'Black Box' Could Integrate Almost Everything in Your Car

Is it too much to ask for a single integrated computer system in your car that can give you directions, order movie tickets, check sports scores, warn you about traffic light cameras, alert you to maintenance needs, control your music, and help lower your vehicle's emissions, among many, many other things?

Not anymore. We’ve written before about computer systems that will make cars safer [links], but automakers also want to use computers to improve in-car systems. A company called Hughes Telematics has designed an "all-in-one" control system it calls a "black box" that takes all the separate systems in a vehicle and coordinates them through one computer that includes GPS, a cellular modem and a solid-state hard drive.

Did we mention the system can also monitor teenage drivers, engage security systems if your car is stolen, schedule its own appointments for maintenance and unlock the doors if the rightful owner locks him or herself out?

Oh, and it also has voice recognition, but not robot-speak voice recognition like "find movie ‘Ironman.’" It has something called VoiceBox Technologies, so you can say, "How 'bout ‘Ironman’?" And the system will know what you're talking about.

So when will we see this system? It will appear in select Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz vehicles sometime next year, but live traffic services and two-way satellite communications won't be included until 2011. Hughes hasn’t attached a price tag yet, but we're guessing it's not going to be cheap.

Making Cars Smarter, Greener, Safer… and Better Listeners (Wheels)

2009 Suzuki SX4 Adds Standard Nav for Under $16,000

Suzuki’s compact SX4 was already a pretty value-oriented car. Now the company is upping the ante as it rolls out the new 2009s. Both the four-door SX4 Sport sedan and a newly available front-wheel-drive version of the hatchback will come with a touch-screen navigation unit as standard equipment. Final prices haven’t been announced, but the company says it will be under $16,000. The current Sport sedan starts at $14,770.

The navigation unit will come standard, but to get features like Bluetooth and real-time traffic, weather and gas prices, buyers will have to upgrade to a different trim package.

The other news we get from Suzuki is that the SX4 hatchback will now be available with front-wheel drive as an option, with all-wheel drive still considered standard. However, AWD almost always adds to the MSRP. For 2008, the AWD SX4 started at a low $15,270, making it the most affordable AWD car on the market. We’d guess the FWD crossover would be less.

2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport Expert Review (Cars.com)
2007 Suzuki SX4 AWD Crossover Expert Review (Cars.com)

Bose Rolls Out Absurdly Cool Audio System

I just figured out what KickingTires readers can buy me for Christmas this year.

Bose, the audio system king, has introduced its Bose Media System. The stereo incorporates music, satellite navigation, hands-free phone use, satellite radio, and — why not — voice commands.

Perhaps they mistook my drooling for a yawn, because the system includes additional features like a 30 GB hard drive that can store up to 200 CDs (a compromise on the CD-less stereo), as well as controls that have proximity sensors that can tell you're reaching for a knob before you even complete the motion.

According to The Detroit Free Press, the designers wanted to limit distracting controls that take drivers’ eyes away from the road. The system has the simplicity of a car radio circa 1955, with only a few buttons and knobs to worry about.

The unit is only available in Ferraris, but the Free Press speculates it may soon appear in a GM vehicle (perhaps a Cadillac or Corvette), based on Bose's long history with GM.

Bose Making Full-Featured Car Audio System (Detroit Free Press)

CD-Less Car Stereos

We’ve mentioned them before, but now it seems the story is catching on. USA Today wrote about the fact that many aftermarket audio companies are ditching the CD slot on their car stereo head units in favor of making them compatible with iPods, MP3 players or memory cards. The story is interesting mainly because there’s still a push to keep the CD player among the companies.

We post the question to you, dear reader: Should these companies — and potentially the automakers, too — ditch the CD player for a USB input? No CD slot would mean fewer mechanical parts to break and leave more room in the device for other capabilities. Are we at this stage yet? 

Some car-stereo makers see drivers ditching CDs for iPods (USA Today)

Jack Your Car Up With Exhaust

Here's the idea: You attach a hose to the exhaust pipe of your car, which inflates a balloon that can lift a three-ton vehicle 18 inches and hold it for as long as 45 minutes. The utility is obvious: You can change a tire or even help extract a stranded car from mud or deep snow without the use of a flimsy traditional car jack.

We have an issue, however: Let's make sure that balloon holds, as having a car collapse unexpectedly as you receive a face-full of tailpipe emissions would not be fun. Also, as with any balloon, it must surely be possible to over-inflate it, right?

