Toyota Archive

  • Is the Next Prius Going To Be A Tesla?

    Is the Next Prius Going To Be A Tesla?

    Posted on May 20, 2010 | No Comments
    Toyota and Tesla announced a new partnership at Tesla's headquarters in Palo Alto today, the auto makers will collaborate on technology, the development of new electric vehicles and Toyota will purchase $50 million of Tesla's common stock. The press conference featured the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk and TMC President, Akio Toyoda. Calling it an "explosion" for California (I think he meant this in the positive sense, not the Terminator sense) Schwarzenegger framed it as a victory for California's environmental agenda and the economy. He predicts it will create 1,000 jobs for the state's embattled economy.

    Full Story

  • Videos: Toyota’s amazing violin-playing robot

    Videos: Toyota’s amazing violin-playing robot

    Posted on May 14, 2010 | No Comments
    Toyota has never been known as an auto maker that's really active in the robotics area (as opposed to Honda, for example), at least when it comes to producing robots with high show value. There are two exceptions though: one is Winglet, the Segway-like robotic vehicle Toyota showed in 2008, and the other is a violin-playing humanoid that made its debut back in 2007.

    Full Story

  • Google Japan releases the new keyboard drumset for one stroke input

    Google Japan releases the new keyboard drumset for one stroke input

    Posted on March 31, 2010 | No Comments
    Ever tried writing in Japanese? No, right? Well it’s really hard. There are like lines and little circles and things. Well, Google Japan just released their new drum-based interface to type in Japanese. No longer will you be confounded by the spelling of Hari Kari and Toyota! Google Translate tells us: Q. And how much is [...]

    Full Story

  • Daily Crunch: DJ Buzz Edition

    Daily Crunch: DJ Buzz Edition

    Posted on March 25, 2010 | No Comments
    Hercules Mk4 DJ controller announced at Musikmesse Project Natal knows you live in a tiny apartment Further tests confirm iPhone touchscreen superiority CatholicTV launches 3D programming. Yes, you read that correctly. Toyota’s bad luck the result of cosmic rays?

    Full Story

  • Toyota’s gas pedal fix not working according to some owners

    Toyota’s gas pedal fix not working according to some owners

    Posted on March 3, 2010 | No Comments
    Ruh roh, some Toyota owners are claiming that the little metal shim installed in their pedals haven't stopped the cars from fits of sudden acceleration. At least seven complaints have been filed in the last two weeks to the NHTSA stating they are still having the problem. This isn't going to end well if it's true.

    Full Story

  • Dear Internet: Please grow up re: Toyota zombie ad

    Dear Internet: Please grow up re: Toyota zombie ad

    Posted on February 17, 2010 | No Comments
    Really, Internet? Now you're being facetious. This is the ad for the new Toyota Corolla. It has zombies in it ("Equipped for a zombie attack or just...life"). It's now "controversial" in light of the 34 deaths caused by all those Toyota glitches.

    Full Story

  • Toyota’s fixing recalled pedals with just a small metal shim

    Toyota’s fixing recalled pedals with just a small metal shim

    Posted on February 4, 2010 | No Comments
    Toyota just starting rolling out accelerator fixes to its dealers. The fix itself doesn't actually seem that hard as Autoblog and Aol Autos found out at LaFontaine Toyota in Dearborn, Michigan. (Fun Fact: Ford's HQ is in Dearborn) The process is just popping out the pedal and figuring out what size shim needs to be insert in the recalled pedal. After that, a system diagnostic is ran and the customer drives away. Hopefully the Prius's brake software issue is just as quick fix.

    Full Story

  • Volvo to bring C30 plug-in concept to the North American International Auto Show

    Volvo to bring C30 plug-in concept to the North American International Auto Show

    Posted on December 17, 2009 | No Comments
    Just as tablets will be all over CES, nearly every auto manufacturer will probably have a plug-in hybrid or fully-electric car at the NAIAS. Of course there are the already-known models from GM, Toyota, Fisker, and Honda. But Volvo announced today that it will also a C30 electric concept to show off.

    Full Story

  • DIY: CD-ROM for your Toyota Camry

    DIY: CD-ROM for your Toyota Camry

    Posted on October 29, 2009 | No Comments
    One CD-ROM drive: $18.99 Some wire and electrical tape: $2.50 Installing a CD-ROM drive to use as a CD player in your car: priceless.

    Full Story

  • Japan’s No. 1 company regarding patents is Panasonic, research company says

    Japan’s No. 1 company regarding patents is Panasonic, research company says

    Posted on October 14, 2009 | No Comments
    Japan is the world's second biggest nation in terms of patent application filing, but which company is leading the race in the country that's home to world class tech firms like Sony, Toshiba and Thanko? Tokyo-based Patent Result thinks it has the answer: According to them [JP], the quality and quantity of Panasonic's patents (filed in the past fiscal year) is unparalleled in this country.

    Full Story

  • Are Chevy Volt buyers idiots? Audi’s American president thinks so.

    Are Chevy Volt buyers idiots? Audi’s American president thinks so.

    Posted on September 3, 2009 | No Comments
    The Chevy Volt is “a car for idiots.” Really? Dem be fightin words, Johan de Nysschen. The Audi of America President talked to MSN autos and had some strong feelings about the upcoming Chevy Volt. He states in part that the Chevy Volt will fail because there isn’t enough idiots to pay a $15k premium for a car that [...]

    Full Story

  • New battery material could boost efficiency of electric cars by a factor of ten

    New battery material could boost efficiency of electric cars by a factor of ten

    Posted on August 17, 2009 | No Comments
    Electric cars have one major problem: Especially in the case of long drives, owners have to make too many stops to charge the battery. Now a group of researchers from Toyota and Tohuku University (in Northern Japan) announced progress on their work to do away with this inconvenience. They were able to make single crystals of lithium cobalt oxide, a chemical compound used in the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (the picture shows a li-ion battery for hybrid vehicles Hitachi unveiled back in April).

    Full Story

  • DIY cup holder laptop tray costs about $30

    DIY cup holder laptop tray costs about $30

    Posted on July 14, 2009 | 1 Comment
    laptopIf you've ever priced laptop mounts for your car, you'll have undoubtedly realized that they're expensive. Luckily, you can build your own for about $30 using some PVC pipe, plywood, and velcro. It certainly doesn't look safe to use while the car's in motion but if you need to use your laptop in your car while parked, this project might fit the bill.

    Full Story

  • New service enables total control of factory workers

    New service enables total control of factory workers

    Posted on July 3, 2009 | No Comments
    In principle, any advance in any field of technology is welcome, but I have my doubts about this new service developed by a Japanese company called DSS. It's basically aimed at establishing a "big brother"-like control system [JP, PDF] within factories.

    Full Story

  • Video: Toyota’s brain wave-controlled wheelchair

    Video: Toyota’s brain wave-controlled wheelchair

    Posted on June 30, 2009 | No Comments
    It's always good to know some big companies don't forget to come up with technological innovations that aren't aimed at a large or wealthy group of consumers. In this case, Toyota has announced the development of a system that makes it possible for drivers to control wheelchairs with their thoughts alone. And it supposedly works excellent.

    Full Story

« Older Entries