Survey says Couple Time in the Car Equals Love on the Road (PHOTO: YourTango)

DEARBORN, MI – Love on the Road 2013 – a recent survey conducted by YourTango.com in collaboration with Ford – reveals how couple time in the car has a positive impact on relationships.

Virtually 90 percent of surveyed couples who have taken a road trip together say it strengthens their relationship. And being in the right kind of car is key to forging that bond.

For almost half of those asked, the car of choice for this important journey is a sedan, and with its stylish, all-new Fusion, Ford offers the perfect car for a romantic getaway.

“We applaud Ford for being the first automotive manufacturer to understand the importance to couples of personal time together in the car,” says YourTango CEO Andrea Miller . “We are proud to work with Ford to share our Love on the Road insights with drivers across the country.”

The survey also reveals that more than 77…

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Parker parking guidance app for iPhone (PHOTO: Streetline)

FOSTER CITY, CA – Streetline, Inc. has unveiled a new release of its parking guidance application, Parker by Streetline. Parker 4.0 is now available for the iPhone and features a clean, updated design; an easy-to-use side panel menu; and one-click turn-by-turn voice navigation—further enhancing the hands-free capabilities of the app.

Parker displays open on-street parking in real time, as well as available parking at garages and nearby parking lots, by tapping data from Streetline’s real-time sensor network in more than 35 locations globally and parking garage and lot data for more than 23,000 off-street locations. Since the app was first introduced in December 2010, Parker by Streetline has recorded more than 100 million parking “events” and was recently named Best Mobile Innovation for ‘Smart Cities’ at the 2013 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

“Streetline introduced the world’s first parking guidance app in 2010 and has since continued to spark the imagination for how technology can change the way we think about parking,” said Zia Yusuf , president and CEO of Streetline, Inc. “With this latest release of Parker, Streetline…

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RV sales are up in 2013 (PHOTO: RVIA)

RESTON, VA – America’s wholesale recreation vehicle (RV) shipments shot up 11% in the first quarter of 2013, fueled by strong consumer response to the versatility, affordability and innovative designs of new models, according to market data collected by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).

Shipments for all of 2013 are projected to total 307,300, an increase of 7.5% from 2012. This growth projects to an 85% increase from the RV industry’s recession low in 2009, and would mark the first time shipments surpassed 300,000 units since…

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Continue reading Chevy and Kenwood getting the fine Nuance of the Voice Recognition Situation

2013 International CES was huge for technology industry.

ARLINGTON, VA – The 2013 International CES was huge and staffers from all the TechnologyTell.com sections were there to bring you the latest technology products. Now an independent audit has confirmed our crack staff’s findings about the the annual trade show in Las Vegas—the show was indeed huge.

Seriously, the 2013 CES, held January 8-11, 2013, in Las Vegas, spanned more than 1.92 million net square feet of exhibit space and welcomed 152,759 industry professionals and media folks like me looking for free food in the press room.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), owner and producer of the International CES, has announced the results of the independent audit that confirmed a record number of international industry professionals – 36,206 – from 150 countries attended the 2013 International CES.

Serving as the launchpad for technology innovation and the world’s best venue to witness the entire consumer technology ecosystem, the 2013 CES featured 3,282 exhibitors from around the globe and a record number of startup companies, including the 150 exhibitors in Eureka Park. The independent audit, performed by Veris Consulting, LLC, confirms CES’ status as the world’s leading innovation event as…

Continue reading Audit Verifies The Obvious — Technology Industry Is A Big Deal

BMW’s Navigator Adventure portable GPS unit is just the thing for motorcyclists who fancy themselves the adventurous type, according to BMW Motorrad. (Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad)

So you ride motorcycles? Fancy yourself an adventurer? Then BMW Motorcycles’ Navigator Adventure is probably the GPS unit for you.

According to the official press release from BMW Motorrad, “the Navigator Adventure is a versatile GPS navigation system that can be used for a host of outdoor activities, such as cycling, hiking or sailing, as well as motorcycling.” It has pre-loaded North American…

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General Motors Staff Researcher Jeremy Salinger road tests a Cadillac semi-autonomous driving technology it calls “Super Cruise” that is capable of fully automatic steering, braking and lane-centering in highway driving under certain optimal conditions Friday, March 23, 2012 in Milford, Michigan. Super Cruise is designed to ease the driver’s workload on the freeway, in both bumper-to-bumper traffic and on long road trips by relying on a fusion of radar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras and GPS map data. The system could be ready for production vehicles by mid-decade. (John F. Martin photo courtesy Cadillac)

Cadillac engineers are taking development of the brand’s semi-autonomous driving system, dubbed “Super Cruise,” to the next level, according to a General Motors news release.

Trials are now underway in the real world, the release said, with plans to have the system ready for release later in this decade. While that’s far from specific, it at least gives us some kind of idea where GM feels it may be on the development cycle.

Super Cruise…

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Toyota’s 2014 4Runner refresh isn’t just different on the outside– it’s getting a host of upgrades to its interior tech, as well. (Photo courtesy Toyota.)

Toyota’s bringing out an all-new iteration of its 4Runner SUV that seeks to both build upon the rugged reputation of the long-standing 4Runner name and pepper the vehicle with cool new tech upgrades.

According to the presser from Toyota, the new 4Runner will still have plenty of off-road prowess thanks at least partially to the double-wishbone independent front suspension and a four-link rear suspension designed for maximum axle articulation off-road while still providing a smooth on-road ride.

But that’s all-too-expected with a nameplate that has been around as long as the 4Runner has, building street cred as an off-road…

Continue reading New 2014 Toyota 4Runner Gets Entune, Other Interior Tech Upgrades

The interior of the Lexus RX350 F-SPORT is what I’d call class-leading. (Lyndon Johnson photo.)

We told you a few days ago about our two-week stint with the Lexus RX350 F-SPORT. While its performance didn’t blow me away at first, its interior was a cut above most other SUVs.

The F-SPORT package gives the RX350 black leather seats with perforated surfacing. Those perforated surfaces are carried over to the leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, as well. Meanwhile, smooth leather pads cover the armrests and upper door. In place of the lighter hues of wood found in other RX350s, the F-SPORT gets ebony-stained birds-eye maple. One thing it does not get: the multi-mode drive selector found in many other Lexus models.

Lexus’ own website bills the RX as “the very first luxury crossover,” and these elements certainly come together in a way that suggests they’ve been at this longer than anybody else. The seats are among the most comfortable in the class, with a good range of adjustment. Much like the LS460 F-SPORT and the GS F-SPORT we tested earlier, that perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel felt awesome. The dashboard was soft to the touch, and all latching mechanisms– glovebox, center console, doors, cupholders– performed with a quiet solidity not found in most vehicles.

Little touches like the reclining back seat impressed passengers who were largely unfamiliar with Lexus and the brand’s usual interior work. (Lyndon Johnson photo.)

It was the little details that most often impressed those unfamiliar with Lexus’ way of doing things. My dad’s first remarks were, “They even put carpeting down…

Continue reading WTF-SPORT, Pt. III: The Impressive Interior of the Lexus RX350 F-SPORT

Anonymous data from connected vehicles will be open to the public in the future and virtual dashboards will be common. Photo: US DOT

MEDFORD, MA – An era of virtual dashboards, portable driver interfaces and mobility portfolios loom on the road ahead, according to Dave Ferrick, CEO of Agero, a provider of connected vehicle services and driver assistance programs for automobile manufacturers and auto insurers.

He will join NHTSA Administrator David Strickland and other vehicle telematics industry leaders at the opening session of ITS America’s annual meeting, April 22, 2013 in Nashville. They…

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