The Car Tech blog

When we last saw the 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5GT, it left a bad taste with its mediocre cabin tech options and performance-dulling automatic transmission.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Every once in a while, we get a vehicle in the Car Tech garage that presents great potential, but poor execution. This was the case with the 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5GT that we took for a spin awhile back.

With DNA that includes traces of WRX and STI and a stout, turbocharged heart, we were quite disappointed with the 2.5GT's performance. We didn't get much relief in the cabin when faced with an extremely limited list of cabin tech options.

Once again, we're unable to leave well enough alone as we set about to right the wrongs committed upon the Impreza by Subaru's bean counters and unlock its performance and cabin tech potential.

See how CNET Car Tech techs out the Subaru Impreza 2.5GT.

The i365IS is built with safety in mind.

(Credit: Sprint)

If you ever bother to read your cell phone's user manual from front to back, you'll see a whole section with neat safety warnings. One of them advises you not to make calls in a gas station since the phone's electrically energy could cause a gas explosion. Sounds like fun!

While I doubt that many people have heeded the warning, much less read it, Motorola is taking it seriously. Last week, Sprint Nextel announced the Motorola i356IS, which is a variation of its burly i356 candy bar phone.

The i356IS (the "IS" stands for "intrinsically safe") is built with exploding fuel pumps in mind. According to the carrier, the phone will not release "enough electrical or thermal energy to ignite fuel and cause a fire or explosion." What's more, "intrinsically safe devices are safe to use in hazardous areas that may contain flammable gasses, vapors or dust." Phew.

Other features include support for Nextel's Direct Connect push-to-talks service, a speakerphone, messaging, GPS, Bluetooth, organizer features, and support for Nextel's second line feature. Like its i356 cousin it may not be much to look at, but its rugged design is built to last.

(Source: Mobiledia)

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

Motorola takes its first step into the portable navigation device market with its Motonav TN30 GPS navigation system. The TN30 is a handsome device, with slick graphics and a cleverly organized menu structure. I really liked the Bluetooth hands-free calling and text-to-speech directions, as keeping hands on the wheel while driving is top priority.

The TN30 showed its true colors on a cross-country road trip.

(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CBS Interactive)

I had an opportunity to test the TN30 on a cross-country road trip from Atlanta to San Francisco and learned that all that glitters ain't gold, especially with first-generation gadgets. One day into the trip, I noticed that the device was noticeably less responsive than at unboxing.

By day two, the menus were rendering incorrectly and the Bluetooth ceased to function, forcing a hard reset to restore full functionality. By the end of day three, the problems were back, prompting another reset. On day four, I just quit using it and resorted to a paper map.

While there is much to like about the Motorola Motonav TN30, buggy software limits its usability. I'm sure a firmware update from Motorola would be all it takes to make this a solid competitor in the PND market, but for now it's just too frustrating to recommend.

The moral of the story: make sure your GPS device works before relying on it to get you across the country.

Read the full Motorola Motonav TN30 review.

Motorola's WiMax module is designed to connect cars to a WiMax network.

(Credit: Motorola)

Motorola took a significant step towards commercializing WiMax for vehicles with the introduction of its X24 WiMax module. This module lets automotive-equipment makers build connected devices that can receive broadband information sources on the road. Just as Wi-Fi radically changed how we network our computers, WiMax specifications meet the connection needs for automobiles by having a range measured in miles and broadband throughput. Mobile WiMax is based on the 802.16e specification, and has been in development since 2001. As the standard gets accepted, more companies will develop WiMax-compatible chipsets.

We've seen cars from Acura, BMW, Cadillac, and Lexus that receive traffic information through radio or satellite networks, letting you see the trouble spots on the navigation system. The Lincoln MKS expands these information offerings with fuel prices, movie times, and weather. But these networks are one-way, so for the MKS to show you local fuel prices, it has to download an entire database, much of which you will never need. This is, at best, inefficient. Because the car can send its GPS coordinates through a WiMax network, the car would only need to download information relevant to its location. WiMax would also allow a vehicle-to-vehicle communication network, where, for example, a disabled car can send out a message to approaching vehicles that it is stopped in a freeway lane. Cars that receive this message can then warn their drivers of the hazard.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

At first glance, the Motorokr T505 seems like an average visor-mounted speakerphone. Its calls are clear. Its design is unobtrusive.

However, when we looked a little deeper and really explored its features, we found a much more complex and flexible device hiding under the T505's simple exterior. A2DP music streaming, a built-in battery, and a built-in FM transmitter make this device much more than just a speakerphone.

Read the Motorokr T505 review.

Smart Rider combines the features of a phone and portable GPS device.

(Credit: Motorola)

Motorola broke a few molds when it announced the Smart Rider at CTIA this week. Smart Rider is a cross between a phone and a portable GPS device, using a 2.8-inch high-resolution screen for map display and turn-by-turn directions. It also has voice command and Bluetooth hands-free calling features. Although the news release is a little short on details, it seems to say that you can pair your phone with the Smart Rider, and transfer contact information. However, Smart Rider also has its own GSM connection, so presumably it would have its own phone number, and its cellular connection would be used to download maps. It also has live traffic and local search, services that would also come over a cellular connection. Smart Rider is scheduled to be available in June 2008.

(Source: Jalopnik)

Click here for more CTIA coverage from CNET.

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 least noise to deliver the best audio output. The T505 will go on sale in the first quarter of 2008 with a price tag of around $139.