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We have often said that the navigation industry moves quickly, with new innovations advancing the state of the art every three to six months. The companies that lag behind can be left in the dust with the passing of a single holiday season. Well, iPhone navigation apps are measured on a whole different scale. As evidenced by Sygic, software developers are working full throttle on their applications and competition is fierce.
We recently completed our full evaluation of the Sygic Mobile Maps U.S., version 7.71.1, putting it through our comprehensive battery of tests. And already Sygic has introduced an update, free to current users, that addresses many of our criticisms, plus it has announced other near-future upgrades that will further advance the app.
Priced at $60, Mobile Apps undercuts its name-brand competitors with few compromises. It looks sharp, gives good verbal directions, and has an intuitive interface. Plus it has several built-in niceties such as lane assistance, multi-destination routing, speed limit icons, coordinate entry, and automatic day/night display modes. While our version lacked spoken street names, the feature also known as text-to-speech has since been added.
It is a large download, with our version using 1.43 gigs of memory—notably more than other apps. However, it does include a whopping 28 languages.
Like other iPhone applications we have tested, Mobile Maps is not well integrated and its accuracy trails that of dedicated navigation devices. That said, Mobile Maps shows promise and with the announced updates, it is a compelling choice for iPhone users seeking PND functionality in their mobile phone.
The final review on the Sygic Mobile Maps and iGo My Way will be posted soon. See our full reviews of AT&T Navigator, Navigon Mobile Navigator, TomTom iPhone application, and X Road G-Map.
For more information on portable automotive GPS navigation systems, see our Ratings, first looks, and buying advice and watch our video guide. Discuss GPS devices in the forums.
—Jeff Bartlett and Frank Spinelli
September 25th, 2009 in
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A combination of the words fee and rebate, a fee-bate is a market incentive based on exempting some buyers from a fee imposed on others as a “sin tax” for buying certain products. In some cases, the fee is actually paid to buyers who make particular buying choices, such as purchasing an energy-efficient product.
That’s essentially the idea behind the Efficient Vehicle Leadership Act, a bill introduced in the Senate today by Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). The bill would levy an additional tax on automakers for cars they produce that get lower than the required average fuel economy required for their class. The bill would eventually replace other existing taxes and incentives such as the Hybrid Tax Credit and the Gas Guzzler Tax.
Rebates and fees would be based on how much better or worse fuel economy a particular model gets compared with the average required for its class.
For example, small conventional cars with good fuel economy such as the Ford Focus or Honda Civic would receive a $1,000 rebate, while the Ford Escape hybrid would receive $2,500. The Toyota Prius, which gets the best fuel economy of any production car currently sold in the United States, would get a $4,000 rebate. On the other hand, the Hummer H2 would be subject to a fee of $2,500.
The rebates would begin in 2011 and the fees would be phased in starting in 2013, under the bill.
—Eric Evarts
September 25th, 2009 in
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Once known for their rugged truck underpinnings and off-road prowess, many SUVs have been softened in recent years as the ever-popular segment devolves into raised station wagons and away from truck-based models. That is not the case with the redesigned 2010 Toyota 4Runner, a vehicle that not only embraces its adventurous heritage, but seeks to further it. The fifth-generation model will offered in three trims, the top-of-the-line Limited, SR5, and a Trail grade for maximum off-road capability.
Taller, wider, and longer than the previous 4Runner, the new model also increases the underhood power. All 4×4 models use a new 4.0-liter V6 engine that generates 270 hp–34 hp more than the previous V6 version. EPA estimates 17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway for the 4×4 models, with 19 mpg combined. Maximum towing capacity is 5,000 lbs.
The 4×2 models are equipped with either the V6 or a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine. EPA estimates are 18 city and 23 highway mpg for the SR5.
The 4Runner now offers several advanced features to assist off-road driving, such as active traction control, crawl control for help in steep declines, and dynamic suspension that disconnects stabilizer bars to help the wheels manage difficult trails. A Multi-Terrain Select system enables the driver to choose a preset surface condition, informing the 4Runner how to best manage wheel slip, akin to offerings available in some Jeep and Land Rover products.
