Decorate your Car for Christmas!

Well, the lights are twinkling, the Christmas tree is already decorated, carols are floating in the air and your car is not fully introduced to the Christmas spirit yet. Just imagine: everything around your sweet car is sparkling while it has to be satisfied only with its Xenon headlights, in case it has some. In fact the situation is pretty similar to seeing a trendy dress in the shop window but not having enough money to pay for it.

You wouldn't want to see the disappointment in your vehicle's headlights when seeing everything is dressed up for Christmas excepting it. After all, in the past months it has been your most truthful friend (leaving aside the moment when one of those damn tires went flat) and certainly deserve a generous reward. Come on, let's have some Christmas honesty here: what could you possibly want more than going in a family visit with Jingle Bells all around your car?

Seriously speaking, since shopping fever has taken full command of you these days, you might think to add some decorations for your car in the basket. It won't cost a fortune although you might need to give up that snake-leather bag you spotted last week. The picture of your car decorated for Christmas will be priceless...


 

Think about crazy lights
If wreaths are not enough decorations for your beloved car, you can always have a back-up solution: illuminate your vehicle with holiday lights. Nowadays, you can easily find lights which are powered by batteries. In case you search all the town and find no battery powered lights, you might just as well resort to an adapter and plug the lights into your vehicle's electrical outlets. You can personalize your car for Christmas by stringing these lights from the inside of your car. Be sure you will arouse envy from your friends if you were the first one to put the idea into practice.

To be honest, a Christmas wreath will never be old-fashioned or sign of owner's bad taste. The best part is that you shouldn't worry about matching the colors: a Christmas wreath will fit a red Toyota just as well as it goes with a silver Audi.

Garnish your car with a Christmas wreath or reindeer antlers

What's more, wreaths can come with bows or other decorations attached. Just pay attention to the size: make sure the wreath you choose is appropriate for the type of vehicle you drive.

In case you're way too busy to go to a craft store, you may find plenty of wreaths on the Internet. Once you get your beautiful nails on the wreath, you can easily hang it on the front bumper of your car, but be sure it's secure. Otherwise you might lose it on your way.

Exercise your artistic skills
There's no one on the world who hasn't an artistic side so all you have to do is let yourself driven by your infinite imagination and paint a holiday scene on your car windows. It's not that difficult after all and you don't need to be Picasso to create it. Some window paint can change your car into a winter wonderland. You can buy it from any craft store, supermarket or online shop in a variety of colors. Certainly you won't be given any awards for your masterpiece but there are good chances you'll gain the admiration of the passers-by. Yet, make sure you can still see out of your windows when driving. You wouldn't want your masterwork become an obstruction in observing the traffic rules.

Don't forget about the twinkling stars
Since we're still at your artistic face, you might just consider creating your own little stars. In fact, stars remind everyone about Christmas. You can use some craft paper to design them. Also try to put up some lighted bulbs. If you happen to have a small hanging bulb inside your car, you can tie the little stars with a string around the bulb.

Magnetic car decorating letters and magnetic bulbs

During the Christmas season, it won't be hard to find a magnetic letter kit to wish a “Merry Christmas” so you might just opt for such a decoration for your car. You can also choose bulb magnetic decorations to make your motor look more sparkling. The most popular colors for this season are green, yellow, white and blue, in case you want to be up-to-date to Christmas spirit.

Bumper stickers

Try to find flashing bumper stickers with a message related to the Christmas season or personalize it with your own words. In this way, you can spread the message of Christmas. Bumper stickers are nothing new but a Christmas-themed one will certainly make passers-by smile. And you as well since you made a good deed in the season of sharing and giving.

Bobble head Santa
Let's just not ignore the character who brings us gifts under the Christmas tree each and every year... if we behaved well. But since all of us have been such good girls, Santa Claus will surely be present in our homes this year. And since we're speaking about him, a Santa bobbling with the moving car can be a really funny decoration for your car. You can place it on the back deck of the vehicle but make sure you use appropriate adhesives so that you don't lose it until you reach your destination.

Ho, ho, ho! With Santa and Rudolph the red nose reindeer on the bonnet, your darling vehicle is now more than ready to welcome Christmas.

Quest Driving Safety covertly follows teens

Teaching your teen good driving habits can be an endless, nerve-wracking pain in the driver’s seat. Even with insurance or internet-supplied GPS units, you can’t tell if your child is doing 50 mph on the road or 50 mph in a parking lot. Quest Driving Safety says it has the solution: a tail.

For $99 you can hire a retired or off-duty police officer to covertly follow your teen, making note of bad driving habits.

First, customers fill out an online form telling Quest what kind of car their teen drives, where to find them and when. After that, they receive a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement in the mail. It’s suggested that you look over the form with your teen and tell them that an evaluation is coming up. However, we’d bet that many of the parents go completely Black Ops on their kid and don’t tell them at all.

