auto technology

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Maureen Dowd: Ford's Now Building Smartphones on Wheels
 Ford's Now Building 
 Smartphones on Wheels 
MAUREEN DOWD
Feb 27, 2011 1:45 PM CST

Ford's Now Building Smartphones on Wheels

'In-car connectivity' is a plethora of distractions

(Newser) - Ford's got a slick new whiz-bang simulator, and Maureen Dowd kicked the tires—and almost ran smack "into a huge green truck," she writes for the New York Times. The problem is Ford's new "in-car connectivity"—a "cornucopia of diversions on your dashboard," Dowd...

In NASCAR, the Secret Weapon Is Motor Oil

Forget the engine; ex-NASA techs search for perfect lubricant

(Newser) - How do you make a race car go faster? For NASCAR teams, one of the only options is to attempt to concoct the perfect motor oil. With technology restricted across the sport, engineers can't tinker too much with the hardware, but better oil actually helps. The Wall Street Journal looks...

Car Tech Advances Can Recharge Detroit
Car Tech Advances Can Recharge Detroit
OPINION
Jan 3, 2009 11:54 AM CST

Car Tech Advances Can Recharge Detroit

(Newser) - Detroit needs to heed Henry Ford's advice and take failure as "the opportunity to begin again more intelligently," Sebastian Thrum and Anthony Levandowski write in the New York Times. Here are four technologies that can help the Big Three automakers turn things around:
  • Car-to-car communication: Wireless technology will
...

Why Ferraris Are Getting Ugly
 Why Ferraris 
 Are Getting Ugly 
analysis
Nov 10, 2008 8:02 PM CST

Why Ferraris Are Getting Ugly

(Newser) - The latest Ferraris burn up roads and handle like dreams, but their looks are fading, Gavin Green writes in Car Magazine. The California "has a fat arse," the 612 is "ill-proportioned," and the Enzo "is more bug than bird," grieves Green—who...

Nissan's New Safety System Uses Bee Logic

Lasers will mimic compound eyes to detect, avoid obstacles

(Newser) - Nissan is set to unveil new collision-avoidance technology modeled on the behavior of bees, PC World reports, with a small robot car to demonstrate the system in Japan next week. The automakers’ engineers have developed laser range-finders that mimic the insects’ ability to adjust their path and avoid collisions by...

Retro Moped Slow, But Efficient—and Cool
 Retro Moped Slow, 
 But Efficient—and Cool 
PRODUCT REVIEW
Aug 5, 2008 2:32 PM CDT

Retro Moped Slow, But Efficient—and Cool

Velosolex has old-fashioned charm ... and engine

(Newser) - The Velosolex S4800 motorized bike sports plenty of retro charm—and technology. Its incredible gas mileage (150-200 mpg) makes as much sense today as in postwar Paris, but the two-stroke engine is also a weakness, Jonathan Welsh writes in the Wall Street Journal. The Velosolex generates 0.80 horsepower and...

GM Developing Futuristic Windshield

Looking forward to an aging driver, tech would compensate for poor eyesight

(Newser) - America’s driving population is aging, and GM aims to do something to help older motorists: develop a high-tech windshield that compensates for declining eyesight, the AP reports. The system, now in the research phase, uses lasers and infrared sensors to identify hazards in the road—or perhaps the edge...

Fill 'Er Up— In Your Own Back Yard

Distiller could home-brew ethanol for as little as $1 a gallon

(Newser) - Backyard brew may soon ease the pain at the gas pump if two entrepreneurs pushing a home ethanol system have their way, reports the New York Times. E-Fuel Corporation's device is roughly the size of a stackable washer-dryer and will sell for about $10,000. Using sugar or feedstock and...

Puyo: It's Green, Safe and Glows
Puyo: It's Green, Safe and Glows
Oct 24, 2007 4:25 PM CDT

Puyo: It's Green, Safe and Glows

Honda concept car is soft to the touch and hydrogen cell fueled

(Newser) - Honda unveiled the unusual Puyo today, an in-development concept car with no sharp edges and a coating of soft silicone to absorb collisions, Reuters reports. Visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show were given a look at the car, which runs on hydrogen fuel cells, is driven with a joystick, and...

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