Standard safety features include stability control, antilock brakes, and brake assist. Hill assist is standard on all 4×4 models and the 4×2 V6. All 4Runners have active headrests for driver and passenger and eight standard air bags. A back-up camera is standard on Limited and Trail lines, and it is optional on the SR5.
Also available is a subscription-based telematics system that provides collision notification, a stolen vehicle locator, an SOS button, and roadside assistance.
We consider the 2009 Toyota 4Runner to be one of the better SUVs suited for serious off-roading. It is both civilized and trail ready. We look forward to testing the new model on the road, our test track, and on our infamous rock hill. (See how we conduct our off-road tests.)
For more on the Toyota 4Runner and other new vehicles coming soon, see our New Car Preview section.
—Liza Barth
September 25th, 2009 in
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Ahead of the safety summit next week with Secretary Ray LaHood, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) has rallied behind a ban on hand-held texting and cell phone use while driving.
A recent study, has shown that texting is more than 23 times more dangerous than talking on a cell phone while driving. To put it another way, that’s 2,200 percent riskier. And earlier studies by have shown that merely holding a conversation even on a hands-free cell phone is as dangerous as drunk driving.
AAM consists of 11 automakers, including BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Many of the organization’s members are developing hands-free and voice recognition systems that will allow drivers to send and receive text messages and phone calls without looking away from the road. That may reduce the danger, but it still leaves motorists as vulnerable as having a drunken driver on the road, according to a joint study by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (PDF).
—Eric Evarts
September 25th, 2009 in
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The Cube is a funky-looking box on wheels with a youthful appeal as noted with Nissan’s marketing tag line of “mobile device.” The car is a fun runabout with a variety of personalization options such as colorful interior lighting, shag dash topper (which has no practical function), interior hooks and pouches, and custom exterior accents. But, don’t judge a book solely by its cover.
The Cube is practical with a great deal of space, easy access, and good fuel economy, returning 28 mpg overall. However, handling is lackluster, acceleration slow, braking longish, and exterior noise pronounced. While the interior has some whimsical aspects, the fit and finish is cheap. Antilock brakes, stability control and six air bags come standard.
The Cube is similar in theme and price to other small boxy wagons, such as the Kia Soul and Scion xB, but trails them both in our tests. However, with a starting price just below $14,000, impressive space, good fuel economy, and standard safety features, this car has distinct appeal.
Learn more about the Cube in our model overview where you will find our full road test, specs, pricing, safety data, and more.
—Liza Barth
September 25th, 2009 in
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Here, we continue the staff's personal insights into the October-issue sporty car test group that included the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Subaru WRX, and Nissan 370Z. (Links go to model overview pages where online subscribers can find the full road tests, specs, Ratings, and videos.)
In our first and second installments, we shared picks from the automotive engineers. Here, we continue the series with perspectives from two automotive editors.
Jeff Bartlett: Muscle cars have always been my genre. From an early age, I dreamed of the 1960s legends being reborn with modern performance, comfort, and safety. It has taken decades, but my wish is fulfilled… arguably too late. The 1990s were my personal muscle car years, having owned American iron when gas was cheap and written about them for numerous publications. Now, in the 21st century, these politically incorrect beasts feel out of place. The Camaro was always the car I most craved, combining a first-gen silhouette and modern accoutrements, but it became the vehicle that most disappointed me in this group. The chopped-top styling from the concept car has made this large coupe claustrophobic with limited visibility. The back seat, true to tradition, is worthless. And the trunk is about as useful as a back pocket. On the track, it is an undeniable hoot. But it isn’t quite my wish fulfilled. The Challenger is truer to the original, though its wide track and boulevard suspension limit the pure driving pleasure I seek. Among the domestic vehicles here, the Mustang does hit the mark for my tastes, with its recent refinements making it truly more appealing than last year’s model. My personal gripes are the limited right-knee room for the driver and the softened rear styling.