Quest driving evaluators find the car and wait for the teen to start driving. Each evaluation takes about 15-20 minutes. The evaluator returns with notes for the parents, including how the driver acted when pedestrians were near, in construction zones and how closely they followed the car in front. Gary Lawrence, CEO of Quest Driving Safety, notes that these are things that insurance GPS units can’t record.

“We ask the officer, if you were on duty, would you write a ticket,” said Lawrence. “And they make note of that in the file.”

The service isn’t just for teens. Quest Driving Safety will follow senior citizen relatives and even business fleets, looking for proper driving etiquette. A big portion of the senior business comes from families who live far away from their grown-up parents, and can’t accurately gauge their driving ability. Currently that accounts for about 30 percent of the firm’s business, the rest is teens.

Quest covers the bigger metropolitan areas of all 50 states, and some smaller cities in more populous areas. Check out the website at www.questdrivingsafety.com or call 800-868-5254 for more information.


Special thanks to autoweek.com.

AAA Study Finds Young Drivers Nodding Off Behind The Wheel

Among the unsafe behaviors teen drivers display behind the wheel, nodding off while driving – which hasn’t received nearly enough attention – ranks right up there as potentially deadly.

Now, a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that one in seven licensed drivers ages 16 to 24 admitted to nodding off at least one time during the past year. Compared to one in 10 of all licensed drivers who said they’d fallen asleep at the wheel, the AAA data shows young drivers more likely to engage in this dangerous behavior.

In fact, the recent findings mirror what the AAA found in a 2010 study of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash data that showed this age group 78 percent more likely to be drowsy when involved in a crash than 40- to 49-year-old drivers.
The NHTSA data revealed that one in six deadly crashes involved drivers who had fallen asleep at the wheel, making drowsy driving a leading crash contributor.

Effects of driving drowsy
While eight out of 10 people consider drowsy drivers to be a threat to their personal safety, many of them also confess to driving that way themselves. Some 30 percent admitted to driving during the past month while they were so sleepy that they could hardly keep their eyes open.

With Thanksgiving approaching and the Christmas season right behind, young drivers will be pushing their driving limits to get home for the holidays. “Unfortunately, most drivers underestimate the risks associated with drowsy driving and overestimate their ability to deal with it,” said Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation President and CEO, in a release. “That’s a dangerous combination.”

Research shows that driving while drowsy or tired can significantly impact driving ability, causing slower reaction times, judgment lapses, and impaired vision.

Warning signs
How do you know when a person is literally too tired to drive and/or already driving while drowsy? The AAA Foundation encourages parents to discuss the following warning signs with their teenage drivers and for the teens to monitor themselves and take precautions when any are present:

• Difficulty keeping eyes open and focused
• Frequent yawning and eye-rubbing
• Trouble remembering the last few miles driven and missing exits and traffic signs
• Daydreaming and wandering or disconnected thoughts
• Drifting out of the lane or off the road

There are some steps a drowsy driver of any age can take to ensure that they don’t become a victim of a crash or injure or kill others by driving while too fatigued. While we’ve covered these tips before, they bear repeating.

• Get sufficient sleep. Any lengthy trip should be preceded by a good night’s sleep. Experts recommend at least seven hours.
• Don’t eat heavy meals. When your stomach is overloaded with too much food, your system wants to naturally shut down, causing you to want to go to sleep. Eat lightly to prevent this from occurring. Save the heavy meal for after you arrive at your destination.
• Be smart about when you drive. It only stands to reason that you’d be better off driving during the daylight hours when you’d normally be awake. For that reason, avoid driving at times when you’d usually be sleeping.
• Take time for a break. Mile after mile on the road, for a person already tired, only serves to exacerbate the problem. It’s too easy to just drift off for a few seconds, which can prove deadly. Instead of pushing through, trying to get to your destination faster, stop and take a break every two hours or around 100 miles. Get out of the car and take a short walk, get a hot coffee, or maybe a snack. This will help you recharge somewhat and be better able to remain alert and in control behind the wheel.
• Forego medications before driving. Unless it’s absolutely medically necessary, don’t take medications – especially those that cause drowsiness – before driving.
• Bring along another driver. If at all possible, travel with a companion who is also a licensed driver so that you can switch off when you become too tired to continue.

Want more tips on how to improve safety on the road and avoid drowsy driving. Visit the National Sleep Foundation website, DrowsyDriving.org.

10 Tips To Help Your Teen Stop Texting And Driving

10 Tips To Help Your Teen Stop Texting And Driving

Texting while driving is considered the most distracting driver behavior, increasing crash risk by 2,300 percent. Yet it is also one of the most difficult behaviors to curtail, especially among young, first-time drivers.




