Hasta La Gadget!

Honda is definitely famous for their cars and motorbikes around the world, but there is another aspect of the company that we have come to know and love as well – that is, its ability to delve into the world of robots. Case in point, the Honda Asimo was recently demonstrated in the form of an all new model, where it is said to be able to perform in a semi-autonomous mode. This particular version has also gone to the fat house so to speak, as it will tip the scales at approximately 6kg lighter compared to its predecessor, boasting individually-actuated fingers to boot.

Capable of running around at a top speed of 9 km/h (a mark that surely will not win any gold medals at the Olympics, let alone make it through the first heat), Honda demonstrated some old school stuff that never seemed to get tired – the Asimo hopped around on a single leg, managed to kick a ball around and so forth. The question is, when will the Honda Asimo actually end up as particularly useful to the masses?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Honda unveils all-new ASIMO humanoid robot, ASIMO visits Johannesburg, South Africa,

Honda has announced that it has delivered its first 2013 Fit EV to a customer. The Fit EV is available in a limited area to begin with including some select California and Oregon markets. The vehicle was given a 118 MPGe rating by the EPA and consumes 29 kWh of electricity per 100 miles driven. The Fit EV is one of the most efficient EVs in the country.

The vehicle is expected to be available in more markets later this year. As with most electric vehicles, the big issue with the Fit EV for most consumers is the cost of the vehicle. The Fit EV is nearly twice as expensive as the gasoline-powered version. The first Fit EV was delivered to husband-and-wife duo of Matt and Becky Walton from Ventura County, California.

The two people were the first to register to lease a Fit EV at the Honda websiteFitEV.Honda.com when registration opened last year. The new owners plan to use the vehicle for commuting. The pair says the fact that the car or you charge its battery pack fully in under three hours is one main reason for the purchase. Like many EV owners, the couple has a standard vehicle for longer-range driving. The Fit EV is only available as a lease at $389 per month for three-year term.

Honda delivers its first Fit EV is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Keeping up with America’s need to be constantly connected, Honda has unveiled its new HondaLink service, which will be featured in the new Accord (along with future Honda models). The service is the result of a partnership between Honda and Aha and allows drivers to listen to a selection of Internet-based stations, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp restaurant listings. In order to use HondaLink, consumers will need to download the HondaLink app for either iOS or Android and then link their phone to their car via Bluetooth. Since the service is completely controlled through this smartphone app, HondaLink won’t need its own data plan to function.

While it may sound like having access to Facebook and Twitter in your car would cause some potentially costly distractions, the goal of HondaLink is actually to make accessing these sites and stations while driving safer than it would be by using your smartphone. For example, HondaLink converts your Facebook news feed to an audio stream, and doesn’t allow users to post a status. The content you listen to in your car is selected in the smartphone app ahead of time, allowing for a personalized lineup of content that “enable customers to put away their phone and still stay connected to the people, music and media they love.”

HondaLink will be making its debut in the 2013 Accord, but it will also be included in future Honda cars. Honda has also announced plans for a version of HondaLink made specifically for electric vehicles. HondaLink EV will allow consumers to remotely view their car’s charge and even initiate charging, along with granting the ability to start up the air conditioning or heating while the car is connected to a power source. That way, you can have your car toasty warm or frigidly cold the second you get in it without sacrificing any battery life.

For more stories on what Honda has been up to lately, check out our story timeline below!

Honda announces HondaLink service for 2013 Accord is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Honda is announcing that it will begin selling units of the N BOX + a.k.a. N BOX plus mini car. The N BOX + is the second model of Honda’s new mini-vehicle N Series. Early this year, the Japanese automobile manufacturer released the N Box, a mini car that has a length of 3.395 meters, a width of 1.475 meters and a height of 1.77 meters. Honda’s newly announced N BOX plus features a multi-space system that has space arrangements with three different sized boards. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Honda UNI-CUB personal mobility device, Honda builds world’s first traffic congestion detector,