Items tagged with Auto
Samsung is betting big on the future of the "connected car" -- look no further than its intentions to acquire Harman International Industries for $8 billion or $112 per share. Haram is a “market leader” in connected car solutions. Oh-Hyun Kwon, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Electronics, remarked, “Harman perfectly complements Samsung in terms of technologies, products and solutions, and joining forces is a natural extension of the automotive strategy we have been pursuing for some time.” Dinesh Paliwal, Harman Chairman, President and CEO, is equally optimistic. He stated, “This transaction will bring Harman and Samsung’s complementary strengths together to accelerate innovation...
Read more...
Despite the fact that Apple has never been explicit about its desire to create an electric vehicle, it's hard to imagine at this point that it won't happen. Even Tesla's Elon Musk has weighed in on things, going on record to say that the Cupertino's EV team is like "Tesla's graveyard" - a statement he later went on to quell a little bit. Back in August, it leaked out that Apple's Tim Cook had paid a visit to BMW's Leipzig factory to gauge and discuss things. Ultimately, it's not clear if BMW is going to have anything to do with Apple's foray into vehicle making, but it no doubt gave Apple a boost to get a sneak peak into what to expect. Well, he might still be keeping mum on things, but at Wall...
Read more...
Microsoft is one of the countless number of companies that is aiming to make an impact on the automotive market. Rather than go the route of Apple and create its own vehicle, or lend its hand to autonomous driving, the company wants Cortana infused into our future vehicles. It's hard to consider this revelation too surprising, as it almost seems like an inevitable move on Microsoft's part. This isn't a rumor, either, but instead is something confirmed by Samuel Shen, the chief operating officer of Microsoft's Asia-Pacific Research and Development Group, during the TechDays Taiwan conference in Taipei. Cortana has been a major focal-point of Microsoft's for Windows 10 "We have not launched...
Read more...
Autonomous driving has clear benefits for the safety of passengers in both the equipped vehicles and others, but there's another feature that could dramatically improve safety all-around without having to go the route of full autonomy. We're talking automatic brakes, because more often than not, computers can react quicker than us mere mortals can. On Friday, 10 top automakers agreed to install automatic braking systems in their vehicles, which is a rather major thing to go down. Such systems are sure to add to the cost of these vehicles, but the effect would be far lessened today versus how it would have been years ago - even aftermarket camera systems can be had for a couple of hundred dollars....
Read more...
Apple might be the richest company on the planet, but it's not about to slow down on its quest for total market domination. It's constantly looking at new avenues to get into, and as we've been hearing about for a while, autos is one of them. It's hard at this point to picture a vehicle sharing the same badging as an iPhone, but as time passes, it begins to look more and more likely. In a recent report, it was revealed that Apple, including CEO Tim Cook, paid a visit to BMW at its Leipzig factory. The intent was to have modest discussions about what could be possible, but nothing was agreed-upon there. One source claims that talks could continue again in the near-future. This is a bit of a complicated...
Read more...
Whenever speed cameras are deployed around a city, we're always given the same spiel: it's all about safety, and decreasing traffic accidents. Admittedly, it does stand to reason that if someone knows there's a speed camera up ahead, they'll probably be a little more cautious behind the wheel. If only it actually worked like that. If you've ever had to deal with a speed camera, you're probably well aware that its biggest benefit is padding your city's pocketbook. That's what many Chicagoans are finding out the hard way. A local newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, did some research into whether or not the hundreds of speed cameras scattered around the city actually improved anything, and it found...
Read more...
As autonomous vehicles look to become a big part of our future, you can bet that the FBI has exhaustively looked at both its pros and cons. The pros of course are obvious; people could be driven around without effort on their behalf, officers could let the car drive itself while they focus on their PC, and of course, there should be far fewer accidents. So, what about the downsides? At the forefront, the FBI fears that self-driving cars will make it easier for criminals to get their job done. I'm sure you can envision a slew of scenarios here, but one specifically highlighted is using the cars as getaway vehicles. This is an especially scary thought when you think that a self-driving car would...
