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Toyota Yaris ad campaign to spam XBLA?
According to a recent OMMA (Online Media, Marketing & Advertising) article, which examines Toyota's strategy for the Yaris, its new subcompact, the car manufacturer will be releasing "a Yaris driving game for the Xbox Live Arcade." Without an official statement from Saatchi & Saatchi, the advertising firm employed by Toyota, or Microsoft, it's not yet clear how the Yaris campaign might infiltrate XBLA. Are we to expect advertisers are now vying for space on the virtual download service -- perhaps using momentary incentives to elevate their "games" above the rest? Or is this an isolated case in which, for example, Toyota gives Load Inc. some cash to complete Mad Tracks for XBLA, and in exchange, Load Inc. incorporates several models of the Yaris and some ad banners into the game? [Via XBLArcade.com]
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.
Toyota's self-parking car coming soon to US
While we may be stuck waiting until 2008 to see GM's self-driving car, US drivers may soon be able to sit back and let Toyota's Prius do the parking for them, as drivers in the UK and Japan can already do, using a $700 "parking assist" option. With the option, drivers need only sit back and control the speed of the car with the brake pedal while the car takes control of the wheel and maneuvers itself into place. According to Toyota, 70% of the vehicle's owners in Britain have chosen the option. Availability in the US hasn't been announced yet, only that it should arrive "soon." We -- and the owners of cars parked in front of and behind ours -- can't wait.[Via Slashdot]
