Microsoft engineers and researchers are attempting to one-up Google Maps by creating route animations with the abundance of panoramic street-view photography so you can experience your trip before you drive it. It's called Videomap and it's quite clever.

The main issue with representing the trip before you make it is, unless you're traveling within a mile of your house, the time it would take to watch the trip on your computer is too long to be useful. Conversely, if you were to speed the entire trip up it would be nonsense. The software bridges this gap by speeding up and slowing down the video based on landmarks and turns.

Even better, since it's a panoramic camera, they're able to slow down the video and crop it so the driver looks around the turn as if they were driving themselves. It can also turn to show obvious landmarks along the journey and zoom-out when the data is less important (i.e. when traveling along an extended area with few turns or landmarks, like a highway)

Limited studies show the technique results in increased accuracy and reduced time spent consulting maps, which is good, though the limitation of this technique appears to be the increasing accessibility of GPS when you travel. For this reason, the system seems better matched to waking, biking and transportation that takes places within a certain time-compressed zone than driving.

Individuals with difficulty grasping spatial data in map form tend to utilize landmarks in determining their travel and a system like this seems suited to serving their needs. It's also fun to watch. Just imagine being able to reminisce about your old hometown by taking a quick virtual drive down Main Street to see what shops and restaurants may have changed. Sounds pretty cool to us.

[Microsoft via Technology Review via Jason_Pointin</a]

Back in the day you used to be able to roll around in a Dodge Ram 1500 in Gran Turismo 4, but this is taking four-wheelin' to a whole new level. Seriously, how well can a big lug like these luxo-utes handle and why on Earth would you have any interest in racing them in a video game?

Thankfully, this wasn't the only update that Turn 10 provided us today as we now know we'll have the opportunity to drive the Pontiac G8 GXP forever and pretend that GM never killed it. Phew!

Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]

Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]
Check out our continually growing Forza 3 car list HERE. [via Forza Motorsport]

The October release date of Microsoft and Turn 10's XBOX 360 racer looms ever closer, reminding us that we'll be spending some quality seat time on our couch this Fall. Check out our ever growing car list HERE to see what other rides you'll be able to pilot, though we think the Audi R8 5.2L V10 is all we'll ever need. [Forza Motorsport]

The addition of cars like the Toyota Yaris, MazdaSpeed 3 and Honda Fit mash nicely with the all-wheel-drive prowess of the Subaru WRX STI, Mitsubishi EVO IX MR and Nissan GT-R SuperGT, making us crave for the official October release of the newest XBOX 360 racer.

Check out the updated (07.01.09) car list HERE.

[via Forza Motorsport, Kotaku]

The announcement that the famed 8.489 Mile, 21 turn Circuit De La Sarthe will be included in the next generation of the famed Forza series has got to get more than just a few enthusiasts excited. Previously the only way you could act out your French endurance dreams was by going to the Playstation-based series, Gran Turismo. Thankfully Turn 10 developers made the trek across the pond to measure, photograph and accurately re-build the famed circuit in digital form for us to create our own epic 24 Hour of Le Mans battles. In fact, Turn 10 Track Team Lead, Matt Collins, apparently collected over 15,000 images to help with the Stateside team's digital replica including images of the track barriers, road materials, rumble strips, vegetation and trackside buildings. The nearly 60GB of source material has been accurately placed with the help of physical data collected via GPS to create ultra realistic digital versions of both circuit configurations, Bugatti and Sarthe.

Also released this weekend was this partial car list of ten included Le Mans Prototypes along with a few detailed images of the exterior and interior of each of the digital versions of these famed racers which you can see below.

We've also compiled a list of the cars that we know will make the game thus far, but remember this is nowhere near the final list as there will be over 400 cars from 50 different manufacturers, all of which will feature full range of visual and mechanical customization. Also, expect to see more parts-flying carnage thanks in part to a more realistic damage model that will also include the ability for cars to completely roll over during a race, a feature not previously attempted in a racing game.

