Car Tech Articles

FM transmitters are nothing new, and neither are devices that stream audio via the advanced A2DP profile. But we haven't seen many devices that use both wireless technologies in the same application. That's exactly what Motorola's T505 does: As well as being a slick-looking in-car Bluetooth speakerphone, the visor-mounted T505 can be used to stream music from an A2DP device directly to the car stereo, without the need for the latter to be equipped with the advanced Bluetooth profile.

It manages this feat with a digital FM transmitter, which searches frequencies in the FM range with the … Read more

There is a lots of talk these days about computers in cars, but it mostly refers to the technology in the vehicle's drivetrain, GPS navigation device, or active safety systems. When are we going to see a real computer in the car, you ask: one that can browse the Web, edit Word docs, and perform all the functions of a desktop. Jensen has an answer to that question with the NVX3000PC, on show at SEMA 2007. The portable device has a 7-inch touch-screen display and comes with a Windows Vista operating system, a 30GB internal hard drive, an integrated … Read more

The 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge represents a new frontier in autonomous vehicle technology. We were live onsite for the final of this year's event, which saw 11 robot cars compete in a six-hour contest in a simulated urban environment, complete with traffic, intersections, and parking lots. The rolling robots varied from a driverless 12-ton Oshkosh truck to an autonomous Toyota Prius. Check out our video diary from this weekend's event.

In a recent J.D. Power and Associates survey, users ranked the navigation system in the Infiniti G35 as the most satisfactory. Coming in at a very close second was the system in the Lexus IS 250/350, then a little further down, in third, was the Acura TL. We are not terribly surprised at these rankings, as we've been very impressed with these navigation systems in the past. However, the landscape will change dramatically in 2008, as we've seen more and more hard drive-based systems released, which access data faster than on DVD-based systems. Another feature we … Read more

No matter how wireless your wireless device is, it still requires at least one cable to charge it up. Well, that might not be the case for much longer. A number of companies are working on bringing wireless charging modules to the in-car market. Brian Cooley takes a look at one such technology from eCoupled, on show at this year's SEMA show.

Panasonic is using this year's SEMA show to launch the CN-GP50U, its first portable navigation device. The CN-GP50U features a 5-inch touch-screen display and comes with text-to-speech technology for reading out road names when under route guidance. A real-time traffic service from Clear Channel is available on the device with the purchase of a separate receiver. It also comes with built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling and an industrial-strength in-car mount. Check out our first look.

Certain biofuels, though eco-friendly, have a reputation for gumming up engine parts, which affect vehicle performance and ultimately reduce engine life. So the idea of a bio-based motor oil makes some of us a little nervous. But one Bay Area-based company is hawking a green, biodegradable motor oil that it says will protect engines as well as name-brand, petroleum-based oil.

G-Oil, made by Green Earth Technologies, is made by converting tallow -- that's saturated cow fat to you and me -- into a high-value unsaturated oil, which is less likely to clog up engine parts. (Tallow was used historically … Read more

Carnegie Mellon University won the $2 million first place prize in DARPA's urban robot race this weekend, stealing the thunder from 2005's Grand Challenge leader, Stanford University.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Challenge awarded a total of $3.5 million in prizes on Sunday, a day after the race. Stanford University took second place, with a $1 million cash prize, and Virginia Tech won $500,000 for third place.

The Urban Challenge was a six-hour test of driverless vehicles on the suburban roads of the former George Air Force Base in Oro Grande, Calif., where … Read more

ORO GRANDE, Calif.--Three robots finished the DARPA Urban Challenge within the allotted time Saturday, a new milestone in the development of self-driving vehicles.

In the running for the $2 million first prize and $1 million second prize are Stanford University's robotic VW Passat, Virginia Tech's modified Ford Escape Hybrid, and Carnegie Mellon's autonomous Chevrolet Tahoe. These teams finished the urban challenge's three missions within the allotted six hours and without significant problems.

Other teams, including the Ben Franklin Racing Team's robotic Toyota Prius, also completed the course, but it's uncertain whether it crossed … Read more