Technology

Today I'm carrying the keys to a Holden Commodore Omega in my front trouser pocket, and if I'm not careful about how I position them when I sit down, I'm afraid I might puncture my femoral artery and bleed to death on the office floor. Walking through the office, I need to be careful that I don't mislead colleagues as to my current state of arousal. I'm not that pleased to see them; it's just that I have yet another massive chunky car key in my pocket.The modern car key (like, it seems everything else) is a vastly more complicated bit of kit than the car key of old. Those original simple slugs of steel have been superseded, and now your new car key is capable of identifying you as the driver from thirty paces, unlocking your choice of passenger and driver doors, turning on the lights, popping the boot, triggering the emergency alarm, and in convertibles, opening or closing the roof.To protect us from car thieves, when unlocking your car, the modern car key first engages in a complex exchange of encrypted data with the security system. I don't pretend to understand how complex the circuitry is but I recall when my own European hot hatch was broken into, the dealer had to send for a new ignition system and key set from France because they just didn't have the equipment necessary to repair them in Australia.All that techno-wizardry on a keyfob makes for a bulky package. Some manufacturers thankfully make a key that folds in and out at the touch of a button, so that while you're left with a nugget of plastic about the size of a compact mobile phone, at least it won't punch a hole in your leg or the expensive lining of your handbag.However, those manufacturers who design down to a price, or those who sometimes neglect the little details, are increasingly likely to hand you something the size and mass of a screwdriver when you drive off the lot. I need a 'man bag' to keep my car key in now, or better still, a shoulder strap so I can carry it across my back like an M-16.Carrying that monster bit of tech in the time-honoured front pocket of the weekday suit trousers is just asking for a gasp of pain. Dropping them in a handbag full of delicate secret women's business is going to end in tears. And if you read on page 5 one Sunday that the coroner is investigating my mystery death next to my car, you'll know it was probably because I tried to pull my keys out of my jeans in a hurry and instead dealt myself a fatal injury.The police will recognise the familiar details at the scene: the car will be unlocked, the lights on, the doors open, the roof open, the trip computer readying a freshly-made cup of English Breakfast to sit steaming gently in the cup holder, but I will have passed on to a better, simpler place......with smaller keys.

I've quoted many people in almost 30 years as a journalist, but I've never quoted a machine before. But there's a first time for everything and such was the case with Honda's awe-inspiring ASIMO robot, which is doing the rounds of Australia at the moment.ASIMO walks and talks, can recognise faces and respond to simple pre-programed commands. It is even able to run at speeds of up to 6 km/h and can kick a soccer ball.“On top of that I'm a dancing machine,” ASIMO told rapt school children at Sydney's Darling Harbour demonstrating some funky moves.Wow!This was no movie but the real thing.No trick photography, no one operating a remote control and no little man inside the suit.But what I hear you ask has a robot got to do with cars?Well, much of the technology that has gone into the creation of ASIMO, billed as the world's most advanced humanoid robot, could be coming to a Honda motor vehicle near you soon.The inspiration for the robot was the Japanese anime Astro Boy.Just like Astro Boy's creator Dr Elefun, designers wanted to build a robot with 'a little soul.'In creating ASIMO, whose name stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, Honda engineers have been able to apply what they have learned about human movement to the construction of crash dummies.The same stabilty control system used in cars allows the robot to run with both feet leaving the ground between steps.The radar ASIMO uses to move around is being adapted for use in Honda cars as 'Night Vision' and for detecting and avoiding pedestrians.The 54kg, 1.3 metre tall, white moon-suited robot, is powered by a 52 volt lithium ion battery and can operate for up to 60 minutes on a single charge.Eye cameras allow the robot to recognise surroundings, register stationary objects and avoid moving obstacles as it moves around.Sensors in its wrists allow the robot to push carts and give and receive objects, such as a tray of drinks.After falling down stairs last year however this particular feat has been excluded from the demonstration.ASIMO is the culmination of 21 years of research and development, with engineering teams in Japan, Thailand, Europe and the US dedicated to the robot's ongoing development.Seeing ASIMO on screen is one thing but seeing the robot 'live' is a reality challenging experience.The white-suited robot looks a miniature version of the astronauts that landed on the Moon.Its strangely stilted movements though impressive are somewhat comical at the same time and in fact oddly reminiscent of singer Michael Jackson's 'moon-walking' dance moves.On a more serious note Honda says in future, ASIMO might also perform tasks that are dangerous to humans, such as fighting fires or cleaning up toxic spills.Our ASIMO is one of three travelling the world and will be in Sydney until 2 December,  2007 before the tour moves to Brisbane and then Melbourne.For more information on ASIMO tour dates, times.   

