Zeus did it.

Smartphone-based systems that let you commandeer your car from across the country

THE TREND
Fly cross-country and forget to lock your car back in the parking lot? Now there's an app for that scenario.

WHY NOW
Many cars already have built-in computers with cell data chips and Bluetooth connections for linking to cellular phones. Fully integrating your app-rich smartphone and the cell-capable computer in your dashboard is the logical next step.

HOW YOU'LL BENEFIT
Use your phone to switch radio stations from the backseat or lock the doors, check engine status, or track stolen vehicles.

Mercedes Mbrace

Developed by Georgia-based Hughes Telematics, Mbrace allows you to use your iPhone or BlackBerry to find your car in a crowded lot, lock the doors from any distance (provided you have a cell signal), lead you to a nearby dealership, or track your car in case of theft. The app will get more features over time, starting with real-time traffic information. Mbrace is available on all Mercedes models.
mbusa.com/mbrace

Ford Sync

Ford's in-car system already links with phones and MP3 players to offer voice-activated access to music, contact lists and more, and this year Ford plans to let third-party developers create other SYNC programs. Engineers have worked with University of Michigan students on prototype iPhone apps, including one that streams Internet radio and another that sends GPS directions from a lead vehicle to several followers.
fordvehicles.com

GM OnStar

GM's telematics system and its human operators can already call an ambulance after a crash, among other things. With the arrival of the Chevy Volt later this year, OnStar will link to your smartphone as well, with an app for Droid, iPhone and BlackBerry phones that will help Volt owners track their car's battery-charging status, fuel-economy history and other functions. It will even send a text if you forget to plug in your car.
onstar.com

Ride into the future on three wheels

Honda's EV-N concept may have the visage of a throwback car from the 1960s, but the car company's new 3R-C looks like nothing less than a futuristic trike. The sleek three-wheeled, single-person vehicle is set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week as a zero-emission concept with a lithium-ion battery, Autoblog Green reports.

The 3R-C seems designed to address the single urban commuter, and unsurprisingly comes from Honda's Research and Design facility in Milan, Italy. Its clear canopy lowers over the driver's seat while parked, and is raised during operation to become a wind-shield for the rider. That's a bit of a shame, given how perfectly streamlined the vehicle looks with the canopy down.

Stability for the vehicle would come from the electric drivetrain sitting low in the chassis, and there's even a lockable "boot area" in front of the driver to provide storage for luggage.

These concept vehicles won't enter production, but they provide some food for thought concerning the needs of future commuters winding through narrow streets or alleyways. And given global trends, it's safe to say that the cities of the world will only become more crowded in the near future. If you're not down with a regular bike or a full-blown car, perhaps an affordable single-seat vehicle might not be a bad alternative, unless GM's two-wheeled P.U.M.A. somehow takes off in a way that the Segway didn't.

[via Autoblog Green]

GM's buyout negotiations with a Chinese firm have failed, ceasing production of the storied gas-guzzler

Hummers may have toyed with adapting to leaner times as plug-in hybrids, but the end has finally come for the long-time sport-utility brand based on the military workhorse. A General Motors deal to sell off its brand to a Chinese manufacturer collapsed after the companies were still waiting on Chinese government approval, the New York Times reports.

This truly makes 2010 the end of an era for both the civilian and military versions of the Hummer. The U.S. Army announced earlier this month that it would no longer order Humvees, and would instead turn to the armored MRAPs that have proven more resistant to roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Army still plans to keep its existing Humvees in service, according to DOD Buzz

The civilian Hummer brand was perhaps more a victim of the recession rather than gas prices, although sales of the gas-guzzling vehicle have plummeted in recent years. In no small irony, Hummer sales have only remained robust in Russia. Keep in mind that the Russians have also produced a DIY car-to-tank conversion for those treacherous road conditions.

GM has already commenced shutting down its Saturn and Pontiac brands, and was set to do the same for Saab until it reached an agreement with the Dutch company Spyker Cars. The U.S. automaker has only survived so far by accepting a major U.S. government investment, but hopes to rebound with more efficient cars and crossovers.

