OnStar

The battle between telematics services is starting to heat up with Ford treading into GM's territory by adding live operator assistance to Sync.

Ford's cloud-based Sync Services is an automated system that lets drivers use voice commands to look up businesses, directions, traffic updates, and other information, such as sports scores, stock quotes, and horoscopes. Sync Services can send turn-by-turn directions to vehicles.

However, even with 14 million business listings, Sync Services isn't perfect. Looking up nearby businesses or entering directions is a hit-or-miss experience, and around the third or fourth time you scream "Starbucks" … Read more

A Washington state technology company filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Ford today in federal court.

Eagle Harbor Holdings, and its subsidiary MediusTech, claim Ford used several automotive technologies in Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles without authorization.

According to the lawsuit, Ford uses patented technologies such as Sync, Active Park Assist, Blind-Spot Identification System with Cross Traffic Alert, Integrated Control System for Stability Control, and MyKey.

"Our representatives began meeting with Ford in 2002 to discuss and disclose our patented automotive systems technology and its applicability for use in Ford vehicles," Jeffrey Harmes, general counsel for Eagle Harbor … Read more

With a manual transmission, turbocharged engine, and front-wheel drive, you would expect a fast little canyon carver. But the Cruze Eco takes these standard features of the tuner set and turns them into hypermiler gear.

A miracle of turbocharging, the little 1.4-liter engine cranks out 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. The Cruze Eco should help debunk the idea that good fuel economy means a gutless car. With that engine and a few tricks to shave weight and reduce drag, the Cruze Eco boasts a 42-mpg highway figure.

Chevy lets the car down a bit in the cabin … Read more

With a supercharged, 6.2-liter V-8 producing 556 horsepower, the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe is one fast machine. Stomp on the gas in first gear and you are in for all sorts of fun, from the car twisting and turning under tremendous torque to the surprised looks of Porsche and BMW owners as you fly past them. And the future car look of the Coupe body perfectly fits this outrageous performance.

But the CTS-V Coupe is also significantly refined, a snarling tiger in a tuxedo. Magnetic ride suspension technology keeps its tires gripping pavement and maintains stability in fast cornering, making … Read more

A group on MIT students developed an app that lets OnStar subscribers search for restaurants and make reservations without needing to talk to the maitre d'. The voice-activated app earned the four students the $10,000 Grand Prize for the OnStar Student Developer Challenge at the Where 2.0 conference last week.

EatOn is a restaurant discovery service that lets users locate restaurants, read ratings and reviews, make reservations on OpenTable, and get turn-by-turn directions to their destination using only voice commands. The app also ties into social media and lets users post their destinations on Twitter, or send invitations … Read more

After enjoying a healthy lead with Sync, Ford may finally have to watch its back. GM officially debuted MyLink and IntelliLink at the 2011 New York International Auto Show, and its new smartphone-integrated infotainment platform could be a game changer for the industry.

Badged as IntelliLink in Buick and GMC vehicles, MyLink uses Bluetooth or USB to sync the occupant's smartphone with the vehicle, and integrate certain entertainment applications with the head unit. If you don't own a smartphone, don't worry--you still have access to all the standard entertainment system features, such as CD player, audio inputs … Read more

In LoJack's annual report of the vehicles most stolen, then recovered, the Honda Accord topped the list for 2010. The Honda Civic got silver, and the Toyota Camry came in with a bronze. The Cadillac Escalade, the most stolen car in the U.S., hits the list in fifth place.

LoJack breaks down its stats further, showing that the 2000 Honda Civic is the most stolen and recovered car, and 1994 through 1997 Accords hold the next four positions. For model years less than 5 years old, the 2007 Camry tops the list, followed by the 2009 Camry, then … Read more

GM's Chevrolet Volt and Ford's MyFord Touch and MyKey won the domestic carmakers' gold medals at the Edison Awards gala held in New York last night.

The technology awards show highlights breakthrough products and services and recognizes innovative industry leaders. Basically, it's like the Oscars for technology companies, but with much, much longer speeches and videos.

In the Personal Transportation segment, the Chevy Volt beat out the Copenhagen Wheel by Senseable City Lab and the Nissan Leaf for first place. Senseable City Lab and Nissan earned the silver and bronze medal respectively.

Ford was the big awards … Read more

After years of auto show concepts and parking lot test drives, we finally got a Chevrolet Volt in for a proper review. With no GM minders riding along, we drove the Volt up steep San Francisco hills, along scenic coastal roads, and over miles of freeways at speeds of 65 to 75 mph. In city traffic the Volt contended with stop-and-go traffic and our usual method of jamming the accelerator when the light turns green, getting us to the next red light quickly.

And over all this, the Volt performed more than admirably. When the battery was charged, the car … Read more