Complete with similar edgy styling, an abrupt tail and two seats, the CR-X's successor; called the CR-Z; is poised to become a part of Honda Australia's line-up.

The outside temperature hits 35C and you're squashed inside a tiny capsule 10 degrees or more hotter than that.With your knees almost around your ears, you concentrate on the unchanging road in front of you, alone and with nothing for company but a steering wheel, some pedals, a tube supplying much-needed water and radio contact with teammates following behind in the support van.As I hit the Darwin heat last weekend, there was no imagining necessary, as I was there to see and take part in the World Solar Challenge.And while I'd like to lay claim to having experienced this hard work first hand, I was in fact watching from the comfort of an airconditioned Smart Fortwo equipped with cruise control.While 38 teams from 19 countries around the world sweated it out in the biennial event, driving from Darwin to Adelaide in a solar car in seven days, my role was in the Greenfleet Class of the challenge.This part of the event involves cars showing off “practical technologies for tomorrow”. There were entrants from car manufacturers such as Smart, Saab, Audi, Peugeot and Hyundai, as well as different companies from around the world. Bio-ethanol, hybrid and small engines like the Fortwo were among the competitors for the 3000km event.Having driven the new Fortwo, not yet on sale in Australia, in the chaotic Spanish traffic for the international launch earlier this year, it was time to put the old one to the test in some different circumstances.And as I flew the flag for team Smart last Sunday in what's often considered an unusual-looking car, the Fortwo's unique nature was overshadowed by the solar creations from schools, universities and corporations from around the world.However, the squashed-looking car still drew some giggles from the locals as we headed off for the first leg, the 300km drive to Katherine. One of our competitors even commented that we'd managed to “leave half our car behind”. And it was a celebrity send-off as we pulled out our Queen-style wave as children and adults alike lined the roads, some with good luck signs, others even setting up their picnic chairs out of town to ensure a glimpse of some of the wacky creations.Caught up in the excitement of it all, the toy car-like horn of the Smart was given a good work out, bringing a smile to many faces. The peculiar solar vehicles slowed us down a bit as we headed for the Stuart Highway, the reliance on the sun's rays not quite as fast as the power available from the 700CC turbocharged engine underneath the Smart bonnet.While speed limits now reach 130km/h in the Northern Territory, I managed to maintain a constant speed of just over 100km/h, keeping the challenge of fuel efficiency in the forefront of my mind. This meant employing other techniques such as minimising hard braking and not letting the revs rise too much.You couldn't help but feel a little guilty as you passed the futuristic cars, watching the drivers do their shifts of up to five hours at a time in what is ultimately a sauna on wheels.But NSW's sole entry, a team of 12 students from the University of NSW, assured me it really wasn't that bad.Team leader Yael Augarten, who is doing her PhD in solar-cell research, says she'd prefer to drive a solar car than a sports car any day.“I love it. It's actually quite relaxing. We haven't been going that fast, sitting about 60-70km/h,” she says.“It's like driving a sports car with the airconditioning off, but there is a vent that lets in a nice breeze.”However, with temperatures inside the shell reaching as high as 50C during the week, I think it will take a little more convincing before any sportscar owners opt for a trade-in.And from where I was sitting, the Fortwo seemed to be the more comfortable and better option.Smart competed in this event two years ago, and while this section isn't supposed to be competitive, it did walk away with the best fuel consumption — about 3.2 litres per 100km.Smart spokesman Zac Loo says the event shows the Fortwo isn't just a city car, and can be driven across the country as easily as any other vehicle.And during our trek, the Fortwo showed it could hold its own on the long highways. What seemed like a daunting task of passing those high-speed road trains, was actually a lot easier than expected.Images of the Smart being lifted off the road by the sheer force of four-trailer road-trains using the outback highways was quickly dispelled.Despite being less than an eighth the size of the beasts, the Fortwo stayed comfortably on the road. However, when they passed, the strong rush of wind in their wake did leave the car wobbling slightly.We arrived at Katherine with half a tank of fuel left, averaging around 4.5 litres per 100km, not bad considering we had the airconditioning working overtime. The combined claimed consumption for the Fortwo sits at 4.8litres per 100km.