(Updated: 07.15.09) Forza Motorsport 3 Confirmed (Partial) Car List:

Alfa Romeo

* 8C Competizione

Audi

* 2 Audi Sport North America R8
* 2 Audi Sport North America R10 TDI
* 8 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R10 TDI
* 2009 Audi Q7 V12 TDI
* 2010 R8 V10
* R8 V8 FS I
* 2010 S4
* 2009 TT

Aston Martin:

* 2009 DBS
* DB5 Vantage

Bentley

* 7 Team Bentley Speed 8

BMW

* 15 BMW Motorsport V12 LMR
* 2008 135i Coupe
* 2009 M3
* 2009 BMW X5 xDrive 4.8i
* Mini Cooper
* 2009 BMW M5 E60

Cadillac

* 6 Team Cadillac Northstar LMP-02
* 2009 CTS-V

Chevrolet

* 2006 Corvette Z06
* Corvette ZR1

Chrysler

* 2008 Chrysler 300C SRT-8

Dodge

* Challenger SRT-8
* Viper SRT-10 Coupe ACR

Ferrari

* 30 MOMO Doran Racing F333 SP
* California
* Dino
* 2007 430 Scuderia
* 599 GTB Fiorano

Fiat

* 500

Ford

* 2005 GT
* RS200
* 1968 Shelby Mustang GT-500KR

Holden

Honda

* Civic
* 2009 Jazz
* NSX

Infiniti

* 2009 G37

Jaguar

* XKR-S

Land Rover

* 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Lamborghini

* Murciélago LP640

Lexus

* 2009 IS-F

Lotus

* Elise
* Evora

Maserati

* GranTurismo

Mazda

* 2008 Mazdaspeed 3

Mercedes-Benz

* CLS 63 AMG
* McLaren SLR
* ML 63 AMG
* SL 65 AMG Black Series

Mitsubishi

* Lancer Evolution VIII MR
* Lancer Evolution X GSR

Nissan

* 3 YellowHat YMS TOMICA GT-R (2008)
* 12 Calsonic IMPUL GT-R (2008)
* 21 Nissan R390 GT1 (1997)
* 23 XANAVI NISMO GT-R(2008)
* 2009 370Z
* Sentra
* Skyline GT-R R33
* 2008 Tiida

Pagani

* Zonda C12-S

Peugeot

* 3 Peugeot Talbot Sport 905 Evo 1C
* 8 Peugeot Sport 908

Pontiac

* 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

Porsche

* Porsche AG 906c
* Porsche 956
* 997 GT2
* 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

Seat

* Ibiza

Subaru

* Impreza WRX STI

Toyota

* 3 Toyota Motorsports GT-ONE TS020
* 6 ENEOS SC430(2008)
* 25 Eclipse Advan Supra (2006)
* 2009 Yaris

TVR

* Sagaris

Volkswagen

* 2008 Volkswagen Touareg R50

As we mentioned above, the Circuit De La Sarthe will see its Forza debut along with 100 other real life global circuits which will include drift circuits, road courses, oval tracks and the long-rumored drag strip. You'll be able to pick up your very own copy of Forza Motorsport 3 this October. [via ForzaMotorsport]

The most obvious comparison to make is to Sony's Gran Turismo 5 due out on PS3 sometime before the next millennium, most notably the precise and cleanly rendered real-time visuals that Turn 10 Studios have created for their newest console-racer king of the hill.

Looking closely at some of the cars represented in this preview and you'll notice a 2009 Corvette ZR1, Aston Martin DBS, BMW 135i, BMW E92 M3, Audi R8 5.2L V10 among several other new comers and the inclusion of fully rendered and modeled interiors for the first time in the Forza series. The final list of cars will exceed 400 from 50 various manufacturers with each and every one having the ability to be fully customized as we've all come to know and love in the Forza series.

Also included are over 100 true-to-life global racetracks ranging from locations in Spain, Italy and the American Southwest which will feature both standard circuit and oval events as well as the long-awaited and heavily rumored drag racing and drift events. A new feature to the game will be the inclusion of a race calendar in which the player will be able to participate in a personalized 200+ event racing calendar. Cool stuff indeed.

