Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has announced it plans to invest around $50M into Japanese digital entertainment company Pioneer Corporation, which makes in-car electronics, to acquire approximately seven per cent of the company. The pair described the investment as “a business and capital alliance”, and said they plan to jointly develop an intelligent transport system for launch this year. → Read More
If you’re into 3D printable stuff, or into remote-control cars, then the OpenRC Project is for you. A gentleman in Sweden named Daniel Norée is sharing his progress on a 3D-printed Truggy, as well as sharing the recipe with the OpenRC Project group that he created. A truggy is an off-road vehicle, in case you weren’t sure. The cost of 3D printers is dropping both for at-home use and… → Read More
“Teleportation is the transfer of matter from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them, similar to the concept apport, an earlier word used in the context of spiritualism.” The concept of moving throughout the world freely without actually having to “physically” travel is the Holy Grail for many. Being able to explore a physical space that is… → Read More
On-demand car service Uber announced a new perks program that can instantly make a company cooler to work for. If you want to be able to provide transportation as a perk or benefit for your employees, Uber has the solution for you. The program allows companies to dole out “Uber credits” to employees and requires no long-term commitment, it’s just a month-to-month thing. The… → Read More
I’m not a fan of pitting two or more companies against one another and calling “war,” but the reality is that there’s such a thing as competition and advantage in any marketplace. One of the hottest verticals of interest as of late is transportation. I’m ready to buy a Lit Motors car, which we saw at Disrupt, and I’ve used Uber since it launched.
One of the things that I experienced this past… → Read More
CloudCar, a startup still in stealth mode that was the subject of rumors earlier this month when Robert Scoble reported that Andy Rubin would leave his job at Google to join it, has filed a Form D with the SEC indicating that it has raised $11.5 million in a Series A round.
The startup may not be Rubin’s next place of employment, but he is connected to it: after the rumor hit, and then he… → Read More
Ford Motor Company is teaming up with San Jose-based solar panel maker SunPower to offer a rooftop solar system option which will be sold alongside the upcoming Ford Focus EV. The “Drive Green for Life” program, as it’s being called, involves mounting solar panels on a customer’s home.
These panels wouldn’t be used just to charge the Focus itself, however. They actually help offset the cost… → Read More
Did you know there is a Viper remote starter out right now that can be controlled with an iPhone for $500? That seems kinda pricey and dull on extra features. What if you wanted even more control of your car, right on your iPhone’s wonderful interface? Meet AutoBot, the answer to your call. → Read More
Very close to production, I get some hands on time with the new Spyker watch collection made specially for Spyker by Expressions d’Artistes International. I first covered the Spyker watch collection here. What will change for production are the watch hands, that will end up being more legible. Otherwise, what you see is what Spyker car lover will end up getting for themselves. No viewing of the… → Read More
If you have $65 to spend and you want a Pinewood Derby racer that will literally outlive you and most of your descendants, drop over to this website and press the Buy Now button. → Read More
I’m all for letting your geek flag fly, but this is a bit much. Perhaps he wanted to be able to control the car from the front? At least it’s something that you can hide under you hood. I dunno. Props for knowing your roots and such. → Read More
Things are looking good for the Volt. Chevy said that the first pre-production Volt rolled off the line yesterday. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can buy one yet, but it’s still a pretty huge deal. For the future! → Read More
Ford just announced the inflatable seatbelt, intended to protect passengers seated in the back of the vehicle, where they are more vulnerable to head, chest, and neck injuries. How long will it be before our vehicles are filled with SecureFoam, filling our vehicles whenever we crash. → Read More
Back in April, Panasonic was the first company that announced a Blu-ray player for installation in cars, and today [JP], the CY-BB1000D – and the even cooler “Strada CN-HX3000D” navigation system – finally got a price tag and a release date. But first the specs and some pictures. → Read More
Remember the days when you could almost stand in the empty space within an engine compartment? Those were the days that all you needed was a good set of wrenches and a service manual to fix almost anything. But even today’s pickup trucks require random computers to diagnose and fix a lot of issues, which is taking a toll on local auto shops that aren’t “official” service centers. → Read More
I have the wrong job. After spending the day at Ford’s Product Development Center, I’m ready to start training to be a test driver. That is as long as it comes with good chiropractic coverage ’cause I’m feeling the pain after riding shotgun in only a few tests. First there was the headache-inducing ride in a 2010 Ford Taurus that demonstrated the AdvanceTrak stability… → Read More
TrueCar, an information service launched at TechCrunch50 that aims to give potential new car buyers an idea of what the price tag of the vehicle they’re considering purchasing should really be reading, is officially launching its free consumer-focused website today by taking the beta label off.
