http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:38:27 -0500 Tips and Advice -- find out how to maintain, service, insure, wash and wax, and change the oil in your car with tips from TheCarConnection.com. Lifestyle/Fashion http://static.thecarconnection.com/website/tcc-feed.jpg http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038565_mit-audi-develop-onboard-robot-for-road-trips-guilt-trips http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038565_mit-audi-develop-onboard-robot-for-road-trips-guilt-trips Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0500 Here at TheCarConnection.com, we see a lot of gadgets designed to enhance the driving experience. Like the Mercedes-Benz mbrace system we mentioned yesterday, most are telematics devices offering directions, traffic news, and other familiar data. But MIT's SENSEable City Lab envisions something different: an onboard robot capable of giving ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038484_mercedez-benzs-mbrace-puts-luxury-in-your-lap http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038484_mercedez-benzs-mbrace-puts-luxury-in-your-lap Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:40:00 -0500 The intersection between technology and daily life became slightly more seamless yesterday with the launch of Mercedes-Benz's new "mbrace" telematics system. It features a lot of the bells and whistles we've come to expect from such gadgetry, like roadside assistance, real-time traffic, and the ability to sync smartphones with in-dash ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038252_renaults-sustainable-mobility-org-touts-zero-emissions-tech http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038252_renaults-sustainable-mobility-org-touts-zero-emissions-tech Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:59:00 -0500 In America, we tend to think of Renault as that wacky French outfit responsible for the Le Car craze of the 1970s and 80s. But in fact, the company has been doing some very interesting work on the EV front, thanks largely to its partnership with Nissan. In that vein, Renault recently launched a website dedicated to "zero emission mobility" -- ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038178_prosthetic-arms-allow-former-mechanic-to-drive-again http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038178_prosthetic-arms-allow-former-mechanic-to-drive-again Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:37:00 -0500 Christian Kandlbauer was an 18-year-old Austrian auto mechanic when he lost both his arms in an electrical accident. Thanks to German companies Paravan and Otto Bock, however, Kandlbauer was recently outfitted with thought-controlled prosthetic arms, which have given him the ability to do many things he never thought he'd do again -- including ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038132_chrysler-retools-its-ev-program-possibly-for-the-better http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038132_chrysler-retools-its-ev-program-possibly-for-the-better Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:01:00 -0500 Last week, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne unveiled the company's five-year recovery plan. This week, we've received details about Chrysler's electric vehicle program, which has been given a fairly extreme makeover and a new direction. Most notably, Chrysler's EV development initiative -- known as ENVI -- has been "absorbed into the normal ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037810_cell-phone-vehicle-control-coming-soon-to-sync-and-onstar http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037810_cell-phone-vehicle-control-coming-soon-to-sync-and-onstar Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:09:00 -0500 The iPhone-remote-controlled "Spirit of Berlin" Dodge Grand Caravan that we posted about just earlier today is pretty wild. In case you missed, it you'll want to check out the video clip demonstrating almost full vehicle operation, from the much-loved Apple handset. To a soundtrack by Yello, of course. Then you'll probably also want to recall ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034436_tcc-tip-buyer-beware-your-bluetooth-may-not-pair http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034436_tcc-tip-buyer-beware-your-bluetooth-may-not-pair Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0400 This week, as we've sifted through TheCarConnection.com's email for your questions, we've found an interesting one concerning Bluetooth connectivity. We're big users of the hands-free frequency, though we do advocate that you make all calls from a parked car, not a moving one. We're also experienced in setting up difficult and easy Bluetooth ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036954_rumor-volvo-talks-between-ford-and-geely-hit-a-speed-bump http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036954_rumor-volvo-talks-between-ford-and-geely-hit-a-speed-bump Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:28:00 -0400 A couple of weeks ago, we reported that Crown -- a consortium of American investors led by former auto industry executives -- is making a play for Volvo. The group's bid for the brand is substantially lower than that of current front-runner Geely, but we pointed out that the Americans do have some advantages at the bargaining table, especially ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036316_turning-roadways-into-range-extenders-for-evs http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036316_turning-roadways-into-range-extenders-for-evs Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:02:00 -0400 Wireless charging has become fairly commonplace for cell phones and other handheld devices (even backpacks can do it), and now, that same technology may be coming to the aid of EVs. A German outfit called Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr has a patent for an electromagnetic induction system that would sit beneath roadway surfaces and ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036319_technology-pronto4-system-lets-vehicles-drive-themselves http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036319_technology-pronto4-system-lets-vehicles-drive-themselves Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:50:00 -0400 A couple of months ago, John Voelcker reported on a futuristic, self-driving vehicle dreamed up by Google's industrial designers. That sort of personalized, automated transport may seem fairly sci-fi, but it's not as far off as you might think. For proof, look no further than the Pronto4 System, which allows nearly any car to drive itself, ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034975_laguna-seca-raceway---now-on-google-street-view http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034975_laguna-seca-raceway---now-on-google-street-view Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:25:00 -0400 If you're a frequent surfer of the interweb (and we're going to assume you are), you already know how awesome Google Street View can be. We use it all the time to peek at hotels, restaurants, the Playboy Mansion, and so on. But now, you can do even more with Google's technology -- namely, run the Laguna Seca raceway. The ride isn't quite as ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034802_department-of-transportation-funds-solar-roadways-project http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034802_department-of-transportation-funds-solar-roadways-project Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:15:00 -0400 The Department of Energy may be getting a lot of press these days for its big-dollar loans to EV automakers, but the Department of Transportation is doing its own small part to brighten the future, too. The DOT recently awarded Solar Roadways (warning: crappy website ahead) a $100,000 contract to prototype its proposed -- wait for it -- solar ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1033855_new-audis-to-get-old-technology http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1033855_new-audis-to-get-old-technology Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:32:00 -0400 So you're driving down the highway, and this song comes on, and it reminds you of someone special -- maybe an old girlfriend or boyfriend, or maybe your Aunt Doris -- and you think to yourself, "I should call Betty/Bob/Aunt Doris, and with my in-dash telematics system, I totally can!" Until now, you've had to speak the person's name aloud so ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1022473_video-hole-in-windshield-improves-convertible-driving http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1022473_video-hole-in-windshield-improves-convertible-driving Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:41:00 -0400 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1022390_german-satellites-control-your-cars-horn-in-case-of-emergency http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1022390_german-satellites-control-your-cars-horn-in-case-of-emergency Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:51:00 -0400 So, let's say you're in Stuttgart to visit the friendly folks at Mercedes-Benz. (They could use a little attention, since their competition's hogging the headlines.) During the night, a major fire breaks out down the road, but your TV's off, and there aren't any civil defense sirens, so how are you to know? By all the car horns going off, of ..]]>