Items tagged with toyota
While we’re dreaming about science fiction, Toyota Motor Corporation announced that it has developed a human support robot (HSR) that is capable of not just picking up odds and ends around the house but can also actually perform tasks normally performed by human caregivers--that is to say, tasks that require the robot to actually touch people and help them with routine daily activities. The announcement doesn’t get specific, but looking at the robot, one imagines that it could help people get in and out of chairs, retrieve objects just out of reach (a serious problem for someone who has a hard time reaching, say, an end table without losing his or her balance), or even assisting with...
Read more...
We've known that technology and automobiles have been growing closer for some time now, and Toyota is clearly riding that bandwagon for as long as it's going. The company just announced a new cloud computing initiative with Salesforce.com that will result in a new social network service, enabling owners to become "friends" with their cars, and receive heads-up reminders (similar to tweets) for maintenance reminders. Granted, Chevy's OnStar system could already do something similar, but the more the merrier! The deal will mean that Japan gets it first, with electric cars being the first to integrate into the network. Plug-in hybrid vehicle support is on schedule for 2012. The project will be called...
Read more...
And the automotive hits just keep on coming. As technology finds its way deeper and deeper into the automotive realm, it's becoming harder and harder to ignore. The fact of the matter is that technology is now an integral part of the automotive space, and even low-end vehicles have some level of technological integration to make 'em stand out. Microsoft's SYNC system has already taken Ford by storm, while Chevy has an expanding OnStar system. So what about Toyota? Turn to Microsoft, of course! The companies this week announced that they'd be pouring around $12 million into Toyota Media Service Co., a TMC subsidiary that will offer "digital information services to Toyota users." The overriding...
Read more...
This will sound outlandish, but any veteran driver of a Prius, or at least one who's worked hard to get decent mileage out of the hybrid, will tell you it's not. Toyota wants you to drive with a glass of water on your dash; it'll improve your MPG. Actually, Toyota wants you to drive as though you had a glass of water on your dash. The company has even launched a site called "A Glass of Water." Those who have driven a Prius, and gotten good at the "video game" display in the center dash display, which is designed to help you maximize your MPG, will realize the truth in this. It's the gentle, steady acceleration that keeps a glass of water balanced on your dash that is most efficient for your gas...
Read more...
The Prius is not listed among the models that Toyota recently recalled (and temporarily stopped selling) for sticking accelerator pedals, but according to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, it has its own acceleration problem. At the same time, on Wednesday, reports of Prius brake problems on that same model year emerged.Steve Wozniak was speaking at the Discovery Forum 2010 when went off on a sidebar and began discussing his Prius' problems. Wozniak is a big fan of Toyota's hybrid, and has several. It's even appeared on camera when he was guesting on Kathy Griffin's "My Life on the D-List" as her faux boyfriend."I don't get upset and teed off at things in life, except computers that don't work...
Read more...
Electric vehicles sound fantastic in theory, but there's still the issue of charging the vehicles. Energy, even the kind not found in traditional fuel pumps, requires fossil fuels or a green alternative to make, and burning loads of coal in place of petrol doesn't exactly sound like a great compromise. Toyota seems to agree, with the automotive giant recently announcing that it had developed a solar charging station for plug-in hybrid automobiles and purely electric cars. Essentially, this kind of charging solution really would enable an electric vehicle to cause a serious impact for good; not only would it avoid or lessen its use of petrol, but the energy used to recharge its batteries would...
Read more...
Many have modified their Priuses, and one of those possible modifications is a rooftop solar panel system. It seems that Toyota is considering the same as standard equipment for its own models, but only for high-end models, and only to power the AC. Toyota Motor Corp plans to install solar panels on some Prius hybrids in its next remodelling, responding to growing demand for "green" cars amid record-high oil prices, a source briefed on the matter said on Monday. The panels, supplied by Kyocera Corp would be able to power part of the air-conditioning on high-end versions of the gasoline-electric Prius, the source said. "It's more of a symbolic gesture," said the source, who asked not to...
Read more...