The Asian cars were all enjoyable. The Z is a pure driver’s car—perfect for weekends. The Genesis proved to be a great balance of power, dynamics, interior packaging, and fuel economy in my driving. It even rings in at an attainable price. I do wish ours was the available hatchback body style for greater versatility. In the end, the WRX is the “practical” choice for a year-round enthusiast car in the snow belt, especially for those with family or passenger needs. Snow aside, it would be the Mustang for me, with the GT500 being my new dream machine.
Eric Evarts: Apparently the muscle cars’ first heyday flew right by me. As a young kid, the oil embargo was in full swing. And it was already clear that muscle cars were impractical and had a ridiculous ratio of power to handling and stopping ability. They were also terribly space-inefficient, with bloated sheet metal and cramped interiors.
By the time I was coming of age, NASCAR stockers barely resembled cars in the showrooms, the second gas crunch was ending, Audi introduced a technical tour-de-force in the original Quattro, and all-conquering Group B cars began dominating world rally racing, with much greater turbocharged efficiency than traditional muscle cars.
So when it came to this month’s cars, I was naturally drawn to the Subaru WRX, with its all-wheel-drive, powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and World Rally Championship heritage. On top of that, its four-door practicality, roomy back seat, acceptable fuel economy, decent ride, and sticky handling made it fun to drive and easy to live with. I think it’s vastly more refined than the last-generation WRX, and the handling is much more enjoyable than last year’s WRX. Certainly, today’s muscle cars are vastly improved, and I enjoyed the Mustang and even the rumble of the Challenger. But this WRX hit all the right notes for me.
September 25th, 2009 in
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Two sunspots are visible on our star’s face for the first time in more than a year, possibly ending an unexpected lull in solar activity.
Solar flares rise and fall on an 11-year cycle, so scientists thought sunspot activity would pick up some time in 2008. It didn’t. And this year has been quiet, too. No sunspots have been visible on the sun for 80 percent of the days this year.
Sunspot activity is correlated with the total amount of energy we receive from the sun. If the sun’s activity were to change remarkably, it would have an influence on global climate. So, in the context of climate change, the fact that the current solar minimum has been the longest and deepest in more than a century has been of special interest.
In May, a big sunspot seemed to augur a return to normal, but it faded away and sunspotless days returned. The latest activity might not mark the end of the solar minimum, however. People have been counting sunspots since Galileo first observed one in the early 17th century. Through the 28 documented cycles, stretching from 1745 to today, some variation in cycle length has been observed.
That’s why NASA’s former chief sunspot watcher, Michael Kaiser, told us earlier this year that the minimum was “not out of the extreme ordinary.”
The photo above is of one of the sunspots, AR 1026. It was sent to Wired.com by solar photographer Trevor Little. Little lives in southern England and snaps his gorgeous photos with “a Solarmax 60 telescope and a Lumenera Skynyx 2-0m CCD camera.”
If you’re an astronomer and you want to share images with Wired Science, please tweet us @wiredscience or send an e-mail to our editor, Betsy Mason.
(For you sticklers out there, the polarity of solar storms alternates, so technically, a full solar cycle is 22 years long.)
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WiSci 2.0: Alexis Madrigal’s Twitter, Google Reader feed, and green tech history research site; Wired Science on Twitter and Facebook.
September 25th, 2009 in
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Meteorites that crashed into the Martian surface last year exposed buried ice to the digital eyes of NASA spacecraft.
Scientists have used those images to deduce that there is a lot more ice on Mars — and that it’s closer to the equator — than previously thought. In fact, subterranean Martian ice should extend all the way down beyond 48 degrees of latitude, according to the model, which was published in Science Thursday.
That happens to be where the Viking Lander 2 was in operation from 1976 to 1980. As part of its science program, the Lander dug a trench about 6 inches deep. The new model predicts that if it had gone an extra 3.5 inches — a bit longer than a credit card — it would have hit ice.
It’s difficult to project backwards in time what that discovery would have done to the Martian science program, but its impact could have been large.
