Ford's Alan Mulally To Deliver 2010 CES Keynote

Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro announced this afternoon Ford's President and CEO Alan Mulally would be delivering the keynote address at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. Supposedly, he'll be showing off new hotness in the SYNC system. More »

CES: Ford Sync Heading To Europe, Sync Concept Hinted At

Yesterday we revealed Ford Sync upgrades like turn-by-turn directions and traffic avoidance. Today we can say Sync is heading to Europe there's next-generation system brewing, call it a Sync concept, including Apple-like apps. More »

Swiitek CarPC Head Units Heading To CES

Swiitek's bringing two universal-fit double-DIN PCs and four dashboard-specific head units designed to fit late-model Toyota Camrys, Corollas, Honda Civics and CR-Vs to this week's CES geekfest in Vegas.

Dashboard Devices Hopes To Corner In-Car Computer Market

With the ability to integrate movies, music, navigation, phone and Internet into one in-dash device, Dashboard Devices thinks it has developed the ultimate in in-car tech.

CNET Covers GM... Favorably?

Looks like Rick Wagoner making nice at CES ended up being a smart move. The trip to the geekfest by GM's top man has led to gadget industry stalwart CNET giving GM some free press, and it's mostly favorable. CNET Executive Editor Charles Cooper comes close to damning GM with feint praise, but his article comes off as hopeful the General is actually turning the corner on tech and environmentalism. Pretty soon we'll be hearing how more companies should be like GM. Before you know it, exurbanites will be gushing about how environmentally friendly their Cadillac Escalade Hybid is (snicker). [CNET.com]

Display Cars of CES are Pretty, Loud

CES saw a plethora of cars showing off mobile electronic goodies this year. The trend towards bigger and louder continued unabated in the audio category, while stealth was the order of the day for the classic rides. We've put together some noteworthy display vehicles for you to ogle and we even went out of our way to break them into two categories - a no holds barred systems and classic steel. Be sure to check out the Impala in the classics gallery - twin turbos! The gratuitous booth babes are just to brighten the place up a bit. More »

The Devil Made Him Do It: Honda 5-Series?

Convincing isn't it? The body work, the lights, the wheels, the stance... at first glance they all work together quite nicely to telegraph that yes, this is a riced BMW 5-series. You have to cry a little inside even though the BMW is a bit ugly to begin with. What can you think though, when you swing around to the front and notice that there's a four cylinder engine mounted east-west? Confusion, fear, disbelief - these are all normal feelings. When you realize this is a Honda Civic with more money invested in it than you have in your kids college fund, how does that make you feel? Is it better to be a poseur Civic, or a ricer BMW? Hey, who cares, there are blue boobs in the trunk. More »

The Anti-Bling Mobile: MTX Audio Cadillac Escalade EXT

While roaming the endless halls of the Consumer Electronics Show, our Gizmodo brethren caught some pics of a Cadillac Escalade EXT that does not follow the crowd. The MTX Audio demo vehicle is bare of that essential element of the modern balla ride - bling. It's finish is so flat it makes Nebraska jealous. Even the headlights are gloss free. Sure the point is probably to accentuate the massive audio system taking up the entire back seat, but that doesn't stop us from admiring a truck that goes against the grain. More »

Garmin Nuvi 5000 Belongs in a Museum

It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it? Look at her, the Garmin Nuvi 5000; she's just so beautiful and elegant and deserves a spot on the dashboard of only the most elite luxury vehicles. Right? The Nuvi 5000 is Garmin's latest heavy hitting GPS navigation system announced at the CES show this week. More »

Rick Wagoner will be rocking down to Electric Avenue in just a few minutes here at the 2008 CES show. What'll he be speaking about? You'll have to check back here at 7:40 PM EST for the full scoop on his speech and our notes from the quick interview we had with "Slick" Rick just moments ago.

Tech Explosion: Ford to Begin Including HD Radio in 2009

Well, the Ford Sync system is in full effect with 911 Assist, Sirius Travel Link and more, but that obviously isn't enough. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury will be including factory-installed HD radio in 2009 as well. Wait, HD radio? Where do you put your eyes? More »

A Car of the Future by a Tape Company? 3M Says Yes

The 3M company of tape and packing supplies fame has teamed up with automotive supplier Visteon to show off this futuristic car interior at the Consumer Electronics Show. The two have reportedly dumped upwards of 50 so-called "innovative technologies" into this interior. Wow, 50 is a mighty big number, though some are better than others. More »

First Shots Beneath The Skin Of The Fuel Cell Volt

Our partners in crime over at Giz may not have gotten any sleep this week while patrolling the Consumer Electronics Show, but they did manage to snap some shots under the hood of the hydrogen fuel-cell Volt. You'll notice the hydrogen tanks in the rear of the car and a battery pack out front that's smaller than the original by about 20% but will still let the car travel on electric-only power for about 40 miles. Remember, this is the same E-Flex platform found on the Cadillac Provoq. More »