A recent article in Minnesota Public Radio News caught our attention, so we thought we’d pass along some of it here, along with two tips of our own.

As parents, there are some things that you can and should do to help your teen be a safer and more responsible driver. Take note of these ten tips to help your teen stop texting and driving.

• Be a good example. Whether you realize it or not, your young teen who’s of driving age is watching you like a hawk every time you’re behind the wheel. If you engage in distracted driving behavior such as texting or talking on your cell phone, don’t think your actions are going unnoticed. The best solution is to display the kind of behavior that you want your teen to model when driving. This may take some practice and discipline on your part, especially if you have been guilty of texting and driving or talking on the cell phone and driving in the past. Maybe you never gave it much thought until your child reached driving age. Now is a good time to start acting responsibly so your children pick up on it.

• You make the rules. You are the parents, after all, so what you set down as the family rules regarding acceptable driving behavior should have an impact. Your children should know that there are consequences for breaking the rules, especially the one about texting while driving. Think carefully what those consequences will be and be sure to discuss them with your children so there are no misunderstandings about what will be okay and what is absolutely unacceptable.

• Observe your teen driving (with you in the car). One of the best ways to know how your teen behaves behind the wheel is to be a passenger in the car and watch how he or she handles situations. Spend as much time as possible with your teen during the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) phase and gently correct any bad habits.

• No reading or sending texts at stop lights. Your teenage driver may be under the mistaken impression that it’s okay to dash off a quick text or read an incoming text when stopped at a traffic signal. Make it very clear to them that this is against the law as well as being extremely unsafe behavior.

• Have your teen watch a video of the aftermath of teen texting and driving. Nothing says how dangerous texting while driving can be like a video that shows the tragic aftermath. While the human carnage, thankfully, isn’t visibly displayed, the wreckage and interviews with survivors and the injured should be enough to get the message across that this is extremely dangerous behavior.

• Check out apps to monitor your teen in the car. Sometimes this kind of “snooping” is reasonable and acceptable. Look into apps that allow you to lock out texting and cell phone use when driving as well as those that permit you to view your teen’s cell phone activity. Let your teen know that you will be monitoring their behavior. They’ll be more likely to abide by the rules.

• Insist they leave the phone in the trunk or back seat (unavailable). You can’t expect your teen to leave the house without their phone, but you can insist that while they are behind the wheel that the phone stays in the trunk or in the back seat. If it is unavailable to them, they’re less likely to use it. Of course, if the phone is in the car, it needs to be turned off or muted.  An app that plays an automatic message that says the person is driving and will get back to them later is an excellent solution.

• Talk about how you’d feel if they died. This suggestion may sound a bit extreme, but like watching the video of the aftermath of texting and driving, it gets the point across.

• Ask if that text is worth dying for. The tendency for teens to instantly respond to an incoming text is tough to overcome. But the truth is that it is only a message that can wait. Be direct and ask your teen if that text – any text – is worth dying for. This sobering thought should help them think better about texting behind the wheel.

• Take away driving privileges for breaking the rules. Remember those rules you laid down about driving behavior? They’re only as good as your willingness to back them up when your teen breaks them. The consequences for violating the rules have to be significant – and you have to enforce them. For example, teens cherish their mobility. If they text and drive, a logical penalty is to take away driving privileges for a certain period of time. That will get their attention, if nothing else will.

Gas Prices Soar

If you live in California, you're already accustomed to high gas prices, but to see those prices surge more than $1 per gallon in a week? That's extreme, and Governor Jerry Brown is now trying to reverse the trend.

On Friday at Green Car Reports, 'The Car Connection' mentioned that California's gas prices were on track to surpass the state's previous high-water mark of $4.61, set in 2008. Over the weekend, they did just that: the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in California currently sits at $4.67. 

Elsewhere in the country, the average price of gas is $3.82. That's 42 cents more than we were paying at this time last year, but still better than in the Golden State.

Why are Californians coughing up so much for gas -- both now and in general? There's more than one reason:

1. Infrastructure: As Bloomberg notes, California is physically separated from most of America's major oil pipelines. That makes getting oil to California's refineries more complicated, which results in consistently higher gas prices.

2. State laws: California has stricter (and some would say higher) automotive standards. The state keeps a close eye on fuel economy, requiring car companies to go above and beyond the minimums established elsewhere in the U.S. California also has very specific gasoline blending requirements for refineries in order to keep pollutants to a minimum. Add that to the infrastructure issues mentioned above, and the base price of gasoline goes even higher.