In essence, the service allows car buyers to check if the price for their next car is on par with the… → Read More
Every year there are new rules and regulation for Formula One racing and this video goes through some of the more cosmetic changes. Forget those but watch the video after the jump for a great, non-gearhead explanation of KERS. This system seems totally out of Burnout; seriously. Kinetic energy recovery systems recovers energy that would normally be wasted on braking and converts it into… → Read More
<img src="http://www.crunchgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/whitezombie2.jpg"?Everyone knows that the Tesla Roadster is a quick car and can beat most Porsche’s down the quarter mile. That $100k+ ride doesn’t have anything on this Datsun powered by lightweight lithium ion batteries dubbed White Zombie. This little guy can scoot down the strip in under 11.5 seconds at a speed of… → Read More
I’m not sure how many of you have an auxiliary port on your deck and I suspect most new car stereos do these days but if you don’t then you’ll want to skip this post. Griffin has now announced that their new TuneFlex AUX charger/controller/car mount for iPods is now shipping. It’s simple, really. → Read More
Technology has made leaps and bounds since the last President was inaugurated so it’s only right that Obama gets a new ride. “The Beast” as it has been dubbed, is still a Cadillac but not one you can buy off the shelf. Of course it’s heavily modified and some claim that it can keep rolling even after a direct hit from a rocket propelled grenade, but even the style is something exclusive on this… → Read More
As the world’s first auto maker, Mitsubishi has announced it developed a technique that lets the company use bamboo fibers in automotive interiors for reinforcement. What may sound weird at first, has a serious background. Mitsubishi wants to reduce CO2 emissions by using plant-based materials in its cars. The company is cutting bamboos into strips, removing the joints and finally crushing them. → Read More
Tokyo-based YP Systems [JP] has developed the world’s first CO2 fire extinguisher that triples as a glass breaker and a belt cutter. The device is just 19.5cm long and weighs 370g. Made specifically for use during emergency situations in vehicles, the so-called Shobo Rescue’s fire extinguishing function is kept very simple (pulling a security pin is enough). YP Systems used food… → Read More
There’s an idea – rip apart your Asus Eee PC, sprinkle some modifications here and there, and embed it into your car’s dashboard. That’s just what a guy in Russia did. It appears to be a bit more than a mere weekend project, as he’s added a touchscreen, GPS, Bluetooth, a keyboard in the glove box, and the Centrafuse car PC interface. → Read More
Carbon Motors, never heard of ‘em either, is working on a custom police car to catch all of Gotham’s baddies. It kind of looks as if K.I.T.T. and Robocop breed a Transformer offspring meant just for police duty. It’s dubbed the E7 and specific details about all the gadgets haven’t been released, but this short video shows off it’s bad-ass styling. Allegedly, the car… → Read More
Flip-flop. Hopping on the bandwagon. Smart business design. Whatever you wanna call this, we’re down with it. The Las Vegas Dan Towbin Hummer dealership is jump’n ship and has plans to start selling Smart cars along with Vespa scooters instead of the monster SUVs. The car man himself says it’s more of a business decision than anything else as peeps are dumping their… → Read More
Nothing screams super-spy, gadget tech like a Ford Ka hatchback: 13-inch rims, 45 mpg, and sexy metallic gold paint job. The last Bond flix had a Euro-spec Ford Mondeo sedan cameo, but Bond’s female counterpart is expected to pilot this European Blue Oval in the Quantum of Solace. Who knows what gadgety is stuffed into the tiny car, but the grill is big enough to house at least four rocket… → Read More
Spy shot of Honda’s new hybrid car (unconfirmed) Honda yesterday announced they hope to sell 100,000 units in North America of a new hybrid car slated for release on April 22, 2009 (Earth Day). The five-door, five-passenger vehicle lower is planned to not only be cheaper than the current Civic hybrid model (base price in the US: $22,600) but also to outperform Toyota’s hybrid market… → Read More
Instead of being stuck behind some A-hole driving 20 miles per hour under the speed limit while talking on his cell phone, you’ll soon be stuck behind a very similar A-hole trying to balance a laptop on his dashboard. According to Twice.com, Chrysler’s parts division will begin selling “a Mopar car cellular/Wi-Fi hot spot, expected to be the first of many Internet offerings from the car… → Read More
Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes. For $22.99 you can charge four USB-powered devices plus another regular DC-powered device in your car. It’s only $22.99 – roughly the cost of one or two device-specific DC adapters. Since just about everything charges via USB nowadays, this is a pretty obvious choice for any gadget fiend who spends a lot of time on the road. Car Charger with 4 USB Ports and 1… → Read More
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