Hasta La Gadget!

OnStar’s already rolled out a method for slowing down stolen vehicles once the cops have ’em in sight, and it looks like it’s now come up with a solution for the ones that get away as well. Dubbed Remote Ignition Block, the new sevice does just what it promises and uses GPS to prevent the vehicle from starting again once the ignition has been turned off. As with most of these systems, however, the police will first have to confirm that the vehicle is in fact stolen before OnStar flips the switch, so you’ll have to come up with something else for your next grand workplace prank. No word on specifics just, but OnStar says it’ll be making the service available on over two million GM 2009 and 2010 model year vehicles.

Filed under: Transportation

OnStar debuts Remote Ignition Block to shut down stolen vehicles originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As General Motors finally caved this morning, waved the white flag and filed for bankruptcy, those following electric cars immediately wondered what this all would mean for the long-awaited Volt. For years now, GM has steadfastly affirmed that it was moving forward with production regardless of what else was going on within the company and the economy at large. According to Technology Review, a GM spokesperson confirmed again this morning that “the filing will have no impact on the company’s plans to start selling the Volt at the end of next year.” That said, we have to wonder how much such a statement really means; reports have stated that the US government may up holding as much as 60 percent of the company, and if the primary goal is to bring the outfit back to profitability as soon as possible, Obama and Company may not feel that pouring even more into the high-priced Volt is a good idea. In related news, we hear Tesla is still taking orders…

Update: GM has pushed out an official statement that (in a few words) also suggests that the Volt is still on track.

Filed under: Transportation

GM says bankruptcy won’t affect the Volt, but how much say does it have? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’ve heard of Chevrolet, right? You know — that struggling automaker underneath the General Motors umbrella? For those who’ve long given up their ties to muscle cars in favor of the kid-friendly minivan or Earth-friendly hybrid, you may not even know that a revitalized Camaro is just around the bend. Based on some hands-on time with a production vehicle at an undisclosed dealer, Microsoft’s Zune integrates perfectly into the sound system, and said integration is supposedly a standard feature on the car. What’s more is that we’re told some 27 other GM models will also include Zune support from the factory as they launch in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia through 2011, though details beyond that are scant. Hope they cooked in support for the Zune HD, ya dig?

[Via Zune Insider]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Transportation

Chevy Camaro evidently nabs Microsoft Zune support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 23:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM took Pontiac off life-support Monday. Odds are this is just a waystation to an even smaller General Motors. The General Motors we’ll likely see, whether in 2010 or in 2015, may be GM’s two extremes: Chevrolet in the mass market, Cadillac at the high end. Everything else is a goner. The impact on the future of cars, particularly life-saving technologies such as OnStar, will be minimal. GM gets credit – lots of it – for pioneering OnStar and putting it in every vehicle, and for driving down the cost of driver safety aids to half the cost of what you may for the same thing in a European luxury sedan. GM’s action Monday seems to substantiate the whispers of the 1950s that grew to a crescendo by the 1990s: Chevrolet, Pontiac (gone by 2010), Oldsmobile (R.I.P. 2004), Buick, and Cadillac were more alike than different under the skin. Here’s my projection for the newer, leaner GM:

Buick is next to go. When imports were only a nuisance factor and many buyers remained GM people or Ford people all their lives, there was a progression: Start with a Chevrolet, then move up through Pontiac to Oldsmobile and Buick and finally at the pinnacle of your career, to Cadillac (so long as your boss hadn’t stopped at Buick). Buick is no longer an almost-Cadillac but another soft-riding brand with aging demographics and not much mindshare in the critical markets such as California. Industry analyst Maryann Keller says dropping Buick focuses GM’s attention where it should be: One mass market brand, one luxury brand. Just like Toyota and Lexus.