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Next Chevrolet Malibu's MyLink interface teased

In this shot we get a peek at Chevy's new MyLink infotainment interface, the aesthetic of the dashboard, and--if you look closely at the blurry background--the bi-gauge instrument cluster that seems to mimic the instrumentation of the Chevrolet Camaro. Button labels appear to feature a very Buick-like cool blue glow, and an odd, large physical switch below the touch screen has us scratching our heads.

A second shot, revealed last week, shows that the instruments aren't the only part of the next Malibu that will be capitalizing on the Camaro's design language. The tail lamps feature a … Read more

Chevy, Ford win gold medals at Edison Awards

GM's Chevrolet Volt and Ford's MyFord Touch and MyKey won the domestic carmakers' gold medals at the Edison Awards gala held in New York last night.

The technology awards show highlights breakthrough products and services and recognizes innovative industry leaders. Basically, it's like the Oscars for technology companies, but with much, much longer speeches and videos.

In the Personal Transportation segment, the Chevy Volt beat out the Copenhagen Wheel by Senseable City Lab and the Nissan Leaf for first place. Senseable City Lab and Nissan earned the silver and bronze medal respectively.

Ford was the big awards … Read more

Chevy unveils new Malibu in China, on Facebook

Punctuating its move toward global cars, Chevy will unveil the next-generation Malibu simultaneously at the Shanghai auto show and on the marque's Facebook page. The auto show unveil will be shown live on Facebook at 5:30 p.m. PT on April 18.

Prior to the unveil, Chevy released a teaser photo showing a set of LED taillights and the rear fender of the car. The square design of the taillights reveals a retro look, similar to the square gauges in the new Chevy Camaro.

The only other clues Chevy offers about the new Malibu is that it will … Read more

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion close to Golden Master release

According to tech news site TechCrunch, Apple may be ready to deploy the first Golden Master (GM1) of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. The release will be a major update since last month's developer preview, which many thought, according to the report, wasn't as smooth as it could have been.

"Apple has been working through many OS X Lion bugs and performance issues as they move towards the stated Summer release date. Given that GM candidates are already nearing, they definitely appear to be on schedule."

This is good news for those of us patiently … Read more

Gasoline prices rise; this time, industry is ready

Three years ago, when the price of gasoline shot past $4 a gallon, Detroit's automakers were trapped.

They couldn't give away the boatload of trucks that had long been the bread and butter--and profit generators--of the Detroit 3. With gasoline prices rising and with scant offerings in the small-vehicle segment, Detroit's sales plunged even before the financial crisis invaded in September 2008.

Last week, oil passed $100 a barrel, and gasoline prices rose to $3.50 a gallon in some markets. This time the Detroit 3 are in a better position to make money and not give … Read more

Chevy MyLink catches up with Ford Sync

Ford Sync took an early lead in providing advanced integration with cell phones and MP3 players, but now Chevy is catching up, announcing a new technology called MyLink, which will offer many similar features.

Last year OnStar started testing app integration, using Pandora and Facebook. Chevy MyLink refines this functionality, incorporating Pandora and Stitcher, a podcast streamer. These apps are resident in the car, but use a paired smartphone's data plan for connectivity. Ford recently expanded Sync with AppLink, a service that integrates apps on a paired phone with the car's interface.

Beyond apps, MyLink provides the same … Read more

GM's eAssist 'mild hybrid' to juice Buick mileage

General Motors today said it will bring hybrid technology to Buick models that will improve fuel efficiency by about 25 percent using what GM calls "light electrification."

The powertrain, called eAssist, uses a lithium ion battery with high power but relatively little storage capacity. Like a traditional hybrid, the battery will help propel the car with up to 11 kilowatts of power from a stopped position and store energy from braking.

The battery also runs the electrical systems when the car is idle, allowing the gas engine to turn off, and provides a boost during cruising to avoid … Read more

Ford launching socially networked car safety initiative

This spring Ford will be testing a fleet of cars around the country that communicate with each other. At what Ford calls "major technology hubs," it will use the vehicles to demonstrate vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology designed to prevent accidents.

The concept of V2V communication is not new. Prototypes have been shown by various companies, such as Motorola, in which cars send out signals based on certain incidents, such as a breakdown or sudden, hard braking.

Ford's technology uses Wi-Fi, on a special channel designated by the FCC, that communicates specific conditions to any other … Read more

Evidence of recovery: Ford, GM spend on N.A. plants

Ford Motor and General Motors have unveiled plans to invest in their North American manufacturing plants, offering more evidence that the days of conserving cash to survive the recession are ending.

Ford will spend $400 million to build a new vehicle at its Kansas City, Mo., plant when production of the Ford Escape shifts to the automaker's Louisville, Ky., factory.

The money will pay for a body shop, tooling, and other upgrades. Ford expects to keep 3,750 jobs at the Missouri plant as a result of the spending.

Production of the Ford F-150 pickup will continue at the … Read more