Also, a regular jack — which, honestly, does not take a degree in nuclear physics to operate — will work even if the car's battery is dead.

Exhaust Air Jack Lifts Your Car With a Toxic Balloon (Gizmodo)

BMW Bringing Google Maps to New Models

Starting with the 2008 BMW X6 and all 2009 BMW models, owners who buy a BMW Assist Safety Plan will be able to send directions, phone numbers and other information from Google Maps to their car. 

Yes, you’ll have to pre-send the information from a computer to your car, but the idea is that drivers won’t have to print out maps or directions — they’ll be synched with the car’s navigation. Phone numbers can also be sent and dialed via the car’s Bluetooth system.

The BMW Assist Safety Plan is standard on all BMW 5, 6 and 7 series vehicles and is offered as a stand-alone option or as part of option packages on all other models. That sounds similar to OnStar’s new Destination Download announced earlier this month, but BMW’s plan doesn’t require the use of an operator. 

Steering Wheel Points the Way

Have you ever been driving along, taken a wrong turn and blamed your steering wheel? Maybe not, but Japanese technology company Takara might have a new scapegoat for you: It’s produced a high-tech steering wheel that can give you directions.

Takara has a partnership with Navigon to link its CSW steering wheel and Navigon’s 7100 GPS system. The companies hope placing directions directly on the steering wheel will decrease driver distraction.

Although no automakers have plans to include the wheel yet, the CSW wheel may serve as a demo of the kind of consolidation of controls and displays we’ll see in the future. No word, however, on a price tag for the gadget. Personally, we’re waiting for a heads-up GPS display, but the steering wheel is a place to start.

CSW Steering Wheel with Driving Instructions (Navigadget)

Ice-Alerting Varnish in the Works

Some forward-thinking folks at France’s Eurovia have developed a temperature-sensitive varnish that could warn motorists when roads are icy. An early look shows the varnish’s standard white hue, as well as the pink it turns when temperatures drop below a certain point. This would be a great — and presumably not too expensive — way to warn motorists of hazardous conditions.

Color-shifting roads warn of ice (Autoblog)

Hummer's H2 Cell Phone

Believe it or not, an H2-branded cell phone will go on sale this year in parts of the world where there has been little backslash for the Hummer brand. That’s mainly Russia and South America. The cell phone gets some bright coloring but also has some decent capabilities, including a 2 megapixel camera, microSD slot, built-in modem, email and Dual-Sim. Not too shabby of a phone. We’d expect it to be a good incentive to add on to an H2 sale. Bundle that cell-phone price into the loan term while you’re at it.

Hummer HT2 Phone Is Smaller, Brighter, Even More Pointless than the Original (Gizmodo)

OnStar Adding Live Directions to Nav Systems

When GM rolled out turn-by-turn directions for navigation-less models, we were impressed with the thrifty idea even if the execution wasn’t pretty. Now the company is making the obvious leap to adding live operator-provided directions to models equipped with factory-installed navigation systems.

Yep, using Destination Download you’ll be able to call an OnStar operator and get them to send directions to your navigation screen instead of having to type them in yourself.

Gadgets Get Subprime Car Buyers to Pay

We’ve heard of engine shutoff devices for delinquent car owners, but it seems the industry behind the technology is booming. With subprime loans increasing, car dealers are leaning on devices that force owners to pay their monthly bill or face a car that won’t run as it sits in the driveway waiting for the repo man.

One company that manufactures these devices says it has grown 30% in the past few years. Some of the devices require the owner to punch in a code, which is provided after they pay each bill so the car starts for the next 30 days. Others work wirelessly and can be activated online.

Whichever device is used, dealers are happy. They get to sell cars to more people whose credit might have kept them from ownership, and the devices keep repossession rates down. 

High-tech gear disables car if borrower misses payment (USA Today)  

Retractable Stud Winter Tires on the Way

We’ve heard rumblings about tires with retractable studs for winter driving, but it’s always been in a “one day” context. Now it seems that day is coming. Q Tires, a startup company — based in South Carolina, of all places — is launching the Q Celsius tire, which deploys studs from between the tire treads when the weather calls for it.

Using a wireless signal, a driver can deploy and retract the studs. The tires have two different air chambers, and drivers will have to monitor their pressure more than normal tires, but company officials say the studs can be used 30 times before a noticeable loss of tire pressure will occur.

