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Ford CEO Alan Mulally to keynote CES
Filed under: Gadgets, CES, Cadillac, Ford, GM 
Looks like the biggest gadget convention on Earth is becoming the place for big automotive announcements. You'll remember that two years ago at the Consumer Electronics Show, Ford and Microsoft announced their partnership on Ford's SYNC system, and last January General Motor's CEO Rick Wagoner chose Las Vegas to unveil the all-electric Cadillac Provoq concept. It was the first time in the convention's 40-year history an automaker had revealed a concept car to the world there.
This year it's Ford's turn again at CES, with CEO Alan Mulally taking the keynote spot. CES runs...
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VW begins polling everyone... about everything
Filed under: Car Buying, CES, Etc., Euro, Volkswagen 
Volkswagen knows that 73% of the people want to take the tiny soap and shampoo from hotel rooms. They also know that 60% of ice cream buyers prefer cones over cups. On an apparent quest to learn everything, Volkswagen's just-announced multi-faceted polling effort, known as It's what the people want, "...is a way of keeping in touch with what matters to people today," according to Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing for VW of America.
In addition to the web-based polling, VW has also taken their efforts to Times Square where consumers may participate in live-polling, via text...
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Smart, but flawed: Steering wheel navigation screen
Filed under: Aftermarket, Gadgets, CES, Tech 
The latest gizmo from Japan's Takata will tell you where to go, but not like those verbally abusive digital keychains from the '90s. The Takata CSW steering wheel is designed to interface with sensors in your vehicle and display different messages on an LCD screen in the 12 o'clock position. There are already lights and sirens to let you know if your door is ajar or the washer fluid is low, but the CSW wheel's best trick is that it will talk to the Navigon 7100 navigation system, should you have one. It's an interesting cross-brand lashup that is pushing...
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In Depth: Hughes Telematics plans to outdo OnStar and SYNC
Filed under: Gadgets, CES, Chrysler, LLC., Mercedes-Benz 
Back in December, Hughes Telematics announced it would be providing technology for use in Mercedes vehicles, and they also worked out a deal with Chrysler the prior January. Hughes says its telematics system will one day be standard on all Chrysler products, and that the company hopes to expand beyond Mercedes and Chrysler, as well. "Hughes is talking to every OEM except General Motors," we were told.
To show off what's in store for future car buyers, Hughes brought a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee to CES in Las Vegas this year packed full of its in-development technology, and we got...
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CES 2008: CarShield offers telematics on the (kinda) cheap
Filed under: Gadgets, CES, Safety 
That little red box contains a lot of electronic goodies that, until now, were only available as options on newer vehicles. Plug that plastic rectangle into your car's diagnostics port and CarShield puts you in touch with your car like never before.
Like most simple telematic systems, it contains cellular capabilities, GPS and Bluetooth. Those technologies allow car owners to open locked car doors with a Bluetooth mobile phone and track where there car is, has been or is going. Got a teen driver? If the little brat ventures outside your pre-determined boundaries, the CarShield will send you a text message to let...
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CES 2008: PumpTop TV coming your way
Filed under: Gadgets, CES, Lifestyle  Westinghouse Digital had its PumpTop TV on display at CES. As described by the title, it's a flatscreen monitor that sits on top of a fuel pump. It gives the consumer something to do besides staring at passing vehicles while waiting around for the tank to fill. The unit is already in use at many gas stations throughout the United States. While the idea of being bombarded by even more advertising when out driving is not a pleasant thought, the TV network might be helpful in exposing folks to urgent news alerts such as bridge collapses, dust storms, or forest fires. In Southern California some...
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CES 2008: Video of Delphi's Dual-View nav screen in action
Filed under: Gadgets, CES, Safety, Tech, Videos 
click above image to view video
We've seen a lot of cool technology coming out of the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, but few gadgets are more useful or cool than this dual-view navigation screen from Delphi. When out of Park, the driver can only see navigation or radio controls on the nav screen, but a passenger riding shotgun can watch a movie. The driver can't even lean over to see the other view while driving, as Delphi employed special blocking technology to keep its invention from causing accidents. One screen with two...
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CES 2008: The cars of CES
Filed under: CES, Chery 
Among the never-ending sea of house-sized LCD TVs, untold navigation devices and cutesy robots at CES are more than a few cars. While last year the theme among custom-car builders was overwhelming gaudiness, this year someone must have written a rule mandating at least a little class.
We expected to see automotive LCD screens installed in more places than is acceptable, and we saw a few, but far fewer than 2007. We looked forward to a few exotics, but were surprised when we found Jay Lenno's EcoJet. Other surprises were a Year One Bandit, a Cadillac Escalade in flat gray primer, and a...
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CES 2008: Rick Wagoner roundtable discussion
Filed under: CES, Government/Legal, Green, Tech, GM  Prior to his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yesterday, GM Chairman Rick Wagoner held a discussion with a group of us flacks to answer all of our questions clearly and completely without equivocation. OK just kidding, he did hedge on a number of questions as would be expected of any major executive, especially one heading up the largest automaker in the world (for now). A range of issues were discussed, including alternative fuels, hybrids and the fate of the Zeta platform beyond the Pontiac G8 and the Camaro.
Wagoner reiterated that nothing...
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CES 2008: Live blogging the Rick Wagoner keynote on Electric Avenue
Filed under: CES, Cadillac, GM 
Click for a high res gallery of the Provoq from the keynote
 3:45pm: At about 4:30pm Las Vegas time GM Chairman Rick Wagoner will be taking the stage here at the Sands convention center to deliver the first keynote by a car company executive in the 41 year history of the Consumer Electronics Show. Once the speech starts we'll be bringing you full coverage right here so just keep refreshing the page for updates.
4:06pm We're now in the ballroom setup with front row seats.
Your photographer for today's festivities will be our...
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