ford

Five top gas-saving (non-electric) cars

Hybrid and electric cars turn in the best fuel economy numbers, but if you are not ready to trust that newfangled technology, here are five gasoline-driven cars that manage very good mileage. For this round-up, we stuck with recent models we have actually driven. Instead of focusing on the highway fuel economy number, which many automakers do in their advertising, we looked at the combined city and highway numbers. … Read more

Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan target 2017 for fuel cell vehicles

It must be a new season of sharing as major automakers sign agreements to co-develop fuel cell technology. Last week Toyota and BMW said they would work together on a fuel cell system, while today Ford, Daimler, and Renault-Nissan announced they would pool research into fuel cell technology. In their joint press release, Ford, Daimler, and Renault-Nissan said they would produce fuel cell vehicles in 2017.

All of these companies have been working on the technology, and some have demonstrated prototype vehicles. Mercedes-Benz, part of Daimler, has been testing multiple generations of its F-Cell fuel cell vehicle, and currently runs … Read more

Top car tech from CES and the Detroit auto show: CNET On Cars Episode 10

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We open the year with a double header from what I think are the two biggest car events in the U.S. each year: The Consumer Electronics Show and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The latter makes total sense in a show like this, but CES has also moved up the ranks as a major moment for car tech. I mean, Ford and GM climbed all over each other in a battle to be the first major automakers … Read more

Efficiency is key at the 2013 Detroit auto show (roundup)

The 2013 North American International Auto Show -- simply, the Detroit auto show for those familiar -- was the stage for quite a few debuts that ran the gamut of vehicle types, classes, and feasibility. Chevrolet pulled the wraps off of the next great American supercar, a dueling pair of luxury sedans were debuted by Infiniti and Lexus, Ford showed off a very thinly veiled look at the future of one of the best selling vehicles in the world, and glossy concept sedans and crossovers could be found around every corner.

Among this wide range of vehicles, one theme was shared: fuel efficiency. Of course, it's no surprise that the next generation of vehicles will need to sip less fuel than the last, but we found the variety of fuel-saving techniques for these concepts and production cars to be almost as interesting as the cars themselves. We've rounded up a few highlights below:… Read more

Crave giveaway: Tablet that's ready for a Ford Sync hookup

First off, congrats to Bhakti C. of Sugar Land, Texas, for winning a "Retroreflective Scarf" from geek designer Diana Eng in last week's giveaway. Now, for this week's prize...

Our giveaway sponsor, Ford, is offering a free 64GB tablet or similar that works with its Ford Sync technology. The in-vehicle connectivity system lets you hook up your favorite smartphone (or one of a number of tablets and e-readers) to your car and access its various functionalities through voice commands while driving. Find and play tunes, podcasts, and audio books and just generally stay full-on tablet-entertained on … Read more

Ford, GM, open up to developers at CES 2013

LAS VEGAS--Ford and GM both surprised the automotive and technology worlds by announcing developer programs for their in-car software platforms, essentially replicating the ecosystem of the smartphone on the dashboard. The two launched Web sites with nearly identical URLs, developer.ford.com and developer.gm.com, to support independent development of apps for their cars.

Ford already boasts about 20 apps integrated with its Sync AppLink system, with nine new apps announced at the show. GM is behind in the dashboard app game, but the open development program should give it a jumpstart.

The programs are designed to encourage developers … Read more

Ford invites competitors to use its app integration tech

LAS VEGAS--At the start of Ford's press conference at CES 2013, Wired published a story saying the automaker would offer up its Sync AppLink technology for free to the competition. Doug VanDagens, Ford's director of connected services, who spoke during the press conference, is quoted by Wired, confirming the story.

Sync AppLink is Ford's name for the technology that supports app integration in its cars. It lets a driver load an app on a smartphone, then control it through the car's voice command and dashboard buttons, while listening to the audio output through the car's … Read more

Aha finds a home in Porsche, Ford, and Chrysler

LAS VEGAS--One of the most successful services at CES 2013 would seem to be Aha, which added Porsche, Ford, and Chrysler as partners. Harman, Aha's parent company, boasts the service will be available in cars from more than 10 automakers.

Aha offers 30,000 Internet-based stations in its lineup, from music to podcasts to news. It includes audio-based location search services for restaurants and coffee shops. Users can listen to Facebook and Twitter updates from their personal accounts. Aha is also available through the Aha Radio app for iOS and Android.

Ford has added Aha to its roster of … Read more

Ford introduces nine new apps for the car at CES 2013

LAS VEGAS--Over the past year, Ford announced a few new apps integrated with its Sync AppLink platform every quarter, bringing the total to 10. At CES 2013, Ford takes a big leap, adding nine apps to the car.

Drivers with Ford models featuring Sync AppLink will be able to use the following nine apps with their car's voice command and dashboard controls.

Wall Street Journal USA Today Kaliki Amazon Cloud Player Aha Radio Rhapsody Greater Media Glympse BeCouply

The newly compatible apps join the existing roster, which includes Pandora, Stitcher, NPR, and Scout navigation.

Ford divides compatible apps into … Read more

Nvidia unveils gaming console at CES 2013

Monday's CNET Update from CES 2013:

There's a flood of news to digest at the International CES, but I got you covered. Update will sum up highlights of CES each day in a handy-dandy three minute video. The show floor officially opens Tuesday, but here are some stories already getting buzz:

- Computer chip maker Nvidia announced that it's getting into the hardware business and making its own quad-core portable gaming console.

- Fitbit unveiled the Flex, a fitness-tracking wristband that will compete with the Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up.

- Garmin wants to go beyond the … Read more