Geohot’s new automated-driving device can only be redeemed by coughing up data

AUSTIN, Texas-At the first day of the SXSW Interactive festival, George “Geohot” Hotz announced an updated business plan for his company Comma.ai, all while revealing a new piece of hardware that will be given away, as opposed to sold: the Panda. The small circuit-board device comes with an ODB2 connector on one end, which Hotz described as compatible with any car made after 1996 , and a USB port on the other.

Toyota’s New Autonomous Car Actually Looks Just Fine

The Toyota Research Institute unveiled its first self-driving car last week, and it has a full slate of autonomous capabilities. While it’s only the initial offering from TRI, one thing stands out: It doesn’t look too bad! Toyota said that the car’s autonomous rig has a robust system of LiDAR, radar and camera sensors, which the automaker explains will “reduce the need to depend too heavily on high-definition maps.”

Here, Pioneer to expand high-def mapping

Here, the digital mapping company owned by major German automakers, is turning to a partnership with a Japanese sensor maker to expand high-definition mapping services aimed at self-driving cars, a Here executive said. Here says it will cooperate in global mapping and location-based data services with Japan’s Pioneer Corp. and digital map company Increment P Corp., a fully-owned subsidiary of Pioneer.

Should the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder take several seats?

Want to get notified as soon as we write about the topics you’re interested in? Click here to sign in and then look for the Thanks for subscribing to Autoblog Alerts! As content is published, we’ll send it right to you. If you ever need to make changes, you can manage your alerts by clicking MANAGE below.

What happens if Mexican car plants close?

Over the course of my career, I have witnessed firsthand both the good and the horrible results of what is known as “free” trade. But in this brave new world we now find ourselves in — with automotive CEOs summoned to the White House for photo ops — those demanding a “return of manufacturing” to the U.S. may not get exactly what they expect.

How 3-D Printing Could Save Automakers Millions of Dollars – Technologue

Kevin Czinger is a car guy-a former U.S. Marine, attorney, and merchant banker whose need for speed inspired the building of an early Mitsubishi Evo with all the go-fast bits. And although he loves raw performance, he knows the future of our crowding planet demands greener approaches to all kinds of transportation, so he helmed the star-crossed Coda electric car venture.

#CES: Is THIS The First Cool Van You’ve EVER Seen? Mercedes-Benz Drops The Vision Van In Vegas

CES 2017 in Las Vegas: New strategy, new culture: Mercedes-Benz Vans at CES in Las Vegas for the first time Presence at CES underpins adVANce strategy and the transformation into a supplier of holistic system solutions for the transport sector Mercedes-Benz Vans exhibits for the first time at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. The presence at the Consumer Electronics Show underpins Mercedes-Benz Vans’ transformation into a supplier of holistic system solutions for the transport sector a process initiated by the van manufacturer’s strategic future initiative adVANce.

#CES: Is THIS The First Cool Van You’ve EVER Seen? Mercedes-Benz Drops The Vision Van In Vegas

CES 2017 in Las Vegas: New strategy, new culture: Mercedes-Benz Vans at CES in Las Vegas for the first time Presence at CES underpins adVANce strategy and the transformation into a supplier of holistic system solutions for the transport sector Mercedes-Benz Vans exhibits for the first time at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. The presence at the Consumer Electronics Show underpins Mercedes-Benz Vans’ transformation into a supplier of holistic system solutions for the transport sector a process initiated by the van manufacturer’s strategic future initiative adVANce.