Tag: psa

Report: PSA may withold hybrid vehicles in China over intellectual property concerns

Filed under: Hybrid, China, Government/Legal, Technology, Peugeot, Citroën, Diesel

Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Cracking the burgeoning Chinese automobile market is a challenge that nearly every automaker in the world is currently grappling with. Among the myriad reasons why the Chinese nut is a tough one to crack is that the government has set strict regulations and laws that must be met before it will approve of any automaker doing business within its borders.

For instance, no foreign automaker is allowed access into the country without first partnering up with a local manufacturer from China. Naturally, that means sharing a great deal of resources and technology – and that presents a big problem with you’re dealing with cutting-edge products that you’ve spent a ton of time and money developing.

PSA Peugeot Citroën is the latest automaker to express concerns with the notion that its intellectual property must be handed over to its Chinese partners, Dongfeng Motor Group and Changan Automotive. Problem is, to sell in China, Hybrid4 technology must also be in the hands of Dongfeng and Changan, which is something PSA isn’t keen on. “The Chinese government will have to reconsider its position,” according to PSA Chief Financial Officer Frederic Saint Geours. Sounds unlikely, but we’ll see.

Gallery: Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4

[Source: Automotive News China – sub. req’d.]

Report: PSA may withold hybrid vehicles in China over intellectual property concerns originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Renting a car may result in unexpected speeding ticket charges

Filed under: Government/Legal

The people at MSN Money have unearthed a little known stipulation in rental car contracts that allows the manufacturer of speed and red light cameras to directly charge your credit card if you’re caught breaking the law. How? Big name rental agencies like Hertz, Avis, Advantage and Budget have an agreement with a company called ATS Processing Services to share renters’ credit card and personal information. ATS operates a fair portion of the traffic enforcement cameras in the U.S., and when a rental car gets popped running a red light, the company immediately checks to see who was renting it at the time and charges his or her credit card. Oh, and they ding you for a $30 administrative fee.

This presents a few problems. Namely, it does away with that whole “due process of the law” thing on which our entire justice system is based. In their defense, the rental companies say that having ATS directly bill renters is an easier system than what used to happen. Once upon a time, when a rental car snagged a fine from a traffic enforcement camera, the rental car company was expected to pay it and then track down and charge whoever had incurred the infraction. Neither process is exactly reassuring for those who rent cars on a regular basis, but it seems to be the norm. Next time you find yourself at the rental counter, be sure to read the entire contract.

[Source: MSN Money | Image: Tim Boyle/Getty]

PSA: Renting a car may result in unexpected speeding ticket charges originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video PSA: The Aussie female guide voice on your Garmin is as attractive as you’ve always hoped

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, Australia, Celebrities, Humor

Karen Jacobsen, GPS voiceover artist – Click above to watch video after the jump

There may come a day when personal GPS devices go the way of the dodo. As direction services on our handheld devices become ever savvier, more and more consumers are ditching their old dashboard-mounted screens in favor of the ones they already keep in their pocket. Fortunately, even if our Garmin or TomTom devices become relics, odds are we’ll still be able to get turn-by-turn directions on our smartphones. That’s a good thing, too, because otherwise a whole generation of lost motorists would never be able to find their way while listening to Karen Jacobsen call out directions.

Who is Karen Jacobsen? While she happens to be a Queensland native who now spends her days writing music and playing in a three piece band, she’s also the most popular GPS voice on the planet. Jacobsen spent a total of 50 hours in a recording studio rattling off everything from directional phrases to single words, locations and every letter in the alphabet so that we would have the pleasure of listening to her Aussie accent as we bumble down the highway. Hit the jump to see an interview with the muse of maps as well as a sample of her singing.

[Sources: AOL News, KarenJacobsen.com]

Continue reading Video PSA: The Aussie female guide voice on your Garmin is as attractive as you’ve always hoped

Video PSA: The Aussie female guide voice on your Garmin is as attractive as you’ve always hoped originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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