gadget news and reviews

Nvision 08: Audi Navigation 6

Audi was present at Nvision 08 and I had a chance to get the scoop on some new gadgetry which should begin to appear in new Audi cars in the near future. One of Audi’s employees demonstrated some of the upcoming upgrades to their navigation systems. The new system, entitled “Multi Media Interface (MMI),” will feature voice commands that does not require training, 3D maps, and a music library stored on an internal hard drive. There are plenty of other tech features, but I’ll focus on the center of it all.

The Navigation System will sport a new display with a higher resolution and will be LED backlit for sharper colors. It will support playback of DVD movies, but only when the car is parked. Like more cars today it has full support to allow hands free access to Bluetooth enabled phones. But as a bonus it will allow dictating numbers to dial or even saying names in your phonebook without having to program your voice for ever possible combination. The upcoming cars featuring this new system will have a 40GB HDD and two SD card readers built-in. Unfortunately the car doesn’t allow ripping tracks from inserted CDs due to copyright restrictions, however it will allow copying downloaded music from those SD cards. (MP3, WMA, & AAC supported!) Additional options for a USB port to allow use of flash drives will also be an option. The MMI system also supports adding support for Apple iPod devices or AUX analog inputs, which will probably also cost extra.

The main reason Audi was at Nvision was because their new MMI systems will be sporting Nvidia graphics chips inside the dashboards. The chips will be used to generate good looking 3D graphics rapidly. Many city centers will have 3D building models and topographical terrain maps. It looks quite similar to what is currently available in Google Earth. All the 3D content will be generated in real-time while providing turn-by-turn directions. According to the Audi rep, the graphics chip has been specially designed to withstand high and low temperatures while being able to absorb large amounts of shock, which would be important since it’s part of a vehicle. The GPS data with those 3D maps and voice prompts will apparently takes up around 25GB of data. When it comes time to upgrade to the latest sets of maps, dealers will apparently be able to simply install the updated content pack onto the Audi’s HDD.

Update (08/29/08): I previously had stated that the Audi will be using a Nvidia graphics card, however it turns out it’s just a Nvidia graphics chip. Sigmund, thanks for the correction.

SMART Announces ‘fortwo’ – $12k 2

Yesterday, smart USA, announced the pricing and availability of the smart fortwo models in the United States. The smart fortwo is a mini car produced by Mercedes, which offers driving with over 40mpg efficiency. The smart car is only 8.8-feet long and 5.1-feet tall and includes all the standard features found in cars today such as ESP, anti-lock brakes, and air bags. Although it only seats two and limited storage space, it has become quite a popular car in Europe since it’s easy to maneuver through small streets and even friendly to park in crowded areas. The car can also hit a top speed of 90mph, therefore can be driven on highways and is fast enough for most areas.

Anyways the entry-level coupe starts at $11,590 and included 5-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode. Unfortunately this model doesn’t even have powered windows, air conditioning, or even a built in CD player with AM/FM. Therefore paying another $2,000 will the three items mentioned above plus a panorama roof, alloy wheels, gear paddle shifters, heated mirrors, and sports steering wheel. Finally for $16,590 the smart car becomes convertible with an automatic soft top, a sound system with MP3 playback and a 6-CD changer. Although it may seem that this car lacks many features, which are now taken granted, it offers a wider range of price customizations, is one of the smallest car on the market, and offers almost double the fuel efficiency of any other car at that price range. The smart fortwo series will hit dealerships during the first quarter of 2008.

Links: SmartUSA.com | Wiki Info

Google Maps: Real-Time Traffic +

If you were to venture over to Google Maps right now, you’d notice a new tab in the upper right-hand corner that reads “Traffic.” Thats’s right; Google now offers real-time highway traffic congestion data for 30 major cities, including San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. As of yet the system is still in its infant stages: Google Traffic is only capable of displaying the congestion on major highways and does not offer detours based on incidents. It also isn’t exactly the most accurate system available, but it’s a pretty good start.

Google Traffic System Visuals:

• Green: 50 mph or above
• Yellow: between 25 & 50 mph
• Red: less than 25 mph
• Gray: data not available

Google isn’t the first major company to try to alleviate traffic congestion by informing commuters about traffic conditions. Live Maps has had a similar service for quite some time now and they’re offering additional information besides simply the speed of traffic. One of the nicer features on Live is its ability to display road construction with little warning icons to indicate the exact location. Once hovered over, these icons will expand into text boxes to explain the construction plans, the severity of ongoing constructions, as well as start and projected completion dates. Read More

Lexus IS 250 “Sneak-Peak” 7

The all-new Lexus IS 250 and IS 350 are expected to reach dealerships by October 15, 2005. These two care are both complete remakes of the current IS 300, which has now been discontinued. The new IS line is expected to be a breakthrough for Lexus, as it is expected to yield better performance than the BMW 3 Series. The IS 250 is expected to start at $30k, while the IS 350 is set at about $40k. I have managed to snap plenty of shots of an IS 250 that was temporarily located at a dealership (Stevens Creek) for tune-up before an auto show. From the looks of it, the IS has a more sporty car feel than the previous model. This car has the new style that the GS line currently has on the interior and exterior.

This car is loaded with ton of gadgets and features, some are:

• Mark Levinson 14-speaker sound system
• 6-disc DVD/CD changer (supports WMA & Mp3)
• AUX input for iPods & Walkmans (12V power supply)
• Navigation LCD touch screen + voice controled
• Safety backup camera & DVDs play while in park mode
• Bluetooth phone support & steering wheel phone controls
• Smart keyless entry system & push 2 start button
• Pre-collison system and front/side/knee airbags
• Ventilated heat/cool front seats
• Paddle-shifters and console shifter (Manual)

The IS 250/350 both have the same body, but both are about 3 inches longer and wider than the current IS 300 (“05). The 6-speed IS 250 is powered by a 2.5L 206hp engine and is available in manual, automatic, and tiptronic transmissions. The 6-speed IS 350 has a 3.5L 306hp engine and is also available in manual and auto. (V6 engines) The IS 350 is only offered rear-wheel drive, while the IS 250 is offered in rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. The IS 250 can get up to 32mpg and the IS 350 can get a max of 28mpg. (varies on AWD/RD & M/T vs. Auto) There is also word on a IS 430 that might be released next year that has a V8 engine and is possibly a hardtop convertible, another possible addition might be a hybrid IS as well. Both are concept cars so no “offical” Lexus announcements yet.

Update (10/11/05): The Lexus IS 250 and IS 350 (2006) pricing has been released by Lexus. IS 250 starts at ~$29,000 and the IS 350 starts at ~$35,000. – [via Yahoo Biz]

Link: TheNewIS | Lexus.com | GoogleSearch
More: ‘05 Lexus IS 300 | ‘06 IS Message Board
Related: Lexus Concept Cars

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