Ford

More good news for those of us who have been forced to divide our attention between the road and what seems like an ever-increasing number of gadgets and other in-car distractions: automotive voice-activation technology is becoming more widespread.

On Thursday, U.S.-based company Nuance announced that it will be putting its text-to-speech technology in select new Ford models in Europe. The system powers Ford's "Human Machine Interface" (HMI), which allows drivers to make calls, enter destinations into the navigation system, control the audio system, and change the inside temperature using simple voice commands.

For example, a … Read more

Microsoft and Ford bought a lot of advertisements on NFL football broadcasts over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend. The companies are pushing Sync, which is the latest outgrowth of Microsoft's decade-long effort to provide software for use in automobiles.

In this case, Microsoft might actually succeed. Simplicity is the key: unlike past scenarios floated for the Windows Automotive platform, Sync isn't intended to help control your car (leading to the inevitable blue screen jokes) or connect to the Internet or serve as the back-end for an in-car control panel. Instead, it gives you voice command over Bluetooth-enabled phones and … Read more

Do good things or bad things come in threes? Ford hopes for good, unveiling the second in a series of three Ford Verve concepts at the Auto Guangzhou show in China. Ford put its first Verve concept, a three-door hatchback, on the stage at this year's Frankfurt auto show. The new Verve concept is a four-door model, and Ford says it embodies its new "kinetic" design language, as did the earlier Verve concept. The center stack controls use a configuration similar to that found in the new Mondeo, although Ford designers also took cues from cell phone … Read more

The iconic car movie "Bullitt" approaches its 40th anniversary, and Ford has a special Mustang just for the occasion. Get a first look from the floor at the 2007 LA Auto Show.

It has become de rigeur for automakers to pay lip service to a future of alternative fuels and increased efficiency, and Ford's CEO Alan Mulally chipped in his two cents here on the first day of the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. Aside from his commitment to deliver a line of vehicles that "people do want and people do value", Mulally said that he wanted to "start a discussion" about sustainability, fuel economy, and energy security. In the near term, Mulally said Ford plans to offers more turbo-charged gasoline direct-injection engines, lighter-weight cars, and new … Read more

Daimler and Ford Motor are partnering on a privately held company to develop automotive fuel cell technology, both companies announced Thursday.

The companies plan to buy the automotive fuel cell business unit of Ballard Power Systems, a British Columbia-based supplier of hydrogen fuel cells for vehicles. From that asset, they plan to start a private company, according to a joint statement.

Daimler will own a 50.1 percent share of the new company, Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC), the companies said. Ford Motor will own a 30 percent share, and 19.9 percent will be owned by Ballard.

AFCC will … Read more

Ford likes the Taurus name so much that it used it on both a sedan and its new six-passenger crossover, the 2008 Ford Taurus X. In many ways, the Taurus X is a much more sensible car than a massive SUV. It's more maneuverable, gets plenty of power from its 3.6-liter V-6, and its lower height makes access easier. And its fold-down seats mimic the utility of a minivan.

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This whole remote-control toy thing is getting out of hand. It's one thing for miniature RC cars to go 10 or even 22 miles per hour, but 60 mph? And a body more than 3 feet long?

That describes the "Ford GT Nitro Gas RC Car," which has a 23cc engine, 15kg metal gear ratio and disc brakes, according to SlashGear. But here's the kicker--it has a 450cc fuel tank, which it needs because it runs on a mixture of oil and unleaded gas. No wimpy batteries here.

We can think of only two reasons that … Read more

Boeing is reporting progress in simulation tests of its HALE (high altitude long endurance) aircraft, an unmanned plane that runs on hydrogen.

While it has not yet gone aloft, the propeller-driven HALE aircraft was able to run for a total of three days in a chamber that simulated flight at 65,000 feet. The eventual goal is to get it to fly for more than a week at a time with a one-ton payload.

The turbocharged hydrogen combustion engine, which was developed by Ford Motor, managed to maintained proper torque control while getting better than expected fuel usage, according to … Read more