Cadillac Debuting Provoq Alternative Energy Concept Tomorrow At CES

GM announced today that they would be debuting the Cadillac Provoq at the CES show in Las Vegas. According to the company the Provoq "continues Cadillac's remarkable heritage of landmark concept vehicles, this time in a vehicle free from petroleum fuel and emissions, the ultimate luxury." Translation: electric car. While we don't have details we do know that we'll be there to bring it to you as soon as it bows (if not sooner). The car will then reappear at the Detroit Auto Show. Since we have no art here's the Caddy Cien concept, which the car will probably look nothing like. Press release below the jump. More »

Rescue 911: Ford Expands Sync With "911 Assist," Calls William Shatner for Free

Speak of the devil — the embargo's just dropped on Ford's newest addition to the Sync system unveiled tonight at the 2008 CES show by Microsoft's main man himself — Bill Gates. It's called "911 Assist" and it uses the bluetooth phone connection function of Sync to dial the local 911 operator through your phone if your air bag deploys. It then replays a recorded message alerting the operator you're in a Ford vehicle and oh my goodness, send help immediately 'cause your airbag's just gone off and that probably means you've been in an accident. What's the added cost of such a magical William Shatner-dialing feature? Not a dime more than the money you've already forked over for Sync. It's free and you can get the service added by just taking your current Sync-systemed Ford vehicle over to a service center for a flash memory upgrade. Once the helpful technicians are done, you'll drive quicker than ever, confident your car will dial 911 if you get into a fender-bending, unconsciousness-causing accident. Now just pray your phone's got the GPS function enabled and the local 911 system has the requisite equipment to decipher the signal, or else the best they'll be able to get is a four-block radius of your crash. Still better than nothing at all, right? Oh, and the Sync upgrade will also get you an "OnStar-like vehicle health report." Woo-hoo. Full press release after the jump. More »

CES 2008: Ford Unveils Sirius Travel Link Navigation System, Offers At-A-Glance Gas Prices, Sports Scores, Other Random Info

In addition to a tease of even more Sync-ing to come at the 2008 CES show, Ford's just unveiled their newest toy to complement the Sync system. It's called the Sirius Travel Link navigation system — and it's a nav system that uses Sirius's ability to download data to your in-dash system to give drivers and passengers up-to-the-minute information on the little stuff you need when you're driving — stuff like gas prices, traffic, weather, sports scores and movie listings. All the random tidbits of information you can normally get by looking out your windshield or tuning to WWJ your local AM news station. Well, except for the movie listings. The system also supposedly "includes full music "jukebox" capability - with space for up to 2,400 tracks and Gracenote® technology for album cover art..." and will be first available in the 2009 Lincoln MKS. But anyway, it's just what we wanted — yet another opportunity to watch drivers randomly glancing away from the road. Still, it sounds pretty cool — let us know when we can get RSS feeds from our fave web sites added and we're sold. Full press release after the jump. More »

A Real KITT? GM to Reveal Plans for Driverless Vehicles Within Decade at CES

We'll be there live on Tuesday when GM CEO "Slick" Rick Wagoner gives the keynote address at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas — and boy are we glad we're going. We're hearing the General's main man will devote part of his speech to GM's desire to really create KITT from Knight Rider. No, not an advanced crime-fighting vehicle with turbo boost, rather, a driverless car — and one that could be ready for sale within a decade using technology described in the above video from earlier this year. At least that's what Business Week is reporting this evening. More after the jump — but seriously how prescient was our posting of the new 30-second Knight Rider commercial earlier? More »

Bored this weekend? Check out our gadget-obsessed brother site's coverage of the CES 2008 show. Then come back here on Monday and Tuesday to see our coverage of the auto side of the gadgetgasm. Also, there's that whole Detroit Auto Show thing coming up this week too. [Gizmodo]

Uniden MapTrax GPS Includes Radar Detection

It's a shame that it's taken this many years to finally achieve this bit of convergence, but it is finally done. To be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January is Uniden's MapTrax GPS receivers — that include radar detection. More »

Detroit Auto Show, Schmetroit Auto Show; Vegas is Gadget Heaven

You are probably well aware of the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, but do you know about the other big name show dealing with the automotive industry in January? The Consumer Electronics Show is getting bigger and bigger in regards to the auto tech industry. An entire hall is devoted to showing the latest and greatest tech specifically for cars. (And if one of us can get his travel arrangements finalized, we'll be able to bring it all to you live! —Ed.) More »

Cobra Releases New Radar Detector With Speed Camera Database

Cobra Electronics has a new serpent on the road for all you snakes (like us) who need a little extra help to "see" the "man" when they've got a plan to catch your ass for speeding. It's their XRS line of radar detectors and Cobra's calling it the first "user-installable remote radar detector with GPS locator featuring Red Light and Speed Camera Location Database." In English we think it means you'll be able to mount the main detector unit in an out-of-the-way place, like behind the rearview mirror at the top of the windshield. To control the unit, they've provided a remote controller for you to clip onto your sun visor or you know, pocket protector or something. But the coolest part's the last included feature — the red light and speed cam location database. It's based on a fixed list of red light and speed camera traps across the country as well as an allowance for the driver to input up to 1,000 location-based alerts. Unfortunately, it doesn't yet include a feature for automatic updates from the internet or satellite. Still, we'd be sold on one if it merely played "Eastbound & Down" whenever the fuzz-buster went off. Of course, if it doesn't work (Meow), you can always try this. Full press release and a close-up pic of the kit after the jump. – Ray Wert More »