auto

Griffin iTrip FM Transmitter adds Aha by Harman integration

LAS VEGAS--We're not what you'd call fans of FM transmission technology, but Griffin's iTrip with app integration for Apple's iPhone is easily one of the best in that class. At CES 2013, Griffin and Harman announced Aha app integration with the iTrip Auto FM hardware.

Aha provides a way to to listen to your Facebook and Twitter feeds, audiobooks, podcasts, news, and other audio content -- Harman claims more than 30,000 stations are accessible by the app, with new stations being added constantly.

Now, in addition to using the iTrip app to scan for open … Read more

Infiniti teases Q50, an update to the G sedan

Infiniti says it will unveil a new sport sedan, called the Q50, at the upcoming Detroit auto show. The model introduces the brand's new naming strategy, and is billed as a replacement for the current G sedan.

Typical for pre-auto-show teasers, all we get is an image of the new car's headlight. However, that shot reveals styling much different than seen on current Infiniti G and M models. Rather than the high lens of the current headlights, which mold into the pontoon-like front fenders, the teaser shows a hooded headlight topped by an LED strip.

The headlight design … Read more

New Corvette teased and leaked ahead of January unveil

At the Detroit auto show next month, Chevrolet will unveil the 2014 Corvette, the seventh generation of the legendary American supercar. GM's own media releases ahead of the launch reveal a modern, high-tech car that should compete with the best from Europe. At the same time, it appears Chevy addressed a long-time Corvette issue: cabin quality.

To date, the most reliable information available concerns the new Corvette's engine. GM released a presentation detailing construction, testing, and specifications for this new powerplant. The engine, designated LT1, replaces the outgoing LS3.

Although it retains the 6.2-liter displacement of the … Read more

Honda readies small SUV for Detroit

Today Honda sent out a sketch of a new concept vehicle the company intends to unveil at the North American International Auto Show in January. Honda calls the concept an Urban SUV, and it looks like the predecessor to a new, small SUV in the lineup.

The sketch shows the profile of a car with lines similar to the latest CR-V model. However, Honda updated the CR-V for 2012, so the concept is not likely to be a new version of that car.

More likely would be a smaller SUV, similar to the Subaru XV Crosstrek and BMW X1, a … Read more

How to enable pinch-to-zoom in Gmail on your Android device

Last week when Google rolled out Gmail 4.2.1 to all Android users, swipe-to-delete wasn't the only feature added to the app. Google also added pinch-to-zoom, but it's not called pinch-to-zoom in the settings. Wait, what? Yeah, it's a bit confusing. So here's what you'll need to do to enable pinch-to-zoom in Gmail on your Android device.

Download the latest version of Gmail from the Google Play Store. It should be version 4.2.1. After you're up to date, launch the Gmail app and navigate to Settings > General Settings. Check the … Read more

Listen to Grand Theft Auto radio stations on your smartphone

Playing the new Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on my iPad (it's coming soon for Android) made me nostalgic for other GTA games. Not so much for the gratuitous violence, but for the radio stations that have become a hallmark of the series.

Indeed, these in-game stations play not only a huge variety of commercial tunes (in GTA IV alone, you'll find everything from Count Basie to Genesis to Kanye West), but also some crackling DJ banter and hilarious fake ads. (The Public Liberty Radio station is bust-a-gut funny.)… Read more

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City brings the '80s back to Android and iOS

Has it really been 10 years since Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City made its PlayStation 2 debut? And has it really been 26 years since the big hair, pastel suits, and electronic-infused pop celebrated in that game were all the rage? Heaven help me, I'm old.

Just as Rockstar brought Grand Theft Auto 3 to smartphones and tablets to celebrate that game's 10-year anniversary, so has its sequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, arrived for iOS. (The Android version has been temporarily delayed but is due shortly.) And although it suffers from similar control issues, the … Read more

All-new Lexus IS to debut in Detroit; what should we expect?

Lexus has announced that it will be pulling the wraps off of the all-new IS at the 2013 North American International Auto Show--better known to those of us car guys and gals as the Detroit Auto Show. The automaker has stated that the new model "has been completely redesigned, inside and out" and will be inspired by the LF-CC Coupe Concept (which we saw make its own debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show) and the brand's LFA halo car.

Beyond that, the automaker hasn't said anything else about the new IS. So, exactly what should … Read more

Acura seeks flagship status for new RLX model

LOS ANGELES -- Once upon a time, Acura pushed the cutting edge of cabin technology, pioneering such features as navigation and active noise cancellation. But times changed and Acura didn't, letting other automakers steal the high-tech mantle. Now Acura fights back with the RLX, a new high-end sedan with some odd quirks.

By and large, premium and luxury automakers use rear-wheel drive for their flagship sedans, an architecture maintained more out of tradition than real necessity. Acura has always bucked this trend, and continues to do so with the RLX. This model will launch as a front-wheel-drive car sporting … Read more