auto

Last year, Fiat showed off a new Microsoft-powered technology called Blue and Me that let people play music from USB keys and connect their Bluetooth cell phones to their Fiat cars.

This year, at the 2007 Geneva auto show, Fiat takes the tech a step further, adding a GPS antenna and a cell phone chip. The GPS antenna means you can also load maps onto your USB key that car will use to provide route guidance. And the cell phone chip gives the car some standard features similar to OnStar, such as an SOS button that will send an alert, … Read more

Toyota showed off a new concept, the Hybrid X, at the 2007 Geneva auto show, which looks like a new incarnation of the Prius. Toyota isn't even suggesting that Hybrid X is the design direction for Prius, but the company says the new concept "proposes creative solutions that will themselves potentially become the signature points of a specific hybrid identity." The Prius is also uniquely a hybrid, with no conventional engined counterpart.

The Hybrid X shows off a few fun concept technologies, such as rear suicide doors that open electronically, as well as LED headlights that mount … Read more

There are a number of technologies on the market aimed at keeping us from falling asleep, especially while behind the wheel, but they usually involve some kind of device affixed to the noggin. Researchers in Japan, however, are working on a protype car seat that senses when you're about to nod off by monitoring pulse, respiration and other physical changes that typically occur 10 minutes before someone falls asleep, according to Pink Tentacle.

Sensors are embedded throughout the seat to detect those changes and, eventually, some kind of alarm system will be included to kick in when Mr. Sandman … Read more

Audi continues to fill in the odd numbers in its model designations, and Autoblog has the scoop, with a complete gallery of leaked pictures of the upcoming Audi A5. The car is designed as a sport coupe and could lure potential 6-series buyers away from BMW. According to Autoblog, the car will be powered by a 4.2-liter V-8, with a choice of either a six-speed manual or Audi's S-Tronic Direct Shift Gearbox. The car's official debut will be at the Geneva auto show, March 7, and CNET Car Tech will be there to cover it.

(Source: Autoblog)… Read more

We're starting to get hyped for the Geneva auto show, and Toyota has helped us out with a little preshow tease about its Hybrid X concept car. Unfortunately, it's only a tease, with very little information. According to Green Car Congress, Toyota will use the show to reaffirm its commitment to building more environmentally-friendly cars. The Hybrid X is supposed to display a new design language for hybrids and showcase new technology. Toyota's development of the Hybrid X suggests the company is looking beyond the Prius for future uniquely hybrid cars.

From the picture released by Toyota, … Read more

Scion, Toyota's ultrahip brand, used the second morning of the Chicago Auto Show to launch the second incarnation of its hugely popular Scion xB. The boxy urban utility vehicle gets a makeover inside and out for its 2008 model year, with an all-new external profile, a bigger engine, bigger wheels, and some nice-to-have interior tech features. With rounded corners, wraparound headlights, and more sheet metal than its predecessor (1 foot longer, 3 inches wider, and 1 inch shorter), the 2008 xB has nearly eight more cubic feet than the previous-generation xB. To move its newly sculpted carcass around, the … Read more

By now you know it: one, Peyton Manning is pretty fantastic; and two, there was no big announcement from Apple last night involving the Beatles. No "Beatles Edition" widescreen iPod, no Fab Four tunes in the iTunes Music Store, nada. Guess we can file that one under "unsubstantiated Mac rumors."

The ad everyone's talking about, according to the similarly disappointed Cult of Mac, is the Coca-Cola spot that spoofed Grand Theft Auto. Kind of reminded me of that South Park episode where half the action took place in World of Warcraft. So, here it is; … Read more

The 2007 Detroit Auto Show ends on Sunday, and if you didn't get a chance to see it, you can enjoy the concepts, new models, and exhibits through our coverage. We've just posted our last video on the show, wrapping up the most important announcements and unveilings. For even more depth, take a look at our slide shows and blog entries about the show.

Click here to watch the 2007 Detroit Auto Show wrap-up video.

Automakers aren't the only ones using the 2007 Detroit Auto Show to show off new products; Alpine also launched its new Imprint technology at the show. Imprint isn't a new car stereo or amplifier--instead, it's part methodology and part technology for designing the perfect sound to fit any car. Alpine researcher Alan Trevena, who demonstrated the system for me, said that Imprint takes a lot of the guess work out of designing a car audio system. Instead of relying on a "golden ear," an expert who sets the audio parameters based on his or her … Read more