Hasta La Gadget!

Last week, OnStar issued a privacy notice informing customers that it would continue to collect data on vehicles still connected to its servers, even for those who have already canceled their subscriptions. The move elicited a chorus of protests from Democratic privacy advocates in the Senate, including Chris Coons, Al Franken and, most recently, Charles Schumer, who wrote a letter to the FTC yesterday calling for an investigation into what he sees as a bold violation of consumer rights. “By tracking drivers even after they’ve canceled their service, OnStar is attempting one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory,” the New York Senator said. “I urge OnStar to abandon this policy and for FTC to immediately launch a full investigation to determine whether the company’s actions constitute an unfair trade practice.” Find out more about OnStar’s new policy, after the break.

Continue reading Senator Schumer blasts OnStar for ‘brazen’ privacy violation, calls for FTC investigation

Senator Schumer blasts OnStar for ‘brazen’ privacy violation, calls for FTC investigation originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edison2’s Very Light Car is now very electric, too originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prius fans, that long road to a promised plug-in hybrid’s coming to an end. Toyota rolled out its production model PHV at the Green Drive Expo, announcing a March 2012 availability for the car, and a $32,000 price tag for the base model. The partial EV will be offered in two trim versions with a touchscreen audio / navigation display and Toyota’s Entune in-car entertainment system to come standard, with the Heads Up display reserved for the advanced models. Expect to get about 87 MPGe with the auto in combined drive mode, and 49MPG when it switches to hybrid. As for that old NiMH battery, the new 4.4kWh Li-ion replacement gains a full charge after about three hours on a 120v source, and can re-up the juice in less than two hours on a 240v connection. You can dive into the PR for all the details after the break, and look forward to our in-depth hands-on in a few.

Continue reading Toyota officially unveils production Prius plug-in hybrid, available March 2012 for $32,000

Toyota officially unveils production Prius plug-in hybrid, available March 2012 for $32,000 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s nothing worse than going for a late-night chili dog run only to find your EV sucked dry in a 7-11 parking lot. To reduce so-called “range-anxiety,” there’s the Carminat TomTom Z.E. Live, an in-dash navigation system that not only keeps drivers from getting lost, but also offers a visual cue to how much power’s left. Sticking with the green theme, the device provides the most eco-friendly and efficient routes (with nearby charging stations) — leaving drivers feeling good about putting the pedal to the metal. The nav will come pre-baked in all future Renault Fluence Z.E.s — but we wouldn’t be surprised to see other EV manufacturers implement similar add-ons in the future. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading TomTom announces Z.E. Live navigation system to measure EV battery juice, keeps you truckin’

TomTom announces Z.E. Live navigation system to measure EV battery juice, keeps you truckin’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s only been two months since Spotify made its stateside debut, and it’s already getting in bed with an American staple. No, it hasn’t struck a deal with Beyonce or Britney, but the fine folks at Autoblog are reporting that the streaming music service will make its way into vehicles sporting the Ford SYNC AppLink system “in the near future.” Details are otherwise vague, but we’d be interested to hear how the outfit’s “exclusive automotive advertising partner” feels about the deal.

Update: Turns out this partnership isn’t of the official kind. The folks at Spotify were actually on hand at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hack-a-Thon to show off “how easy it is for developers to create voice-enabled smartphone apps using the SYNC API.” Looks like Chevy’s got nothing to be jealous about after all.

Spotify to lay down beats for Ford (update: it’s a hack) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 16:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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