I found an article on MSNBC.com that talks about yet another technology advance for automobiles.  The new technology is called the Ford Work Solutions, which is a built-in, theft-proof computer.  No more stolen or broken laptops.  This system is currently available for the Ford F-150 light-duty pickups, the Super Duty pickups, and the Transit Connect commercial minivans that will be available soon.  Some of the components will be available to consumers that already own these trucks. 

The Work Solutions system allows you to have hands-free for your cell phone and uses a Garmin navigation system.  The Work Solutions system has a 6.5 inch touch-screen, 4 gigabytes of RAM, a memory-card sot, a USB port, and a wireless keyboard.  The in-dash computer costs $1195 and the internet access costs between $25 and $50 a month.

There is also a tool tracking system. This lets the user compare the tools on the truck to a tool list for the scheduled job to make sure that you have all the tools needed for the job, and then you do it again at the end of the day to make sure that you don’t leave any tools at the job site. That’s pretty helpful, right?  It will definitely save companies a great deal of money in misplaced tools, I would assume. 

I think that this new technology, the Work Solutions, seems like a great new advancement that will be very helpful. I see how it is cost efficient, because it saves companies from stolen and broken laptops. My only hesitation (and it’s alittle one) is that no one knows the costs of repairs for this in-dash computer system. That can’t be cheap to fix. I guess we’ll have to wait and see when as the technology is used more often.

Cox Newpapers has written an article talking about yet another auto technology specifically for the safety of drivers and other cars on the road as well.  The technology is called the Owner Compliance Key (OCK),  which is a device that is part of the car’s key, that turns cell phones of when the car is turned on.  This key was made by Try Safey First Inc., and the key was first launched in 2007.  The key prevents outbound calls and sends inbound calls directly to voicemail.  Emergency calls to 911 will still work.  The Owner Compliance Key also requires you to have your seat belt fastened before you can start the engine.  The usage of the OCK is voluntary, because it’s on the spare key.  Also, passengers in the car can use cell phones. The key only works in the area of the driver.  This technology was designed for parents and employers.  Teenage drivers are particularly vulnerable to accidents period, especially when cell phones and text messaging are involved. 

According to the article, there is a lot of competition with this technology, and Try Safety First is also having a hard time because automakers’ are now making hands-free communication systems that are built into the cars.  Currently, you can only buy the OCK as an aftermarket item, and the company would like to see it factory installed, though it isn’t currently happening.   

I don’t know how I feel about this. I guess if I had teenage children, I would really like it. I think that the hands-free systems in cars are safe, and this technology seems alittle extreme to me. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me though.      

So, I found an article on cars.com that breaks down the different car options available and which ones are worth the money in terms of resale and which ones are not.  According to Automotive Lease Guide, ”any non-practical standard feature that you add as an option to a new car will improve its resale value.”  Here’s a disturbing statistic….you ready?…..on average a five-year old car is worth only 28.5% of its original value. Yuck!  So, here are some of the best options to add and then some not-so-good ones as well.

Highest Return Options:

Cruise Control -89.2% return on resale - most cars have it so if you don’t, you are really driving an outdated car.

Power Windows & Power Locks - 77.1% and 74%  return respectively. Yet again, if you buy a car without these options you are driving an outdated car and tougher resale.

Air Conditioning - 68.2% or 76.6% if you have the rear air conditioning as well.  This is another pretty standard feature, but now the better air conditioners have the dual controls and for the front and rear. You need these for resale I think.

Some good options for resale:

Power Seats - 59.6% - people like convenience

Automatic Transmission - 55.8% - if the car comes with stick, you may want to upgrade to automatic.

Tilt Steering - 50% - this is becoming more and more standard, so once again, if you don’t have it and don’t buy it, you will be behind the times!

Options not worth it:

Rear Entertainment Systems - 27.7% - every year there are new, better systems coming out. In five years, DVD players might not even be in existence (that may be an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.)  Not worth the money.

Navigation Systems - 26.1% - for years, these systems have been depreciating faster than the cars they are in.  You need to update the systems with current map discs, and even if you do this, the technology becomes outdated and you are stuck with the system since its in your dash.  Skip it.