Audi recently announced it would have iPhone capability when the Apple mobile phone is released here early next year.BMW and Mini have joined the ranks of those offering full compatibility for products available here.BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski says details of which BMW and Mini models will have full compatibility will be announced closer to the Australian launch of the iPhone.The rush to be first to integrate the iPhone is in direct contradiction to the slow adoption of iPod technology.While few manufacturers offer full integration of iPods, some have input sockets for the headphone jacks which limits control options and most don't offer any hook-up for an iPod.However, Chrysler Sebring offers an alternative solution with a hard drive in the car for downloading music files, without the need of an iPod.When the iPhone was launched in the US in June, BMW Group claimed to be the first car manufacturer in the world to offer full integration in most models. It will be available first in the 6, 5, 3 and 1 Series and the X5.All Mini models will be equipped for the Apple iPhone in time for its European premiere later this year.In the BMW hook-up, music files and signals for operating the iPod are transferred to the vehicle's audio system by a cable adaptor available for the USB audio interface in BMW and Mini models. The iPhone can also be charged using the same connection.The requirement for comprehensive integration of the telephone functions is the mobile phone preparation feature with Bluetooth interface from the relevant BMW or Mini models.Audi Australia corporate communications general manager Anna Burgdorf says the iPod feature will also be fully integrated via its Bluetooth telephone preparation.Costs for Bluetooth preparation vary by model. It is a standard feature in some, she says, while in the A6 it is $1390 as an option.Alongside standard hands-free functions (accept/reject call/hands-free), the Audi mobile phone preparation supports the display of the signal strength and the provider's name, in addition to the transfer of the telephone directory, including the icons Work, Home, Mobile and call lists.In addition to telephone calls, the Audi Music Interface (currently an optional extra for the A5, A6, A8 and Q7) allows the iPhone's music playback function to be used via the car sound system.Until now, telephone and iPod functions have been separated in vehicles because they were operated via different end-consumer products. For the smart phone innovation, the BMW Group has developed a joint platform for both functions.With the adapted software, a music program the driver is listening to through the vehicle speakers is automatically stopped for the duration of the call, starting again at the same place as soon as the call is over.While the music is paused, the speakers and microphone of the hands-free facility are activated.In conjunction with the operating system BMW iDrive, the telephone function's address book and hands-free can be operated using the controller in the centre console, as well as music selection and play.In the Mini, activated smart phone functions are shown either in the display of the navigation system or, if the latter is not available, in the radio unit. If a Mini navigation system is installed, the Mini Joystick operating system can be used to control the telephone and audio functions of the Apple iPhone.A snap-in iPhone adaptor for BMW and Mini models will follow next year and will incorporate a wireless connection to the external vehicle antenna to lift reception. BMW plans to integrate other “smart” phones in the same way as the iPhone.Mercedes-Benz fully integrated the iPod and spokesman David McCarthy says the company should have something when the phone is released.Toyota, Holden and Ford have no plans yet to introduce iPhone compatibility but several of their models have Bluetooth compatibility. 

