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Mercedes drove around the globe to train its autonomous cars
On a rainy September day in Frankfurt Germany, Mercedes-Benz executives and I got in a specially built semi-automated S-Class to track our drive to Stuttgart. It was the first leg in a five-month, five continent training of the automaker's self-driving system called the Intelligent World Drive that ended at CES earlier this month.
Mercedes-Benz is building cars that know the road better than you do
As we approach a blind corner on a twisty mountain road above Sunnyvale, there's a moment when I'm sitting in the passenger seat of a pre-production Mercedes-Benz S-Class and I'm not sure that the updated Intelligent Drive will really slow the car down in time for what's up ahead. It does and continues to do so for every corner it encounters. It's an impressive step in the automaker's march toward an autonomous vehicle.
Uber reportedly bought at least 100,000 Mercedes Benz S-Classes
Quick recap: ride-sharing behemoth Uber is famous for connecting passengers with people who have their own cars. (Well, among other things.) Uber doesn't own a fleet of cars for would-be drivers to use, which makes the fact that the company seems to have purchased least 100,000 Mercedes Benz S-Classes from Daimler all the more fascinating. What gives? Germany's Manager Magazin, which broke the story earlier today, was quick to point out one crucial similarity between the two companies: they're both investing heavily in making autonomous cars a reality.
Brabus iBusiness luxury sedan puts an iPad at every seat, a Magic Mouse at every hide-covered armrest
When it comes to being ushered along to your destination at a high rate of speed within a cocoon of luxury, it's hard to go wrong with the Mercedes S Class. However, if this $90,000 (and way, way up) sedan isn't special enough for you, teutonic tuner Brabus is happy to make some... improvements. The company bumps the power up to 750hp, good for a top speed of 211mph whilst also providing a wealth of iDevices to those being coddled inside. There's an iPad (with keyboard) at each of the rear seats, an entertainment system built into the back of both headrests powered by a 64GB iPod Touch, and a 15.2-inch display that swivels down from the ceiling to expose the output from a tunk-mounted Mac Mini. Even for the most ardent of Mac lovers it's a bit too much, but if it weren't it wouldn't be a Brabus. The cost? Nobody's saying, but don't expect this very special kind of excess to come cheap.
LG Mini GD880 hands-on
Not to be outdone, LG chose MWC to show off its Mini GD880, a svelte piece built from brushed aluminum in both black and silver. Build quality is striking here -- jaw-droppingly so -- with fit and finish on all corners, seams, and around the various ports looking spot on. This device also has heft for its diminutive size -- sure, it's only 99g, but that feels like so much for a device of this size -- but it only adds character and, well, it feels like money for lack of a better word. Running LG's S-Class UI, the touchscreen sadly isn't really up to snuff, we had to really poke at the screen to get it to register a touch, and there was lag and delay between key press and action. Of course, this isn't shipping today, but rather launches in Europe in March -- for some unknown price -- and then on to other markets. So here's hoping there is still a tweak or two in the GD880's future, it'd be a shame to let something as glorious as it looks not deliver an experience to match. Short video and gallery are right below the break.%Gallery-85681%
LG IQ (Monaco) demoed on video, coming to Telus 'this holiday season'
Clocking in at 1:48, this glimpse at LG's IQ (a.k.a. Monaco) is indeed very brief and not much is said. It's got a fingerprint sensor lock, S-class UI (which we knew), and that backing is definitely Windows Mobile 6.5, but for everything else we'll have to refer to the previous specs we've seen leaked. As noted twice by the voice behind the on-screen hand, it's coming "this holiday season" and will be exclusive to Telus, so all the fine print should be revealed soon. Video after the break.
