Hasta La Gadget!

Spotify‘s integration in Volvo vehicles is “imminent,” according to the company’s VP of Electronic Systems Engineering. This will be Spotify’s first foray into the automotive world, and will be made available via Ericsson’s Connected Vehicle Cloud platform. This comes shortly after the news that Spotify is now available as a channel on most Roku set top boxes.

Ericsson’s Connected Vehicle Cloud offers the Spotify integration, among other things, and is designed to serve as a means to connect to those services. For now at least, the system will utilize the driver’s data connection via their smartphone. Another option will be the ability to use a secondary SIM card on the driver’s data plan.

Although the current focus is Volvo, Ericsson stated that it will also be pushing the service out to other automakers. “We are going to try and work with different industry players,” says Ericsson’s Consulting and Systems Integration head Paolo Colella. “We will try to spread the use of these applications to other automakers and in other areas.”

This is in addition to Volvo’s widely available On Call system, which includes a mobile app that allows car owners to control their vehicles – portions of it, anyway – via their mobile device. The service requires payment for its own data connection, however, a limiting factor in Volvo’s desire to provide services like, for example, Spotify. That is why, at least for now, Ericsson’s Connected Vehicle Cloud utilizes the driver’s already existing data plan via his or her smartphone.

[via Wired]

Volvo to integrate Spotify in its vehicles is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Ford has been in the news quite a bit lately, with reports of recalls, malfunctions, and questionable gas mileage estimates, among other things. On December 1, we reported that Ford had initiated a voluntary recall of select 2013 Escape and Fusion vehicles due to issues with engine overheating, which could result in fire. Now, a little over a week later, the company has announced that the problem has been identified and will be corrected with software updates.

The overheating problem is caused by an issue with the cooling system, which was not capable of recognizing and adjusting to loss of pressure. To correct this issue, Ford will issue a series of software updates specifically for the cooling system, which it says will fix the issue. The problem, according to the press release, was identified by a “cross-discipline engineering team.”

The Ford Group’s Vice President of Global Product Development Raj Nair offered this statement. “We remain absolutely committed to continuously improving and providing the highest-quality vehicles to our customers. When a potential issue is identified, we act promptly on behalf of our customers, as we did this time.”

The recall only affects Fusion and Escape 2013 SE and SEL 1.6-liter models sold in the United States and Canada. While waiting for the updates to be released, owners are encouraged to take their vehicles to their local Ford dealership to get alternative transportation (for free) until the problem can be corrected. Continuing to drive one of the recalled models could result in an engine fire.

[via Ford]

Ford to correct Fusion and Escape overheating issue with software updates is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Seatbelts are there to save lives in an emergency, but in certain situations they can actually do just the opposite. If your vehicle ends up underwater after a freak accident, they can make escape difficult. So a Dutch company has developed a simple seatbelt adapter that automatically releases in the presence of water. More »

The term “unmanned aerial drone” might strike a bit of fear into your heart when you see the live tracking map of the USA that’s been made available this week by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, but not to worry – not all of them are flying overhead right this minute. Instead this is a map that’s the result of the EEF’s Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that covers the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)’s full knowledge of unmanned flights across the United States and what you’re looking at is a tracking of project licenses rather than actually flying objects. That said, this map is exciting in its coverage for our greater understanding of unmanned drone flight projects as initiated by state and local law agencies, universities, and US Military operations.

The newest information here comes from – for the first time, mind you – the Air Force, Marine Corps, and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). These three Military branches have for the first time had their records shown to the public in all cases save for one. That one case is if these flights are only taking place inside their own “restricted airspace” – over their own military bases. Click the map below to see the live map via the EEF and Google Maps.

Across this map you’re going to be able to see drones of many types, with the Air Force testing cute little hand-launched Raven, Puma, and Wasp drones from Aerovironment on the short end. On the larger end you’ll find the scary types of drones, those being the Predator and Reaper drones you may have heard of flying missions overseas in live warzones.

Some of the lighter uses of drones you’ll be finding across the USA are straight from places like the University of Michigan where a “Flying Fish” drone can be found. This drone is made to float over open water for human tracking and is able to reposition itself through flight when it’s moved too far away from its original and intended spot. The U of Michigan also has a drone made to study “persistent solar-powered flight” and goes by the name YellowTale.

Have a peek up north in Minnesota and you’ll find two basic extremes, one of them being a flight that’s been cancelled due to “unacceptable risk” to the National Airspace System. The other you’ll find right near the border with North Dakota and is set for Customs & Border Protection – that one lists a Predator drone and an unknown drone, with the FAA not being especially clear on where the drones are being flown.

Keep your eye on the map and let us know if you find anything interesting as more information is added in the future!

[via The Verge]

Live USA Map of Unmanned Drones released by EEF is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This morning, we reported that Ford had changed the name of Lincoln to the Lincoln Motor Company in an effort to revive its luxury division and set it aside as a unique brand. Now, furthering this goal, the company has announced that a Lincoln advertisement is slated to appear during the 2013 Super Bowl on February 3. This is the first Lincoln Super Bowl commercial ever.

The commercial is 60-seconds in length, and will feature President Lincoln walking out of some mist. Also included in the commercial will be images of famous individuals who have owned Lincoln brand vehicles, including Dean Martin. This is all in a near-desperate push to distinguish the brand and correct ever-decreasing sales, which have dropped 63-percent since 1990.

Speaking about Ford’s efforts to reinvent the luxury brand and pull it up out of the dreck, Lincoln’s Director of Marketing, Sales, and Service Matt VanDyke offered this statement. “It’s our largest campaign ever from the size, scale and reach of it. Every touch point is being reinvented. Everything we’re doing is different.”

Ford plans to unveil the Lincoln MKZ, a luxury sedan with a starting price of $35,925. The MKZ features a panoramic glass roof, a push-button transmission, and a split-wing grill. So far, only 69,000 Lincoln vehicles have been sold in 2012. According to Bloomberg, the average cost of a one minute commercial during the 2012 Super Bowl was $7 million, so it’s safe to say that Ford is going all-out in its efforts to save Lincoln.

[via Bloomberg]

Ford announces first-ever Lincoln Super Bowl commercial is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.