mirrors

OnStar FMV drops to $99 including installation

Between May 6 and June 16, OnStar's aftermarket telematics system, the OnStar FMV, is getting a lot cheaper with a price drop to just $99, which includes installation at participating consumer electronics retail outlets, including Best Buy.

When I took a look at the OnStar FMV last year, one of the only drawbacks that I could find was that the "price, installation, and subscription fees create a high cost of entry." At an MSRP of $299 with a subscription fee of $199 to $299 per year, adding an OnStar mirror to your car was no mere impulse … Read more

How to watch HBO Go on your Apple TV, sort of

I love HBO Go. Love it. Having instant, on-demand access to shows like "Deadwood," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Game of Thrones," and "Extras" is all kinds of awesome.

Too bad I can't enjoy it on the ol' flat-screen. There's no HBO Go channel on my Apple TV, and the iOS apps don't allow video out. Meanwhile, Comcast doesn't support HBO Go on Roku boxes (even though most other cable providers do), so that's a no-go as well. (Comcast doesn't allow it on the Xbox, either, as Scott Stein reported earlier today.)

Thankfully, there's a workaround. Here's what you need:… Read more

The 404 995: Where the damage is done (podcast)

Leaked from 404 Podcast 995:

Apple Mac OS X 'Mountain Lion' takes more bites out of iOS. Get started with iMessage for OS X. Low Latency No. 10: Good artists copy, great artists steal. Apple PR maintains a blacklist of journalists that it refuses to talk to. Bathroom break video : Live television texting-while-walking fail.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, what's the quietest ride of all?

Ford engineers looking for ways to create a quieter cabin in the new Escape have turned to an elliptical acoustic mirror for results.

According to Ford, this is a new approach to reduce wind noise and deliver a quieter interior in a sport utility vehicle. The technology has been used by European luxury vehicle car makers, but is considered a breakthrough among U.S. manufacturers.

The mirror, which resembles a satellite dish with a microphone, measures noises on the surface of the vehicle and in the airflow. "The mirror identifies 'hot spots' where noise penetrates the interior of the … Read more

Freescale enables iPhone, Android to power automotive infotainment

LAS VEGAS--Chip maker Freescale sees smartphone integration as the future of automotive infotainment systems.

Luke Smithwick, who runs the Driver Information and Infotainment Business section of Freescale, points out his daughters as an example of how young people's lives are on their smartphones. And no matter what regulations might be passed, those phones will find a way into the car. So Smithwick's mission is to work on technology that can safely integrate smartphones with driver information systems.

Among its displays here at CES 2012, Freescale had a head unit with its version of MirrorLink enabled, a new technology … Read more

Missing Apple product: Mirror Book Air

This one's been floating around the Internet for a few months: the Mirror Book Air, a tiny pocket mirror in the shape of, you guessed it, a MacBook Air.

The only problem is that you won't find it in stores here in the U.S. Alas, this is one of those Chinese knock-off specials and it's hard to find--unless you want to buy 2,000 units at once and go through a Chinese distributor (like other mass-order tchotchkes, you can have your company logo put on the Mirror Book).

Needless to say, Apple didn't give anybody … Read more

How to mirror iPhone 4S with AirPlay, Apple TV

During the iOS 5 beta period, we covered how to mirror an iPad 2 with a TV using AirPlay and an Apple TV. With the release of the iPhone 4S, Apple brings the mirroring feature to its newest handset. … Read more

Car Tech Live 239: Porsche Panamera Turbo S (podcast)

The most reliable cars are... Plus, the Nissan Leaf spawns a plug-in cousin, Ford stops your teen from texting while driving, a scathing report on red-light cameras, and we drive the Porsche Panamera Turbo S.

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EPISODE 239

SHOW NOTES

Toyota launches smartphone mirroring tech in EU

Toyota's European Touch Life infotainment system is the first platform to allow true smartphone replication on the in-dash display.

The new system takes advantage of the Car Connectivity Consortium's MirrorLink (formerly Nokia Terminal Mode), which lets drivers and passengers access all of their smartphone apps from a car's in-dash touch screen. However, there are some limitations. True smartphone mirroring is only available on Nokia phones equipped with the Symbian Belle operating system. The Nokia Car Mode app lets drivers access the device's telephony, voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, and audio entertainment functions while the car is in use, but prevent them from using all other applications until the car is parked. … Read more

15 iOS 5 tips and tricks

The time has finally come, and iOS 5 will be available to the general public October 12. During the last four months, we have been covering some of the key features of iOS 5 to ensure we were prepared to help you on the first day of iOS 5's release. Below you will find 15 tips and tricks to help you master iOS 5, and maybe even allow you to show off a bit to your friends. … Read more