One problem with launching the tires is that many states have laws against using studded winter tires in non-winter driving. However, the company has already gotten Maine to pass a law allowing technology like this to hit the streets.

Testing hasn’t been completed yet, but the company hopes to have the Q Celsius on the roads in northern states next winter. Projected costs would be about 30% more than normal winter tires.

Company tests new retractable-stud snow tires (Detroit News)

Smart Brake Lights Make Drivers More Aware

The problem with brake lights, according to a group of Virginia Tech engineering students, is that the warning signals are simple "yes or no" propositions. When a driver engages the brake in any way, the lights go on without any indication to the following vehicle of how quickly the car will decelerate. Therefore, you get the same signal whether the driver is merely tapping the brake or slamming on the pedal to avoid a major obstacle in the road.

In response to this problem, the students have devised a new kind of brake light, one that actually tells drivers how quickly the car in front of them will stop. The lights are a series of bars that glow orange when a car is merely slowing and bright red when it is about to come to a more immediate halt. The urgency of the lights would be intuitive for drivers based on existing traffic signals.

The only drawback is that the lights will be more expensive to manufacture than existing brake lights. The students think the price of the technology will come down quickly, especially when the lights become commercialized.

Smart Brake Light System Would Provide More Information to Drivers (Physorg.com)

Navigation or Video Game?

A Korean company called Thinkware has launched a new portable navigation unit with a wild 3-D display that’s so well-done it almost looks like a video game. We won’t be able to buy it in the states, but it’s an interesting look at what we may someday see on our dashboards. Oh, and imagine if Google Streetview ever got integrated into a navigation system. That would be wild.

Thinkware iNAVI K2 GPS Makes Navigation Look Like a Game (Gizmodo)

Video: Hyundai Veracruz Navigation Up Close

Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder takes an in-depth look at the 2008 Hyundai Veracruz’s navigation system in this new video. This is the first model year Hyundai has offered a navigation system, and as usual with Hyundai, it’s pretty affordable. But is it any good? Check out the video to find out. You can also see our videos on the 2007 Hyundai Veracruz's interior, seating and cargo.

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XM, Sirius Merger Approved

It’s been months in the making, and today the Justice Department approved the merger of satellite radio networks XM and Sirius. Shareholders in both companies signed off on the merger in November, but it took the Justice Department until now to decide whether or not the new joint venture would be anti-competitive.

So why isn’t it anti-competitive? The government says the growth of mobile broadband devices would allow for more consumer choice. Gee, great, say Sirius and XM shareholders. We get what we want, though, because there will be even more ways to access entertainment on the fly. Oh, and the two companies still have to get approval from the FCC before you get those cool a la carte programming options.

Justice Department Clears Sirius Merger With XM (Wall Street Journal)

Related
New XM, Sirius Service Will Offer A La Carte Programming (KickingTires)
XM and Sirius Merger Official: Programming Info and More (KickingTires)

Chrysler Brings Wi-Fi to Cars

You know how sometimes you don't feel like buying coffee just to get internet access? We've got good news: It looks like all you'll need to do is buy a car. Chrysler recently announced that it plans to be the first automaker to bring wireless internet to its vehicles.

The idea is to make every one of its vehicles a WiFi hub through a connection in the radio that relies on cell phone towers and a monthly subscription fee. Initially the feature will be added through a modification on this year's models, but Chrysler plans to add the installation to the assembly line process at a later date.

We imagine that at some point Chrysler's navigation system will also add an internet browser and other features to capitalize on the benefits of having internet access in your car. Until then, the greatest benefit we can think of is that Chrysler owners can now read KickingTires while driving.

Chrysler Cars With In-Car Internet and WiFi This Year; Road Safety Stats Set to Plummet (Gizmodo)

Could You Power Your Car With its Paint?

Often when we write about problems facing alternative energy options like ethanol or plug-in hybrids, we receive comments such as, "Well, there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Even if we can't get our lunch for free, can we at least get a bargain on it?

Scientists working at a university in Wales have found a way to gather solar power through paint. The invention is nowhere close to ready for mass production, but the prospects are promising. Steel would be treated with a photovoaltaic substance (the paint), which would gather energy and transfer it to whatever system needed power.

