Hasta La Gadget!

Whenever an automaker develops a new model, it tests it on both private tracks and public roads. The latter case exposes the company to spy photographers, who can have a field day while snapping blurry shots of heavily disguised (or not-so-heavily-disguised) prototypes, as company engineers are caught unawares—much to the chagrin of the automaker in question. Now car companies have a new enemy: Google.

Since Google deployed Street View a few years ago, the company’s mapping teams have caught all manner of questionable things happening in various photos—many of which become viral hits on the Internet once discovered. Recently Garage419, while looking for places to drive in Colorado, found photographs of several facelifted Porsche prototypes under testing.

The photos included mildly refreshed Boxsters, Caymans, and even a 911 Carrera. It’s tough to make out many details, but regardless, it looks like automakers have to be even more careful than before. (Via Autoblog)

It’s been a long time coming, but soon, people living in Vermont will finally be able to get an iPhone.

AT&T recently announced that AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets will add about 75 new jobs in Vermont as a result of its Rural Cellular Communications acquisition; that company provides rural and suburban wireless connections under the Unicel brand in the state.

The result is that AT&T’s full portfolio of products and services, including the iPhone 3G and the Blackberry Bold, will be available at ten former Unicel retail locations in Vermont starting mid-January. By the end of February, they’ll all be rebranded as AT&T locations.

Never satisfied with offering only a Blu-ray disc player (see 2007’s BH100 Blu-ray + HD DVD combo and 2008’s Netflix-streaming BD300), LG is upping the ante for ’09, promising support for YouTube and CinemaNow videos on its next gen decks. Along with the now-standard Netflix, owners can browse CinemaNow pay-per-view offerings (or other stores powered by the service) abd thumb through YouTube’s catalog directly from the device. Unmentioned in the PR fluff is additional info like price and more detailed specs, but expect all to become (hopefully) clear January 7 in Las Vegas.

Filed under: CES, HDTV, Home Entertainment

LG plugs YouTube, CinemaNow into next year’s Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iLuv has announced the iHD171 HD Radio with iTunes Tagging, a new combination HD radio and speaker dock that’s compatible with iPhones and iPods. In addition to its dual alarm clock, a TV output, AM/FM radio and song title display, the iHD171 is also the company’s third HD radio alarm clock. It can tune in to AM/FM HD Radio and multicast stations, as well as standard analog AM and FM stereo radio signals.

The iTunes Tagging feature lets listeners tag music tracks played on HD radio stations, saving the song information on any connected iPhone or iPod; it also synchronizes the clock between the two devices. The unit has 30 programmable presets, the ability to charge an iPhone or iPod, and an auxiliary line input for any audio device with a standard-size 3.5mm output jack. The iLuv iHD171 features 4 watts RMS power (x2) and iLuv’s jAura Acoustic Speaker Technology. It will be available beginning in January 2009 for an MSRP of $199.99.

We’ve seen self-parking automobiles before, but Ford’s system — part of the company’s new power steering technology — not only works on hills (unlike the Lexus), but employs sensors that are also used on the road to monitor blind spots and notify the driver of approaching traffic. The auto-parking technology is set to debut on the 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan and Lincoln MKT luxury crossover vehicle, while the new-school power steering — which uses the vehicle’s battery rather than its hydraulic system, improving fuel economy and reducing carbon emissions in the process — should be popping up in nearly ninety percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles by 2012. Pretty soonish, by auto industry standards, but not soon enough for the nation’s tenth graders, who will need to perfect their three point turns if they want to get their licenses before the Spring Fling.

Filed under: Transportation

Ford announces self-parking cars, future 16 year olds totally psyched originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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