A couple of other options were mentioned in the article, but for the most part, you will lose at least half of the money it costs for the options due to depreciation.  That’s hard for me to swallow, and I will remember this next time I’m asked at a dealership if I want to upgrade. Hopefully you will as well. 

www.prlog.org

I found an article written by Matt Nauman of the San Jose Mercury News that talks about the new Volvo XC60 cossover utility vehicle that has a technology available so that the car can brake itselft to avoid a fender bender.  The technology is called City Safety, which is a low-speed collision-avoidance technology that comes with the new 2010 Volvo XC60.

Here how City Safety works.  a windshield-mounted laser sends infrared rays out as far as 18 feet in front of the vehicle.  Then a computer analyzes the rays reflected back from any object ahead of the car, and if the computer decides that a crash is imminent, it automatically brakes the vehicle.  Interesting, right?  The City Safety should help to prevent low-speed crashes that happen when a driver fails to notice that the car in front of them stopped or slowed down.  The system does not require any input from the driver.  Volvo thinks that this system could reduce the number of low-speed collisions by half.        

There are several newer technologies in cars such as telling you if you are falling asleep at the wheel, or if a car is in your blind spot.  If you drift from your lane, the car warns you as well.  The good news is that all of these technologies are saving lives, and I’m sure there is better technology to come for us in the future that will become standard in vehicles just like airbags are.

So, you are just a few days late on your car payment. What’s the big deal, right? Well, it is a huge deal and as a matter of fact, your car can be shut off, meaning the engine is turned off.  This could happen if you are late on your car payment. Now, I guess I would assume that if you are late one time, this probably isn’t going to happen, but be careful. I wouldn’t fool with this. How embarrassing. You are on a dinner date, and after dinner you go to drive her home and wham! your car won’t start. Oops!

There are several companies out there that make these shut off devices according to aol.com.  One manufacturer’s, Passtime, sales have gone up 33% this past year.  They are selling about 2000 units a month, but expect that to go up to 14,000-15,000 a month by the end of the year.  Right now, the shut off devices are mainly being used for subprime auto loans.  That means loans that are given to people with bad credit.  They are higher risk loans. Therefore, it makes sense that something needs to be done in order to try to ensure that the lending company doesn’t lose too much money on these loans.  Another feature of these shut off devices is a GPS system.  That way, if needed, the company can find these vehicles easier when they are repossessed.  I won’t be surprised though if more dealerships and lending companies start using these devices as well. Why wouldn’t you really?  I guess they are probably expensive to install, but it definitely lowers the risk.  Also, there are more and more people that are having problems paying their bills. Unfortunately times are changing and maybe in the future it will be standard to have a shut off device on your vehicle.  Who knows…..   

How the world is technologically changing.  I found an article on autoweek.com about WiFi becoming available in vehicles. The advances are somewhat overwhelming, because today its one thing but by tomorrow something much better is even available.  Starting next month, the new Cadillac CTS will have an option available for dealer-installed equipment that will allow people in or around the car to use laptops and get on the internet.  The equipment provider is Autonet Mobile Inc.  The target users are the back seat passengers. They do not need DVD players anymore. They can just boot up their laptops and use Facebook instead! 

The system works by using a router to get internet signals through cell data networks.  The system costs about $499 and then there is a monthly fee of around $30 for the internet service.  Not too bad, especially if you travel a lot.  The front seat driver can use the system too in order to streamline music if they wanted to. One little problem could happen with this WiFi system….distraction. Technically, the driver could surf the internet while driving, but Autonet Mobile and Cadillac hope that people are smarter than that, and save the surfing for the front passenger or the back seat passengers. What a nice piece of technology that will be available on these cars. I bet they will be popular when they become available for sale.     

I found an interesting article on detnews.com written by Scott Burgess about new safety testing being done.  Ford Motor Co. has set up a Paint and Body Technology Center that will help to lower costs of vehicle repairs.  According to Ford’s president of customer service division, Darryl Hazel, “out bottom line for this new initiative is simple:  If your vehicle costs less to repair, it’s going to cost less to insure.”  Less repairs costs also mean less money out of the pocket’s of the customers.  All automakers crash test vehicles, but Ford has brought its safety and repair designers and engineers into the fold during the vehicle’s development instead of afterward. 

The new 2010 Ford Focus underwent design changes to improve its safety and lower repair costs.  On a 6 mile per hour bumper crash test, the Ford Focus sustained $588 worth of damage.  On the same test, the Volkswagen Rabbit had $4078 worth of damage.  The development of the Ford’s vehicles are concerning themselves with more safety and hopefully less costly repairs if needed, and therefore saving the consumer money. 