According to ScienceDaily, the UK scientists envision the substance being used first on large buildings and skyscrapers, which could generate 4,500 gigawatts of electricity annually (the equivalent of 50 wind farms) depending on the size of the building. Widespread commercialization would follow, with the paint being used for everything from private homes to — you guessed it — your car.

OK, so it's probably a few years off, but if one day we’re all driving paint-powered cars, KickingTires is expecting certain readers to pick up the tab at lunch.

Colorful Idea Sparks Renewable Electricity From Painting Solar Cells (ScienceDaily via Autoblog Green)

Wear Your Sunglasses at Night

We’re not in the habit of dispensing style advice here at KickingTires; we’re more qualified to dispense the latest on dashboard style and functionality. When it comes to personal style, best to leave it to the experts. Still, we can’t help but think these Tag Heuer Night Vision driving sunglasses are pretty awesome.

Originally designed for the pros driving in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the glasses are optimized to correct low-light shortsightedness. That makes them the perfect shades for those who do plenty of late-night driving, which is when a disproportionate number of accidents occur. Plus, wearing these won’t make you look silly. Well … maybe a little bit.

Tag Heuer Develops Night Driving Glasses (Jalopnik)

BMW to Offer Internet in Cars

Before you read that headline and say to yourself, “Accident waiting to happen,” hear us out. Drivers will not be able to actually use the wireless internet technology known as ConnectDrive while the car is in motion.

This is a relief, as the thought of workaholic businessmen or rich daddy’s girls checking stock quotes and PerezHilton.com while zipping along the freeway at 80 mph should be enough to strike fear into the hearts of drivers everywhere.

While sitting safely in a parking lot, drivers can control the browser through the iDrive controller, which will manipulate the cursor on the iDrive screen (presumably connected to the iDrive drive). There may still be limitations to the technology. For instance, BMW will reformat the pages to its own servers before sending them to the car, and the browser uses EDGE technology, which according to TechnoRide.com may mean a good long wait time for page loading.

Hopefully, we’ll get answers to these questions when BMW debuts ConnectDrive at the 2008 Geneva auto show.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: BMW Offers Unrestricted Internet Browsing (TechnoRide)

Drivers Wary of Ceding Control to the Car

People still fear the car that doesn’t need them.

A recent poll by market research firm Harris Interactive found that while new drivers definitely want to have new crash-avoidance technology in their next vehicles, they remain hesitant to give up control of their vehicles.

Half of those who responded said they would definitely include blind-spot detection in their next vehicle, and 29% said they would include a lane departure warning system as well. These numbers dropped slightly when the responders learned the price tags of this technology ($600 and $400, respectively).

Interestingly, drivers have very little appetite for technologies that would correct the car automatically. In other words, drivers want to remain in control of their vehicles at all times. More than 80% of responders said they would prefer an audible, visual or physical warning (such as a vibration in the steering wheel) rather than a car that would correct itself if it drifted out of its lane or had a vehicle in its blind spot.

It seems drivers are not yet ready to accept a role where they’re only as useful as glorified dashboard bobbleheads.

Microsoft Auto Wants to One-Up OnStar

As its plan for Dr. Evil-like world domination advances, Microsoft is hoping to entrench itself in the automotive world as a first-tier provider of entertainment and information systems in its partnership with Ford.

The software is called Microsoft Auto, and the technology company has plans that go well beyond voice-activation for your MP3 player, as the Microsoft-powered Sync system already does. Microsoft wants to take the concept behind Sync and OnStar and fuse it into an all-purpose program that does everything except drive the car itself.

Staying with completely voice-activated controls, the program will provide real-time traffic updates and instant directions that can be adjusted for the most fuel-efficient, most scenic or quickest route, among other things. For instance, if you want to find a certain kind of restaurant, get around a traffic jam or download music, Microsoft plans to integrate all this technology into one seamless system. In addition, the software would allow vehicles to communicate with each other on the road, which would theoretically help avoid accidents.

Nissan, Toyota Latest to Add Push-Button Starters

James Bond has contributed a lot to our cultural lexicon, but our favorite Bond gadgets were always car-related. A pen that shoots a laser is OK, we guess, but a Porsche Cayenne Turbo with actual flame-powered turbo boosters? That’s the essence of cool.

