Most men don’t get a chance to operate a supercar at highly illegal speeds. But this one did.

We headed to the Arctic Circle to crash AMGs on frozen lakes. The experience is already making us nostalgic for winter.

They’re killing it in Japan, and they’re about to take America by storm. Here’s your preview.

Porsche’s president gave us an insider’s take on the mind-blowing models launching stateside and why his brand has been so special for generations of men.

This just-released Scion (yes, a Scion) is turning a lot of heads – but for the right reasons?

In his new book, Paul Ingrassia investigates how they became a side effect of the yuppie generation.

(Credit:
Josh Miller/CNET)

The new Sorento doesn’t stand out for any cutting-edge technology or unique features, unless you count the new direct-injection engine. Rather, it comes along with very usable cabin electronics at a reasonable price.

What most impressed me about it was the cohesive and attractive cabin tech interface, an area where other automakers struggle. The screens for controlling navigation, the stereo, and the phone feature a consistent look, and Kia obviously has a graphic designer or two on staff, not something all automakers can claim.

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The navigation system shows traffic data on easy-to-read maps, the stereo includes all the latest audio sources, and the phone system lets you dial by name using voice command. Sure, it would be nice to have advanced features, such as app integration or Google search, built into the navigation system, but all the in-dash tech works well, doing its job without fuss.

The standard Sorento is only a five-seater, b… [Read more]

(Credit:
Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

Most phones sold these days have a speakerphone mode. This setting is usually good enough for an impromptu hands-free call in a quiet office. However, when you get on the road in a noisy car, the phone’s flaws are made apparent. For example, the built-in microphone can be less than ideal for canceling the levels of road and wind noise present in a car at highway speed, which leads to poor quality on the receiving end of your calls. I’m sure that you dislike repeating yourself to callers as much as I do, so let’s look at how to improve call quality.

Visor-mounted Bluetooth speakerphones feature more sophisticated microphones with noise and echo-cancelation technology located closer to your head, which can dramatically improve sound quality. How much of an improvement should you expect? I’ve recorded outbound calls from five speakerphones (and my test phone’s internal microphone) to demonstrate.

All of the recordings below were made on the same day in our CNET test car–the 2007 Chevrolet Aveo, one of the noisiest cars that I’ve ever driven–while doing 55 mph over the same stretch of US-101 just North of San Francisco in an attempt to eliminate variations in engine noise, wind noise, road texture, and cabin acoustics.

[Read more]

The QNX Car 2 application platform enables full app integration into a car.

(Credit:
QNX)

A Jeep Wrangler owned by QNX Software Systems let the world know, via its Facebook page, that it was playing Iggy Pop’s “Passenger” on its stereo. Beyond demonstrating its good taste in music, this Jeep was showing off the capabilities of QNX’s Car 2 application platform for the attendees of the Telematics Update show in Detroit this week.

Unless you work with embedded systems, you probably have not heard of QNX, but if your car has iPod integration it is likely QNX software enables that feature. Although QNX can provide piecemeal solutions for automotive systems, the company is pushing its new Car 2 application platform as a completely integrated software stack on which automakers can build a very wide variety of features.

As implemented in the Jeep, it shows the ability to run a virtual instrument cluster, infotainment features, and deep integration with the car’s driving systems, such as brakes and engine. The platform supports apps, too, extending the feature set to third-party developers.

Jeep Wrangler QNX reference vehicle (pictures)

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  ]]> http://www.samsungdatacables.net/?feed=rss2&p=702957 0 http://www.samsungdatacables.net/?p=702958 http://www.samsungdatacables.net/?p=702958#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:44:04 +0000 Liane Yvkoff http://www.samsungdatacables.net/?guid=174bcada3a41a5dbdc07bf9ed83383b0
  
  
  

  The 2013 Chevrolet Volt.

  (Credit:
  GM)

  The Chevrolet Volt has been on sale in all 50 states for around a year, but General Motors’ engineers are still perfecting the extended range electric vehicle. Using driving data from existing owners, they have improved the fuel efficiency of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, according to GM.

  Engineers tweaked the 2013 Chevrolet Volt’s battery cell chemistry to increase the battery pack’s capacity from 16 kWh to 16.5 kWh. They also reduced its energy storage buffer, and the changes increase the new model’s electric range from 35 miles to 38 miles. The EPA fuel economy also gets bumped up a few miles from 94 mpg to 98 mpg. Of course, a bigger battery means longer charging times. Drivers can expect a full recharge to take 4.25 hours using a 240 volt outlet and 10.5 hours off a 120 volt source.

  2011 Chevrolet Volt (photos)

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