“To find ice that far from the pole where Viking 2 was, it would have changed the way everyone looked at Mars for the next 20 years,” said NASA Goddard archivist, David Williams, who curates the Viking project historical site. “It would have been a whole different model for Mars… If they’d dug down just a little more, they’d have this complete opposite view of Mars.”
At the time, scientists didn’t really know a lot about the Red Planet. Finding ice underground might not have been that surprising, but largely because the planetologists didn’t have a lot of firm theories about water on Mars. They thought there was ice at the poles, Williams said, but not much more than that.
Unlike the Phoenix Lander, the Viking 2 Lander’s trenching tool wasn’t designed to search for or find ice. Its job was to deliver Martian soil to a series of tests.
As such, Viking 2 wouldn’t have been able to do much with any hard ice that it found, said Steven Squyres, an astronomer at Cornell and lead investigator of the Mars Rover missions. Its arm just wasn’t powerful enough. Squyers also noted that the Viking missions were a tremendous success, without a water ice find.
But the Viking 2 Lander’s work did give the impression that water ice did not exist near the Martian surface in the mid-latitudes. We’ll never know how NASA’s “Follow the Water” missions to Mars might have changed if, for some reason, the Lander had been commanded to dig just a bit deeper and hit a hard, icy surface.
It goes to show that sometimes scientific discoveries can come down to a few inches and some luck, even on the surface of a planet hundreds of millions miles away.
See Also:
WiSci 2.0: Alexis Madrigal’s Twitter, Google Reader feed, and green tech history research site; Wired Science on Twitter and Facebook.
September 25th, 2009 in
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Scientists have finally located the 24-hour clock that guides the migration of monarch butterflies. Instead of being in the brain where most people expected, it turns out the circadian clock is located in the butterflies’ antennae.
Every fall, monarchs make an impressive 2,000-mile trek south, using the sun to guide them to the exact same wintering spot in central Mexico. But because the sun is a moving target, changing position throughout the day, biologists have long speculated that in addition to having a “sun compass” in their brains, butterflies must use some kind of 24-hour clock to guide their migration. Now, researchers have located this special GPS system, but it’s not what everyone expected.
“The assumption was that we knew where in the brain the molecular clock for this process was,” said biologist Steven Reppert of the University of Massachusetts, who co-authored the paper published Thursday in Science. “Almost everyone you would ask prior to this work would say, ‘Well, of course the clock has to be in the brain. Where else would it be?’”
Reppert and his team had been studying the ability of butterfly antenna to sense odors when they uncovered something surprising: When they clipped off the insects’ antennae and tethered them in a flight simulator, the butterflies no longer flew in a uniform direction.
“It was remarkable, the difference,” Reppert said. “The ones without antennae still flew straight, but as a population they were flying in all different directions, compared to the population of migrants with intact antennae that was all going in a southwesterly direction.” Without their feelers, the butterflies lost the ability to navigate using the sun, as if they could no longer adjust their direction based on the time of day.
But when the researchers looked for molecular changes in the brains of the antennae-less butterflies, they found that circadian rhythms in the brain were unaffected by clipping the antennae. “This raised the heretical prospect that the timing mechanism may actually be in the antennae,” Reppert said.
The researchers tested their hypothesis by painting the antennae of half their butterflies with black enamel, which blocked all input from the sun, and the other half with clear paint that allowed the sun’s rays through. While the monarchs covered with clear paint kept flying south, the butterflies with blacked-out antennae started to drift consistently north, suggesting that their molecular clock was running about an hour off schedule.
“The antennal clock is therefore rather like a standalone global positioning system that one might use while driving, which now eclipses the paper map (brain clock),” biologist Charalambos Kyriacou of the University of Leicester wrote in a commentary about the research, also published Thursday in Science. “This result is surprising, given that several studies have set the stage for a brain clock to mediate navigation.”