As cars go high-tech, car owners will get to feel increasingly like super spies. One immediate improvement: push-button starters with keycard activation. Turnkey starters are fine, but the feeling that comes from hearing a car rev up at the push of a button is something turnkeys just can’t replicate. Now that Nissan and Toyota are putting push-button starters in their most mass-market vehicles, it seems it’s only a matter of time before these high-end starters come standard in almost every vehicle on the market. Even at the risk of more faulty-electronics-related trips to the dealer, that sounds good to us.

Push-button starts to alter the interior landscape? (Autoblog)

New Self-Inflating Tires in Development

Currently, self-inflating tires are pretty self-explanatory. Compressed air adjusts to bumps in the road as well as regular wear and tear, and tires stay inflated without the constant supervision of drivers who doubtless have better things to do. Unfortunately, compressed-air tires are still rare, leaving the average car buyer with good old-fashioned inflatable rubber tires.

If Coda Development has its way, though, the self-inflated tire might soon get a makeover. Rather than compressed air, Coda’s design uses a pump to keep air balanced and constant within the tire. Theoretically, Coda’s device would be more reliable and less expensive to manufacture than the current self-inflatables. The tire still seems a long way off, but even so, it’s good news for those of us who’d rather not spend valuable time cruising for an air pump.

New self-inflating tire constantly under pressure (Autoblog)
Self-Inflating Tire (SIT, Coda Development)

N.J. Drivers Get New Incentive to Hang Up

While many cities and some states have made it illegal to use cell phones while driving without a hands-free device, New Jersey has become the first state in the country to give cops the right to pull drivers over for only that offense. In Illinois and elsewhere, cops could add that charge to the ticket if they pulled you over for some other reason, or if you’d been in an accident while on the phone.

Now, cops in “Sopranos”-land can make you cough up $130 just for talking or text-messaging on a hand-held device. Ouch.

Newsday reports that cops will keep their eyes open for distracted drivers. How? They look for warning signs, of course: Slow driving and the “cell-phone weave,” said Pam Fischer, director of New Jersey's Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

Motorists are still allowed to use their phones in case of emergency, and can still talk while using a hands-free device to avoid the fine. Of course, there’s plenty of research out there that says it’s not holding the phone that’s the biggest problem; it’s being deep in conversation that’s the distraction. Jersey cops also admit that enforcement may be tough, but they say they’re hoping the new law will open the eyes, if not the ears, of local drivers.

Shut up or pay up: Drivers face start of tougher NJ phone ban (Newsday)

Car Hacks Made Easy

Everyone tweaks their car one way or another. Maybe it’s a pink racing stripe that you think looks totally awesome, or perhaps it’s the Taco Bell chihuahua you still can’t rip off your rear window. No matter what you did to your car, those little adjustments are a big deal.

Yesterday, tech and life blog Lifehacker posted a series of “car hacks” to help make whatever adjustment you’d like on your car just a little bit easier. There are some fantastic ideas, like using a bottle of Purell hand sanitizer to de-ice your locks, or swabbing fingernail polish on your paint to patch up scratches. There are also a few not-so-good ideas; for one, using duct tape to create more space in your car sounds like more unsightliness than it’s worth.

Still, Purell in the locks: In the midst of a freezing winter, that’s one helpful bit of advice.

Lifehacker Top 10: Top DIY Car Hacks (Lifehacker)

Wiperless Windshield Takes on Rain, Dirt, Grime

It sounds improbable, but car designer Leonardo Fioravanti of the Pininfarina company has designed a concept car that doesn’t need windshield wipers. They call it the Hidra and say it could reach mass production in the next five years.

How does a windshield keep itself clear? It begins with the Hidra’s aerodynamic design, which will let debris and rain slide off its sleek surface. The chemical treatments to the glass, however, are the real innovation.

It begins with a water-repellent layer, and the glass is then treated with a layer of nano dust. What is nano dust? Your guess is as good as ours, but apparently this treatment will push dirt to the edges of the glass as the car moves forward. Oh, but we’re not done: The third layer is a receptor surface that tells the nano dust glass when the windshield is grimy. This is a mechanical product, mind you, so a fourth layer of electrically conductive material is applied to power the whole gadget.

This all sounds absurdly complicated and expensive, especially when you consider people have been driving for decades with just your standard old windshield wipers. And yet cool car stuff like this always piques our interest. We won’t deny we want to test-drive the Hidra in a monsoon.