3. Technical problems: Because of items #1 and #2, California's fuel system is already stretched, so the last thing we'd want to see is a crimp in the production line. Unfortunately, that's happened: according to the New York Times, a fire at a Bay Area refinery and a power outage at another one outside of Los Angeles have caused a slowdown in fuel supply. And as we all remember from Economics 101, when demand remains constant and supply decreases, prices climb.

4. Time of year: By now, many refineries have curtailed production of summer blend gasoline in preparation for the switch to winter blend. When production slows, supply decreases, causing prices to rise. In some parts of the U.S. -- often the colder parts -- the changeover to winter blend begins as early as September 15, but in sunny California, that doesn't happen until November. Because summer blend is pricier than winter blend, and because it's harder to come by in the weeks before the changeover, prices often jump at this time of year.

Add up items #1 through #4, and you've got the formula for a perfect storm of gas-price hikes. Now, California's government is stepping in to address the problem.

Over the weekend, Governor Brown told the California Air Resources Board to initiate emergency measures to bring down the price of gas. One of those measures involves authorizing California's refineries to switch immediately to winter-blend production. And just to make sure that there's no monkey business afoot, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the cause of California's current high gas prices.

Whether the Governor's actions will bring about a rapid decline in California's fuel prices is debatable. For example, even if winter blend were to roll out today, California still has infrastructure issues and restrictive laws that keep gas prices high, and the aforementioned Bay Area refinery still isn't operating at 100% capacity. 

How are you dealing with the high cost of gas? Traveling less? Carpooling? Taking mass transit? Drop us a line, or let us know in the comments below.

Stop Or Go: What Do You Do At Yellow Lights?

No matter how many years you’ve been driving, you’ve likely encountered situations where you need to make a decision about what to do at a yellow light. Depending on where and when you drive most regularly, you may experience this on a frequent basis. The question becomes: do you stop or go?

The answer depends, for the most part, on how far away you are from the traffic signal when it first turns yellow. But it’s not as simple as that. Some drivers have slower reaction time than others, particularly older drivers. The weather and road conditions also have a bearing – or should – on your actions.

To get a clearer picture of driver behavior when dealing with yellow lights, we spoke with Hesham Rakha, director for Sustainable Mobility at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). Not coincidentally, Rakha is deeply involved in research to come up with new ways of designing yellow light times to account for the differences in drivers, as reported in a recent story in Claims Journal.

“Every driver, depending on their characteristics, actually needs a different yellow time than another driver,” said Rakha. “What we found in the field was the drivers were typically more aggressive in their deceleration than what is used in the design. However, depending on the age of the driver, the gender, also the weather conditions, those strategies will change.”

Rakha said that the current procedures for determining yellow light time use a fixed perception-reaction time of one second and a deceleration level of 3 meters per second squared. But research by Rakha and his colleagues found is that drivers are different. “If you spend a longer time perceiving and reacting, in order to overcome that you typically press on your brakes harder in order to compensate for the time you lost in reacting to the change,” Rakha explained.

The dilemma zone
Based on field results, Rakha said that no matter how well yellow times are designed, there is the possibility that someone could be caught in the dilemma zone, also called the decision zone.

“When you’re very far away from the traffic light the decision is easy. It is also very easy when you’re close to the traffic light and it changes. When you’re close you know you should run, continue through the light at your current speed, because there is no way you could stop. And when you’re very far away, you know you could stop. There’s no decision involved.

“The dilemma zone comes when you do not have a correct decision to make,” Rakha said. “If you tried to stop and with the parameters the lights were designed with – a one second perception-reaction and 3 meters per second squared deceleration rate–you will not be able to stop before the light changes and, if you’re trying to run, you will not be able to run before it changes to red. You have no correct decision to make, unless you can pull yourself out of that dilemma zone, either by reacting quicker or being more aggressive on the brake pedal.”

An unfortunate consequence off suddenly slamming on the brakes is a possible rear end collision. If you’re traveling faster than the speed limit, or if you spend more time distracted and take longer to react, you can actually be caught in the dilemma zone.

Designing longer yellow times
Studies of driver reaction times and vehicle deceleration rates used in determining appropriate yellow and all-red change intervals were conducted more than 25 years ago (although some recent studies have occurred during the past couple of years).  Additional studies are required to validate whether these reaction times and deceleration rates are still appropriate.

Rakha and his colleagues at VTTI came up with yellow times to account for various driver populations in extensive testing on the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Virginia Smart Road. A certain amount in yellow time that will result in 95 percent of the drivers not being caught in the dilemma zone and only potentially 5 percent being caught in the dilemma zone. For a result of 99 percent not being caught in the dilemma zone, a longer yellow time is required.

“If you’re designing the yellow times in Florida, where the majority of the drivers are older, you have to come up with a different yellow time than if you’re designing yellow times for here in Blacksburg, Virginia where the population is younger, and the majority of the population is students,” said Rakha.

