When we think of autonomous cars, we tend to think of Google. Though other companies have developed self-driving technologies -- Audi and Tesla among them -- Google has turned heads because (a) it's a newbie in the auto market, (b) it has a wealth of tech resources at its fingertips, including...Read More»
For doubters, naysayers, and other haters of autonomous vehicles, the past few days have been depressing. Everyone knows that self-driving cars are coming, but these latest developments suggest that they may be running ahead of schedule. GOOGLE Last week, Google announced that its 23 self-driving...Read More»
Google began testing autonomous vehicles in California in 2009. Though that wasn't technically illegal (because lawmakers in the early 20th century never saw the need to require human drivers in cars, since they assumed one would always be onboard), California passed legislation in 2012 that...Read More»
Tesla Motors accounts for a tiny fraction of the world's car sales, but after just a few years in the biz, the small company has already had a huge effect on laws, public opinion, and the auto industry. However, according to a new book by Ashlee Vance, things could've gone very different for Tesla...Read More»
Over the past couple of weeks, rumors about Apple's plan to develop an all-electric, autonomous car have taken the internet by storm. Apple hasn't confirmed the rumors, but it hasn't denied them, either, and that -- along with a lawsuit that strongly suggests Apple is, indeed, building an electric...Read More»
Here's what we know: 1. Consumers generally hate infotainment systems designed by automakers. (Sometimes, they hate them so much, they file lawsuits.) 2. All that hatred has had an impact on quality and reliability ratings. 3. Both Apple and Google hope to improve the infotainment experience with...Read More»
In May of this year, California's Department of Motor Vehicles published safety guidelines aimed at manufacturers of self-driving cars. A few days later, Google unveiled a prototype of its first autonomous car built in-house. The prototype looked dramatically different from the modified Toyota...Read More»
Back in January, at the Consumer Electronics Show, Google announced its plans for world dashboard domination. We didn't get much in the way of details, but were told that the company's unnamed infotainment system for center stacks would come to Audi, General Motors, Honda, and Hyundai vehicles...Read More»
When you think of Google and autonomous cars, you probably think of a Toyota Prius retrofitted with radar, cameras, and other high-tech toys. But as we reported last year, Google isn't content to be an aftermarket autonomous car-maker. Google may build its own self-driving vehicles from scratch...Read More»
Getting an autonomous car to navigate highway traffic? That's old hat. Even automakers that haven't announced plans for self-driving cars offer safety features like adaptive cruise control and lane assist, which provide a degree of autonomy on the interstate. But what about on city streets? How can...Read More»
Google CEO Larry Page made a surprising statement at this week's TED conference in Vancouver. During an interview with Charlie Rose, Page said that, instead of leaving his fortune to charity, he'd rather give it to Elon Musk. It's not necessarily a bad idea. Charities do great work in communities...Read More»
Nissan is hyping the 2014 Rogue compact crossover with a new online campaign called "Detour" that could be one of the better Friday afternoon timewasters we've encountered -- this week, anyway. The campaign creates a fantasy road trip-slash-music video using Google Maps, some stock car-on-road...Read More»
In November of 2013, Cecilia Abadie was ticketed for wearing Google Glass while driving. However, Abadie insisted that she wasn't using Glass at the time, even though the device was turned on. She fought the ticket in court, and yesterday she won. But here's the interesting part: the court didn't...Read More»
Unless you've been living under a rock -- a rock without wi-fi -- you know that wearable technology is the Next Big Thing. From rings to running shoes to the fabrics in our clothes, we'll soon carry around a host of gadgets that record our lives, monitor our health, and, of course, pester us with...Read More»
Big data is a very big deal. To be sure, it has plenty of useful applications, like helping us navigate traffic jams and tracking down criminals, all thanks to the aid of GPS devices, traffic cameras, and other gadgets. But there's an insidious side to big data, too. Businesses of every stripe...Read More»
The Detroit Auto Show doesn't start until next week, but car fans are already feasting on lots of great auto news thanks to the Consumer Electronics Show. One of CES' biggest announcements involves an intriguing partnership between Audi, General Motors, Honda, and Hyundai. Along with tech firms...Read More»
The sad fact is, cell phones aren't perfect. Sure, they keep us connected to friends around the globe, but they also make it possible for us to spend entire holiday dinners face down in Facebook, ignoring everyone around us. And that's to say nothing of mobile phones' tragic effect on auto fatality...Read More»
No doubt about it: 2013 was Tesla's year. Thanks to strong sales, ongoing court battles, and a few headline-grabbing pyrotechnics, Tesla has been on the tip of everyone's tongue. But don't just take our word for it: take Google's. According to the 800-pound search-engine gorilla, Tesla was the...Read More»
Connoisseurs of commuting could argue that Waze has single-handedly upended navigation technology. Think about it. Once upon a time, gadgets and apps had to rely on data from big corporations like INRIX to tell travelers about traffic ahead. Waze said, "Forget that. Why not let the drivers...Read More»