Wiperless Windshield Concept Brings Minimalism to Your Vehicle (Gizmodo.com)

Pre-Heat Your Car for Just Under $2,000

The cold weather is slowly, not-so-surely dissipating here in the Midwest. We give it, oh, another four weeks until we can shift our focus to the pleasures of consistently dreary spring rain. Exciting.

Still, those are four long weeks to be out in the cold. Which is why the Webasto Thermo Top E Parking Heater, with a name straight out of “The Jetsons,” might be a worthy purchase. The Thermo is activated by text message, presumably from the warm confines of the home or office, whereupon it heats up the car using only a tiny amount of fuel and 4.2 kilowatts of electricity. That’s the fortunate part. The unfortunate bit is that Webasto’s price for the device — $1,695 — is not exactly affordable. For that, you could easily get a remote starter and a few hundred gallons of gas. Or a really warm coat and scarf.

Webasto Heater is Activated by SMS, Pre-Heats Your Ride (Gizmodo)

Hyundai Wants Dual-View LCDs on Dashboards

This falls under the category of, “How cool does that sound?”

Hyundai wants to bring dual-view technology to the dashboards of its vehicles, allowing the passenger and the driver to view two different displays on the same screen, simultaneously. Already growing in the home entertainment market, the LCD screens would allow a driver to check navigation information while the passenger looks up sports scores or movie times. Or two guys could play Nintendo Wii tennis on the highway.

See? There are a lot of uses.

Don’t expect dual-view screens in any of Hyundai’s 2009 models. The automaker is still perfecting the technology—likely making sure the screen’s image is up to snuff and the price can be somewhat reasonable. After all, while everyone can agree that a dual-view screen would be awesome, negotiations will surely begin when you ask how much such awesomeness should cost.

Hyundai Dual-View Displays Lets Driver, Passenger See Different (Jalopnik)

GPS and Breathalyzer All in One

We don’t need to tell anyone that drinking and driving is not a good idea. A Portuguese GPS company’s latest handheld navigation unit not only tells you how to get where you’re going, it also tells you if you should even get behind the wheel; one of the settings is a breathalyzer.

You simply blow into a small sensor on the side of the unit and it tells you your blood alcohol level. The price overseas is 200 Euros, but because the company only sells its products in Portugal, it’s unlikely this one will come to the U.S. However, it seems like a good idea for domestic GPS companies. Keep reading to see a video of the unit in action — in English even.

NDrive's G400 PND Knows When You're One Sip Over The Line (Engadget)

GPS Directions From Your Rearview Mirror

We’ve already reported on rearview mirrors taking on the role of backup cameras. Now MirrorPilot has given us the bright idea of integrating a GPS system into the same left-hand corner of the mirror.

Only available in Europe at the moment, the MirrorPilot clears up the clutter of having a GPS system either stuck in the dash or attached to the windshield. The car’s dash sure looks cleaner this way (until that space gets filled with other gadgets).

There is a clear downside, though, which you might be able to gather by looking at the illustration. Figured it out? Next time you’re on the highway, imagine not only trying to read a 2.2-inch screen on your mirror, but examining it carefully enough to figure out your exit. How many times do you think a driver will find him or herself squinting at the display before he or she starts swerving into another lane or missing an unfortunate bend in the road?

Did we mention the unit costs $1,025? It seems like that price would have to come way down before car owners would be willing to give it a chance. Let us know if you’d be interested in the MirrorPilot.

GPS on Rearview Mirror (Navigadget via Jalopnik)

Product We Don't Need: Lavender-Scented Tires

There’s an expression we all know and love: burning rubber. Just reading the words makes one think of beautifully smoky burnouts, muscle cars and that awful, smoldering rubber smell, which many, many of us love. Obviously the folks at Kumho don’t share that fascination, as they’ve debuted a line of tires that are lavender-scented.

Before you ask why, we’ll answer some basic questions. The Ecsta DX tire’s lavender scent lasts a year, and the company says it’s most noticeable after normal driving when the tires are still warm. Presumably this will freshen up the garage when you come home from a long commute. The price is also pretty good — $81 a tire via TireRack.

Now you can discuss the “Why?” and the “Why lavender?” below.