Possible solutions
Although none of the possible solutions Rakha mentioned are likely to occur anytime soon, there are several distinct ones that could provide drivers with advance warning, more time to react, and better decision-making options.

In-car warning systems – “Potentially you could have a warning in your vehicle that basically recognizes your age, gender, and can warn you before the yellow light comes on, to give you that extra time you need to take your action,” Rakha said.

In a paper sent to the Department of Transportation, Rakha proposed that automakers could possibly create such a system. But it would have to be more than just a forward-collision warning system. It would have to be in communication with the traffic signal controller, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V).




Department of Transportation vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) Program



V2I and I2V “The infrastructure would inform the vehicle that the light will be turning yellow in, say 10 seconds,” said Rakha. “When you’re approaching the traffic light, you’re going to get some kind of communication, and then the vehicle can react. It could be some kind of in-car driver display, providing a countdown to yellow to alert the driver to start slowing down, or giving the driver the actual decision by automatically applying the brakes. Of course, sensors would be required to measure wet and dry conditions.”
According to Rakha, his group’s proposed approach could be integrated within the Connected Vehicle Research program, which can gather information on the driver, the subject vehicle, and surrounding traffic conditions to execute safe and customizable change interval in-vehicle warnings.

Flashing yellow - Drivers approaching a high-speed intersection need a much longer yellow. A flashing yellow informs the driver earlier that it’s going to be yellow so that he can make the decision. “If I’m upstream of this, I should stop. If I’ve passed that flashing yellow, then I should run,” said Rakha.
This is something Rakha’s group suggested in their report to the DOT. Germany, for example, has a flashing yellow on the traffic lights a couple of seconds before the yellow comes on. 

Yellow line on roadway
“We also proposed to the DOT to draw a yellow line on the roadway,” Rakha said. “If the traffic signal turns yellow when you’re upstream of that line, you should stop. If you’re downstream of that line, you should continue at present speed through the intersection. You should be able to proceed without running a red light.”

But there are other potential benefits, such as minimizing emissions and vehicle fuel consumption. “Why should we incur an extra stop which consumes more fuel and emits more emissions?” Rakha asked.  “If you stop when you weren’t supposed to stop, you’ll stop very aggressively, which could cause an accident, a rear-end crash for someone behind you. The fact that you’re stopping does not mean that you’re a better driver. It could mean that you’re more dangerous.”

When will any of this take place? Rakha said that the DOT requires a rigorous process before changing their procedures for designing yellow interval durations. This is typically mandated federally from the Institute for Transportation Engineers (ITE) or AASHTO.

Rakha added that he plans to approach the DOT to see if his group can gather additional data to design specific yellow timings and test them in the field for real drivers.

The Car Connection Take:
With development occurring now on V-to-I and I-to-V communication systems, perhaps the horizon for longer yellow times isn’t all that far off. On the other hand, when and if self-driving cars become a reality, the need may be moot – at least on certain roadways.

In the meantime, we can perhaps draw our own conclusions from Rakha’s research about driver reaction times, approach speed and distance from a signalized intersection, in making a personal decision whether to stop or go. While Rakha emphasized he cannot recommend stop or go, what he can do is recommend to traffic engineers ways that they can come up with a better plan for yellow times.

Source:  The Car Connection

Teens Pick Up On Parents’ Distracted Driving, Mirroring Behavior: Study

A new study on distracted driving shows that parents need to focus more on paying attention to their driving, because their teenage passengers are watching closely. Not only that, but the teens surveyed said they were picking up on their parent’s bad habits behind the wheel.

The study, conducted by Liberty Mutual and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), found an alarming percentage of teens said their parents made poor and risky decisions while driving.

Two-thirds of the teen drivers surveyed (66 percent) said that their parents live by different rules than they expect from their sons and daughters. It is this kind of “Do as I say, not as I do” attitude that is likely contributing to an undermining of the parent-child driving relationship, according to Stephen Wallace, senior advisor for policy, research and education at SADD.

“The best teacher for a teen driver is a good parental role model,” said Wallace. “But parents have to demonstrate good driving behavior from the onset so new drivers understand that safe driving rules apply to everyone equally.”

Distracted driving behavior modeled by parents, picked up by teens
The dangerous driving practices observed by the teens ranged from texting or speeding to driving without a seat belt and even driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana. Beyond just seeing their parents display such poor judgment, the teens then self-reported doing the same behaviors themselves, once they were behind the wheel.

