Tag: driving

Irony Police: State Farm releases texting app to curb distracted driving [w/video]

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Videos

State Farm On The Move Android App

State Farm On The Move Android App – Click above to view the video after the jump

Android geeks have been using a combination of GPS and the Tasker app to let contacts know when they can’t (or won’t) accept text messages or calls (driving, in a movie, etc.). It’s some slick software, but the barrier of entry is a little high for the average smartphone user. So to make things more accessible – and reduce a few claims in the process – auto insurer State Farm has released its own Android application that automatically responds to text messages while on the move.

The combination app/widget provides canned responses or allows users to write a custom message that’s sent anytime they enable the app. Just activate the app and when a text comes in, the program automatically responds so you can keep yours eyes on the road and your hands off the phone.

The app is a free download from Android Market, but for the time being, it’s only available on Google-powered smartphones, with the possibility of iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Mobile versions on the horizon. Hit the jump for the full details and a video of the app in action.

[Source: State Farm]

Continue reading Irony Police: State Farm releases texting app to curb distracted driving [w/video]

Irony Police: State Farm releases texting app to curb distracted driving [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’re Doing it Wrong: UK survey shows favorite summer driving song is… Sweet Home Alabama?!

Filed under: Etc., UK

Lynyrd Skynyrd concert

UK firm HPI has some of the most intriguing customers in the business. The firm, akin to CarFax, provides a vetted history of a used car so buyers know what they’re really getting. It has just concluded a survey of its customers to find out what they like most for road trip jams, and out of all the classic rock tracks being laid down in 1974, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s distinctly non-British Sweet Home Alabama took the top spot.

Right behind Skynyrd came hometown favorite Katrina and the Waves with Walking on Sunshine, one of only three English acts on a list that zooms through genres and has only one song from the last twenty years: The Killers’ Mr. Brightsides. Follow the jump for the rest of the songs, and if you take a trip with an HPI user, get ready for anything…

[Source: HPI | Image: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty]

Continue reading You’re Doing it Wrong: UK survey shows favorite summer driving song is… Sweet Home Alabama?!

You’re Doing it Wrong: UK survey shows favorite summer driving song is… Sweet Home Alabama?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: 2011 Tata Nano CX – Driving the world’s cheapest car

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, India, Quick Spin

2011 Tata Nano CX – Click above for high-res image gallery

People love the idea of super-cheap transportation. Two generations ago, Volkswagen captured the world’s attention with the Beetle (known originally as “The People’s Car”), but when people finally drove the rear-engined VW, they realized it was more than just a cheap car – it was remarkably fun to drive.

India’s Tata Motors picked up on the people’s car idea several years ago. Motorbikes and pedal bikes are the go-to transportation options for millions in India, which presented an opportunity. But with the average price of a new car in the U.S. hovering around $30,000, an inconceivable sum in the developing world, Tata would have to do something very different. The tiny Nano was the result. It’s currently on sale in India starting at around $2,500. That sound you hear is over a billion people cheering because they can now envision themselves owning transportation with a roof that they don’t have to pedal.

The pint-sized sedan wowed crowds at its New Delhi introduction in 2008 and Tata began exporting the Nano throughout the developing world. Speculation swirled that the company would eventually target the U.S. after the car was put on display at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, but do we really want it here?

Gallery: 2011 Tata Nano CX: Quick Spin

Text and photos by Rex Roy / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

Continue reading Quick Spin: 2011 Tata Nano CX – Driving the world’s cheapest car

Quick Spin: 2011 Tata Nano CX – Driving the world’s cheapest car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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