First they came for our Buckyballs. Now, or pretty-much-exact-same Zen Magnets are in Uncle Sam’s crosshairs, with a lawsuit from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to boot them off store shelves. The War on Toy Magnets has begun. More »
Phone use while driving is still a serious problem in the US, even for those trying to quit — which makes us happy to see Magellan doing its part to change travellers’ habits. Out of five new RoadMate GPS units the company is releasing to the world, the Bluetooth-equipped, 4.3-inch 2255T-LMB and 5-inch 5265T-LMB models both carry a Safe Texting mode that can reply to any inbound voice call with a text, supplying either the arrival time or the promise of a call later on. All five of the navigators support a portrait view for more details of the road ahead, and the top two 5-inch devices support Magellan’s $150 Back-Up Camera for delicate parking jobs. We’ll have to wait until September before the RoadMates arrive, but the sub-$200 prices will be a relief to other drivers who want at least a few more eyes on the road.
Filed under: GPS
Magellan unveils RoadMate GPS units with auto-replies to calls, earns fellow drivers’ gratitude originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
While we’re still a long way from living the fully autonomous car dream, baby steps are being taken. The EU evidently shares this dream, and has passed regulations that will require new cars to have emergency self-braking systems (known as autonomous emergency braking, or AEB) if they want to achieve a five-star safety rating. The systems can use radar, laser or video to detect when obstructions or pedestrians are present, and a recent study suggests that the technology reduces accidents by up to 27 percent. Commercial vehicles will have to sport the systems from November next year, and everything else from 2014. Safety aside, we’re thinking that anything that can help prevent rear-ending our new ride, is definitely a welcome addition.
Filed under: Transportation
New EU legislation requires cars to include autonomous braking system originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Wired | | Email this | Comments
Toyota will recall 778,000 cars and SUVs across the US and Canada, the company has admitted, having identified a problem with the suspension that could cause it to unexpectedly collapse. The recall, Toyota said, predominantly affects the RAV4, with 760,000 models impacted, though around 18,000 Lexus HS 250h sedans are also affected. However, the company also says that it is still working on a fix, and will have to notify owners when it’s ready.
At fault, Toyota says, is the rear suspension arm, and the way it is fixed together. Some of the nuts may not have been tightened “following the proper procedure” for torque specification, among other things, following a rear-wheel alignment, they may exhibit undue movement around the threads.
If that happens, rust could form and the threaded section itself wear out, eventually leaving the arm to separate. “If the rear tie rod has become loose the driver may notice an abnormal noise from the rear of the vehicle” Toyota told owners in a statement. “If a driver hears an abnormal noise from the rear of the vehicle the driver should contact any authorized Toyota dealer for diagnosis.”
However, those dealers may not know what to do to fix the problem yet. The company is “currently developing a remedy” it says and “will send a notification letter by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the remedy performed at no charge” when it has figured out a repair. Model years 2006 to early 2011 for the RAV4 and 2010 for the HS 250h are affected, and those who have independently paid for repairs will be reimbursed.
This latest recall is not the only Toyota embarrassment of late. The company was forced to call back 144,000 2010 Lexus SUVs after they were found to potential suffer from stuck-accelerator problems that could lead the driver to be unable to control the speed of the vehicle.
Toyota admits more recalls needed: 778k at risk of suspension collapse is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Car makers have been peddling wireless pedestrian avoidance systems almost as long as there have been automobiles. (We believe one of the earliest was called the “side view mirror.”) GM’s new experiment though, differs from other implementations by skipping out on the 3G, cameras and radar — instead going for a model built around WiFi Direct. The peer-to-peer 802.11 standard hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, but the WiFi Alliance is diligently tweaking the platform and apparently GM thinks its a perfect match for connecting cars, cyclists and pedestrians to each other. Unlike 3G-based systems, there’s little lag between locating and identifying bikes or people crossing the street since the signal doesn’t have to be bounced off a satellite. It also has a leg up on radar detection since WiFi can be a two way pipeline — alerting someone out for a stroll of an oncoming vehicle. Of course, it will be some time before anything like this actually makes it into a production vehicle. But, in the meantime, you can check out the PR and video after the break.
Continue reading GM testing pedestrian detection system powered by WiFi Direct (video)
Filed under: Transportation, Wireless
GM testing pedestrian detection system powered by WiFi Direct (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
No one enjoys using a public restroom, but it’s a necessary evil. And an evil that’s made slightly more tolerable with Shikoku’s new Camitool hands-free toilet paper dispenser that joins the ranks of faucets, soap dispensers, and hand dryers that never have to be touched. More »
Ford has warned owners of the 2013 Ford Escape with the 1.6 liter engine to turn off the car and back away, after a fuel line flaw was identified that could cause a fire risk. The recall, announced this morning, is over an engine compartment fuel line problem on the 1.6 liter version of the Escape only; “customers who already own 2013 Escape vehicles with the 1.6-liter engine are being advised to stop driving their vehicles and to immediately contact their dealers” Ford says, advising not even to risk driving the car to a service location.
Instead, the dealer will organize safe collection of the car, and the loan of a replacement vehicle while work to rectify the problem is undertaken. According to Ford, that repair is “straightforward” and should take less than an hour, though parts availability could become an issue; the loaner deal will be in place until the owner’s car is fixed.
“The recall is being taken to replace an engine compartment fuel line, which could split and leak fuel, potentially resulting in an underhood fire; no injuries have been reported” Ford points out. “Ford is advising affected owners not to drive their vehicles and to contact their dealers immediately for the needed repair. Dealers will deliver a loaner vehicle to customers and will then transport their 2013 Escape to the dealership until the repair has been completed.”
If all owners are prompt in contacting their deal, Ford estimates the fixes could be complete within two weeks. “It is extremely important that affected customers not ignore this recall” the company insists; those unclear as to what to do about their Escape can find details at the Ford owner site or by calling 1-866-436-7332.
11,500 cars are believed to be susceptible to the flaw, primarily found in the US. Ford will be ceasing test drives and deliveries of cars until the problem is addressed.
Ford warns 2013 Escape 1.6L owners to park up immediately over fire risk is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Ask most people what a water ionizer does, and not only will they probably not know, they probably won’t care. But ionizers like Tyent’s new 9000T, complete with a slick touchscreen display, can make your water even more healthy than it already is. More »
If you find yourself living in a wartorn part of the world—dodging gunfire and errant shrapnel all hours of the day—a bulletproof iPad case might not seem like overkill. But for the majority of iPad users, this resilient case does nothing to protect the tablet from more immediate and pressing daily threats. More »
If you’ve ever started to fall asleep while driving, then you’re probably already aware of just dangerous it is to be in that situation. The device that might just save your life by waking you up is the Red Alert Driver Fatigue Alarm.
It’s basically an earpiece with a sensor that causes it to beep out loudly or vibrate (or both!) if it senses the driver’s head drooping forward. The loud alarm or slight buzzing might just be the thing you need to wake you up and bring you back to your senses – before you drive off the highway, crash your car into some post, or worse.
The Red Alert Driver Fatigue Alarm is available from Amazon for about $27(USD).
[via Gadgets Matrix]
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