Driving Behavior	Parental (observed by teens)	Teens (self-reported)
Talking on cell phone	91%	90%
Speeding	88%	94%
Texting	59P	78%
Driving without seat belt	47%	33%
DUI - alcohol	20%	15%
Driving under influence of marijuana	7%	16%

“Your kids are always observing the decisions you make behind the wheel,” said Dave Melton, a driving safety expert with Liberty Mutual and managing director of global safety, adding that “they’ve likely been doing so since they were big enough to see over the dashboard.”

While it’s tempting to think that parents only occasionally glance down to see or respond to an incoming text at a stop light or make a quick call, the reality, according to Melton, is that “kids are seeing that in a different way.”
Just answering the phone once for a few seconds while driving legitimizes the action for children, who will then see it as acceptable behavior.

Speaking up can make a difference
The survey also found that few teens actually speak up and ask their driving parent to stop the distracted behavior. Only 21 percent of teens said they’d asked their parents to cease driving when they’d been drinking. However, a more positive outcome occurred when teens did speak up, with 70 percent saying their parents listened and curtailed their bad driving behavior.

The study comprised four focus groups in Boston and Atlanta early this year, followed by a survey of 1,708 eleventh and twelfth graders across the country.

Source:  The Car Connection

Buying An iPhone 5? Prepare For Some Changes On The Road

Yesterday, Apple unveiled one of the worst-kept secrets in the tech world: the all-new iPhone 5. Rumors about the device and leaked photos of its casing have been flooding the internet for months, and now most, if not all of them, have been confirmed.

But apart from the iPhone 5's longer -- and some would say, less elegant -- silhouette, what changes will it bring? There are at least five major changes that drivers should expect.

Goodbye, Google Maps

As we reported back in June, Apple's new mobile operating system, iOS6, will kill off Google Maps as the iPhone's pre-installed map application. (You'll still be able to use Google Maps on your iPhone, but you'll need to download the app from iTunes, and so far as we know, there's no way to make it the smartphone's default mapping application. Click on a map link in your email, and it'll open in the new Apple Maps.)

That's a pretty big risk for Apple. After all, Google Maps has been in development for years, and people have become very familiar with its functions -- even its quirks. Apple Maps will need to be spectacular right out of the gate, or Apple could see a substantial backlash.

Hello Waze, Yelp, TomTom

When we first heard about Apple Maps, we feared for the future of some of our favorite navigation apps. After all, if Apple Maps became the go-to app for getting from Point A to Point B, what would that mean for fun, gamified apps like Waze?

We're happy and intrigued to report, however, that Waze, Yelp, and TomTom will all be integrated into Apple Maps. According to Mashable, Apple Maps will incorporate real-time traffic data from Waze, turn-by-turn navigation from TomTom, and point-of-interest features from Yelp. Hooray for collaboration and synergy.

"Do Not Disturb"

As we mentioned in June, iOS6 will incorporate a new "Do Not Disturb" feature. Though details are still a bit fuzzy on how this will work in practice, it appears that "Do Not Disturb" will function like DriveSafe.ly or other distracted-driving apps: when the iPhone's accelerometer determines that the device (and its owner) are moving at a certain speed, it will slip into "Do Not Disturb" mode, silencing alerts and keeping the iPhone's screen black. "Do Not Disturb" probably won't be as robust as other distracted-driving apps, but it's nice to see this functionality built in.

Adapt to reuse

Anyone who's ever owned a Mac laptop is well aware of the company's endless array of dongles. Rather than sticking with common VGA and HDMI ports, Apple creates its own proprietary ports, then charges customers for adapters ("dongles") to connect those ports to projectors, TVs, and other accessories.

Now, it appears the iPhone has jumped on the dongle bandwagon. Gone is the iPhone's familiar 30-pin connector -- clunky though it was -- and now we have the much smaller, completely unique "Lightning" connector. Drivers who listen to tunes on their iPhone using a 30-pin cable (or who like to charge their phone in the car) will still be able to do so, but they'll have to shell out $30 for an adapter.

Why Apple couldn't have included a far-more-common micro-USB port remains a mystery.

Upside-down

Perhaps most frustratingly of all, Apple has moved the headphone jack to the bottom of the phone. For those who connect their iPhone to a car stereo via an auxiliary cable, that could make things complicated. You won't be able to rest the iPhone in a cupholder anymore, unless you're willing to rest it upside-down, which seems like an unnecessary distraction. Perhaps it's time to invest in a dock that attaches to your dashboard.

Do you plan to purchase an iPhone 5? Do these changes concern you? Or are you just happy to get your hands on Apple's newest, shiniest, lightest gadget? Let us know in the comments below.

2013 Nissan Murano Review by The Car Connection

If you've systematically sifted through the lists of crossover vehicles and they're all starting to look the same, the Nissan Murano might be your remedy; without sacrificing much usability as a family device, it somehow obviates blandness and anonymity, yet it doesn't use faux-rugged cues or imposing sheetmetal to do so.

