Every year at CES, the focus on autos and the tech they’re outfitted with grabs a fair share of the attention in Las Vegas. This installment was no different. While several companies trotted out their latest infotainment wares, the self-driving debate nabbed a prime spot as Toyota and Audi both offered show-and-tells on tech that looks to aid drivers rather than do all of the work for them. As we’ve come to expect, a wealth of infotainment systems were also on display with a couple in particular grabbing our attention. Not to be overlooked, devs received a number of notable invites to create system-specific offerings this time out. For a full rundown of the highlights, read on past the break for a brief synopsis.
One of the clear automotive technology trends at CES this year is cars that drive themselves. From Audi to Lexus to Ford, the world’s largest car companies are beginning to follow Google’s lead in an effort to produce cars smart enough to drive themselves. The thought is that autonomous cars will reduce the number of traffic deaths—more than 100 people per day, currently—while simultaneously allowing car owners to do more productive things on their car trips, like work or read. All of this sounds magical, especially to a traffic-jammed Angeleno like myself, but let’s get real: How soon do we actually think state and federal legislators are going to cotton to the idea of robot cars all over the roads? More »
Someone would have to sit down and do a really deep think through of existing road laws and regulations when self-driving cars become more and more commonplace. What happens when the data received by the vehicle is incorrect, and the car actually breaks the speed limit, all the while when you are sipping on your Starbucks mocha at the back seat, reading up on all that is happening in the world on a tablet? I suppose humanity will cross that particular bridge when they arrive at it, but otherwise, it remains something to chew over at this point in time. Toyota has already demonstrated a self-driving car over at CES 2013, although there are still some lengths to go before something like this is perfected for everyday and safe use.
The ride, a luxurious Lexus LS600, has been outfitted with its fair share of radars, cameras in addition to an array of sensors which enables it to be more than just cognizant of its immediate environment. Toyota is not the first to create a driverless car, as Internet search behemoth Google was first to do so, and has been behind the wheel (literally) since 2010, working on refining its technology. Needless to say, there is nothing quite like some competition behind you to spur you on to greater heights, and we as the consumer will only be able to say that we win out in the end.
The experimental car from Toyota is currently able to avoid collisions with pedestrians and other automobiles, where it will get up and about based on detailed electronic map data which is able to accurately perceive roadway information including traffic lanes and signals. I guess with this, you can truly drink those non-sobering beverages without having to worry about arriving at the destination while endangering the life of others on the road.
Self-driving cars aren’t just the future, they’re the present. Sort of. They’re out there, but you can’t buy one just yet. Google of course has made waves with its driverless car and not too long ago Nissan impressed us at CEATEC with its self-driving NSC-2015. Toyota, perhaps feeling a little left out, has taken to CES to show off the Lexus Advanced Active Safety Research Vehicle, a machine capable of self-driving that, regardless, is still quite reliant on a fleshbag driver behind the wheel. Join us after the break for an explanation.
On December 20, Toyota announced that it will show off its advanced active safety research vehicle on January 7, one day before the CES 2013 tech event. To get enthusiasts ready, the company has just released a sneak-peek of the car with promises of more to come during the press event it has scheduled for Monday. You can check out the video after the jump.
The vehicle is designed to “explore the use of autonomous technologies and high-level driver assistance systems” that pertain to Toyota’s Integrated Safety Management Concept. The video is little more than a 5-second tease, but gives us a nice glimpse of the vehicle in all its decked-out charm driving down the road.
Judging by the looks of things, the vehicle is adorned with an autonomous driving system, congruent with the company’s plans to show off that autonomous technology next week. The equipment allows the car to be aware of its surroundings, such as the guard rail seen in the video, and operate accordingly. The vehicle upon which the contraptions are perched is the Lexus LS 600h.
More details will be available on Monday, when Lexus’s Vice President and General Manager Mark Templin will introduce the technology, research, and other information we can’t wait to hear. We’ll be covering CES 2013 next week, and will certainly keep an eye out for the latest information on Toyota’s system. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest updates.
Toyota has new cars rolling off the assembly line in Japan this week, launching both the 2013 Crown Royal and Crown Athlete. Judging from the press shots we see below, the new cars in the Crown series look pretty sleek. Toyota even made a point of drawing our attention to the grills of the cars in its announcement, which it says were “based on the shape of a crown.”
As sleek as they look, they demand a pretty hefty price if you want to take one home with you. Toyota didn’t get too terribly specific, but it did say that prices for cars in the Crown series range from $41,362 for the Royal on up to $63,626 for the Athlete G. That can’t exactly be considered pocket change, so those who want one are going to spend a significant amount of cash.
Of course, if you’re living in the US, you’re out of luck anyway. Despite the fact that the Royal and Athlete mark the 14th generation of the Crown series, the line isn’t offered by Toyota in the US. We suppose this is one of those instance where you’ll have to admire from afar, sadly.
In any case, rear-wheel drive cars in the 2013 Crown series come with the option of a hybrid setup that features a 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder engine. For those who aren’t interested in hybrid technology, Toyota also offers the Crown with a 2.5 or 3.5 V6 engine. Check out our story timeline below for more on Toyota!
There’s more closure in the case of some Toyota cars falling victim to “unintended acceleration,” as the company has agreed to pay out a whopping $1.1 billion to settle lawsuits centering around the flaw. For those who have forgotten, Toyota was forced to recall a ton of 2010 Lexus RX 350s and 450s after it was discovered that the floor mats can entangle the pedals and force the cars to accelerate. Unfortunately, a flaw like this is normally discovered after drivers have accidents, which is why Toyota was hit with a number of lawsuits.