The 2009 Ford F-150 has undergone design changes in the frame by building it in three parts, and this could save $2000 in frame repairs.  According to Ford, every 2010 vehicle will endure the testing and repair program and Ford hopes to develop even more in the near future. 

Nowadays, many people cannot live without their GPS navigation systems that come in their vehicles.  If you are like me, you don’t have a navigation system, you go out and buy a portable GPS navigation system.  The portable GPS systems cost anywhere between $200 to $650, compared to the in-dash GPS systems that cost about $2000.  I found a website (http://reviews.cnet.com/best-gps/) that gives you the best 5 portable GPS systems that I thought I would share and then some information on what to look for when buying a system. 

Best 5 portable GPS Navigation Systems

1.  Garmin Nuvi 880 - $599.75

2.  Navigon 7200T - $339.00-$449.99

3.  Magellan Maestro 4370 - $299.99

4.  Mio C520 Navigation Receiver - $254.99

5.  TomTom GO 930 GPS - $289.95-$499.99

When buying a portable GPS navigation system, you need to make sure that your system has what you need. Size can matter, if you travel a lot and plan on packing your GPS system, GPS systems that have traffic-information capability are important for large cities, some GPS systems speak the street names, which is important to some (instead of just saying turn right/left.)  There are many features that differ from GPS system to GPS system.  People want their systems for different reasons, so just make sure you study the different systems and get the right one for your needs. 

Bob Keefe of the Cox News Service wrote an article talking about how automakers and their suppliers “aren’t slowing down when it comes to tricking out tomorrow’s rides” says Keefe.  In-vehicle technology is “one of the few bright spots in the auto industry.”  Two years ago, Ford Motor Co. introduced Sync, which is an on-board computer developed by Microsoft Corp. that gives drivers hands-free access to their cell phone, stereo, and emergency 911 service.  Cars with the optional $400 system are outselling comparable models without it by a 2-1 margin, said CEO of Ford, Alan Mulally. 

At the International Consumer Electronics Showin Las Vegas and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this month, car gadgetry played a very important role.  Here are a few examples of the different high-tech stuff that is showing up in vehicles these days.

Hyundai and Kia showed their Wi-Fi systemsthat link cars to a wireless home network.  In a few years, Hyundai and Kia car owners will be able to wirelessly transfer movies from their home to their car.   That’s a fun technological advance for your car!

Ford has already introduced a new tool-tracking system for its pickup trucks.  You can stick radio-frequency identification tags on their tools, and antennas in the bed of the truck will sense where the tools are.  Ford also showed off a new dashboard touch-screen computer systems that can access the internet and spreadsheets and such.  That’s quite fun too!

LG Electronics, Delphi Corp., and others are developing auto receivers that will let car owners pick up local digital TV broadcasts while you are driving. This doesn’t sound very safe to me….. AT&T has unveiled their CruiseCast, which is a satellite TV network that will allow you to get 22 channels, but it costs about $1300 for the dish and $28/month.  Still sounds very unsafe…..

So, here are some of the high-tech toys available in your vehicles, but I guarantee that there are many more technological advances to come in the near future.

An article from Kimberly Johnson of The Associated Press talks about how Ambient Lighting is a spotlighted feature at the Detroit Auto Show.  Many new vehicles have better lighting inside their vehicles.  Ambient lighting on “dashboards, roofs, consoles, and doors is growing in popularity as drivers demand more features” says Kimberly Johnson.  “It’s a way to make the interior of a car like a home, and not just functional,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford Motor Co.’s  group vice president of global product development. 

The new Buick LaCrosse is using blue lighting that runs around the “rim of the console to highlight the lines and curves of the vehicle” said Jeff Nasca, the interior design manager.  Market research done by Honda found that customers find soft blue and whit lighting to be the most calming colors to look at while driving. 

Ford has ambient lighting in their new Flex, Fucus, and Fusion vehicles, and in the Ford Mustang, the driver can customize the colors with up to 126 different colors and shades.      

The 2009 Chrysler Town & Country has a ring of soft blue light around the roof console.  “It’s an inexpensive way to set off the interior of the vehicle” said Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst with the IHS Global Insight.  So, when you aer hunting for a new car, check to see what, if any, ambient lighting the car has. It may make you more interested in the car. Who knows.