As either a clean break away from the crossover-vehicle mainstream, or as a particularly cohesively styled family vehicle, the 2013 Murano, which reaches dealerships this fall and is essentially unchanged, remains a good-looking vehicle. The current version, we've thought, carries itself more assertively as a crisply detailed, high-shouldered tall wagon and less than the single-piece designer-footwear look of the first-generation Murano. The toothy chrome grille is a bit of a distraction to the rest of the design, but moving inside to the cabin it all meshes together in a convincing way, even though inside the Murano comes close to overdoing it on the rounded and bulbous shapes.

The 2013 Murano remains powered by Nissan's VQ V-6--a 3.5-liter making 260 horsepower, and mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Even though we're not enthusiastic about CVTs, this one is an exception and seems quite well matched to the engine, allowing smooth, brisk acceleration without an excess of engine noise. There are no pre-programmed manual 'gears' with this unit, though--a slight to driving enthusiasts--yet the Murano steers and handles with more verve and directness than you'd expect from such a vehicle.

The Murano is sold mostly in front-wheel-drive form, but there's also an all-wheel-drive model, and AWD is included with the top-of-the-line LE. Most models are front-drive, but all-wheel drive is available, and comes standard on the most expensive Murano LE. It's worth noting that gas mileage is 18/24 mpg at best--at a time when some crossovers about this size achieve much better on the highway especially.

You'll find the front seats in the Murano to be comfortable and adjustable for a wide range of sizes, although the sunroof does cut into headroom. The rear bench feels a bit too low for adults, yet oddly, some adults might find headroom tight back there. That shortage of seating space, and the surprising lack of cargo space behind the second row, are both results of the curvaceous exterior. The second-row seatback folds forward to expand cargo space, but it's hardly a box-like area and the cargo floor is quite high.

For 2013, the Murano gets newly optional active-safety systems: Moving Object Detection, Blind Spot Warning, and Lane Departure Warning systems. All are included with the Platinum Edition or SL Navigation Package, and should help the visibility issues that the curvier body design introduces.

S, SV, SL, and LE versions of the Murano span a wide range of pricing and equipment, with the latter trims feeling like premium or luxury models--and priced that way. Power windows, locks and mirrors; climate control; and an AM/FM/CD player are included in all Murano models, while options include a heated steering wheel; Bose audio; leather upholstery; a navigation system; Bluetooth; and a rearview camera. Newly offered on SV models is an SV Value Package that includes Bose audio, a power liftgate, and a navigation system.

The peculiar Murano CrossCabriolet, a heavy two-door convertible version of the Murano continues for another year unchanged.

Source:  The Car Connection

Nissan Teases All-New 2013 Sentra Sedan, to be Unveiled this Summer

Nissan will mark the Sentra nameplate's 30th anniversary in the States with the presentation of an all-new model that will be unveiled later this summer with sales to start across the country in the fall.


The new Sentra will be based on a new global sedan that is making its world premiere at this week's Auto China 2012 in Beijing. The Chinese market version of the compact sedan is named Sylphy.

"Sentra is the third of five all-new core models we'll be introducing in a 15-month product onslaught," said Nissan North America's senior vice president for sales and marketing.

"The all-new Altima goes on sale this summer and will be followed closely by the all-new Pathfinder and Sentra. And when the next two new models launch in 2013, we will have refreshed 75 percent of our volume, rewarding our loyal owners and attracting new customers into Nissan showrooms," he added.

Source:  www.carscoop.com

House Republicans call for CAFE standard delay

On July 29, 2011 President Obama announced an agreement with thirteen large automakers to increase fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025. He was joined by Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar/Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo – which together account for over 90% of all vehicles sold in the United States – as well as the United Auto Workers (UAW), and the State of California, who were all participants in the deal.  

Today, the GOP wants the proposed CAFE 2017-2025 fuel economy regulations reviewed.  

Three top House Republicans asked the White House Tuesday to delay finalizing the 2017-25 fuel economy rules.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs the subcommittee overseeing  regulations, and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., an auto dealer, wrote to the Obama administration's top regulatory review official, calling for a further review.

The committee asked Boris Bershteyn, acting administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, "to return the rule to the agencies for further consideration of its adverse consequences to consumers and the economy."

"Higher fuel efficiency standards is a goal I share—but not at the expense of consumer safety and not when those rules are implemented under a cloak of secrecy in a manner outside the law. The process followed by Obama administration officials to develop these standards was politicized, not rooted in sound science and was a political end run around seasoned experts who are required by law to lead the process," Issa said.