USA Today explains that for some of the cars involved in the case, Toyota will pay to have them retrofit with technology that aids in stopping the car in an emergency situation. For other cars that can’t be retrofitted with this tech, the owners will be getting cold hard cash. The important thing for Toyota was showing that this wasn’t a defect with the cars’ computers, but rather an issue with floor mats. With that little bullet point on the books, Toyota has agreed to pay out these settlements and put the whole thing behind them.
Toyota was recently fined $17.35 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to report the flaw in the allowed time frame, which is the largest fine the NHTSA can impose. The company now must meet with the NHTSA regularly to report its progress in fixing the issue, so a lot of headway has been made in this case lately.
It’s great to see Toyota doing things like this to get the issue resolved, but we’re sure the company just wants to move on from all of this controversy as quickly as possible. We probably won’t be hearing too much about this case now that Toyota has agreed to both the settlement and the NHTSA’s fine since there’s not much left for the company to resolve. Still, if you need a recap, you can find posts about the issue in our story timeline below.
If you are in the market for a new car at this point in time, perhaps it might be time you checked out the 2013 Toyota Avalon Limited that boasts a first in the world – it will hold the honor of being the first vehicle available in the world which comes with in-console Qi wireless charging for Qi–enabled mobile phones and devices, considering that this is part of a Technology Package, and it does not matter whether you decide to settle for the gasoline or hybrid versions, the new 2013 Toyota Avalon Limited will still rock with wireless charging capability regardless.
Apart from that, you can find other goodies such as the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Automatic High beams and a Pre-Collision System. Just to refresh your memory on what all the deal about Qi is, it is actually the global standard for wireless power and charging. With the implementation of Qi, devices can be juiced up without the need for a separate charger that has pesky wires, all you need to do is place them on, or near, any Qi-enabled surface, and you’re good to go. It does not matter the make or manufacturer, as any Qi-enabled device will work with just about any Qi charger. Talk about unprecedented flexibility!
The 2013 Toyota Avalon Limited’s wireless charging pad will be integrated into the bin lid that is located in vehicle’s center console. The system can be turned on using a switch beneath the lid, and charging your power hungry device is as easy as placing the handset upon the lid’s high-friction surface. Rest assured, unless you are going to do some serious drifting with the Toyota Avalon Limited, your smartphone will most probably remain there without giving two hoots about how hard you’re pushing the car.
The new dramatically-styled 2013 Avalon from Toyota is set to arrive in showrooms from the beginning of this month onwards, and it will also be the first to come with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive that delivers a combined EPA-rating of 40 mpg. Any takers?
While driving off-road can be a lot of fun, it can also be a challenging and dangerous activity, especially if you’re not a skilled 4×4 driver. Well thanks to some cool technology in Toyota’s trucks you can rest a little easier when driving off-road or in challenging terrain.
I recently had an opportunity to test out a couple of Toyota’s trucks with their new five-speed CRAWL control, a technology which helps drivers focus on steering while off-road, increasing safety and driving efficiency in difficult terrain.
At the center of the system is the ability for the vehicle to automatically regulate engine speed and braking force, while all the driver needs to do is turn the wheel. So when you’re making your way across rough ground or steep grades, the truck can do almost all of the work for you. The system works its magic by watching the wheel speed at each corner of the vehicle, and modulates the powertrain and braking system to ensure a safe and stable speed as you navigate treacherous roads.
You can use lower speeds to navigate rocky terrain downhill, while the higher speeds are best for uphill climbs on rocks, snow or gravel. Plus it works in either Drive or Reverse. And even if you’re not going off-road, the Hill-Start assist feature is very helpful if you live somewhere with steep hills. It automatically holds the car still at the top of a hill, so you don’t constantly need to keep your foot on both the brake and the gas.
There’s also a nifty mode called Off-Road Turn Assist which helps you make extremely tight turns by pulsing the rear brakes individually, depending on the direction of the steer. Think of what happens if you lock up a single wheel on a shopping cart – it pivots. This same principle is at work here, and all you need to do is turn the wheel. The truck takes care of the rest.
Some of us are still recovering from our food comas, but luckily the weekend is here so most of us can use that time for recouping (or chowing down on leftovers). Let’s recap the news from the day, shall we? Of course, today is Black Friday, with Apple kicking off a Black Friday sale of its own and the NPD saying that sales today could be what pushes tablet shipments above notebook shipments. We also heard from various companies that people were reaching for their phones and tablets on Thanksgiving to net some great deals, apparently not willing to wait until the Black Friday “festivities” kicked off.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, it turns out the holiday was Instagram’s biggest day ever, with tons of users taking pictures of Thanksgiving dinner and uploading them to the service. AT&T is offering refurbished iPhone 5s on its website for $99 a pop, while we caught a glimpse of the HTC Deluxe in a leaked press shot today. Nokia suffered a pretty big setback today when the head of its camera and imaging department, Damian Dinning, announced he would be leaving the company, and T-Mobile’s online stock of the Nexus 4 was brought down to nothing in mere hours after the Google Play Store linked to the listing.
The long-awaited Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition was given a gameplay trailer today while we learned that mobile data usage has doubled in the past year. The Samsung Galaxy Camera will be launching in Canada on December 7, and Nintendo has partnered with HMV to give some early Wii U adopters free games when the console launches in Europe. Nexus 4 LTE functionality has been unlocked through the use of a simple hack, and the Toyota Prius has been named the car least likely to be stolen, despite its relative popularity. Finnish police have taken a nine-year-old’s Winnie the Pooh laptop for suspected file sharing, and scientists have studied the dwarf planet Makemake for the first time.
Finally tonight, we have a number of reviews for you to read through. Cory Gunther gives us his review of the Barnes & Noble Nook HD, while Chris Burns reviews the Acer Aspire S7 and the AERIAL7 TANK DIY over the ear headphones. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you enjoy your weekend!
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