Technology

Hackers could seize control of cars or steal personal information because of flaws in new technology, according to information manufacturers provided to a US senator.Senator Edward Markey asked carmakers about the technologies and any safeguards against hackers.He also asked about how the information vehicle computers gathered - and often transmitted wirelessly - was protected.Automakers haven't done their part to protect us from cyber-attacksSenator Markey posed his questions after researchers showed how hackers could get into the controls of some popular cars, causing them to accelerate, turn, sound the horn, turn headlights off or on and modify speedometer and fuel-gauge readings.The responses from 16 manufacturers "reveal there is a clear lack of appropriate security measures to protect drivers against hackers," a report by his staff concluded.Today's cars typically contain more than 50 electronic control units - effectively small computers. And nearly all include some wireless entry points to these computers."Drivers have come to rely on these new technologies, but unfortunately the automakers haven't done their part to protect us from cyber-attacks or privacy invasions," Senator Markey said.Manufacturers who replied to questions included BMW, Ford, Holden parent General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda and Toyota.

The wheels have seized on the electric car revolution in Australia.

Which way would you go? It's an impossible choice, but imagine it was out of your hands. That's the nightmare scenario of autonomous driving, when you give control of your car to a collective of on-board computers.It's one of the reasons — beyond the inevitable legal battles following a crash — that self-driving cars are not going to be a viable motoring choice for some time.They might be fine on highways dedicated to road trains of autonomous cars, where the driver and passengers can get on with more important things such as iPads and email, but no-one knows yet how they will drive in the real world.BMW admits it has yet to answer the tough questions on crashesBMW is one of the world leaders on self-driving cars and I rode in an autonomous 7 Series last year that's one of the best in the business, provided you stick to the 10km of German road it knows better than I know my computer keyboard.Introduce a crash scenario and things get woolly. Very woolly.Even BMW admits it has yet to answer the tough questions on crashes."Hit a truck or a pedestrian? That decision cannot be taken by a machine," says Ian Robertson, the global head of marketing at BMW and one of the men who will soon be selling us into self-driving cars, told me at the Detroit auto show. "I'm not sure we, as an industry or a society, are wanting machines to make those decisions."Do I see full autonomous driving in the near future? NoRobertson believes autonomous driving will be a stepped transition, as driver-assistance technologies show a clear benefit — as ESP stability control and blind-spot warnings do today — beyond auto braking for hazards."Do I see full autonomous driving in the near future? No," says Robertson. "The questions that need to be answered are not easy ones."

I read Ray Swann's letter about the stop-start function in his Golf. I have a Mazda 3 which is fitted with i-Stop and I find it quite painless. It is controlled by pressure on the brake pedal. On normal stopping the engine keeps running. But if you think that there could be a longish delay then simply push harder on the brake pedal and the engine stops. Most importantly, the car has sensors to detect if cabin comfort is changing and will override the start-stop to start the aircon up again. On Sydney's congested roads it is a nice feeling sitting at a red signal in silence knowing that your car is emitting nothing. I have travelled about 20,000km and the computer tells me I've saved about 300km-worth of fuel in that time.

The partnership is intended to advance autonomous vehicles with a view to putting a car on urban roads by 2020.Nissan is leveraging the expertise of NASA's Ames Research Centre to accelerate the development of a self-driving vehicle. The brief includes autonomous drive systems, human-machine interface solutions, network-enabled applications, and software analysis and verification.The theory is the principles involved in creating vehicles that can autopilot on out-of-this-earth environments should be applicable to more terrestrial applications.The first tests are expected by the end of this yearNASA likewise gains access to Nissan's expertise in "component technologies for autonomous vehicles, shared research on vehicular transport applications, and access to prototype systems and provision of test beds for robotic software".The Ames Research Centre is renowned for its involvement in NASA's headline explorations, from the development of the systems needed to land the Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity to controlling the robots aboard the International Space Station.Ames director Pete Worden says the collaboration leverages the centre's expertise in remote control of complex vehicles."We look forward to applying knowledge developed during this partnership towards future space and aeronautics endeavours," he notes.Nissan has set 2020 for the introduction of autonomous drive vehiclesAmes researchers will test a fleet of zero-emission autonomous vehicles for proof-of-concept remote operations for transporting goods, payloads and people. The first tests are expected by the end of this year.Nissan's Ghosn says the challenges of automating vehicles in space and on earth have close parallels. "The partnership will accelerate Nissan's development of safe, secure and reliable autonomous drive technology that we will progressively introduce to consumers beginning in 2016 up to 2020," Ghosn says."This partnership brings together the best and brightest of NASA and Nissan and validates our investments in Silicon Valley."Nissan has set 2020 for the introduction of autonomous drive vehicles that can navigate in nearly all situations, including the most complex situation, city driving.The tie-up is the second time Nissan has teamed with NASA to improve vehicle systems.Nissan's "Zero Gravity" seats in the Altima are based on NASA's research into "posture-neutral" seats that minimise distortion to the spine and reduce fatigue on long-distance journeys. Such innovations show that, while space may be the final frontier, developing technology to tame it can be readily applied on terra firma.Other NASA-inspired innovations include memory foam, invisible braces, freeze drying, handheld vacuum cleaners and scratch-resistant sunglass lenses.