A firm release date is not yet set, but we're guessing Microsoft will release Forza Motorsport 3 just before this year's Christmas season to solidify their crown in the console racing wars. [via Kotaku, YouTube]

We'll leave the name of the employee secret, just in case he offended anyone, but the story is great:

Bwahahaha, was running around MSFT's main campus to go grab some stock 99 cobra springs for the IRS swap I have planned for my beater foxbody this winter.

I saw a few familiar heads in a Ford Fusion Hybrid, and so I popped down a gear on my four-speed, and made a raucous noise as I passed them.

I just dusted the CEO of my brand-of-choice.

That's cool. Almost as cool as Mulally's red, Ford-badged sweater vest.

Photo Credit: Wilson Rothman

Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios recently held a secret developer meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil and a very covered Forza Motorsport 3 logo popped up on the screen during a Powerpoint presentation. CVG managed to capture some video of the event, which has now been removed from YouTube. Regardless, OXCGN was able to get the released artwork, which you can see on the left, depicting Forza Motorsport 3's official logo.

As we reported back in January, Forza Motorsport 3 will feature a total of 400+ cars and over 100 tracks necessitating the game to ship with two seperate discs. It's likely that Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios will show a preview of the game later this year. We can't wait.

[Kotaku via CVG / oxcgn]

Somehow this beast manages to pull off Jed Clampett meets Back To The Future, which is not a combination you see everyday. The truck tires and corrugated sheetmetal combined with the flying buttresses and random bits of junk combine in a way almost reaching Lagonda-levels of beauty. [CarDomain]

Although no official release date has been revealed, the company behind all the pretty in-game artwork has let loose a couple of teaser images of the new Forza Motorsport 3. Microsoft Game Studios has sub-contracted Kaarbo Designs to create menu graphics for all previous Forza Motorsport games and they’ve let loose some early pre-production proofs of Forza 3 in-game race posters. The images were found on Kaarbo Design’s website and then promptly removed adding to the legitimacy of the images. In response to the leak, Kaarbo has said that the posters “are only samples and are not to be used.” Something that may be finalized is the Forza 3 logo in the upper left-hand corner of each poster.

While Forza 2 was big, it’s said that FM3 is so large that the DVD format has become an issue. With a total of 400+ cars and over 100 tracks it will likely ship on two separate discs. A preview of Forza Motorsport 3 will likely be shown later this year at the E3 show. We can’t wait to get our hands on a copy since our thumbs are just now healing from the first game.

[via xbox360 fanboy]

Basically, Bernstein analyst Jeffrey Lindsay thinks Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are the new GM, Ford and Chrysler because they parallel the auto industry. His argument is "Buick, Oldsmobile and Chevrolet were the high tech industry of the 1940s." He then claims they were "gobbled up to become GM" just ahead of when they needed more innovation rather than less. Lindsay then compares that to Yahoo and their ownership of Flickr, Del.icio.us and the rest — where each is buying up their competitors in expensive deals that limit their own spending on innovation.

So basically, he's claiming GM avoided innovation heading into the gas-guzzling era of the 1950s and 1960s because they'd spent so much on buying up small companies. While we do believe they avoided innovation during those two decades in favor of continuing to design big boat-like four-doors while foreign automakers were designing smaller and more fuel-efficient cars, it had more to do with arrogance than with over-spending on nameplates that limit their own innovation. Mostly because Buick was GM's first brand, Oldsmobile was acquired by GM in 1908 and Chevrolet was bought in 1918. Otherwise, sure, that argument they all were "gobbled up" in the 1940s makes a lot of sense.

So the long answer is some analysts have way too much time on their hands. [via ZDNet]

Microsoft and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group to Develop Next Generation of In-Car Infotainment New partnership will globalize innovative in-car infotainment.