Petrol-electric hybrid vehicles, the status symbol for the environmentally conscientious, are under attack from a group that does not drive: the blind.Because hybrids make virtually no noise at lower speeds when they run on electric power, blind people say they pose a hazard to those who rely on their ears to determine whether it is safe to cross the street.“I'm used to being able to get sound cues from my environment and negotiate accordingly. I hadn't imagined there was anything I really wouldn't be able to hear,” US National Federation of the Blind's committee on automotive and pedestrian safety chair Deborah Kent Stein said. “We did a test and I discovered, to my great dismay, that I couldn't hear it.”The tests, admittedly unscientific, involved people standing in parking lots or on sidewalks and being asked to signal when they heard several different hybrid models drive by.“People were making comments like, `When are they going to start the test?' And it would turn out that the vehicle had already done two or three laps around the parking lot,” Stein said.Officials with the National Federation of the Blind are quick to point out they are not advocating a return to non-hybrid vehicles. They just want the fuel-efficient hybrids to make some noise.Federation president Marc Maurer said he received an email from an environmentalist who suggested that the members of his group should be the first to drown when sea levels rise from global warming.“I don't want to pick that way of going but I don't want to get run over by a quiet car either,” Maurer said.The federation, the leading advocacy group for 1.3 million legally blind people in the US, made pleas to motor manufacturers and federal and state agencies, with little concrete success so far.Manufacturers are aware of the problem but have made no promises. Toyota is studying the issue, Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said.The Association of International Auto Manufacturers and the Society of Automotive Engineers are considering “the possibility of setting a minimum noise level standard for hybrid vehicles.”Officials with two separate arms of the US Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration; said they are aware of the problem but have not studied it.Both sides agree it would not be too expensive to outfit cars with a noisemaking device. “It's cheaper than an airbag or other safety devices,” Kwong said.The blind, however, will have to win over some hybrid owners, as well as advocates for reduced noise pollution.“To further expose millions of people to excessive noise pollution by making vehicles artificially loud is neither logical nor practical nor in the public interest,” said Richard Tur, founder of NoiseOFF, a group raising awareness of noise pollution. 

Turn on the ignition, key in your destination and within seconds you hear the voice: “Prepare to turn left in 800 metres . . .”Welcome to the stress-free life of satellite navigation, better known as satnav.Most new prestige cars have it, but we cash-strapped owners of old cars can get in on the act with mobile versions that look like oversized mobile phones, but are much smarter.Information taken from American military satellites enables satnav to provide visual map references, voice commands to pinpoint your location and guide you to your intended destination.These compact units not only get you from point A to point B, but they can be programmed to find you the fastest, most economical or shortest route.Many display the locations of petrol stations, parking areas and points of interest such as historic sites.The portable satnav experience has obviously hit the mark. Sales are expected to double each year for the next four years.The big audio-video brands and phone makers are taking on the established satnav brands for a slice of the lucrative market.Phone specialist Nokia has entered the fray with its first model, the 330 Auto-Navigation, which costs $649.Sony has released its NVX-P1 portable satnav in Europe, though there's no indication when it might come to Australia.Pioneer unveiled its ultra-slim $699 AVIC S2 in Australia in June, and LG launched the $599 LN500 and the $699 LN800 the same month. This cluster of satnavs is poised to do battle with those from satnav specialists Tom-Tom, Navman and Mio.Consumers can expect keen prices; about $499 for a well-built and feature-endowed C220 model from pedigree satnav brand Mio, and $699 for Mio's upmarket C520. Both arrived in Australia in June.So many models mean lower prices and greater choice for consumers, but such a wide choice could confuse first-time buyers.Cutting to the chase, what sets one model above another are the must-have features.The unit has to be easy to use, quick to recalculate a new route if you make a wrong turn, and ideally read out street names in real time. It must also have Bluetooth for hands-free mobile-phone calls.And given that many satnavs double as MP3 players, good sound quality is mandatory, as is the ability to load maps for overseas destinations.The easiest-to-use portable satnavs are so instinctive you can set your destination without having to read the manual.Typically, most portable satnavs have a basic, pared-down set of user instructions. A full and detailed manual, along with software updates, usually are available only on the maker's website.As a fan of satnav, here's another tip; make sure the windscreen cradle supplied with your model has an optional suction cup so you can mount it on your car's dashboard. NokiaModel: 330Price: $649Nokia: (02) 9429 9000www.nokia.com.auUltra-slim, superbly finished and with a pedigree screen quality, Nokia's 330 Personal Navigation Device is a solid performer let down by the lack of Bluetooth connectivity and a speech-over-text feature.Nokia's first portable satnav model is the 330, a “personal navigation device," probably so named because Nokia sees the 330 as having a dual role as a personal portable with MP3, photo and video playback features, and as an in-car unit.Given Nokia's proven track record with mobile phones, it's no surprise to find the quality of the 330's 3.5-inch screen is high. Key in a destination and the data is displayed with plenty of detail and decent levels of contrast, even in broad daylight.The 330 takes eight to 21 seconds to crunch through data and calculate routes, which isn't slow, but it's not as fast as some competing models.On a scale of one to 10, the 330 rates about six for ease of use. The easiest models (Tom-Tom, Mio and Navman) top the scale with ratings of seven to nine.But the biggest let down is the lack of Bluetooth connectivity. Coming from a leading mobile-phone brand the calibre of Nokia, this is inexplicable. The other omission is a text-to-speech mode that reads out street names and provides commands to get you to your destination. PioneerModel: AVIC-S2Price: $699Pioneer: 1800 988 268www.pioneer.com.auPioneer's long-awaited satnav range opened recently with the amazing AVIC-HD3 in-car navigation system.Days later an impressive $699 hand-held model called the AVIC-S2 arrived, and is so good it's bound to make many of its rivals envious.No, the AVIC doesn't have speech-over-text. But measured in terms of price and overall fit and finish, it's an impressive model built to last.Moreover, it has Bluetooth connectivity and, given Pioneer's tradition as a premium-class audio-video brand, the S2 works a treat as an MP3 player.Enter an address on its high-quality, low-reflectivity 3.5-inch LCD touch screen and the S2 responds quickly with clear, distinctive voice commands.Make the wrong turn and the Pioneer is very quick to calibrate a new route.Pairing a mobile phone to the S2 is a piece of cake and, once the two shake hands, the S2 displays a big keypad that you can use to make calls and scroll through your stored numbers.Its use as a high-quality MP3 player requires you to insert your own SD card, which is no big deal.And if the kids like that option they can plug their headphones into the S2's 3.5mm audio input connection. LG Model: LN800Price: $699LG: 1800 725 375www.lge.com.auThe LN800 is one of two new portable satnavs from the big South Korean brand. The other is the nicely priced $599 LN500.Both have text-to-speech features, but the more expensive LN800 has a 4-inch screen and the LN500 a 3.5-inch screen.The more expensive model also has a longer battery life, said to be about six hours compared with the four of the cheaper unit.Sadly, neither has Bluetooth technology.The LN800 is quick to load and recalculate routes, but does have a few foibles, though not serious ones.One is the curious way it calls a roundabout a traffic circle; the other is calling some roads by their codes, such as M1 or M3.On the upside, LG has fitted a decent-quality screen to the LN800 and a light-sensing diode that reacts to the amount of available light and adjusts brightness and contrast levels to suit.Inputting destinations on the LN800 is a cinch, given the large icons and easy-to-read text that shows clearly on the screen.The LN800 uses a 512MB/SD card to load SENSIS mapping data and processes this information using a 276MHz processor, which is not the fastest around. 

MY 2005 Toyota Kluger Grande has a button that switches to snow mode, but I don't actually know what it does. I have read reviews of the Kluger and nobody has highlighted the function. I tried the Toyota website, and they put me on to their dealers who told me to check the manual. But nothing seems to tell me how this feature works.