I recently read a comment from one of your readers concerning the start/stop function on her new Mazda6. I have just purchased a Ford Transit Van and it has exactly the same function. When I took the van to the dealer for its first service I asked them to delete the function, but I was told it couldn't be done. I find it dangerous in built-up traffic, especially in my line of work and although they say it is a fuel saving feature I reckon they're wrong because what you might save on fuel you would spend on a $500 starter that was become worn-out before its time. Modern technology isn't always right.

Audi showed its commitment with a self-driving A7 Sportback that drove itself nearly 1000km to the show, while Mercedes-Benz unveiled a show car called the F 015 that’s all about future luxury but also ticks the box for autonomous driving. But, should a car be encouraged to drive just because it can?I’ve ridden in a BMW 7 Series that can do a brilliant job of driving itself, but only on a very limited 10km stretch of road at home in Germany. It would be a total misfit and a failure in Australia, where the GPS data, road markings, street signs and much more would not allow it to operate.So, we’re unlikely to see self-driving cars here any time soon, if at all.But they’re important because the systems needed for autonomous driving — from stereo vision to automatic braking — are vital as car makers work to give us a world without car crashes. There will always be accidents and incidents and most of them will be caused by driver errors, so driver aids will play an increasing role in cutting the road toll.

The Chevrolet Bolt is General Motors' first pure electric vehicle since the failed EV1 of the 1990s. Now look who's reviving the electric car.

Music, traffic information, navigation and cloud-based vehicle management will all be happening via the internet, most likely through a SIM card mounted in the car but also through connected mobile phones.Connexion Media chief executive George Parthimos is planning to be an integral part of moving cars online and already the little Aussie company has outfoxed some much bigger rivals by getting accreditation from large car companies such as General Motors to supply applications and hardware.That is not a guarantee of success but given that car model runs can continue for up to seven years, it is a very handy foot in the door.Connexion's miRoamer system is now available as an option in the new Skoda Fabia and in many Volkswagen models, using a MirrorLink that allows a plugged in mobile phone to provide data for built-in systems.However, the big new development for the company is the imminent launch of a plug-in diagnostic device that will be able to keep real-time tabs on a wide variety of vehicle data.That could be particularly useful for hire car fleets, with drivers able to be warned if they are breaching rules such as speed, engine revs or straying on to a dirt road."You can set a range of alarms and notifications and it is a great opportunity to change driver behaviour in real time," explained Mr Parthimos.It could also be a great way to raise some extra revenue if certain boxes have been ticked in a rental agreement.For other fleets, the opportunity to know where trucks or cars are at any time and get relevant information such as vehicle mileage and an approaching service should be well worth the estimated two minutes of productivity improvement a day that is required to pay for the system.Longer term, Mr Parthimos has plenty of apps and hardware to keep Connexion at the forefront of cars with built-in SIM cards but the current products should start some useful cash flow this year. A speculative buy.Many biotechnology companies are great at coming up with alternative uses of their research.Cancer treatment company Circadian is a good example, with a highly promising eye treatment now one of the keys to the company's future.While it has three solid tumour cancer compounds in clinical testing with large pharmaceutical partners, the treatment for age-related wet macular degeneration of the eyes (AMD) could well be a company maker on its own.With an estimated US market alone of greater than $5 billion a year and the incidence of AMD increasing as the population ages, it is a major commercial opportunity and a chance to slow down the major cause of blindness in people aged 55 or older.The two existing drugs for the condition block the action of what is known as VEGF-A while the Circadian treatment blocks VEGF-C and D.Either on its own or in conjunction with the existing drugs, Circadian's OPT-302 drug holds the promise of preventing the blood vessel growth and leakage that lead to wet macular degeneration.Chief executive Dr Megan Baldwin said testing in mice had shown a significant improvement compared to treatment with existing drugs alone.Circadian has assembled an impressive range of US and Australian AMD experts for its clinical board, including some who helped develop the existing AMD treatments.A speculative buy, given the size of the world market for a better eye treatment.

Toyota realises it must have an entrant in the small SUV segment and this is a close representation of what to expect within the next year or two. It will share Prius C underpinnings with a new specifically designed chassis.As to which powertrains will be offered it's all speculation but they will certainly be shared with other Toyota products. The C-HR fits in underneath the current RAV4 and will be priced accordingly. But the car has been a long time coming with competitors already on the menu offering crackerjack small SUVs... and more are on the on the way this year.Competition right now centres on Ford Ecosport, Holden Trax, Nissan Qashqai and the Subaru XV with Renault's striking Captur only weeks away.Toyota Australia spokesman Mike Breen says "We don't have a model that competes in that segment. We're always looking to compete in all segments."  "It would be below RAV. It's heading in the right direction." Toyota has dominated the SUV sector in Australia since the arrival of the original LandCruiser. It opens with RAV and runs through to the heavyweight LandCruiser. The name comes from the C segment for compact cars, H for hybrid and R for crossover.The styling of the C-HR takes cues from the 86 sports car and Dakar racers, so is unlikely to survive untouched for production. But, typically for Toyota, it will tour the global motor show circuit to get input from potential buyers.Breen confirms that the C-HR is another project with the personal support of Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda.