A group of 30 high-tech companies led by Alcatel-Lucent and QNX Software Systems – The ng Connect Program – have created a prototype car to show how 4G networks could open the automobile to a variety of mobile technologies. The term 4G refers to the fourth-generation of wireless service that is now under development for deployment in the U.S.

Under the 4G approach, the car could access wireless services allowing the interior to act as Wi-Fi hot spot of sorts. Passengers can access a variety of services all at once and tailor them to their personal needs. For example, a backseat passenger could watch a movie while the front seat passenger shops online.

The cars would be equipped with devices that would block drivers from accessing some of the entertainment features, such as watching YouTube, while the vehicle is in motion.

The concept car shows how video on demand could be accesses by passengers by the touch of a screen as well as gaming where competitors play against each other in the back seat or anywhere in the world. The 4G would allow more home control options such as turning on lights before pulling into the driveway or monitoring the house from streaming video cameras.

Go to Source

In 2008, an estimated 6,000 people were killed and 500,000 were injured due to cell-phone related car accidents. “Distracted driving is an epidemic and it seems to be getting worse every year,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood. So, when Ford Motors decided to add Twitter to the arsenal of distracted driving devices, questions of safety where a salient concern.

2010’s Consumer Electronics Show assembled industry and government experts to answer questions and raise issues surrounding Ford’s keynote announcement that it would be launching social media-ready cars in 2010. The first and most obvious question participants had was:

Is using social media while driving safe?

“No,” says Peter Appel, the Obama Administration’s point man on transportation research. Appel’s curt, absolutist language is indicative of just how seriously the government is taking distracted driving. Given the Administration’s sobering stance, the next logical question is:

Is it Possible to Stop Distracting Technologies?

---

Commercial products are already in the pipeline, which can disable cell phones while driving. For instance, Taser, the makers of non-lethal electrocution law-enforcement weapons, has developed an almost disturbingly powerful app that lets parents control their teen’s cell phones. Among its many features is the ability to disable calling and texting within the proximity of the car.

While it may not be constitutionally viable for the government to restrict certain behaviors (Appel tells Mashable that the Obama Administration has no interest in regulating what people can and can’t do while driving), Ford Motors has chosen to disable some tasks while the car is in motion. For instance, the central on-board dash disables complex tasks, such as watching music videos, until the car is parked. Ford tells Mashable that the policy to make paternalistic decisions for drivers was done independent of the government, leaving hope that the private sector can, to some degree, self-regulate safety.

Wheel Controls and Voice Activation

---

The unwavering mantra of Ford’s CES keynote address was “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.” Ford contends that steering wheel controls and voice commands facilitate more efficient task completion than fumbling with a cell phone.

Below is a video from Ford’s keynote comparing the completion time of steering wheel control vs. a handheld MP3 player. The first part of the video shows a music change task with an MP3 player, the second part is done with Sync technology. Notice the lane position metric in the bottom left-hand portion of the screen.

Here’s a comparison chart (courtesy of Ford) showing the measured eyes off the road time difference for other tasks.

Ford contends that Sync can substantially reduce task completion time and thus minimize distracted driving.

Will Drivers Actually Use a Steering Wheel to Tweet?

---

Ford believes that voice and steering wheel-controlled social applications could bring social media to the driver’s seat in a safe and effective way. Below is a video of the voice-activated Twitter Sync app in action I shot while at CES.

It’s too early to tell if car manufactures can design a sleek enough user interface to compete with smart phones. Further, safety measures that prohibit people from actually reading tweets while driving may reduce usefulness of these applications to the point that they are no longer worth using on the road. The type of social media user obsessive enough to listen to tweets while driving may become too frustrated by the slowness of voice-to-text. After all, how many tweets can the average Twitter user scan through in the time it takes to voice one tweet?

The Ford representative in the video was more optimistic about usefulness of Ford’s technology for social applications like Pandora, a popular, customizable Internet radio application. Pandora has relatively few options (genre selection, “thumbs up” preference tagging), all of which can be seamlessly done with existing wheel controls and voice commands without negatively impacting the user experience.

Conclusion

---

Ultimately, distracted driving is inevitable, and both governments and the automobile industry must face it head on. Ford’s new technology, which at least appears to make social media and multimedia safer while driving, is a step in the right direction, but it will take more than technology to beget safe drivers. If it is possible, it will likely require a combination of legislation, social awareness, and technological innovation to create a safe marriage between social media and driving.

More social media resources from Mashable:

---

- 3 Ways Educators Are Embracing Social Technology
– 7 Lessons for Better Networking with Social Media
– Zen and the Art of Twitter: 4 Tips for Productive Tweeting
– How Social Media Has Changed Us
– 5 Tips for Building Lasting Online Friendships
– 4 Steps for Effective Online Networking

Images courtesy of iStockphoto, jhorrocks, bakalusha

Tags: autos, driving, ford, safety, social media, tech, texting, twitter

Go to Source

We knew this was going to happen and now we have more details about it. Google’s Nexus One, the top of the line Android smartphone, will get some important accessories, at least for some people. The desktop docking stations and the car dock are going to be available soon although they aren’t likely to be must-have accessories.
(…)
Read the rest of Google Nexus One Gets Own Car & Desktop Docks [Nexus One Docking Station & Car Dock to be Available for $39.99 & $49.99]

© TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities, 2010. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us

Go to Source

But found a video and it seems that there are some silly stuff you can still try on your mobile device according to Sam of VideoJug.

1. Step 1: Open your car

   There is some dispute over how and when this works. It certainly depends on you having the right locking system on your car, and even the type of mobile you have, so give it a whirl and see if it works for you

   If you somehow lock your cars key fob in the car, phone someone at home who has the spare. Bare in mind it must be a mobile to mobile call. Get them to press the open button whilst pointing the fob down the phone. Meanwhile, hold your phone about a foot from the car. With a bit of luck it will open.

2. Step 2: Check for a faulty microwave

   Put a mobile inside your microwave and give it a ring. The oven is designed to keep microwaves in, so if it rings, you may well be leaking waves all over the place, and should get it checked. There is a small gap for waves to escape, but it should at least dramatically limit the signal.

3. Step 3: Mobile phone throwing

   Start training for the mobile phone throwing world championships in Sweden. This started in 2000, and marks are awarded for distance and creative choreography. 95.53m is the unofficial world record, thrown in England in 2007. The minimum weight is 220 grams, so don’t try and throw one lighter than this, as that would just be silly.

You don’t believe me? lol then check out the video below.

Cellular & Mobile Phones:
Stupid Things To Try With Your Phone

Go to Source

I totally get the concept that this is how adults ’supposedly’ play with toys hence the phrase in the ad ‘Come and Play’. However I’m betting any grown man or woman that plays with toys, does it with their kids.

Motor Show: Toys

Now imagine a father sees this in a magazine and thinks, ‘hot’ then looks over and sees his 6 year old playing with a doll similar to the one in the ad – there’s something unsettling about that. No one is going to think the dolls are hot but the human mind is going to replace that with real women because we have everything required to do that.

I’m willing to think I’m over-thinking this but wait… look at the background of the images. The settings are even in kids’ environments. Am I the only one that thinks there’s some disturbing about this? Look, if you’re gonna sell me through sex, do it in a way I can enjoy it without feeling weird about it. It’s that simple.

Motor Show: Toys

Overall at first glance the ad is funny and even creative but further breakdown and analysis shows that it’s not necessarily a great one. I’d love to hear what readers think because it could be me over thinking. Love it or hate it?

Go to Source

2010 is shaping up to be the year Ford SYNC forever alters how we experience digital content in our vehicles. Today, the automotive company is breaking even more ground with the news that the next evolution of SYNC will support third-party mobile applications. Get ready to stream Pandora and tweet hands-free in your Ford.

Ford is essentially paving the way for running SYNC-supported mobile applications in your car, courtesy of the Ford SYNC API. It will start with support for Pandora for streaming online music, Stitcher for listening to podcasts in your car, and OpenBeak for safe and hands-free tweeting while driving. The bottom line is that you’ll be able to wirelessly control your smartphone applications in your car via the SYNC system with voice commands and steering wheel buttons.

The remarkable development — scheduled for release in 2010 — is ground-breaking when it comes to technology made available in cars, and certainly outshines the $1,200 Pioneer device with Pandora support. It’s all made possible thanks to Ford’s SYNC API, which will spawn support for the apps mentioned above and also eventually create a much larger application ecosystem.

The development also marks the sophistication and evolution of mobile applications. It seems like a dream to envision all our favorite apps functioning in our cars, and yet it’s a reality that Ford is bringing courtesy of its SYNC system.

Tags: CES, CES 2010, ford, ford sync, music, pandora, trending

Go to Source

Pandora and Pioneer — manufacturer of car audio systems — are partnering to bring Internet radio to your car.

The joint announcement — which was made today at CES — means that come March, you can purchase Pioneer-powered devices to stream Pandora radio while driving.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Pioneer device supports both navigation and entertainment, which means it will set you back an exorbitant $1,200. Should you be willing to shell out that kind of dough, the in-car system will automatically detect an iPhone or iPod touch with Pandora installed and mirror the application settings on the the navigation screen for your listening pleasure.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the deal did not involve the exchange of cash. Pandora is interested in expanding its reach and making the service universally accessible to users. Pioneer is anxious to expand further into Internet radio with connected devices and to challenge the likes of Sirius XM.

In addition, an annoucement from Pioneer also signifies that the company is moving in a more open and web-centric direction. The company is opening up its PAIS platform for connected devices to other device vendors.

The annoucement states:

“The PAIS platform presents open-standard interfaces for voice UI, navigation and maps, local search, social networking, music & radio, and video & TV, among other services. These interfaces enable device vendors to add new service offerings quickly, eliminating the need for significant investment in proprietary solutions, and saving vendors from the pitfall of trying to guess the next ‘killer app.’”

[img credit: rossr]

Tags: music, pandora, pioneer, social media

Go to Source

MS Paint is a drawing tool you can use to create simple or elaborate drawings. These drawings can be either black-and-white or color, and can be saved as bitmap files. You can print your drawing, use it for your desktop background, or paste it into another document. You can even use Paint to view and edit scanned photos.

You can also use Paint to work with pictures, such as .jpg, .gif, or .bmp files. You can paste a Paint picture into another document you’ve created, or use it as your desktop background.

There is no barrier to creativity for as long as there is a passion and thirst to create beautiful artworks. It really does not matter which software or hardware you use, for as long as you have the drive to just do it.

Go to Source

He lost my business with that second phone call because now I think he was trying to rip me off in the first place. What is up with auto mechanics that do that to people? Especially to women?

To me, finding a good auto mechanic is like finding a good man. You have to go through a lot of them to find one that is worth your loyalty, and once you do find one, you never let him go. My friend @allisonrebecca1 is also dealing with the same issue. She requested that I write this article.

Here are my top 5 rules to follow so you don’t get ripped off by your mechanic:

Rule #1
Don’t randomly choose your mechanic. Get a referral. If someone you know has been using a mechanic for several years and they are happy with his service, that information is as good as gold. Ask everyone you know who they use and what their experience was like. Usually people that have a good mechanic will go on and on about how great he is.

Rule #2
Take some quick notes as your mechanic is explaining the problem. Then, go home and research everything on the Internet. We use the internet for everything else, why don’t we typically use it for this? It is very easy to find out how much the parts cost online. Did you know that many times they are marked up 100%? There are even sites that will let you know if the price you’ve been quoted is too high. It’s definitely worth the time.

Rule #3
If they are supposed to replace parts, ask them to give you the old ones. I know, you don’t really want those greasy grimy parts, but it’s truly the only way to know if they really replaced the parts they said they did. We would never consider buying anything else that we didn’t know for 100% sure we received; however, we do it all the time with auto parts.

Rule #4
Become familiar with your car’s user manual. I just looked at the user manual about a week ago, and wow, that was some cool reading. I can’t believe I didn’t look in there before. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll learn just from checking that out. You won’t feel like your mechanic is speaking Greek when you can cross reference it in the user manual.

Rule #5
If you really want to see if a mechanic is honest, take a car that is in great condition to him. Tell him it is making a funny noise and ask him to check it out. If he inspects your car and says that nothing is wrong with it, then you know he is honest. If he hands you a list of things that are wrong with your car, then you know he is trying to rip you off.

Taking Your Car To The Mechanic:
How To Avoid Getting Ripped Off By A Mechanic

Thank you to http://www.flickr.com/photos/hernameisali/1865739329 &
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eye_trust_no1/2750070238 for the great photos!

Go to Source

Don’t like the gallery layout? Click here to view everything on one page.

About the Tips Box: Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox, but for various reasons—maybe they’re a bit too niche, maybe we couldn’t find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn’t fit it in—the tip didn’t make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favorites for your buffet-style consumption. Got a tip of your own to share? Add it in the comments, share it here, or email it to tips at lifehacker.com.

Use Hand Sanitizer to De-Ice Car Locks

Photo by akemp42.

Kevin Kelsey shows us another handy pocket item that acts as a multitasker:

Went to a movie on Christmas, and when we came out, the car locks were frozen. No stores open for miles. I said to my wife that if we just had some alcohol, we could use that to unfreeze it. She gave me a small bottle of hand sanitizer, and I dipped the key in it. The lock opened right up. Neat, huh?

Use a Regular Comb as a Beard Trimming Guard

handbra gives beard-rockers a tip to keep it neat without a guarded trimmer:

If you have facial hair (I have a goatee) and forgot your guarded trimmer, you can use a comb as a guard and use the trimmer on the back of most electric razors. Just “comb” your beard and run the trimmer over the comb. It takes a little getting used to, and it isn’t the cleanest trim, but you can touch it up when you get through, and is much better than letting it grow out for the duration of your trip.

Keep a Squeegee In Your Car for Easy Snow Removal

Photo by VirtualErn.

spacecoyote lets us know about another useful windshield-clearing tool:

When the snow starts a-falling, throw a squeegee in your vehicle along with an ice scraper. It’s much more efficient at clearing snow from the car and doesn’t have bristles that clog up with snow and ice that will later melt inside your vehicle. If you have one with a sponge side, you can use that on painted areas if there’s a worry about scratching the paint with the rubber squeegee. I’ve been using a $3 cheap-o from Wal-Mart and it hasn’t let me down yet.

Leave Loose Items With Shoes For Quick Remembering

Enginerd keeps us from leaving important items behind with this tip:

Going to somebody else’s house? Place the things you need to remember in (or on, if this grosses you out) your shoe, such as keys, wallet, or phone. Since you can’t leave without your footwear, you’re certain to remember these other items.

For those of us that are really forgetful, this tip works at your own house, too.

Go to Source

Signed,
Can’t See the Street

Photo by Muffet.

Dear Can’t See the Street,

Depending on the temperature and the situation you’ll want to attack the condensation on your windows with different methods.

It’s chilly in most of the US right now, so we’ll assume you’re worried about the interior of the window fogging up. The fogging occurs because of the temperature and moisture differential between the inside of the car and the outside of the car. Outside it’s cold and dry—it might not seem dry with all the snow and slush but winter air has very low humidity—and inside it’s warmer and moister thanks to your body heat and the moisture from your breath being trapped inside.

In an emergency, when you need the window defogged right now, the fastest way to do so is to rapidly lower the inside temperature so that the moisture stops condensing on the glass. Turning the defrost vent on without heat or opening the windows is the fastest way to dissipate the fog on the window. While fast, it isn’t very comfortable for the occupants of the car so it’s best reserved for times where you find the window suddenly fogging up and you need to see out in a hurry.

It’s significantly more comfortable to use your heater and employ other tricks to manage the moisture than it is to keep your car freezing cold. Warming the inside of the car and blowing warm air across the windshield using the defrost setting will evaporate the moisture. Skip using the recirculate feature if your car has it, you want to push the humid air out of the car and bring dry air in from the outside. You might be conditioned to use the recirculate feature to make the most of your AC in the summer but in the winter it doesn’t matter—your engine has more than enough excess heat to go around.

While we’re on the topic of summer time, in particularly humid weather you have to deal with the opposite problem. High humidity and temperature on the outside of the car and low humidity and temperature on the inside of the car—thanks to the AC!—make it necessary to reverse your technique. You can use your wipers to constantly clean away the fog from the exterior but that’s a bit of a hassle. You can turn the AC down or off entirely, or you can turn the heat on low and warm the inside of the glass to stop the moisture from condensing on the outside. You won’t often encounter the fog-on-the-outside situation, compared to the winter effect of fog-on-the-inside, but when you do it can be a real pain.

Our final tip: keep your windows extra clean. Not only do clean windows help with visibility even when you’re not dealing with fog, clean windows are less prone to fogging.

Keeping it Between the Navigational Beacons,
Lifehacker

Go to Source

This car, called the Gemballa MIG-U1, is based on the Ferrari Enzo. According to http://www.worldcarfans.com “the car has a completely new exhaust, and not just new tailpipes. The car boasts a unique rear bumper and wing, new side sills, and a front bumper. It appears the car has LED daytime lights as well. It just wouldn’t be a Gemballa without the roof-mounted air intake. Interior mods include quilted upholstery, dual-tone floor mats, and a video screen.” Gemballa, famous for their creative Porche designs, really outdid themselves on this latest creation in my opinion. Of course, not everyone agrees. Car snobs everywhere are saying this is just a knock off of a Ferrari FXX. How can anyone think a car that looks like a stormtrooper isn’t cool?

Unfortunately, we regular folks won’t be able to run out and buy one of these beauties since it is a special-edition commissioned by the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group, a company from Dubai. If you do any research on this company, you’ll see an extravagance so indulgent it’s almost unbelievable. Suddenly it makes sense why this car is so over the top.

A lot of the details about this car have not been released yet, but after the official invitation-only launch in Dubai, I’m sure we’ll have more information. So, you be the judge. What do you think? Cool car or gaudy waste of time?

Go to Source

Soon almost anything will be possible — in your car, that is. Ford recently revealed that in 2010, SYNC-equipped vehicles will become Wi-Fi hotspots, and today they’re announcing new HD Radio technology with iTunes Tagging for the year ahead as well.

Ford is the first automaker to release this technology, which will not only elevate radio quality to a near-perfect CD-like audio experience, but will also enable users to simply hit a “TAG” button on the radio display to mark songs — heard on HD Radio — for future purchase.

The SNYC system can store 100 tags at a time, with data transferred to connected iPods. Once an iPod is synced with the user’s iTunes, that individual will be able to view the songs they tagged in the car, listen to previews and purchase songs via iTunes.

HD Radio promises a hiccup-free listening experience, and iTunes Tagging should eliminate memory lapses around tracks first heard on the radio. These features, combined with a car capable of doubling as a Wi-Fi hotspot, means that Ford is focused on building the car of the future, and we’re ready to take it for a ride.

Tags: automotive, ford, media, social media

Go to Source

All an owner of a SYNC-ready car would have to do is plug in a compatible USB mobile broadband modem (or air card), and they will create a secure wireless connection that will be broadcast throughout the vehicle.

"While you’re driving to grandma’s house, your spouse can be finishing the holiday shopping and the kids can be chatting with friends and updating their Facebook profiles," said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. "And you’re not paying for yet another mobile subscription or piece of hardware because Ford will let you use technology you already have."

"The speeds with which technology is evolving, particularly on the wireless front, makes obsolescence a real problem," said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford’s Connected Services Solutions Organization. "We’ve solved that problem by making SYNC work with just about any technology you plug into it. By leveraging a user’s existing hardware, which can be upgraded independent of SYNC, we’ve helped ensure ‘forward compatibility’ with whatever connectivity technology comes next."

"Using SYNC with existing mobile devices helps Ford provide the most value, the most flexibility and the most convenience for owners," said Fields. "Constant connectivity is becoming a routine part of our customers’ lives, and we’re making existing technology more accessible without adding costs: That’s the kind of value Ford drivers have learned to expect."

Ford has proven in the past to be a particularly Internet-savvy company. This was evident from an interview WebProNews did with Scott Monty, who runs the company’s social media efforts:

Ford says studies by the Consumer Electronics Association show that as many as 77 million adults make up the so-called technology enthusiast drivers population, more than half of whom express the desire for a connected communications and information system in their vehicles. They say over a third of Americans would be interested in the ability to check email and access Web sites in their vehicles.

Related Articles:

> Google Earth Makes Leap To Automobiles

> Google Develops Fleet Of Fuel-Efficient Cars

> How Ford Does Social Media

Go to Source

When Microsoft and Ford first partnered to bring SYNC technology to new cars, the idea of having an Internet-connected car was still pretty out there. Mobile broadband hadn’t started to take off, smartphones were still largely relegated to early adopters or business users, and the number of Internet-connected gadgets wasn’t anywhere close to what it is now. Now, the only real problem is finding a way to get an Internet connection to all of your different devices.

That’s going to change next year when Ford introduces the second generation of SYNC in-car connectivity systems. The new SYNC systems will let users turn their into car into one big Wi-Fi hot spot. Users can plug their own USB mobile broadband card into SYNC’s USB port and create a wireless network for everyone in the car to use.

Bring Your Own Broadband

The SYNC Wi-Fi system isn’t the first solution we’ve seen this year that promises to make your car mobile in more ways than one; the LTE Connected Car concept that we wrote about in November proposes something similar. However, the big difference with Ford’s SYNC Wi-Fi system is that it doesn’t require an additional subscription or additional hardware.

The capability will be standard on select SYNC-equipped vehicles (so this isn’t a dealer-installed add-on) and you can use it with your existing broadband USB modem. That’s an idea we can get behind, because it doesn’t couple the car to any specific broadband provider. Depending on where you live or who is in the car with you, not being tied to any specific provider is pretty cool.

Check out this video of the system in action:

As for security, Ford says that the default security is set to WPA2. Additionally, the driver has to specifically allow a device to connect the first time it is recognized by the SYNC. That should potentially cut down on any war-driving for SYNC cars tomfoolery.

Personally, I love the idea of being able to turn my car into a hot spot. It would certainly make long trips that much nicer — all Internet-connected appliances could connect without having to either use a laptop or trying to jerry-rig a 3G cell phone.

What do you think? Would the ability to create your own Wi-Fi hot spot be an incentive when purchasing a new car? Let us know!

Tags: cars, ford, ford sync, microsoft sync, sync, wifi

Go to Source

Let’s say you’re one of those filthy rich bastards who can afford the powerful and expensive new Audi A8. If there’s one thing you don’t want to happen while driving that car, is to get lost, which is why any self-respecting luxury car nowadays will be delivered with a built-in GPS-based satellite navigation system. But the biggest drawback of such a system is the fact that maps are being pre-loaded and that they may require updates.

(…)
Read the rest of Audi A8 to Bring Google Earth to Its SatNav System [New Audi A8 to Count on Google Earth for Directions]

© TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities, 2009. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us

Go to Source

Yes, plenty of cars have built-in GPS navigation. But up until now, no car had Google Earth integrated, and now Audi has remedied that with their new luxury car, the Audi A8.

Snugged right into the LCD screen in the car, the Google Earth application will let lucky owners look at 3D satellite imagery, terrain information, and even additional info layers such as Wikipedia articles or Panoramio images related to a certain location.

A8’s system will also feature Google Maps and Local Search, plus the ability to link it all with your desktop computer. To save time, you can simply search for an address on your computer and send it to the car; when you start driving, the car will know where to go.

However, if you’re not familiar with German manufacturer’s luxury cars, lets just say that only those with the deepest pockets will be buying one. The rest of us will have to make do with an iPhone stand and the Google Earth mobile app.

Tags: audi, google earth

Go to Source

The American car industry may be in trouble, but they’re still trying new things. Last week at the LA Auto Show, American car giant Chevrolet gave a press conference on the Chevy Volt, their all-electric car, and revealed a quick PowerPoint slide that the carmaker was developing a mobile phone app to control ’some car functions’.

(…)
Read the rest of Chevrolet Volt To Feature BlackBerry, iPhone App [American All-Electric Car To Use Mobile Phone App To Control 'Some' Car Functions]

© TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities, 2009. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us

Go to Source

My thoughts were verified by The Insider when they put out a simple statement that Oprah’s staff had made contact. No word yet on if Tiger has accepted, but mark my word it will happen.

But will it change anything? Probably not for the public. The jokes will go on for quite awhile until some other celebrity gets exposed for something they are probably doing right now. His wife will be a lot richer and a few mistresses will be too. The media will get more attention from reporting headlines about 911 calls due to sick mother-in-laws being transported to the hospital for stomach pains. However Tiger will still be a top golfer, and will still be marketable, though his powers of negotiation will be greatly reduced.

Before the car crash that rocked his world, he was above reproach and could demand top fees. Now, he may have to give up a nice chunk for advertisers to overlook the three six nine ten twelve (but who’s counting) mistress scandal.

Many news agencies made you believe that Tiger’s Gatorade drink Focus was dropped because of the recent scandal, however, truth be told, Pepsico dropped it from their product line on November 9, 2009,  prior to the car accident. So unless they were psychic, it’s pretty safe to assume this had nothing to do with current events.

Advertisers may be pulling a few ads until this dies down a bit, but overall Tiger will still be pimping products for years to come. So we say to Gillette, don’t be too hard on Tiger, he was just trying to live up to “The Best A Man Can Get”  slogan. And Nike, well you have all along preached to us to “Just Do It” (maybe “Just Don’t Do It” should be Tiger’s new motto).

A fun interview with Dennis Rodman (NBA’s badboy) says this is just part of the process. You get famous and it happens. People expect it from celebrities. Although he does note that people are more excited about what has happened with Tiger because he was so pristine, so perfect. Dennis even predicts that Lebron James will be the next celeb to fall, it’s only a matter of time before the pedestal we put celebrities on crumbles and the truth is revealed.

We do get a rush from a celebrity fall from grace. It definitely brings out the worst in us to feel good about someone’s self-destruction. Sad really, but true.  But while we wait for Tiger Woods to shed a few tears on the  Oprah Winfrey show, enjoy watching a few other celebrities cry in this fun video.

Go to Source

Here at Mashable, we’re big fans of Internet radio provider Pandora. Lots of us enjoy it on our laptops, on our mobile phones and even in the car — using various adaptors.

Plugging your iPod touch or iPhone (or Droid, if you will) into your car stereo isn’t the most safety conscious activity, but it’s the only way most of us can access our streaming Internet radio favorites while on the go. That might be changing. As GigaOm reports, Pandora is preparing to aggressively target the automotive space.

According to GigaOm, Pandora CTO Tom Conrad says half of the Internet radio’s mobile users listen to Pandora in the car (like us, they just connect their phones to their stereos). Conrad says Pandora is working with car manufacturers to support Pandora via in-dash controls.

This means that instead of fumbling with your iPhone or Droid and potentially getting in an accident, you could change the station or go to a different saved playlist from your dashboard.

This would work using a tethered-handset mode that would connect the mobile device by Bluetooth or another technology to the dash for playback.

Pandora already has a deal with Ford and its SYNC technology (co-developed with Microsoft), and Conrad hinted at some announcements planned for CES in January.

Would you pay more to have Pandora in your car? How do you listen to music while driving? Let us know in the comments.

Tags: car, car stereo, pandora

Go to Source

Related Blogs

• Related Blogs on Your Next Car Radio Might Be Pandora

As previously announced early this year, Mitsubishi are trying to enter the crossover market with a new model that is expected to be released sometime in February 2010. Dubbed Mitsubishi RVR, the compact crossover seems to be right on schedule as the Japanese car maker have announced a few details about the car and a couple of photos that certainly made a click into our heads here on TFTS.

(…)
Read the rest of Mitsubishi RVR Compact Crossover to Debut Early 2010 [Mitsubishi RVR CUV Begins Selling Next Year]

© TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities, 2009. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us

Go to Source

A recent video on YouTube, which shows a car hit by a large wrecking ball, is fast approaching viral status on the site.

The video description attempts to paint the incident as real and claims that a, “Dodge minivan that entered a closed construction zone in Manhattan was accidentally hit and flipped over by the wrecking ball as onlookers watch in horror and ran for cover. Driver escaped with minor injuries.”

The problem is that everything about the video makes us think that this is a fake. A few questions that arise: Why would they be using a wrecking ball adjacent to a Manhattan city street? Is there a voice in the background yelling cut? Is there a flipping mechanism underneath the car? Would it be possible to survive from the impact? Why are there no news reports on the incident? And the list goes on.

Given the video description mentioning Dodge, the Chicago Tribune even speculates that the video might be an attempt at a viral ad by Dodge, and we wouldn’t be surprised if that turned out to be the case. Remember the “Amazing ball girl catch” viral video that turned out to be a viral ad engineered by Gatorade?

While you can probably guess where we stand on the video’s status, we want your take. Is the, “OMG! Car Hit and Flipped By Wrecking-Ball in NYC!” video real or fake? What’s your take, and why?

Tags: car flipped by wrecking ball, viral video

Go to Source

While Lawnmower Man may have led us to believe the future was a virtual one, it seems that in fact augmented reality (the overlaying of digital data on the real world) is where we’re headed.

A buzz technology right now, augmented reality apps are quickly gaining momentum on the iPhone. So to add to the quick overview of six AR apps we brought you earlier, we sort the digital wheat from the pixellated chaff to bring you ten AR apps for the iPhone that vary from functional, to educational, to just plain fun.

1. Le Bar Guide

---

Although the wisdom of getting drunk people to wave their iPhones around on today’s mean streets is questionable, if you drink responsibly, as this Stella Artois-backed app urges you to, this could be a handy tool. As with similar location-based AR apps, Le Bar (that’s French for bar, by the way) Guide will assist you in finding the nearest watering hole, give you ratings and then even point you to a taxi within stumbling distance. It’s accurate to 20 feet, which is a coincidence, as that’s about our level of accuracy after three pints of the French stuff.

2. WorkSnug

---

Another corporate-backed app, this time by Plantronics, is WorkSnug, an iPhone app that finds digital nomads a place to lay their weary laptop. It identifies Wi-Fi hotspots and potential workplaces – from coffee shops to professional rent-a-desk office spaces – with user reviews encompassing power provision, atmosphere, noise levels and even the quality of the coffee. Although currently only available for London, versions for San Francisco, New York, Berlin, Madrid are due soon.

3. Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy

---

This star map app will spell out the stars, planets and constellations for you. Needing no connectivity, this clever app contains data on 10,000 stars, 88 constellations and lunar phases, while the “tonight’s sky” feature shows meteor showers and visible planets based on your location. Just hold your iPhone skywards on a bright night and before you can say “Hubble telescope” you’ll be looking at Uranus.

4. DishPointer

---

Staying on the celestial theme, what started out as a clever Google Maps mashup has been turned into an iPhone app, and is within days of launching for Android handsets too. The mobile version of DishPointer is designed for satellite installers or mobile broadcasters to hold their phones up to the sky and get a virtual overlay of their nearest satellites to know which way to point the darn dish. If you aren’t employed in such a field, yet you have this on your phone, then your nerd-score just went through the stratosphere. Way to go, cable guy.

5. AugMeasure

---

Finally an iPhone app your dad can get excited about. Augmented reality measuring arrives with AugMeasure which lets you gauge short distances using on your iPhone’s camera. AugMeasure displays distances (up to 30 centimeters or 12 inches) on the screen overlaid onto the live image which will change as you move the phone. While the results might not be precise enough for that intricate woodworking project you’ve got going on in the basement, for those quick, “No, it’s definitely longer than 6 inches” moments, it’s a must.

6. Virtual Graffiti

---

If the militant grammar nerd within knows that the sign for “Buddys Bar” needs an apostrophe, then Virtual Graffiti can help. Snap an image, add your witticism, embellishment or “tag”, then, once uploaded, your artistic addition to the world can be browsed on a location basis thanks to the Google Maps integration. All the fun of tagging, none of the embarrassment of getting caught with a spray can in your hot little old-enough-to-know-better hand.

7. Theodolite

---

If you’re the type that likes to know what axis is bisecting your Northerly inclination and at what altitude, then chances are you already have an actual theodolite. If you don’t and that sentence gave you chills (in a good way) then you’re 99 cents away from topographical heaven. As well as offering all that a theolodite might, but in a decidedly more portable package, this app overlays such data over your camera’s image and even lets you snap the odd screenshot for posterity.

8. Car Finder

---

We’re sure you have no use for this one yourself, but if you know anyone who might have difficulty finding their way back to the car in those huge parking lots, then the Car Finder app is a good suggestion. Once the car’s location is set, the app creates a visible marker showing the car, its distance away and the direction in which to head. There are other non-AR apps which offer this kind of tool, but we think seeing it on a real-life display will make locating that pesky Pontiac a piece of cake.

9. Firefighter 360

---

Catering to both pyromaniacs and Backdraft fantasists, Firefighter 360 will set your immediate location on fire, requiring you, as heroic fireperson, to get out the hose, douse some flames and save some passers-by. As far as iPhone gaming goes, it’s arguably not a high point. The sound effects are crude and the graphics cartoonish. But it’s an interesting application of AR that makes us excited about the next wave of AR games. Did we mention you get to play a fireperson?

10. iPew

---

Want to shoot people in the face with a laser? Yep, there’s an app for that. iPew could easily also be named iPuerile, as it really is that dumb. But, sometimes it’s the simple things in life (kicking leaves, vanilla ice cream, swapping around the keys on a colleague’s keyboard when they’re on vacation) that offer the most pleasure – at least on a short term basis. iPew offers you a choice of weapons and provides gratifying noises as you get someone in your virtual sights and blast them away. Recommended for board meetings, long commutes and those cozy nights in with the in-laws.

More iPhone resources from Mashable:

---

- iPhone TV: Top iPhone Apps for Live Streaming Television
- Top 10 iPhone Apps as Judged by Mashable Readers
- 7 iPhone Apps That Can Save Lives
- 5 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Wine Lovers
- 20 Creative Apps For Your iPhone

Tags: Augmented Reality, iphone, iphone app, Lists, mobile app, trending

Go to Source

The financial crisis has definitely changed people’s perception with regards to new vehicle models and gas-guzzlers, hence why the Germans from Volkswagen have been working on coming up with a concept car, that is supposedly the most fuel-efficient in the world.Dubbed Volkswagen Up! Lite and unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show, the new four wheeler is a technical extension of the L1 Concept that saw daylight earlier this year in Frankfurt.

(…)
Read the rest of Volkswagen Up! Lite Concept Debuts in Los Angeles [VW Up! Lite Concept, the Most Fuel-efficient Car in the World]

© TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities, 2009. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us

Go to Source

Now while I do agree the alleged affair is a private matter between Tiger and his wife, I can’t help but laugh at some of the creativity that has surfaced.

From CGI recreations of what may have happened the morning of the car crash to a chart listing appropriate golf clubs for the angry wife’s revenge, there are lots of jokes been passed around to poke fun at Tiger Woods and his transgressions.

Feel free to keep this post updated by adding your faves to the comments, but now  here they are, in no particular order.

1. The Angry Wife’s Guide To Golf Clubs

Maxim magazine creates a great chart to aid angry women in choosing a golf club to get revenge after being wronged by their partner.

2. Random Jokes about Tiger Woods

Would Tiger’s wife be willing to forgive him if he changed his name to Cheatah?

Apparently, the only person who can beat Tiger Woods with a golf club is his wife.

Tiger Woods drove an Escalade into a tree. Pro golfers generally treat caddies better than that.

Tiger Woods is so rich that he owns lots of expensive cars. Now he has a hole in one.

What’s the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards.

Tiger Woods wasn’t seriously injured in the crash, but he’s still below par.

What were Tiger Woods and his wife doing out at 2.30 in the morning? They went clubbing

Tiger Woods crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree. He couldn’t decide between a wood and an iron.

New Nike “TW” hat……..$25

New Nike Golf Shoes……$125

New Cadillac Escalade….$60,000

New Nike Iron, wrapped around your head, By jealous wife..

……PRICELESS ! !

3. CGI Creation Of Tiger Woods’ Accident

Seems the Chinese went to some extra effort to recreate the scene with a full CGI video of what may have occurred.

4. The Wanda Sykes Show: Tiger Woods Car Accident

Wanda tells her version of what happened that night, and I must say, that’s my version as well.

5. Hell Hath No Fury – Like A Viking Scorned by Phil Linehan

Was Tiger perhaps trying to take flight

when he jumped into his car in the middle of the night?

How else to explain his behavior manic

as he stepped on the gas in a state of panic.

Did he think he was hitting the tee

when he bashed his car into a tree?

Was he trying to practice a putting shot

when he walloped an immovable water spigot?

We have to imagine he was hurrying to avoid being berated

by someone who was a little bit irritated

Had he perhaps done something he should not

and in his peccadillo had just been caught?

If he had bothered to study some Scandinavian history

Elin’s behavior should have been no mystery

for Vikings tend to react quite strongly

when they think they have been treated wrongly.

We have many examples of what happens when their ire

can lead to consequences best described as dire.

So he should be careful when next temped to push her over the edge

or she might come after him wielding his very best wedge.

At least we know now what to give a bride

when about a gift for her shower we must decide.

If we cannot find a nice silver dish for butter

we can always present a weighted putter.

6. Tiger Woods made Hau Lung-Bing the Worst Person in the World

Banning Tiger Woods Graphic story lands Hau Lung-Bing, mayor of Taiepi city in Taiwan, the Worst Person in the World on Keith Olbermann’s show on MSNBC.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

7. Jimmy Kimmel Goes to a Barbershop to Talk About Tiger Woods

They cover a wide range of topics including “was this a police cover-up to keep a black guy out of jail?” 

8. Conan O’Brien: New Tiger Woods Videogame

Bet you can guess what happens in this one…

9. The Tiger Woods “I Did It For Love” Mashup

Basically this is the CGI version put to music, but it’s fun.

10. David Letterman’s Top 10 Stories Tiger Is Giving The Cops

While I know this one would have been classic, it appears the writers quit because David Letterman wanted to write the jokes and they sucked. So we miss out on a few gems like, ” Let he who hath not sinned cast the first stone.” Wait…what? Oh well you can read more about that story over at Chicago Now.

Don’t forget to add your faves to the comments!

Go to Source

Are you in the market for a new car? Might I suggest the all new 2011 Audi A8 full-size sedan, that will come load, absolutely loaded, with tech toys (I’m sure thats what Audi calls them) for the German automotive connoisseur. These tech features include, a Google Earth navigation system, a 19-speaker sound system, and an internet connection and WiFi network. That’s right, your car can be connected to the internet.

(…)
Read the rest of 2011 Audi A8 Is Stacked With Gadgets [New Audi Sedan Comes With Google Earth, WLAN, More Tech Toys]

© TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities, 2009. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us

Go to Source

Magellan has decided to make a GPS Car Kit of its own for the iPhone and iPod touch and now we have more details about it. In case you don’t want to get the GPS Car Kit offered by TomTom then you could consider Magellan’s offer.
(…)
Read the rest of Magellan’s iPhone GPS Car Kit Coming in December [Magellan GPS Car Kit for iPhone Retails for $129.99; Ships on December 11]

© TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities, 2009. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us

Go to Source

The holiday season is upon us and along with the food, festivities and fun comes the joys of traveling. Whether near or far, traveling with kids brings its own set of challenges. Regardless of whether you are embarking by plane, train, or automobile, anything longer than an hour or so will inevitably result in antsy kids and “are we there yet?” whines.

In an attempt to ease some of the hassles of traveling – especially when battling the legions of fellow travelers during the holiday season – the following is a list of iPhone apps for making that long journey a little easier.

Note: Due to the sheer number of travel-related iPhone apps available, this particular list was compiled with only US travel in mind.

1. Pack and Go Deluxe

Before the journey even begins, packing yourself and other family members requires a great deal of organization. If you’re traveling with young children, things get more complicated when there are essentials like diapers, wipes, formula, bottles and baby food that you need with you. This app enables you to pick from a master catalogue of hundreds of items and create your own lists to ensure nothing gets left behind.

Cost: $2.99

2. Rest Area Finder

When you’re driving with the family on the Interstate and nature calls, knowing where the closest rest stop is can be a lifesaver. With this handy app, your location is constantly updated and rest stop information, i.e. rest rooms, gas, food, pet walking, vending machines, etc., is available so you can determine where to stop based on whether the kid needs to go or the dog does.

Cost: Free

3. ZuiTube

ZuiTube is like a kid-friendly version of YouTube with more than 60,000 videos that have been pre-approved by parents and teachers. There are many different channels available that appeal to kids of all ages and contain videos in categories including Hannah Montana, National Geographic, animals, sports, and many more. It’s great for keeping the kids entertained in a G-rated way.

Cost: Free

4. MotionX GPS Drive

MotionX GPS Drive is a “super app” that combines the functions of multiple applications into one. First and foremost is the navigation, providing essentially the same service as any standalone GPS system on the market (live voice guidance is free for the first 30 days and is available for a cost thereafter of $24.99 per year). In addition to navigation, this app also identifies the closest gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals and more, and gives you the directions for getting there.

Cost: $2.99

5. iFlyPro

Don’t be put off by the higher cost of this app – it is well worth the investment for any traveler. iFlyPro enables you to track flights in real-time, and also provides detailed information about every airline and airport, including terminal maps, amenities and restaurants at each terminal. It could be extremely helpful when you’re in an unfamiliar airport and have hungry kids who are demanding some McDonald’s.

Cost: $6.99

6. Family Car Games

This app blows the license plate game out of the water. Family Car Games is a fun, interactive application for the entire family to enjoy on those long car rides. There are 100 options available including guessing games, word games, car radio games, and memory games. It also includes a fun spinner function that picks games for you at random.

Cost: $1.99

7. Campwhere

For the more adventurous families who like to rough it, Campwhere is the perfect app for you. It provides geo-location information for approximately 7,500 federal, state and local campgrounds in the country and also links to Google Maps for directions. The app provides basic facility information about each location, but also links to the campground’s web site (where available) for full details.

Cost: $3.99

8. Family Matters

Instead of trying to constantly distract the kids during a long trip, Family Matters is an app that is designed to encourage interaction with them. With a multitude of questions and activities, the goal of this app is to spawn meaningful conversation and engagement. There are different questions and activities for four categories: General, Restaurant, Road Trip, Dr.’s Office, but all are interchangeable.

Cost: $1.99

9. TripCase

With multiple pieces of luggage, carry-ons, car seats, etc., the last thing you need is having to fish out all the different pieces of paper that house your family’s airline confirmation numbers, and rental car and hotel reservation numbers. With TripCase, all the information can be stored in one place for quick and easy access. Flight status is also updated in real-time, so if any last minute changes are made and the kids are in for a longer layover, you can be prepared.

Cost: Free

10. iStoryTime

Instead of packing a bunch of bedtime books that weigh down your suitcase, why not load some stories onto your iPhone? iStoryTime offers an array of whimsical and delightfully illustrated books for kids aged 2-7. With a constantly growing library of stories to choose from, kids will enjoy “flipping” through the pages of each e-book and listening to the stories unfold.

Cost: $0.99 – $1.99 per book

11. Postino

When the kids are traveling, the grandparents want to see every moment from their trip. You can use Postino to create a postcard with a photo from your iPhone and send it via email (free) or postal mail (for a fee). Although it is a little pricey ($1.99 per card), it certainly eases the burden of having to go to a souvenir shop and pick out a postcard to mail from the road, and offers a personal touch that will be sure to please family members back home.

Cost: Free

BONUS: TSAwait

When you’re holding an infant, pushing a stroller and trying to lug all your luggage along with you, standing in a long security line at the airport isn’t exactly a fun thing to do. TSAwait is a useful app that provides wait time statistics for airport security checkpoints across the country. This app is currently available on iTunes, but is in a holding pattern until the TSA web site’s redesign has been completed.

Cost: $0.99

More iPhone resources from Mashable:

- iPhone TV: Top iPhone Apps for Live Streaming Television
- Top 10 iPhone Apps as Judged by Mashable Readers
- 7 iPhone Apps That Can Save Lives
- 5 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Wine Lovers
- 20 Creative Apps For Your iPhone

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, tomhoryh

Tags: iphone, iphone apps, List, Lists, travel

Go to Source

Originally posted at Web Crawler

Go to Source

Despite a rough corporate history thus far, news giant Reuters is reporting that boutique car manufacturer Tesla is planning to have an IPO (initial public offering). Tesla currently produces an all-electric sports car with a proprietary electric drive train and uses a Lotus-produced body and chassis. The Tesla has a range of 244 miles and can go 0-to-60 in just 3.9 seconds.

(…)
Read the rest of Buy Your Share of Tesla Motors [Electric Car Company Tesla to Go Public]

© TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities, 2009. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us

Go to Source

Are you ready for an electric vehicle in your life? If you’re not interested that much in the Tesla, although they do have some pretty interesting models, you can always go for an Aptera 2e. The car looks like an airplane that’s pissed off about leaving home without its wings again, but that doesn’t mean it won’t offer you a great driving experience.
(more…)

See: Aptera 2e Electric Car Gets Delayed [Aptera 2e Electric Vehicle to Enter Production Only in 2010]

Go to Source

Citroen wouldn’t like to lose market share against those manufacturers that have already tackled the green minded with their new models, hence why the French car builder has announced a new electric vehicle concept that is meant to harm the environment as little as possible. Dubbed the Citroen C-Zero, the 3.48m-long city car borrows a bit from the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and its older brother, the Peugeot iOn.

