Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

Here at TheCarConnection.com, we see a lot of gadgets designed to enhance the driving experience. Like the Mercedes-Benz mbrace system we mentioned yesterday, most are telematics devices offering directions, traffic news, and other familiar data. But MIT's SENSEable City Lab envisions something different: an onboard robot capable of giving drivers feedback on their driving style, reminding folks to buckle up, and generally providing a more "symbiotic" relationship between vehicle and driver. Most curiously, the Affective Intelligent Driving Agent -- code-named AIDA -- also conveys expressions via its Wall-E-esque, stylized human face. MIT...

The intersection between technology and daily life became slightly more seamless yesterday with the launch of Mercedes-Benz's new "mbrace" telematics system. It features a lot of the bells and whistles we've come to expect from such gadgetry, like roadside assistance, real-time traffic, and the ability to sync smartphones with in-dash entertainment systems. As you might expect from Mercedes, however, mbrace also includes luxury amenities like a concierge service that can make dinner reservations and book hotel rooms. The system comes standard on most new vehicles and as an option on others; subscriptions run $280 per year, with an...

In America, we tend to think of Renault as that wacky French outfit responsible for the Le Car craze of the 1970s and 80s. But in fact, the company has been doing some very interesting work on the EV front, thanks largely to its partnership with Nissan. In that vein, Renault recently launched a website dedicated to "zero emission mobility" -- in other words, minimizing pollution while maintaining our ability to go anywhere we damn well please. No matter how you feel about EVs and the green movement, it's hard to argue with that, right? Here's a clip from the monthly magazine portion of the website, which includes a brief look at the "spa...