tickets to the US Open finals. In the end, Benjamin Melinger proved to be the most hardcore of this typically not-so-hardcore game, with his heightened reflexes and appropriate attire. The matches, as you can see in the video above, end up being less about careful position of shots, but the ability to flail your arms as quickly as possible. Nintendo once again captured the hearts of the non-gamer, as onlookers couldn't help but be amazed by the spectacle, and wanted to try Wii for themselves.%Gallery-7042%
Lexus wants you to borrow a car for a year
To celebrate the U.S. Open, Lexus set up the pictured play area as part of a contest to win a free year's lease on their IS-F model car. Shame it isn't a free car period, but beggars can't be choosers, right? This car is the same model car the tournament winners will be receiving, apparently.Lexus is also using the event to donate some cash to charity. Lexus will donate $1 for every swing of the virtual racket in Wii Sports: Tennis (up to $30,000) to the Andy Roddick Foundation. The Foundation focuses on aiding abused and sick kids in continuing their education.
Lexus LS600hL's face detection camera, warning system get spied
Face detection on your average digicam may not seem that special, but strapping the feature atop your steering column can certainly make for a more enjoyable (and safer) driving experience. Lexus' new LS600hL sports a Driver Monitoring System, which places a detection device in front of the driver's seat that keeps a close eye on the orientation of the his / her face, and if it sees that you're peering off at the continually changing MINI billboard or checking out the overhead wind energy producer, it kicks into action. The system will send audible and visual alerts at first in an attempt to get your attention back, and can eventually "apply the brakes on its own" if the previous warnings prove futile. Moreover, it can reportedly "reprogram the steering ratio and amplify the intensity and quickness of the steering response" to keep motorists safe, but there's no word on whether or not a retinal scanner add-on will be available to automatically adjust user preferences depending on which driver hops in the seat. Click on through for another snapshot.
Creative's CEO offering up his Lexus to celebrate 25 years
If there's two things we like here at Engadget, it's charities and outspoken CEOs. Thanks to Creative accomplishing both in one fell swoop, the company will not only throw a month long celebration in Singapore, but give lucky donors a chance to roll away in Sim Wong Hoo's whip. To celebrate a whopping 25 years of staying afloat in the "treacherous" world of battling Apple while popping out sound cards, MP3 players, and other random gizmos, the firm is holding a one-month party with tons of sweet giveaway material to be handed out to winning donors. Topping the list is Sim Wong Hoo's (Creative's rambling CEO) own Lexus LS430 (hey, a man's got to have something to deduct on those taxes, right?), while lesser winners can take home one of the many ZEN PMPs available for raffle. While the actual name of the charities haven't yet been announced (saywha?), folks in Singapore looking for something to do on New Year's Eve should certainly cross their fingers for the "Lucky Draw" while partying it up with Mr. Hoo -- or fly to Times Square in a heavenly seat, your call.
Toyota unveils advanced collision detection technology
Toyota has unveiled two new collision detection systems slated to make its way into new Lexus LS models shortly: first, an NEC built IMAPCAR chip which constantly monitors the rear of vehicle and will warn the driver if the car behind them is about to hit them by flashing the car's hazard lights, and will then automatically move the headrest forward to protect the driver's neck, reducing the likelihood of whiplash. We can't imagine that the hazard light warning is really worth it, since giving drivers 0.5 seconds to jam on the gas isn't exactly a practical solution to the problem of rear shunts (and what about false positives?), especially when accelerating could cause another collision, or end up provoking the second collision detection system: Toyota's new, forward facing collision detection system. Aided by a stereo camera, the new front system is capable of picking out child sized objects, an improvement over previous systems that could only detect something car sized. When an object is detected, the car will warn the driver by tightening the seat belt, and then slowing the car automatically if the driver does not respond, possibly invoking the rear collision detection system, again. You see our point? If you'd feel uncomfortable handing complete control of your car over to a computer, imagine for a second what it would be like to decide between your own instincts and that of the car's in the crucial moments before a potential accident.
Luxury car manufacturers choose HDTV for their ads
High definition advertisements are going upmarket, with these separate releases regarding Mercedes-Benz and Lexus producing their new spots in HD. The first focuses on the Germans, who shot their new S-class mostly in 720p (but some 1080p, maybe for Blu-ray or HD-DVD trailer releases only) and how they used Apple software to manage all the footage. The second regards the marketing campaign for the new ES 350 and how their three commercial spots set to run on network television during prime time were all filmed in HD.Seen any other HD ads lately? The last one i noticed was the trailer for the new Mission: Impossible.
I ordered a Lexus and all I got was this iPod nano
What happens when you order a Lexus and they are back ordered? Macenstein reports that not only do you get a loaner car (to get to and fro) but Lexus might also send you an iPod nano and Aux cable (since Lexus currently doesn't offer an integrated iPod system) for your patience.Pretty sweet. So, if you want a free iPod all you have to do is buy a $40,000 car and hope it is back ordered. It is a plan that cannot fail.[via Digg]