(more…)

See: Citroen C-ZERO Electric Vehicle Revealed [C-ZERO EV Based on Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Launches End of 2010]

Go to Source

Since its debut, Shazam, the music discovery tool, has remained one of the most popular applications in Apple’s App Store. The immensely popular app is also available on many other mobile devices, and in June surpassed more than 50 million global users.

Now Shazam Entertainment is looking to capitalize on their widespread popularity with a second, premium Shazam application that will set you back $4.99. Shazam Encore, released today, includes added functionality like music recommendations, album reviews, hot and popular tagged tracks, music search, and the ability to dock your iPod/iPhone in your car and tag music playing on your car stereo.

We think it’s a valiant effort to monetize the Shazam product, but given that the free application suits the purpose of discovering music perfectly, we think the new app is going to be a hard sell. Take a look at Encore’s full list of premium features included below, and let us know whether you’re game for the $4.99 charge.

Shazam Encore Features

- Improved speed performance: making it even quicker for users to tag tracks and learn more about their music.
- Music recommendations: users can discover other music similar to the track that’s been tagged to enhance their music collection and knowledge.

- Find what’s hot and popular: Shazam music charts generated by millions of other Shazamers can be accessed to help users keep up to date with the new tracks and players in the music scene.

- Search music: easily find music by artist, album or track from over 8 million songs.

- Drive and Tag: Shazam automatically enters into car mode when the iPhone is placed in an in-car dock to make it simple to discover what’s playing on the radio even when driving.

[via VentureBeat]

Go to Source

Not only is 2010 going to introduce the first commercially available wireless LTE networks but it looks like various cars of the future will be able to offer the same high-speed 4G connectivity.
(more…)

See: Toyota Prius Becomes the First LTE Connected Car in the World [Toyota and ng Connect to Deliver 4G LTE Connected Car in 2010?]

Go to Source

If you can look to a classic car from the golden years parking next to a new one, you will notice how the auto design trend has changed through the years. When recent auto design focus more on functionality, economy and security factors, the early cars designs have been focusing about the design and the artwork in the car body ore that the functions inside the car, this is why these classic cars still got its affect inside us especially for people who appreciate the effort spent in designing these cars and building the monsters behind it.

The early 1950th and 1960th cars used to focus on the alot of details in the car body, which affects the car speed and driving flexibility. But this has changed in the 70th when the world was looking for more speed cars and bigger space inside the car. Both trends have produced amazing auto design concepts and artwork run in the streets for years and still running for some well-kept classic cars.

Merging between both the art of photography and auto design can produce wonderful photography artwork that tell about the great classic cars design story through the history, no matter if these classic cars are shown in a gallery in a big city or parked on a far away deserted farm, but the beauty of the effect is the same and will never change. However, I would like to share with you some of the amazing classic cars photos that merge between both artworks.

Vintage Styles IX

Like two old friends sitting in a quite place remembering the the old days of glory.

MiniCooperrrrr

An amazing camera angle for Mini car

YILLARIN iZi – HDR

HDR photo for old truck in a farm, the rust on the car just merged with the car original color to create this amazing look of an old unused car.

Blue Merc

What a great monster!! this car holds many of the design lines that are not used any more such as the colored wheels, hidden rear wheels and Nickal front.

A French Classic

Pink

This shooting angle for this pink classic car shows the details I we talked about above, notice how many details are added to the lights of  the cars and how it design to give more feel of speed.

Busted II

The Car

Notice that the car design lines are merged and used to unify with the car functions such as light and wheels.

sepia speed

505. it’s dr. tran

Fight or Flight

1962 Chevrolet Impala with Air Ride Suspension.

Old Car

Vintage Styles VII

wood truck

The Road Less Traveled

Mercury Blues

Althoug many people may get confused because of the similar design for some classic cars, but actually it is not similar, each marque has its own style in the design and lines such as the above Mercury, try to compare it with other styles.

‘57 Chevy

1957 Chevy Bel-Air

Chevrolet Impala

This wonderful shoot for this Chevy makes it look lik a real creature looking to you with the red color and the shape of the light that is similat to human eyes.

Lost in time

Rat rod

Vintage Styles XIII

Yellow and Rust Truck

Celebration

Cadillac

Old Life

One Final Stop

Vintage Styles XIV

An old car that is covered with rust totally and parks on a farm.

Our Emergency

400 tires show: BelAir

Bello tre

Porsche Super 1600

Some marques has general design guide along the years and car models with changing the small details from a model to another. However, when you look to the car models along the years, you will find some thing similar in the design that remark this car than other marques.

One of these marques is the Prosche car design which kept its own style so you can easily recongnize the Porsche cars whatever it is model and year of make.

SS

49 Ford

This shoot shows Ford with less shape details and more

Out of Service

Corvette

Antique Car Show

489. DRS IV

Impala in the Savanna

Red Steel

Red Veteran car

Old International

Hoffmans Rat

Old VW Transporter vans 2

The Fury

Origin of an Icon

Life Begins At 40

One of a Kind

Timeless

Madame de Chevrollianne

1929 Chevrolet Truck HDR

One eyed Discombobulation

Out of the Blue

As we see above good photo shots not only shows creative photos but also reveals the hidden creativity behind such classic marques and how it changed alot through the years with special style and trend in design for each marque and each model.

Related topics you may like to read

• Amazing Creative Photos Collection

Go to Source

Even in the age of the Internet, shopping for cars can be a chore. There are so many different models to choose from that comparing reviews for current models, past models, looking at stuff like fuel efficiency and maintenance costs can be confusing, and that can happen before you ever even visit a showroom.

Because most of us enlist advice from friends on their experiences when shopping for cars, it makes sense to bring social networking into the car rating and car buying process. That’s what Honk, which bills itself as a social platform for car shoppers, aims to do.

Not Another Social Network

Honk makes it clear that they don’t want to be another social network. Instead, they want to leverage the existing social networks, like Facebook and MySpace for organized opinion gathering. By using apps for both platforms (the first Facebook app, “Cars I’ve Owned” goes live next week), users can tap into opinions from their friends and family members on the social networks they already use.

Even when you sign up to Honk, you can use Facebook Connect, which is nice for those of us who hate having to add one-more login to our already login filled lives.

Social Recommendation Engine

The center of Honk is its “Explore Cars” engine. You can select new or used, put in your price range and select some demographic information (like are you single or do you have a family, what stage in life you’re at, what is your personality type) that will help Honk give you recommendations for cars that fit your personality and budget.

You can further drill down by selecting or deselecting types of cars or car manufacturers. This can get you an even more accurate overview of what cars you might like to take closer look at. If you see a car in your list that you know you like (or don’t like), you can give it a thumbs up or thumbs down.

My only real complaint with the recommendation engine is that it doesn’t remember any of your preferences. I don’t like having to re-enter my couple status and life stage every single time I want to look at cars. Furthermore, I always have to deselect the types of cars I would never buy (for me this means SUVs/minivans, pickup trucks) just so those results won’t show up in my listings.

It would also be nice if I could just choose to exclude a car manufacturer rather than having to click on every manufacturer I like and not select those I don’t want to look at.

Reviews from Real Owners With Accurate Local Pricing

I liked seeing the reviews from real people who either own the car, know an owner, or have taken it for a test drive. You can see who the people are, read about their experiences, and see their car history if they choose to share it.

The pricing section is really nice, because you can configure the details you want and see the lowest pre-negotiated price for your area. Even if you don’t end up buying a car from one of those dealers, it’s a nice way to see what MSRP is on the car and to see what kind of deal you can pre-negotiate before you head out shopping or making phone calls.

What Do You Think?

Overall I like the idea behind Honk and I think that the information it gathers from users has the potential to be a very powerful recommendation engine. Because it is still in beta, I don’t think the system is quite as robust as it could be, but I expect that to change.

The ability to see what your friends recommend and what they are saying about a car — just by virtue of being connected through Facebook — is a great idea and something I really hope takes off. Car shopping is rarely a stress-free experience, but maybe using social engines like Honk can make the process a little more tolerable.

What do you think of using social networking to shop for cars? How do you currently get your information when looking for a new vehicle? Let us know!

Tags: automobiles, car buying, car shopping, cars, facebook, honk

Go to Source

Todd Jamison just happens to be the unfortunate owner of the crushed 2004 Hyundai Elantra that played a starring role in a recent viral YouTube video.

The security footage that was posted to YouTube highlights one of the worst parking jobs ever caught on tape. While the video is actually quite hilarious, the reality is that this was a very real incident that took place on October 22, 2009 in an Ontario, Canada parking lot. But one of the victims of the accident can thank the viral accident for his brand new car.

The video in question, included below, shows a BMW mounting two parked cars at an Ontario gym and then driving off without so much as a courtesy note. The original video has now amassed upwards of 1.6 million views, and the 62 year-old woman driver has been arrested for leaving the scene, but Jamison is out one Hyundai.

Not so fast, as the fine folks at Hyundai Canada seized the opportunity to be the heroes in this story, and surprised Jamison with a brand new Hyundai on October 30, 2009. Of course they also set out to capture the moment on film, and that too is on YouTube, and you can watch it below.