It has taken a long time but elements of the Jetson's futuristic lifestyle are finally becoming real.George's treadmill, which must have appeared ridiculous in 1962, is now an everyday reality.Rosie the robot maid is not quite here yet, but the Japanese seem to be closing in.And US company Moller International has put a flying saucer into production that looks remarkably like George's perspex topped transportation.The personal flying pod, called the M200G Volantor, can glide three metres off the ground and carry two passengers.The M200G is the size of a small car and takes off and lands vertically.Company founder Dr Paul Moller said the craft was “the ultimate off-road vehicle” because it can travel over any surface.“It's not a hovercraft, although its operation is just as easy. You can speed over rocks, swampland, fences, or log-infested waterways with ease because you're not limited by the surface.”The flying saucer is governed by computers to fly at a maximum altitude of three metres so that it doesn't require registration as an aircraft.That enables it to sit on a cushion of air and travel at 80kph in any direction.Other versions are being developed to dock with skyscrapers for rescues and for military use.The crafts are powered by eight rotary engines, each driving an enclosed fan to produce lift.It can still hover if one engine fails while a second failure “will lead to a survivable hard landing.”Moller, which has been researching a variety of flying cars since the 1960s, is expecting the M200G to be available to buy from next year.With only two simple hand operated controls, the craft will present a licensing and registration quandary for authorities because it doesn't actually travel on roads but is not an aircraft.Initially, the flying saucer will cost around $146,000 but the price might fall further with mass production.Moller doesn't reveal if parts come from Cogswell Cogs or Spacely Space Sprockets.Do you think there is a future for the Jetsons car?

Professor Thomas Breitling is not a fan of some of the latest in-car communication systems available, such as email, internet or even rear-seat DVD players.“I'm a fan of not having too much in-car communication distracting drivers,” he says. Breitling says too many communication and navigation systems have the potential to distract drivers, even though his own company, DaimlerChrysler, is at the forefront of offering such systems in its Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler vehicles.He says discretion and moderation are the keys to their use.DaimlerChrysler also measures the effect of what Breitling calls the “human-machine interface” of the newest communication systems. He says Europe and the US are conscious of the impact of these new technologies and are evaluating their relationship with the driver.Breitling, who was in Australia this month for a road safety conference in Canberra, also says more could be done to vary speed limits in Australia relative to the road conditions.“In Germany, we have many sections of roads that have adjustable speed limits,” he says.“They change with the weather or with the traffic flow. Drivers accept the variable limits because they are usually relevant to the conditions. If it is misty you go 80km/h, if it is summer and you have light traffic in the evening you go as fast as you want.”Variable speed limits are applied to few NSW roads, mainly on motorways.Germany, which has unrestricted speed limits on most of its freeways, balances this with variable speed limits in keeping with the road conditions. Despite unrestricted speeds, Breitling says the high-speed autobahn network has some of the safest roads and lowest accident rates in Germany.The unrestricted autobahns are generally wide, open roads with few cross-roads or sharp corners.“Accidents happen in complex situations, in towns, winding roads in the landscape, where we have crossings etc. There we see road deaths,” he says. “We don't see them much on the autobahns.”He also says the electronic stability program is the most significant safety feature for new cars.Breitling says research shows that where ESP is fitted there is a 40 per cent reduction in passenger-car accidents and up to a 70 per cent reduction in crossover wagon and four-wheel-drive crashes.“If you look at accident-reduction numbers there is a clear safety impact, especially in loss-of-control accidents,” he says. “Loss-of-control accidents are when you lose control and the car starts to spin.“Usually you hit an object, mainly from the side, and these are dangerous, often fatal accidents.I don't have the statistics for seat belts or airbags, so I cannot compare, but my personal impression is that driving without ESP is like driving unbelted.”Australia and the US lag behind the rest of the western world in ESP take-up. We have a take-up rate of only about 30 per cent of all new cars sold.And he says radar-based assistance systems are the next big thing. “We have brought to the market a radar-based assistance system and we combine it already with the ESP and brake-assist systems,” he says. “We call it brake assist plus.” But how long before it is available in a $15,000 car?Anti-skid brakes, first introduced in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in 1978, took about 10 years to filter down to all Mercedes-Benz cars, but Breitling reckons the widespread availability of radar-based braking systems will happen much faster.