Amazon has finally launched the Echo Auto in India. A dedicated Alexa-enabled device for cars, it can be plugged into the car’s 12V charging socket or USB port while the audio is routed through the car’s stereo via 3.5mm cable or Bluetooth.
Since the device requires a constant internet connection, Echo Auto needs to be connected to the user’s smartphone with the Alexa app that allows to play music, listen to audiobooks, make calls, ask for directions and even send text messages (Android).
Echo Auto is priced at Rs. 4,999 and will be available from January 15.
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When Luxury & Technology Go Hand-in-Hand: BMW 7 Series 730Ld
Here at T3 India, we love technology. It’s this obsession that has us looking out for technology in every aspect of our lives. Take cars for example. Cars have gotten smarter, safer and if we talk about BMW’s 7 Series, more luxurious than ever before. We recently drove one and while the car has a lot going under the hood, it’s the technology it packs that makes this top-of-the-line executive sedan special. The 7 Series 730Ld M Sport makes its presence felt with an authoritative demeanour, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is indeed an elegant looking car, with its dynamic proportions, precise lines and sculpted surfaces. The car is also equipped with a Panorama Glass Roof Sky Lounge that creates a design from more than 15,000 design elements. Moreover, there’s an active air-stream kidney grille that opens up the slats for improved engine cooling or shuts it off when not required to improve aerodynamics.
Complementing the grille is the BMW Laserlight that comes from the BMW i8. It provides a high-beam range of up to 600 metres and with BMW Selective Beam, the problem of dazzling, or blinding, the driver in the oncoming vehicle with its powerful light is greatly reduced. Another interesting feature that you’d find in the Series 7 from the BMW i cars is the use of Carbon Core in the body structure. Carbon Core effectively lightens the weight of the car by 130kg, allowing an increase in the safety and rigidity of the car at a reduced weight. There’s no dearth of cabin space with the 7 Series offering generous amount of it, both for the front as well as rear passengers. However, it’s the abundance of technology in the interior that makes the 7 Series more interesting. For instance, the infotainment system with Gesture Control. Just use the hand in front of the infotainment screen to change volume, accepting or rejecting phone calls, acknowledging check-control messages, closing an information window, changing the camera angle etc. We tried some of the gestures and it did work as intended. The car is also equipped with Bluetooth audio streaming, a USB port and interestingly, inductive wireless charging for selected phones.
Next up is the BMW Touch Command that equips the passenger with a 7-inch tablet to control various aspects inside the cabin, such as seat adjustment, interior lighting, air conditioning, as well as infotainment, navigation and communication systems. The Samsung Android tablet can also be used to install and play games and videos. BMW also gives an option to fit two 10-inch screens for rear passengers as part of Rearseat Entertainment Experience and when coupled with the Executive Lounge that allows the rear passenger to adjust the seat, massage (with Vitality Programme) and footrest, it’s a luxurious experience with utmost comfort.
When it comes to driving, the 730Ld M Sport is equipped with an 8-Speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission, a 3.0-litre engine with 265 PS and 620Nm. The car is capable of reaching 0-100kmph in just 6.2 seconds and even comes with various driving modes like Sport, Sport+, Comfort, Comfort+, Eco Pro and Adaptive. The Series 7 730Ld M Sport also comes with a touch-based Display Key that supports Remote Control Parking. While this feature is not available in India yet (BMW says coming later this year), Remote Control Parking will semi-autonomously park the car without requiring the driver to be inside the vehicle. This is in addition to the improved parking assistance along with other Display Key functions like showing time, fuel efficiency and even service notifications.
The 730Ld M Sport has something for everyone. The technology it packs not only enhances the passengers’ experience but drivers get additional assistance for an enjoyable and smooth ride. It is priced at Rs. 1,19,00,000 (ex-showroom).
Nissan creates world’s largest 3D pen sculpture
Nissan has created the world’s largest sculpture using nothing but a bunch of skilled artists and 3Doodler 3D pen technology.
The sculpture, which is a Nissan Qashqai Black Edition, took 800 man-hours and over 13.8km of plastic strands to build.
Artist Grace Du Prez, who worked on the sculpture, said on its unveiling:
“I’ve been drawing with 3Doodler’s pens for a few years now, but this is by far and away my most ambitious commission to date. It demonstrates how far 3D printing technology has come and how it can be used by anyone.”
Each part of the car was completely hand-drawn from detailed images and schematics, meaning that it really is true to life.
Want to see the Qashqai Black Edition being built? Then watch this short video now.
Hail a taxi in Singapore and it might just end up being a self-driving one
Planning to make to trip to Singapore anytime soon? Then there’s a good chance the next time you hail a cab you might be slipping into a driverless taxi. Starting today, nuTonomy will offer rides to Singapore residents in specially equipped Mitsubishi i-MiEV or Renault Zoe electric vehicles.
Much like previous tests conducted by Uber and the like, nuTonomy won’t be sending out its taxis without supervision, at least not yet anyway. Each operating taxi will have a qualified engineer in the driver’s seat to monitor its performance, who will step in to assume control should its progress go a little awry.
The testing phase will operate with a 2.5 square mile zone and will be free to residents and users for a limited time as the firm tests how well its self-autonomous vehicles and AI perform in a real-world scenario.
With 5.5 million residents in the region, the new scheme is aiming to help reduce congestion in a city that’s already choked up with motorists. nuTonomy isn’t the only firm working on self-driving cars in Singapore – Delphi also has its own scheme planned for the city, but it appears nuTonomy is moving at the faster pace with a planned full rollout for 2018.
Only a few dozen residents have signed up to the scheme so far, but the firm is confident it will be pulling in plenty more as word of mouth of its performance starts to spread.
Via: Associated Press
Nissan reveals its incredible vision of the Fuel Station of the Future
Banish those thoughts of fuel stations being filled with ugly pumps, smelling of fuel and cheap pasties – according to Nissan it can be our cars themselves that are the future of fuel.
Nissan’s vision of Intelligent Mobility aims to shift the balance to renewable energy through a combination of zero emission and intelligent Piloted Drive technologies. The video Nissan has released offers us a glimpse of this potential future. It shows cars can wirelessly charge themselves and once charged, your car can let you know it’s ready to go by contacting you through smart wearable tech. Your car will have the capability to re-park itself autonomously once charged, allowing other drivers to use the parking space to charge their cars, all while you sleep.
But what converts Nissan cars into fuel stations themselves? One of the coolest innovations highlighted in the video is that zero-emission vehicles can not only store power in their battery to power your home, but can also give power back to the grid, so no renewable energy goes to waste.
Nissan’s crystal ball also revealed a possible future, where thanks to zero emissions, you’d be able to drive your car right into your workplace, where an automated parking system would whisk your car away to be recharged or to help to power your office. The idea of a car that is so clean that you can safely run it indoors is an exciting prospect, not only for the office but our towns and cities, too.
Nissan paints the picture of a connected city where renewable energy is so common it could be freely shared with everyone. Where old-fashioned car parks and fuel stations could be replaced with parks and forests, helping secure the future of our planet for our children, while unlocking the true potential of our cities. This is truly a vision that we all want to be a part of.
Joining all the dots might be a way off, but Nissan is dreaming big – and we’re starting to see technology now that can help us achieve this, with our cars, homes and cities being the true fuel stations of the future.