car tech

Tech car buying guide

When shopping for a new car, the old questions remain relevant. Does it have enough seats for my family and friends? Are the seats comfortable? Will it suit all the uses for which I need it? Does it get good fuel economy? Is it safe?

However, there are many new tech features available that can make your drives more comfortable, keep you out of traffic jams, and prevent accidents. In addition, there are different drivetrain options that can save you a lot of money, depending on your lifestyle.

In this guide, we will let you know what features you can … Read more

Episode 13: the Nexus 7 tablet is a delicate flower

In the Season 2 premiere of Always On, the Google Nexus 7 takes a beating. Well, it wouldn't be fair to say it takes a beating. It receives a beating, and frankly, doesn't handle it very well. It's one of our more dramatic Torture Tests, and I think it points out that sometimes, you do get what you pay for when it comes to quality and durability. The Nexus 7 is a great tablet in many respects but, well. It's not the toughest little thing. You'll see what I mean.

We'll find out in … Read more

How Apple made white the most popular car color

It's odd how the world acts subliminally upon our desperate minds.

One minute it tells us to love Kelly Clarkson, the next hip-hop. One minute it sneaks the idea of monogamy into our brains, the next it makes pornography available online and we're louche putty.

How touching, then, that there's a deep subliminal reason for all the white cars we see on the streets these days. Have you noticed? Yes, white has now superseded silver as our favorite car color.

Why might this be? Oh, the same reason we've become gadget-obsessed, socially networking automatons: yes, Steve … Read more

CNET Exclusive: GOgroove FlexSmart X2 for 38 percent off with free shipping

Liza Maloy isn't a CNET editor, but she has a pretty fun job: she's the CNET Marketplace associate partnership manager, which means she hunts high and low for tech bargains to bring to the CNET audience. Each week, she blogs about deep discounts she brokers. Whenever she can, she gets discounts on products CNET editors love.

This week we have teamed up again with our friends at Accessory Genie to bring the CNET Exclusives members an awesome deal on some sweet car tech. The GOgroove FlexSmart X2 allows for hands-free calling, wireless music playing, and device charging. This … Read more

Six reasons why Bluetooth is your one-stop for car connectivity

I shouldn't really have to sell you on Bluetooth at this point. Bluetooth has already established itself as the de facto wireless connectivity standard for phones, cars, and a plethora of accessories. However, many users view Bluetooth as just the thing that lets you make calls in your car, the blinking blue light that lets you know the guy talking to himself on the sidewalk isn't crazy, yet another thing to distract you, or (for a surprising number of users) something to be completely ignored. So, I've presented below six reasons why Bluetooth in the car merits … Read more

What's so great about direct injection? (ABCs of Car Tech)

You may have read or heard one of your favorite Car Tech editors talking about gasoline direct injection and how it's one of the "big technologies" that's helping to keep the almost 200 year-old internal combustion engine alive well into the 21st century. In this week's issue of the ABCs of Car Tech, I'm going to explain just what the heck gasoline direct injection is and why you should care if it's in your next car's engine or not.

How did fuel injection work before direct injection?The modern gasoline internal combustion … Read more

What the heck is torque steer? (ABCs of Car Tech)

Torque steer is a phenomenon that mostly affects front-wheel-drive cars where heavy acceleration causes the vehicle to veer to the left or right.

Take a front-wheel-drive car to a wide, open space where you can test acceleration from about 0 to 15 mph without hitting something or someone (perhaps a big empty parking lot). Take both hands off of the steering wheel and give the accelerator a brief but firm squeeze. What did you notice? For most FWD cars, you likely saw the steering wheel twisting to one side and the vehicle lurching to either the left or to the … Read more

What can Bluetooth do besides make calls? (ABCs of Car Tech)

Most of us can agree now that Bluetooth connectivity is something that every tech car should have, but why is it important? Is it enough for a car to simply support Bluetooth or is there something more that you should be looking for?

In this week's ABCs of Car Tech, I'll do my best to answer those questions and explain the ins and outs of Bluetooth wireless technology.

What is Bluetooth? When most people hear the word "Bluetooth," they immediately think about speakerphones and wireless headsets for hands-free calling. That's partially correct in that these … Read more

Apple shows smarter Siri, new MacBooks

Today's show has Mountain Lions, MacBooks and Siri, oh my!

Apple news overload at Monday's WWDC keynote presentation. Here's a quick summary of what you need to know.

Apple's next mobile software, iOS 6, will bring a few changes this Fall, including:

Video chatting on Facetime will be available on a cellular network, so no more Wi-Fi restrictions. Apple is launching its own Maps app with a 3D mode, called Flyover. It'll also have turn-by-turn directions, alert users to traffic issues and re-route accordingly. You can also ask Siri for directions. Siri is getting several upgrades, … Read more