Reppert says the new finding not only changes how scientists think about butterfly antennae, but may also suggest a similar role for an antennal clock in other types of insects, such as bees and ants, that also operate elaborate navigation systems. Like butterflies, honeybees use a sun compass to find flowers and communicate their specific position to the rest of the hive, and they could be using a circadian clock in their antenna to adjust the sun’s position to the time of day.
“I think it’s a really interesting and elegant paper,” said butterfly researcher Karen Oberhauser of the University of Minnesota, who was not involved in the research. But given the incredible sensory powers of insect antennae, she said she’s not too surprised that the feelers can also keep time.
“Our sensory systems are really localized to our heads, but insects can taste with their feet and smell with their antennae, and probably their abdomens have pretty complex sensory systems, too,” Oberhauser said. “Because insect sensory systems are so different than our sensory systems, it’s sometimes difficult for us to even ask the right questions. That’s what’s so interesting about the work that’s being done in the Reppert lab— they’re really delving into these detailed questions.”
Image 1: Monarch Watch/Chip Taylor. Image 2: M. Twombly, copyright AAAS/Science.
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September 25th, 2009 in
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Scientists are one step closer to knowing what you’ve seen by reading your mind.
Having modeled how images are represented in the brain, the researchers translated recorded patterns of neural activity into pictures of what test subjects had seen.
Though practical applications are decades away, the research could someday lead to dream-readers and thought-controlled computers.
“It’s what you would actually use if you were going to build a functional brain-reading device,” said Jack Gallant, a University of California, Berkeley neuroscientist.
The research, led by Gallant and Berkeley postdoctoral researcher Thomas Naselaris, builds on earlier work in which they used neural patterns to identify pictures from within a limited set of options.
The current approach, described Wednesday in Neuron, uses a more complete view of the brain’s visual centers. Its results are closer to reconstruction than identification, which Gallant likened to “the magician’s card trick where you pick a card from a deck, and he guesses which card you picked. The magician knows all the cards you could have seen.”
In the latest study, “the card could be a photograph of anything in the universe. The magician has to figure it out without ever seeing it,” said Gallant.
To construct their model, the researchers used an fMRI machine, which measures blood flow through the brain, to track neural activity in three people as they looked at pictures of everyday settings and objects.
As in the earlier study, they looked at parts of the brain linked to the shape of objects. Unlike before, they looked at regions whose activity correlates with general classifications, such as “buildings” or “small groups of people.”
Once the model was calibrated, the test subjects looked at another set of pictures. After interpreting the resulting neural patterns, the researchers’ program plucked corresponding pictures from a database of 6 million images.
Frank Tong, a Vanderbilt University neuroscientist who studies how thoughts are manifested in the brain, said the Neuron study wasn’t quite A pure, draw-from-scratch reconstruction. But it was impressive nonetheless, especially for the detail it gathered from measurements that are still extremely coarse.
The researchers’ fMRI readings bundled the output of millions of neurons into single output blocks. “At the finer level, there is a ton of information. We just don’t have a way to tap into that without opening the skull and accessing it directly,” said Tong.
Gallant hopes to develop methods of interpreting other types of brain activity measurement, such as optical laser scans or EEG readings.
He mentioned medical communication devices as a possible application, and computer programs for which visual thinking makes sense — CAD-CAM or Photoshop, straight from the brain.
Such applications are decades away, but “you could use algorithms like this to decode other things than vision,” said Gallant. “In theory, you could analyze internal speech. You could have someone talk to themselves, and have it come out in a machine.”
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Citation: “Bayesian Reconstruction of Natural Images from Human Brain Activity.” By Thomas Naselaris, Ryan J. Prenger, Kendrick N. Kay, Michael Oliver, and Jack L. Gallant. Neuron, Vol. 63 Issue 6, September 24, 2009.
Image: From Neuron. Images seen by test subjects are in the left column. In the middle the image reconstructions returned by the researchers’ older, structure-focused analysis. At right are the image reconstructions produced by the newer, category-including model.
Brandon Keim’s Twitter stream and reportorial outtakes; Wired Science on Twitter. Brandon is currently working on a book about ecosystem and planetary tipping points.
September 25th, 2009 in
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