While there’s no news on what happened to the other injured car, we’re pretty confident that Jamison will now be able to look back at the YouTube video that captured his car’s crushing and laugh.

Thanks to Phillip Jeffery for the heads up on this great story.

Tags: Canada, hyundai, viral video, worst parking job

Go to Source

While newer cars have certainly become more sophisticated with technologies like Microsoft’s Sync, we’ve always dreamed of an in-car dashboard capable of surfing the web at high speeds — it would be like having a giant smartphone built-in to our cars.

Today the ng Connect Program hasn’t exactly brought this idea to life, but they have released a new concept car, the LTE Connected Car, which promises the technology to make our automotive dreams come true.

Should the concept ever make it to the factory, be prepared to be blown away by high speed internet access via the LTE 4G network with a touchscreen experience that promises video on demand, gaming, ecommerce, a wifi hotspot, real-time GPS updates, real-time traffic and weather data, and road and vehicle monitoring.

The ng Connect Program is unveiling the concept car with support from some major players in a number of different markets: Atlantic Records, Toyota, QNX Software, Alcatel-Lucent, and even Chumby. It appears to be a very well orchestrated maneuver to sell LTE technology, which is the 4G mobile broadband access technology that would enable vehicles to tap the potential of having broadband access in cars. Color us impressed.

Some additional details from the announcement:

“The LTE Connected Car concept offers independently operated touchscreens coupled with innovative software which provide access to multiple applications and forms of content. The prototype system supports the creation of personalized and interactive connected experiences that can be tailored to the individual preferences and requirements of both drivers and passengers.

The LTE Connected Car concept illustrates that mobile devices are potentially no longer just phones or music players. The concept vehicle becomes a mobile platform where information can be easily accessed and transmitted through the use of high bandwidth connectivity and cloud-based applications.”

To see the concept in action, watch this video that highlights a Toyota Prius taking advantage of the LTE 4G network:

Tags: 4G, car, concept car, LTE connected car

Go to Source

Volvo has taken to their Facebook Page to debut a mini-documentary featuring blind artist Esref Armagan painting the company’s upcoming S60 vehicle, which is yet to be revealed to the public.

In addition to the mini-documentary, there are 8 different videos posted to the page, each featuring Armagan working to decipher various parts of the car, like the grill, the lights, and the center console.

The end result is a beautiful painting, though we won’t know how accurate a representation it is of the car until Volvo officially unveils the S60 in March. Nonetheless, the inspiring series of videos should help build anticipation with Volvo enthusiasts.

Here’s the main mini-documentary:

What do you think of Volvo’s campaign? Let us know in the comments.

Tags: advertising, art, facebook, social media, video, volvo

Go to Source

Go to Source

Not only does Jay own one of the original nine ‘63 Chrysler turbine cars, he built his own with the help of some of the guys in GM’s Advanced Design Studios. How cool is that? Jay had the designers at GM draw sketch after sketch until he saw the very image of a supercar that he had in his mind. And he called it the EcoJet.

The EcoJet was one serious project. Jay hosted some of the fabrication at his own monster garage in his home in California. The car was built with help from some great auto-geniuses such as Metalcrafters (concept car pros), Alcoa, Weismann (McLaren F1), and GM. A ton of GM superior parts were used such as those found in Corvette ZR1, C5 and Z06 C6. The turbine is the one found in US Coast Guard Dolphin helicopters.

Now, things only got better after Leno completed his little project. As a test, Jay raced his EcoJet with a jet plane on an airport runway… and beat ‘em up to 160 MPH. Jay’s super-craft is geared to get up to over 245 MHP.

The EcoJet was built on an environmentally friendly theme, no animal-sourced products were used. The car runs on bio-diesel rather than gas. As green as this car is, it still only gets about 5 MPG. But you have to remember this is a jet more than it is your family sedan.

Over-all I have to say that Jay Leno has built one sweet ride.

Jay Leno may be known first for his comedy, but in a close second is his car collection. Take a look at a few of the other supercars found in Jay’s garage…

Lamborghini Countach

Blastolene's Piss'd Off Pete

Mormon Meteor III

Rocket Car

McLaren F1

Lamborghini Miura S

The EchoJet

Car images courtesy of http://www.jaylenosgarage.com

Go to Source

In this tutorial, we are going to create a dark and

atmospheric

car scene.The

result of it, is something in semblance of  Batman’s

dark ‘bat mobile.’ The effect 

attempted, is to give the car image more solidity or weight

visually wise.

Tutorial Details

• Program hotoshop
• Version:CS 2
• Difficulty:beginner
• Estimated completion time:50 minutes

Step 1

First off, load this picture of the Peoguet Parna.It

was downloaded from rocketdock.com.You

can  also

download more free car images from

getcarwallpapers.com.The

actual size of this picture is 841

by 

595

px  and so this will be the dimensions we’ll work

with in our tutorial.

Step 2

Now select the Pen Tool (P) and trace out the car along with

the ground itself.Select the the Layer Mask 

button (the third button from the left, right below the Layers Palette)

to make a layer Mask.

Step 3

On the menu bar and select

Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation and set the Hue

to -147 and the

saturation to -80.

The end result is a light bluish tint on the car.

Step 4

Open the “drought” texture that will be used for the background.You can

get more textures such as

these for free at www.megatex.nl.This

texture came from the texture

pack they supplied to my

2005 cover disk for Computer Arts. Adjust the image size to the

appropriate size that would fit

the current workspace and then used Shift+Ctrll+U to desaturate the

texture.

Step 5

Now drag the texture over to the car image making sure the

texture layer appears

below the car layer.

Step 6

Make a copy of the Mask layer  and name it “car copy.”

Step 7

Selecting the “car copy2″ layer, reduce the brightness of the

car by -10 and increase the

contrast

by 5.

Step 8

Select the texture layer and  reduce the brightness by -60 and

increasing the contrast by 10.

The result would look like this:

Step 9

Proceed to add a lowly lit background for the texture layer “bg

texture” by selecting  Filter>Render>Ligthening

Effects and choosing the light type as Spotlight.

It turns out like this:

Step 10

This might seem like a step overdone, but still go on ahead to

Filter>Render>Lightening Effects and select

the light type as Omni. Lighten up the  already lit

background. This

is to create a stubtle gradation of light.

Step 11

Yet again,darken the background texture  with the brightness

at -10 and the contrast at 10.

Step 12

Select the “car layer” and darken it by  reducing the

brightness

by  -20 and the increasing the contrast

by  5.

Step 13

Select the Brush Tool (B) from the Tools Panel, setting the

brush

property at

Soft Light and the Opacity at 90%.

Now go to the Brushes Palette.If you don’t have this enabled,

just hit

“F5″ or go to Window>Brushes.

On the Brush Presets, click on Texture and select the Granite

texture.Also, check Invert and scale the

texture to about 107%.

Step 14

Still on the Brush Presets, click on the Dual Brush  Preset

 and then pick Splatter (27 px) with the mode

set to Darken.Other settings  under the Presets are; spacing:

6%, Scatter: 512% and Count:1.

Here’s the result when the brush is applied with simple

clicks or taps (as in my case with a laptop).Do

not applied the brush with swipes or the splattering effect wouldn’t

show

through.

Step 15

Select the Burn tool (O) and choose the Range as

Shadows.

Step 16

Use the Burn tool to darken the edges of where the Splatter brush was

used.

Step 17

Also use the burn tool to darken the top edges of the car that appear

to have a whitish outline.

Step 18

Selct the Blur Tool or click on (R).Set the brush size to 31px and

strength to about 70%.

Step 19

With a swipe or two, use the Blur tool to blur the light reflection

that

runs from the bonnet of the car

and across the windshield (windscreen that is).This is to make

the edges of the refleciton of light

looking  to sharp in this dark composition. Also apply a

blur below the right hand corner of  the 

picture.

Step 19

Apply a Color Layer Fill to the image by going to the Layers

Palettes, selecting the fourth icon from the left .

Then selecting  Solid Color (#515355). That done, set the

Blend

Mode for the Color Fill Layer to Soft Light.

Step 20

To project the car as being blended with the background as

against

“sticking out.” ouble click the first

car layer to enable the Layer Style options. Apply a Drop Shadow effect

with the Blend Mode set to 

Multiply; Opacity at 85; Angle at -40; Distance at 16px; Size at 15.

There we have it, a “bat mobile” inspired Peoguet Prana!

Go to Source

The wheels and fenders of the Nissan Glider tilt allowing the little shuttle to lean up to 17 degrees. The onboard sensors calculate  the best tilt for navigating corners.

The Land Glider EV is just 3.6 feet wide, produces zero emissions, and comes complete with airplane-like controllers for the pilot, i mean driver. I wonder if it comes with a head-set so you can make jet engine sounds and say things like “NLG to base, am I clear to land?”

Go to Source

Some were new, while many were already launched and looking to pick up investments to get off the ground. These range from a new service that helps you rent out your car to strangers when you’re not using it, to a mobile app that lets you haggle with local retailers on prices for goods and services. Here’s a rundown of the presenters:

Viralogy (which actually launched back in May) calls itself an “Alexa for people.” It lets you pit people and blogs against one another to determine who has the higher online social rank. Its “Vscore” system figures out those rankings using a mix of things like Google Pagerank, how much traffic your blog gets, how many people are linking to your blog, and your popularity on services like Twitter.