Read more...
"The devil made me do it" used to be the ready-made excuse you could trot out when you got caught being naughty. Society's views on personal responsibility have changed quite a bit since the devil was listed on everybody's rap sheet as an accomplice. The modern version is playing "Grand Theft Auto made me do it."Last month, the trio – all aged between 15 and 16, and as such may not be named – allegedly firebombed three cars in North Fulton County, Georgia with homemade petrol bombs. Each weapon was made from a bottle filled with a lighter fluid, with a rag stuffed into the spout as a fuse.According to a report by local news service WSBTV, the trio were arrested by local police. When they were...
Read more...
Ever wonder why Microsoft releases these sorts of major updates via manual update first? Well, if you've been reading along, you know why (and we've seen more than one example of why). However, Windows XP SP3, after its initial fits and starts, is nearly ready to hit automatic distribution via Windows Update.This was revealed in an MSDN blog post by Nick MacKechnie, senior technical account manager at Microsoft New Zealand:Hi All,Microsoft is committed to providing quality products to customers. As part of this commitment, we would like to remind you that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) will be released to Automatic Updates shortly. The third service pack to Windows XP includes the previously...
Read more...
Wednesday, in a post on the Windows Vista Team Blog, Microsoft announced that they had begun automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1. What this means if that if you have Windows Updates set to automatically download and install on your PC, Windows Update will automatically download SP1 to your PC, after which a few clicks (for the EULA, naturally) will be required for the install to begin.Today, we're happy to announce that we are beginning automatic distribution of SP1 in English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese. So what does this mean? Over the next few months Microsoft will automatically distribute Windows Vista SP1 to PCs that have automatic updates turned on (Learn how to turn...
Read more...
Apple computers are generally more expensive than their competitors. Apple enthusiasts have long accustomed themselves to shelling out a premium for Cupertino bling. But Dave Winer was surprised to find out that not only does Apple charge a hefty $160 to replace a 80GB hard drive, they refuse to hand over your defective disk after you've paid to have it replaced. Holy potential sensitive information loss Batman!The new disk went in, I signed a form, and was about to leave and asked for the old disk and the clerk said it was his not mine. They were going to send it back to the manufacturer. I figured it would be refurbished and sold cheap to someone in a third world country. Little did I suspect. ...
Read more...
Some of you may never have heard of AutoPatcher. Well, how many of you have received a new computer with Windows XP SP2, and immediately hooked it up to the Internet to download all the post-SP2 hotfixes? What a pain, right? AutoPatcher was the fix for that. It was a freeware project that put all the fixes into one downloadable image, that you could then apply - without connection to the Internet. It even handled the "you must install X before Y issues." Now it's gone. Today we received an e-mail from Microsoft, requesting the immediate take-down of the download page, which of course means that AutoPatcher is probably history. As much as we disagree, we can do very little, and although the...
Read more...
Many sites have reviewed the new iPhone, but only a handful have been brave enough to try taking one apart. Here's what the crews of AppleInsider & iFixit discovered and noted: The logic board is also currently a source of mystery. It splits into two sections, but the largest portion -- which contains the flash memory, processor, and other chips -- is currently difficult to view without damaging the board proper."Construction as a whole is particularly tight. A full 16 screws, including 10 just along the edge alone, hold the phone's components in place -- "unlike many iPods," the technicians say. An iPod nano, for reference, uses only three. Even the antenna wires are glued to the phone...
Read more...
No it's not a car. Husqvarna claims that its Automower is "the world's first fully automatic lawnmower." Of course, one of the things users must always do manually is set up the perimeter by laying down wires to define the Automower's boundaries. Being able to handle rain, inclines, and obstacles - it simply reverses when it bumps into stuff - the Automower is, without a doubt, both a smart and hassle-free minion. Complete with its own docking station, the Automower simply checks in to charge its batteries when it is low on fuel and can navigate all on its own. The Automower even incorporates a schedule feature, giving "users" the freedom from having to turn the Automower on and off....
Read more...