If the Chinese deal had succeeded, Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Company would have become the first Chinese company to sell vehicles in North America. But at least GM will still honor Hummer warranties and continue providing service and parts to owners worldwide.

[via New York Times]

With Detroit reeling and Toyota busy trying to explain away some rather egregious design flaws, it might seem like a ripe time for an innovative car company to introduce a mind-blowing, paradigm-shifting idea to the automotive world. This is not that idea. Hungarian car company Antro's ambitious reinvention of the modern auto involves creating a six-seat hybrid-solar car that splits into two three-seater cars. Or a pair of three-seater cars that combine into six-seaters, depending on how you look at it.

Without a doubt it's an interesting idea, and as such the company has poured 1.5 million euros into developing the concept into a working prototype. According to the company, solar panels on the roof could deliver enough power to propel a single three-seater 12.5 miles before the other power source needs to kick in, and its small design would certainly make it no less viable a city car than the Smart Cars that dot the curbs of many European burgs. But a car that docks with other cars? The benefits are dubious, to say the least.

To answer (or not) a few of your questions: we're not really sure exactly how this automotive merging is supposed to take place (nose-to-tail? side-by-side?). And we're not really sure if the car will be sold as a set of two or as individual three-seater units. But now we're getting ahead of ourselves; we'd actually be pretty surprised to see something like this go to market, Voltron-esque style points notwithstanding.

[Autopia UK]

See our gallery for a look at the future of toys

Say the word "toy" to a techie, and his mind will think one thing: robots. But all infrared-loving, artificially-intelligent smart-toy-ogling tech-savvy aside, new toys can instill as much "ooh! shiny!" as even the hottest cellphone. And we're not just talking about robots: This week, the International Toy Fair hit NYC, and PopSci.com found 20 funky new toys with a few tricks up their sleeves.

Of course, the real fun is seeing these gizmos in action, so check out our highlight reel below and then take a gander at all the things that caught our eye on the show floor.

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As the Northeast and South brace for yet another day of record snow fall, thousands of Americans are struggling with ways to deal with treacherous road conditions. Thankfully, some intrepid Russian DIYers have a plan: convert your car to use tank treads.

As shown in the video below, the system can convert any car, from an SUV to a Lada, into a tracked monster. This conversion comes from the city of Chelyabinsk, which once hosted so many T-34 manufacturing plants that the city got the nickname "Tankograd". And, since a disaster in 1957 at the nearby Mayak nuclear reprocessing plant turned Chelyabinsk into one of the world's most contaminated cities, these tank treads also come in handy for running over any roving mobs of radiation mutants one might encounter.

Anyway, check out the video, and then maybe place an order for a set of treads to help you navigate the snow drifts obstructing traffic at DuPont Circle.

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[AutoBlog]

Insert it like a key; hook it to your computer; copy the key image; drive away

Locksmiths and car thieves can both get excited over a new handheld device that electronically maps the inside of car locks and then provides the key code within seconds via USB cable connection to a computer. The key code, matched to the make of the car, allows key-cutting machines to churn out a replacement key. Popular Mechanics reports that the key replication only works for Ford vehicles so far -- news that may leave bemused expressions on the faces of Ford owners.

The Electronic Key Impressioner (EKI) comes with common vehicle keyway inserts, a USB cable, and lock mapping software. That software connects to a database full of updated key codes, which also allows the system to remotely "brick" devices that have fallen into the wrong hands. But car manufacturers may not accept that reassurance, even as the EKI creators hope to expand their device's ability to work with a wider range of cars. Unhappy automakers could render it useless by changing their lock technology completely.

Another caveat is that the system mainly works for old-fashioned keys, as opposed to newer car keys that contain transponders. But tools already exist for locksmiths or less savory characters to crack the transponder codes.

Either way, look for this magical key replacement (or Grand Theft Auto) device to come your way late this year.

[Popular Mechanics]