Cars

Roadholding technologies such as traction control and stability programs are becoming standard on many cars, but VW takes a further step with its steering-impulse system. When your car's tires are slipping and the car is thinking a little countersteer (turning toward a sideways skid) is called for, VWs with steering impulse give the steering wheel a little tug in the right direction. VW points out that the car is not steering for the driver, just making an almost subliminal suggestion about which way you should be moving the wheel. VW claims that stopping distance can be decreased by up … Read more

Nokia is the latest consumer-electronics firm to use GPS to follow the money. The Finnish cell-phone maker today announced its entrance into the red-hot car-navigation market with the unveiling of its Nokia 330 Auto Navigation system, which will rely on digital maps from US-based Navteq, rather than those from Tele Atlas found in the new Nokia N95 phone.

The Nokia 330 is expected to compete directly with higher-end GO devices from TomTom, but the list of potential rivals and devices in the GPS market, especially in Europe, is growing all the time. Last week, Dual Electronics, a company traditionally associated … Read more

Car stereo-maker Dual is on the trail of the likes of Magellan, TomTom, and Garmin with the release of its second portable GPS navigation system. The XNAV3550 uses Navigon navigation software, features a 3.5 inch TFT touch screen display, and is preloaded with maps of the United States, including nearly 2 million points of interest. The unit, which will retail for $499, also comes with a range of multimedia playback options, including the ability to play MP3s and movies, and to view JPG photos. All navigation and media data is stored on the XNAV3550's 1GB SD media card, … Read more

As if Southern California highways aren't perilous enough, drivers will now get to duck a tricked-out Dodge Charger SRT8 promoting that manliest of games, "Scarface: The World is Yours." The car (cough, publicity stunt) is being driven around by Roger Lloyd, chief operating officer of retail video game franchise Play N Trade. Images from the game digitally wrap around the car, and it has a Sony PlayStation 2 and wireless controls. Eyes on the road, Lloyd.

Yeah, we know promo cars aren't that unusual. But we can't help but wonder which other tech execs we'… Read more

Inside Line reports on rumors that Toyota may put its Endo concept car into production as a competitor to Smart. According to the article, disguised Endos have been spotted around Japan. Although only 10 feet long, the car can seat four. I caught the concept Endo at last year's Frankfurt Auto Show, where it sported an LCD for instruments and other information, plus a built-in e-mail application. Production Endos would probably not have the same dashboard.

(Source: Edmunds.com Inside Line)

Another way to have the date of a lifetime in Rome while saving on gas.

The Vectrix Electric Maxi-Scooter, as the tree huggers at Treehugger.com pointed out, will debut this November at the 64th International Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan.

The electric scooter, which runs on a rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery, gets 70 miles to the charge, and does a top speed of 63 mph, according to Vectrix specs.

I am sure plenty of urbanites will take to scooter, but who is Vectrix hoping to reach with these marketing photos? The guy in the Saville Row suit looks like … Read more

Well, Cingular's just having a field day today. In addition to announcing the availability of the long-awaited HP iPaq hw6920, the cell phone carrier launched its first location-based service, called TeleNav GPS Navigator, for its business and government customers. The service costs $9.99 per month for unlimited use (or $5.99 per month for up to 10 trips) and provides text- and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions and color maps so that you don't miss that important client meeting. In addition to the standard nav features, there are some extra handy tools, including a Biz Finder for searching local … Read more

Think hand-powered boats are for sissies? Do you mock all those crunchy, neoprene-wearing outdoorsy types (like me) who smugly paddle around in their long, skinny, quiet kayaks?

Then you'll want to make friends with the dude who built this, the first engine-powered kayak. This thing apparently took two years to outfit with a stunningly environmentally unfriendly two-stroke engine. The TravelGearBlog found this video of the boat racing a British rally truck in Iceland.

(Via TravelGearBlog via TopGear)

With a retractable hard top, a Dynaudio premium stereo system, and a bright-red paint job, I couldn't wait to take out the 2007 Volvo C70 that landed in the CNET garage this week. A cold, foggy day didn't keep me from driving with the top down, cranking up the bass and subwoofer on the stereo, and trying to shake the socks off nearby pedestrians--trying, but not succeeding, since the stereo is a little too refined for real thumps.

The Dynaudio premium stereo in the Volvo uses 12 speakers, 2 of them subwoofers, to fill a cabin with barely … Read more