Korea has been working on a wireless power transit system designed for charging electric vehicles for some time now, having been testing the system for many months. The system is called OLEV, which stands for Online Electric Vehicles, and works using technology embedded beneath the road. Now a section of highway in South Korea has […]
Chevy Volt sales have been stagnant to say the least, with inventory at double the healthy level at a 140-day supply of Volts just lying around waiting for owners. To combat this and get the car selling again, Chevy has announced that the 2014 model of the Volt will see a 13% price drop compared […]
To celebrate having scored 5 million followers on Facebook, Porsche gave those followers the chance to provide input on a special edition 911 Carrera 4S called the 5M Porsche 911. After quite a bit of input, the vehicle has been built and shown off on Facebook in a gallery of images. Now those same users […]
If you ever drive someone’s car or let someone else drive your vehicle, you likely spend a couple minutes before driving having to re-adjust certain aspects of the car to meet your needs and preference: the side-view mirrors, the steering wheel, the seat height and distance from wheel. Apple has a different vision for your […]
Lamborghini has unveiled an update to its somewhat aged Gallardo model, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadro Corse. The model won’t be making its public debut until later this year, but a full roster of its specifications and what enthusiasts can expect has been revealed, among them being a V10 engine and lighter weight than […]
The 2014 Audi RS 7 is being touted as the most powerful amongst all RS models that are available in the United States, and was first shown off at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Now the pricing for the model has been revealed, with prospecting buyers looking at a starting price of
A paper has been published by Flavio Garcia of the University of Birmingham which includes access codes for a number of luxury car brands, this resulting in the Professor being served an injunction from a UK court. The paper is being called dangerous as it would, according to the brands on the other side of this court case, allow criminals to drive away with the cars in question. The paper itself, on the other hand, warns against what Professor Garcia calls “weaknesses in security” which he suggests, in so many words, that criminals are already aware of.
The paper in question was set to be published by Usenix Security Symposium in Washington DC in August, but due to this court order, it’ll be held until a court session on the matter can be held. The injunction itself is being filed against Garcia as well as two colleagues of his, Baris Ege and Roel Verdul of Stichting Katholieke Universiteit, both of them cryptology experts that contributed to the paper.
Porsches, Audis, Bentleys and Lamborghinis are included in the paper, each of them with security codes set to be published if the paper ever does see the light of day. It’s Volkswagen’s parent that’s launched this case against the scientists, that one entity owning the four luxury lines affected by the paper.
Those filing for the injunction made a specific request for the paper to be published without the codes themselves, but the paper’s authors have declined. The paper itself, Dismantling Megamos Crypto: Wirelessly Lockpicking a Vehicle Immobiliser, shines light on the system that protects the whole lot of these luxury vehicles: Megamos Crypto.
The software behind the code has been available on the internet since 2009, the team reminded The Guardian this week through their court case filings. The paper suggests that the code had been leaked to the web after the system had (likely) been broken using what the team describes as “chip slicing.”
This chip slicing technique takes a computer chip from the security system and analyzes it under a microscope. The process, which the paper asserts likely cost the perpetrator around 50 thousand British pounds, analyzed the arrangement of the physical bits of the chip, inferring their abilities.
Now we’ve only to see what the difference is between this paper being published and the same information being available on the internet – other than the courts’ control over one and not the other, of course.
Scientists’ luxury car hack warning faces injunction via Volkswagen is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Nissan has unveiled the US pricing for its 370Z Coupe, NISMO, and Roadster model, each of which are now available for purchase from Nissan dealerships throughout the United States. The prices for both the 2014 370Z NISMO and Coupe models have both seen reductions, which aim to make them competitive in the industry. The Roadster, however, remains unchanged.
The 2014 model for the 370Z Coupe has had its price dropped $3,130 USD over the 2013 model, while the 370Z Coupe Touring grade model was dropped by a lesser $2,550 USD. The new pricing for the former Nissan model starts at $29,990 USD for the 6-speed manual transmission, and $31,290 USD for the 7-speed automatic transmission.