All these factors are rolled into a person or blog’s Vscore, which can be compared with others and tracked over time.

In Viralogy’s pitch, CEO Yu-kai Chou said that the Vscore system will eventually incorporate other social services like Facebook, YouTube, Digg, LinkedIn and FriendFeed.

IDNTITI is a social-rating tool that’s trying to get rid of a standardized rating system in place of having users etch in the merits of a particular business or product using one of the rating systems it provides.

What’s really odd about the system is that IDNTITI is not making these ratings a public affair. If you rate a business or product, others cannot see that you left that rating unless you decide to make it visible, either through a widget, or if a user goes out of their way to request to see who left that rating. That’s a very different approach to something like Yelp, where a users’ reviews define them.

RelayRides is a peer-to-peer car sharing network. Car owners can put their car up for rent so that they can make money when it’s not in use. RelayRides then provides insurance and keeps a records that cars, and all the times it’s rented out to others.

The company installs an unlocking and starting mechanism similar to something like ZipCar, so that the owner doesn’t have to worry about being around to swap off the keys. Owners also get to pick how much they charge, where they’re going, and when they’re available. In turn, the company picks up a 15 percent transaction fee for each rental.

The service is launching in Baltimore in the next few months and plans to roll it out to other markets if successful.

TribeVibe lets users track how content is seen shared and linked around the Web, basically providing a dashboard to see all the places it goes once it’s up. It measures its reach across the Web, then turns that into a “drumbeat.” This number can then be stuck into any particular piece of content’s to show users how popular it is–kind of like the retweet or Digg button but more passive.

(Credit:
CNET / Josh Lowensohn

The company is currently in stealth mode and going into private beta later this month, and plans to go mainly after bloggers who want to know a little more about their audience. Along with its core analytics tools, TribeVibe will also have a way for users to plug the system into their own analytics tracking tools for $20 a month.

Related: JS-Kit’s Echo

Qless lets people use their cell phones to get in line instead of physically standing there, or using a sign-up sheet at something like a restaurant or retailer. Just like those vibrating pucks you get at restaurants that tell you when your table is ready, its mobile site can also ping you when your time is up, or to alert you of any changes in your reservation.

Qless charges retailers per person who uses the system, meaning that high volume clients like restaurants can bring the company big business.

While the company is still working on getting funding to expand its operation, Tuesday it launched GetTheSwineFluShot.com, which will alert people when a swine flu vaccine is available and where they can get it.

Qless' first service alerts people to when the swine flu vaccine will be available at local clinics or retailers.

(Credit:
CNET

HearPlanet, which launched its iPhone app back in March (see our review) provides an audio tour guide to wherever you are. CEO Steve Echtman didn’t have any news but did say that the app would soon have more than 2.7 million locations in its database, and that the iPhone app had been downloaded more than 500,000 times since its launch.

Echtman said that the company is working on getting it ready for other mobile platforms, as well as bringing in paid placements, sponsorships, and branded content.

Thumbtack (not to be confused with Microsoft Live Labs’ currently defunct Thumbtack product) helps users find local services. It competes with services like the recently launched RedBeacon as well as Hourville, and picked up the event’s audience choice award with the most votes.

Local service providers can use Thumbtack’s system to let customers book appointments and jobs, as well as see their schedule. Customers can then leave feedback, which is seen by others.

As a service to potential customers, Thumbtack will soon be vetting service providers by verifying their personal information, including whether or not they have a criminal background, and if the information on their social networking or business profiles is real.

Cloudmach actually made its debut at last month’s TechCrunch50, although as a booth in the conference’s demo pit, and not an on-stage pitch. The service is a 3D virtual world that runs inside of Facebook without any kind of software plug-in.

Users can adorn not only their avatar but their virtual rooms as well. Like Google Maps, users can zoom in and out and simply drag around the map along with switching to full 3D mode.

The company is planning to make money by selling virtual goods within its world, like more things to wear or decorate the virtual space. Here’s the pitch video:

Spreezio, which came in as a runner-up in the event’s audience choice awards, is location-based shopping tool. Users can look up things they want to buy from local retailers then say what they want to pay for the item. The system then offers that price to the retailer who can accept, or do a counter offer.

Here’s what the iPhone app will look like:

Spreezio's iPhone app will let users haggle over prices at local retailers, and see if those retailers bite, or counter-offer.

(Credit:
CNET

The service is going into open beta in 30 days with “over 100″ U.S. retailers, and will be available as both an iPhone and Android app. The company is also trying to get wireless providers on board to offer the app pre-installed on new phones.

RentCycle is an inventory-management system for rental businesses. Business owners can put their available inventory into RentCycle’s online management tool so that it can be viewed and rented out by customers who would otherwise have to call or visit the store in person.

The company is offering it as a subscription service for business owners that ramps up in price depending on how many items that business intends to rent. In return, those rental listings can go into RentCycle’s central site so that users can browse through that inventory when users go hunting for local rental deals.

The service, which formally launched this evening, is starting out with tool and equipment rental businesses, an area RentCycle founder Tim Hire cited as one of the largest parts of the rental industry.

You’ll soon be able to view all of the show pitches over on Vator.tv

Originally posted at Web Crawler

Go to Source

CNN rightfully warned viewers against driving while texting this week, as studies have found it to be more dangerous than drunk driving.

The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, however, noticed an amusing irony: the awesome new CNN iPhone app includes a feature that lets you check traffic reports on your phone while in the car. These mixed messages were, of course, comedy gold for Stewart, who hypothesized that the app’s users could check in on a 5-car pileup shortly before turning it into a 6-car pileup.

Thankfully CNN had a sense of humor about the spoof, choosing to air the clip on its own channel – the hilarious clip is embedded below.

Embedded video from CNN Video

Go to Source

We’ve seen how Photoshop has been extensively used in areas like web designing and beauty photo retouching. In today’s post, we bring you into another stretch where Photoshop also rules and dominates – the modding and sketching of rides.

This following article is dedicated to car lovers, forumites who use car photos as signatures, web designers or anyone who fascinates nice rides. We search the Internet and here we put forward some of the best Photoshop tutorials with techniques on how to mod a car. Full list after jump.

Colors Manipulation

Chrome your car
Gives your car body that chrome effect. Works better with black default.

Color Tweak The Ferrari
This tutorial make use of an additional mask and give your car a color change on the fly by applying different color blending options.

How to make Car Advertisement Mock-ups
Get your car air brushed with any color, or design. But before that, Thomas Baekdal suggest you give it the right base color.

Add Flaming Decals to a Modern Car Design
This tutorial will explain the steps needed to turn this boring Prius into an awesome street racer.

Body and Parts Enhancements

Porsche digital rendering photoshop tutorial
How to render a low quality digital car photo into a high quality output.

Give your car a little wood
Here is one way to take a simple texture and apply it to a shaped object like a car and have it appear to follow the body contours.

Create a stempunk golden car

Create a real life "Cars"
How to create a real CARS of your own cars.

Change rims on a car

Vanity License Plate
How to create a custom vanity license plate using a few basic Photoshop tools a piece of reference material and some creative layer stylings.

Car Enhancement with Digimods

Folks at Digimods have a comprehensive list of Photoshop tutorials covers almost everything you will want to mod on a ride. From adding a bad boy bonnet, carbon fibre bonet to lowering the car, changing the wheels and much more!

Freehand and Sketching

Concept car sketch Photoshop Tutorial
This tutorial describes how to render this car with paths, and finishes the paints with later masks and filters.

Drawing a Car Lineart in Photoshop
Draw the lineart of this Mclaren F1 using paths. You are required to have some experience in using Photoshop’s Pen tool to be able to draw this car in detail.

Photoshop Rendering
Photoshop rendering in Photoshop by Emre Husmen, a 20 year old Turkish design student, also the 2004 Peugeot Design Contest finalist.

Rapid Development Sketching
"In this tutorial it is assumed that you already have a design theme worked out and know roughly what your car will look like. Ideally you would be working over a photo of a clay or screenshot of an alias model. I have chosen a supercar to show the methods used here because the forms are exaggerated and it is easier to see how they are being rendered." Miles Waterhouse

Vector Car Tutorial
This tutorial guides you through creating a vector toon based Veilside’s Fortune RX7 from scratch.

Dramatic Effects

Create a truck coming from a flame
Create a Acura commercials simmilar effect where a truck came out from the flame.

Super Slick Lighting Effects
Learn how to combine photos and brush strokes to give a car photo slick dusky lighting effects.

How To Create An Amazing Car Illustration
How to create a fierce car illustraton making use of different type of brushes.

Create a Smoky Car Crashing Shot
"We have another tutorial this week in which we will learn some menus of blur filter, which will help us create smoke effect. We will also cover up some brush technique too to make this smoke effect."

Video Tutorials

Photoshop Car Tuning – 65 videos and 3 how-to articles to learn all about Photoshop car tuning, by wonderhowto.com

YouTube – Tons of great video tutorials are hidden within YouTube. We attempt to pull out some of the best for you, sorted by view count.

Go to Source