Kumho's Lavender-Scented Tires Go By the Name of Ecsta DX; Probably Answer to the Name 'Pointless' (Gizmodo)

Ford Technology Lets Workers, Bosses Keep Track

If you're a contractor, there’s likely nothing more annoying than arriving at a job without a tool you need. If you're a boss, there’s likely nothing more annoying than not knowing where your employees are. To help remedy that, Ford is rolling out new technologies, called Ford Work Solutions, that are designed for business owners who use their trucks or vans as important tools in their own right. Work Solutions will be available in fall 2008 on the 2009 F-150, F-Series Super Duty trucks and E-series vans. We recently got a hands-on demonstration of the new offerings at the Chicago Auto Show (see video), and also talked with a local construction company to see whether these features would work in the real world.

Levers to Lumbar Perfection: How Many Ways Does That Seat Go?

When it comes to seats, one size fits few. To ensure the family car accommodates both mom and pop, cars have offered adjustable front seats since the early days. These days, even the cheapest econoboxes have seats that employ cranks and levers to allow a surprising number of movements, while luxury cars have veritable command centers that ensure total support for your every muscle.

Now there are more controls than ever. Case in point: A $24,000 Volkswagen Passat comes standard with a 12-way power seat, which begs the question: How the heck can a seat move 12 different ways? Armed with a camera and the sort of posture only a 13-hour work day can produce, we set out at the Chicago Auto Show to find out.

We checked dozens of cars, with prices ranging from $13,000 to more than $100,000. Our goal: Document all the ways a seat can be adjusted and see if there’s a point at which it does too many things.

Here’s what we found.

Dashboard Unit Keeps Teen Drivers From Speeding

When you grow up in rural Ohio, much of your time after getting your driver’s license is spent bombing around backcountry roads with your friends. Therefore, I have no doubt my mother would have loved the idea of equipping my car with a Tracer HUD system.

The Tracer is a glorified GPS tracking device that rats on registers teenage drivers who exceed a speed limit by sending a text message to a parent’s cell phone. You see, the GPS device knows the designated speed limit for any given road, and as soon as the young driver begins to creep past that, it alerts a vigilant parent. Likely, a fight by cell phone ensues.

To help the teenage driver maintain a safe speed limit, the Tracer sits on the dash and projects the car’s speed right onto the windshield to help avoid a slip-up. The unit is powered by a basic connection to a 12-volt outlet and — presumably — notifies the parent if the kid tries to disconnect it. We assume this is the case because, without this feature, the whole concept would be pretty much pointless.

No word yet on if the Tracer also narcs on kids who go to Tina’s party after the dance even though they specifically said they were spending the night at Billy’s. Protective parents will just have to wait and see.

Tracer HUD Tattles on Speeding Teens Via SMS (Jalopnik)

Corgi Introduces Zero Emission Toy Car

There's a good possibility that your 6-year-old kid will have a zero emission car before you do. To be fair, this vehicle seats none and is controlled by a remote control, but hey, it's a start.

Corgi International has developed the H2GO, a toy radio-controlled car that runs on clean fuel-cell technology. Solar power and water supply a fueling unit, which in turn drives a hydrogen fuel cell. Since both fuel sources — sun and water — are completely renewable, the H2GO will run for as long as your kid can manage to not run it off a plywood ramp or under the wheel of a car.

The toy car comes with a solar refueling station that uses electrolysis to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen. The fuel cell captures the hydrogen and uses it to produce an electric current, which powers the car.

The H2GO not only makes for a cool toy car, but also demonstrates the possibilities — albeit on a smaller scale — of the future of real zero emissions automobiles.

So what's the catch? As with all hydrogen vehicles, it lies in the price tag. The H2GO and its necessary accessories will run you about $255.

Corgi Launches Green RC Car With Fuel Cell Tech (Pocket Lint via Gizmodo)

Up Close: Hyundai's New Navigation System

Hyundai is clearly late to the navigation game. As recently as 2007, top-of-the-line models like the Veracruz and Azera didn't have any system, while competitors offered it all the way down to their compact cars. That's changed: The Veracruz, Santa Fe and Azera offer navigation for 2008, the all new Genesis sedan has a different high-end system entirely while the restyled 2009 Sonata debuting at the Chicago Auto Show features Hyundai's all-new proprietary system.

The Sonata's navigation system is the real deal. I spent some quality with a fully operative unit and here's what I learned.

Toys for Trucks: Ford's New Trucks Get High Tech

Ford announced today that the 2009 F-Series and E-Series, as well as its upcoming Transit Connect work vans, will offer a host of job-friendly features the automaker calls Work Solutions. Among them are an onboard computer with internet access and wireless printing, a scanner that can inventory your on-board tools, a telematics system to keep tabs on other vehicles in a small-business fleet, and a steel cable to secure items in the bed.