Kelly said "the new CAFE standards will limit choice, compromise safety, and increase costs for millions of Americans who are already struggling to get by in the Obama economy. The American consumer was not given fair representation at the CAFE negotiation table, and they have since been put on the menu."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency last week abandoned a self-imposed deadline of finalizing the 2017-25 rules by Wednesday, with one House Republican suggesting the administration was having second thoughts.

NHTSA chief David Strickland said early Tuesday that the rule would be unveiled in "days not weeks." Auto officials say the regulation could be released as early as Thursday.

On Friday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in an interview that the rules will be announced shortly.

He said the Obama administration is not backing away from what it considers one of its signature domestic achievements, but said it's unclear if it will be released next week.

"It's coming soon. We're working with the White House and the EPA to roll it out," LaHood said. "It's going to happen. ... There's no backing away — it's just making sure everything's done correctly."

LaHood noted that hiking fuel economy regulations has been a priority since soon after President Barack Obama was sworn in Jan. 20, 2009. "The president is very proud of the work we've done," LaHood said.

Economy standards will cost the auto industry an estimated $157.3 billion to reach, but is intended to save consumers $1.7 trillion at the pump. The rules will add about $2,000 to the price of an average vehicle by 2025, the government forecasts.

Last summer, NHTSA the EPA and the California Air Resources Board held largely secret talks with automakers to reach a deal on the 2017-25 fuel rules.

Under the deal, the agencies agreed to lower increases for light trucks from 2017-21 of 3.5 percent and 5 percent annual increases for cars. They also agreed to a midterm review to ensure that the final years of the program are feasible. California also agreed not to impose its own standards.

It's expected the final rule will largely conform to last year's agreement reached with 13 major automakers, including Detroit's Big Three, Toyota Motor Corp, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. Among major automakers, only Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG refused to sign on.

Source:  www.dailytech.com

ASU professor to serve on NASA panel

By ASU News Service:
An Appalachian State University professor has been selected to participate on an expert panel being convened by NASA to help address problems of muscle and bone density loss on long space missions. 

Dr. N. Travis Triplett, director of the exercise science program in the College of Health Sciences’ Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian, will help review research related to currently available exercise equipment that is being used for Earth-based studies of micro-gravity.

N. Travis Triplett, director of ASU’s exercise science program, 

will participate on an expert panel at NASA to help address 

problems of muscle and bone density loss on long space missions.

Photo submitted

This is the second NASA panel on which Triplett has served. The first panel helped engineers develop a weight-training machine that is now aboard the International Space Station.

The panel will convene in mid-September at Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

“This panel will review the findings from researchers who have been involved in using exercise equipment related to NASA’s goal of preserving musculoskeletal strength, conditioning and rehabilitation in astronauts subjected to long-duration spaceflight,” she said. 

Earth-based studies mimic the effects of microgravity by confining volunteers to bed for as long as 90 days or more. The test subjects then engage in a variety of upper and lower body exercises to minimize loss of muscle mass and bone density.

“NASA wants to pull together all the research that is available and create a summary of the equipment available and how effective it is in minimizing or reversing muscle and bone loss,” Triplett said. “Space travel is like accelerated aging with a lot of muscle and bone loss. Even a 30-year-old person ends up with the muscles and bones of a much older person following prolonged space exposure.”

Peak bone density occurs around 30 to 35 years of age, and while the average age of astronauts is 34, NASA has no age restriction for the program. When he was 62, Story Musgrove flew the last of his six shuttle missions on the 1996 flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia. At age 77, John Glenn was the oldest astronaut to fly in space during a 1998 flight.

Muscle atrophy following space flight is short term and can be replaced within a few months with weight training, Triplett said. The body constantly replaces old bone with new bone cells, but it’s a much longer process. 

“You are looking at probably a year or two before getting most of the lost bone back,” Triplett said. “And the older a person gets, more bone loss than bone rebuilding is also occurring. If I’m age 55 and I go up in space and lose a lot of bone, I’m probably not going to get that back and will be more prone to osteoporosis at an earlier age.” 

That bone loss can result in complications, including bone fractures. 

The exercise regimens on the early shuttle missions focused on cardiovascular exercise through treadmills, rowing machines and stationery bikes, Triplett said. 

“While your heart is a muscle, too, they found the cardiovascular changes with space exposure weren’t as bad as the changes occurring to the major muscle groups and in bone density,” she said. “NASA realized they need to address that more.” 

Since it takes weight-bearing exercise, such as resistance training, to build bone, NASA developed the aRED (advanced Resistive Exercise Device) for use on the International Space Station in 2008, based on reports from the first NASA panel on which Triplett served. The aRED is similar to a strength-training machine found in gyms used to exercise the major muscles in the upper and lower body.

“NASA certainly wants astronauts to be able to return to Earth and not be at higher risk of fractures,” Triplett said.

Source:  www.mountaintimes.com