The manual transmission 370Z Coupe Touring model, meanwhile, is priced at $35,270 USD, and the automatic transmission is priced at $36,570 USD. Rounding out the Coupe models is the Nissan Coupe NISMO, which is priced at $43,020 USD. All of these vehicles include a $790 USD destination and handling fee on top of the MSRP.
And then there’s the 2014 370Z Roadster, which starts at $41,470 USD for the seven-speed automatic transmission, and increases from there for the two Touring models. The latest Roadster Touring six-speed manual transmission model has an MSRP of $44,170 USD, while the seven-speed automatic transmission option is priced a bit more at $45,470 USD.
As with the Coupe models, the Roadster models’ pricing excludes a $790 USD destination and handling fee. Says Nissan, the 370Z Coupe’s 2014 models have had “no significant product enhancements,” while the NISMO received a new design theme on both the exterior and the interior. The Roadster, meanwhile, offers an auto convertible top.
SOURCE: Nissan
2014 Nissan 370Z Coupe, Roadster, and NISMO pricing unveiled is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
While manual transmissions are a lot better than automatics, many people still don’t know how to drive them. However, whether you’re a youngster with a learning permit, or are just starting out on a manual transmission, Ford wants to make the learning process a bit easier, with a new shift knob that tells you when to shift based on haptic feedback.
Zach Nelson, a junior engineer at Ford, came up with an idea to help newbies learning how to use a manual transmission. By tearing apart an Xbox 360 controller and using its vibrating motors, Nelson 3D-printed a custom shift knob and placed the motors inside in order to give drivers haptic feedback. Whenever the driver needs to shift, the shift knob will vibrate.
Nelson installed the shift knob in a Ford Mustang by tapping into the car’s diagnostic system and connected the shift knob to the car using an Arduino controller, an Android tablet, and a Bluetooth receiver. From there, Nelson can program the knob to vibrate at different times, like vibrating as the engine redlines, or vibrate at a more fuel-efficient rev point.
The prototype shift knob that Nelson built also includes a seven-segment display on top to show what gear the car is currently in. Nelson says that was merely just a fun thing he added, since drivers probably won’t look down anyway to see what gear they’re in, as the instrument panel already displays this information.
Of course, it’s not necessarily when to shift that’s the hard part in learning a manual transmission — that was actually the easiest for me. I had the most trouble with getting out of neutral and going to first gear, and I would always stall the car at stop lights, which was pretty embarrassing. If they can discover a learning-assist tool for that, then I’ll be good.
VIA: Wired
Ford 3D-printed shift knob provides haptic feedback for manual newbies is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Consumer Reports has designated the 2014 Chevrolet Impala as the top-rated sedan, marking the first time a domestic model vehicle has earned the title in the past two decades. This marked quite a turn around for the vehicle, which previously scored a low of 63, jumping to 95 this latest time around, wedging it firmly in the “Excellent” category.
Despite having been placed at the top of its respective category, it also beat out nearly every other vehicle Consumer Reports looked at, with only the BMW 135i and the Tesla Model S beating the latest Impala model. Until this year, the “Large Sedan” category in which the designation was given has been dominated by either European or Japanese cars.
Unfortunately for Chevrolet, despite having achieved a score of 95, the 2014 Impala still will not be given a “Recommended” title because of how new the vehicle is – the 2012 model didn’t receive a Recommended designation, either, due to how low its score was. Still, the vehicle is said to be found as competitive to cars that are priced $20,000+ over it, such as the Audi A6.
The high score was achieved in part by the car’s handling, with it being “agile,” with what is said to be excellent braking and “capable acceleration.” The sedan is said to feel like a luxury vehicle when driven, and to have several upsides besides how it handles, such as a massive trunk and intuitive controls.
Consumer Reports’ Director of Automotive Testing Jake Fisher said: “The Impala’s performance is one more indicator of an emerging domestic renaissance. We’ve seen a number of redesigned American models – including the Chrysler 300, Ford Escape and Fusion, and Jeep Grand Cherokee – deliver world-class performance in our tests.”
SOURCE: PR Newswire
2014 Chevrolet Impala named first American-brand top sedan in 20 years is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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