SEOUL, South Korea — May 6, 2008 — Today, Microsoft Corp. and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group (HKAG) entered into a long-term agreement to co-develop the next generation of in-car infotainment systems. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, and Mongku Chung, chairman of HKAG, were present as Martin Thall, general manager of Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit, and Hyun Soon Lee, president and chief technology officer of HKAG, signed the agreement in Seoul.

Together, Microsoft and HKAG will deliver new and innovative solutions based on the Microsoft Auto software platform, bringing the future of in-car technology to Hyundai-Kia drivers worldwide.

"These new systems will redefine consumer experiences in the car," Thall said. "Since the spring of 2006, HKAG and Microsoft have been sharing their vision for the future of in-car technology. We're now aligned to develop the next generation of in-car infotainment systems."

"We are pleased to partner with Microsoft to deliver high-performance infotainment solutions to our customers," Lee said. "The advanced capabilities, flexibility and low price point make the Microsoft Auto software platform an attractive solution for us."

The first product, a next-generation infotainment system that provides voice-controlled connectivity between mobile devices, will be introduced in the North American market in 2010. It will further apply to Asian and European markets, and expand into multimedia and navigation devices. These easy-to-use infotainment systems will allow consumers to enjoy music in various digital formats.

The next-generation infotainment systems are comparable to mini-PCs. Even after product launch, new functions can be added or upgraded in the form of software program updates, an innovation to existing in-car multimedia technology.

The Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group's adoption of the Microsoft Auto software platform increases Microsoft's presence in the Asian car market and enhances the global automotive business. The engineering and marketing teams of Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit in Redmond, Wash., will be working directly with counterparts at HKAG in Seoul to support this goal. Microsoft Auto-powered systems are currently available in Fiat Auto Group vehicles in Europe and South America and Ford Motor Co. vehicles in North America.

In a related announcement, Microsoft and Hyundai-Kia, along with the Institute for Information Technology Advancement (IITA), signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to co-establish an automotive IT innovation center with the goal of promoting innovation and opportunities for Korean software and device vendors in the global market.

The system uses complex algorithms and machine mapping to analyze data from the major highways and the side streets to provide the best and most timely solution to traffic jams—meaning it may just tell you to just stay on the highway because the detour solutions are also heavy. Clearflow will be available for free for 72 major cities. There's no official word on the release of Clearflow, but when it is ready, you can go online and more accurately plan an outing prior to the trip. I'm sure it will be supported on portable GPS devices soon, as well. [NY Times]

Talladega. Yes, the partial name of the semi-funny Will Ferrel movie is the codename of Microsoft's next generation of Sync. Then again, we all know codenames are rarely used for the real release of any product, but who knows with this case. I can already imagine the kids: "Hey dudebro, check my sa-weet Talladega system!" Yeah, it just doesn't sound right. [Automotive]

As we all know, Microsoft Auto software underpins the popular Ford SYNC service, which combines the various in-car systems into one somewhat easy-to-use interface. What if they were able to use that system to advertise to you? How would they use it? According to Microsoft's Martin Thall, it looks as though the GPS is probably the best outlet. Imagine driving down the street and having the navigation screen display an ad for Starbucks with some sort of special incentive for pulling in to get a latte, like offering you a free Mp3.

This isn't a wild idea, in fact I wrote about locational advertising for UrbanCartography.com almost three years ago. This is much better than the current model for the provider because charging a monthly rate will, as with cell phones, allow competition to dictate a lower price or more service. There's also a finite, though large, number of customers.

As Google has already proven, there's almost an unlimited amount of advertising revenue to be gotten (if you don't believe me just google "mesothelioma"). As stewards of this technology, we imagine that companies will be responsible and limit the advertising so that it doesn't become ridiculous. Right.... right?

[CNet via The Truth About Cars]

A lot of Microsoft's motive for spreading Sync comes from demand on Ford vehicles. It would appear people really like Sync, which is currently a worthwhile $395 upgrade to any FoMoCo product. Thall says that Ford is super-great for adopting Sync so early, but Microsoft has dollar signs in their eyes and wants to make money everywhere possible, more or less. [Detroit Free Press]