The onboard computer is packaged to fit in the same area as a navigation system. It includes a 6.5-inch screen plus a wireless mouse, stylus and keyboard. With subscription-based Sprint broadband, Ford says you can access spreadsheets and word processing documents from your home computer, make changes and print them from a portable printer. Naturally, the computer also has a navigation system.

The telematics system, called Crew Chief, tracks real-time locations, unauthorized usage and various mechanical diagnostics for other vehicles in a small-business fleet. (No word on whether owners can program their teenagers’ Mustangs to receive the same tracking.)

Ford’s Tool Link has bed-mounted scanners that catalog tools in the bed with stick-on electronic tags. To ward off theft of those tools, Ford’s Cable Lock system comes with an eight-foot steel cable that retracts into a box at the rear of the bed. It works like a bike lock — run it through the handles of your equipment and lock it in place.

Ford spokesman Alan Hall said the features will be available a la carte, though pricing wouldn’t be available until closer to their fall launch. Hall said Ford will make the features “very affordable,” much like it did with Sync, which is a $395 option. We’re guessing the onboard computer will be the priciest and Cable Lock the cheapest, but we’ll report more when we know more.

Will a Robot Pump Your Gas Someday?

It seems like every time you turn around, movies like “The Matrix” and “Terminator” look more and more prophetic. No, robots are not using humans as batteries or traveling back in time to kill them … yet. 

But they are pumping gas.

That’s right — a Dutch company has invented a robot that can fill up any car. How does it do it? The arm-like ‘bot comes loaded with a database of gas tank locations for different vehicles. It can then open your tank, unscrew the gas cap and insert the nozzle without danger of scratching your paint. More amazingly, it won’t forget to screw the gas cap back on.

With the friendly gas station attendant having gone out of vogue in most parts of the country, it seems as if people are largely OK with pumping their own gas — even if it means exposing themselves to nasty weather and — God forbid — pushing upward of three buttons. The market for gas robots therefore seems slim, especially when you consider the cost of each gasbot: $111,100.

A Robot That Pumps Your Gas, At Long Last (Gizmodo.com)

Garmin Announces GPS Phone

Many high-end smart phones these days have GPS capability, but not many offer the same GPS experience that a full-fledged portable navigation system does. Now, GPS heavyweight Garmin has announced the nuvifone, a phone with GPS navigation as its core feature.

Will folks pay for such a thing? We think so. Especially since the nuvifone is long on other popular smart-phone features, like a 3.5 inch touch-screen — yes, like the iPhone — camera, video, email, IM, MP3 and MPEG4 playback, and more.

Still, this phone is all about the navigation; it even features a car dock that when you remove the phone from it automatically registers that location. So when you go to find your car in a big mall parking lot, the phone knows where it is. The nuvifone will also use Google local search, so it won’t rely on stale or limited points of interest.

Big questions remain, like price and which cellular carrier will be on board. Garmin says it will be on the market in the third quarter of 2008 — right in time for Christmas — and we’d guess prices will be in iPhone territory or higher. Check out more photos below and let us know if you would buy one.

Satellite Radio Receiver Sales Plummet

During the holiday rush of December, sales of satellite radio receivers for both XM and Sirius were down 37.5% from the previous year. XM suffered the worst fate, with sales down 41%, while Sirius suffered 36% losses. These are huge numbers. In 2006, sales were down 46%.

Some could argue that more new cars are arriving with satellite radio receivers already built-in, but I would point to the poor programming of the stations, expensive subscription rates and the mass adoption of MP3 use to explain the poor sales.

As a car reviewer, I am often seated in vehicles with satellite radio installed, and I listen to the rock stations. That’s usually a 10-station swath on either service. On those stations, you’ll hear the same popular songs your local FM station is playing. When you switch to “90’s Alternative,” you’ll be greeted by Oasis or Offspring songs — two bands that may have been huge in their time, but don’t have the lasting appeal of, say, U2 or Green Day. My guess would be high royalty rates influence these stations’ song choices, equaling crap hitting your ears.

A merger of the two carriers is still planned, but who knows if demand for even one of them will be high enough to be successful in the future. What do you think? Sound off below.