Most people know Google as a search engine company, though they are also the corporate force behind the Android operating system. That doesn’t make an autonomous car any more normal. Test runs of the car have taken place in campuses and secret locations for some time now. Fans of morning television might recall when Good Morning America featured an automatic test drive in 2010.

While the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles might look particularly progressive in permitting a self-driving car on their roads, they have imposed some restrictions. Other drivers will be able to identify the automatic Toyota Prius fleet by red license plates. These feature the symbol for infinity on the left side. It’s pretty hard to miss a car with a giant laser scan system mounted on the top anyways. If that wasn’t enough to give it away, Google slapped their logo on the paint job along with a sticker proclaiming it to be a self-driving car.

On one hand, this might seem like a publicity stunt on Google’s behalf. However, Audi and BMW are working on similar designs that use a mixture of software and hardware to pilot themselves around. According to Google’s offices, the technology is not actually supposed to replace drivers. Rather, it’s intended to take over whenever the driver is distracted. This could be beneficial for those that eat or text while driving. Naturally, these activities are dangerous and shouldn’t be attempted.

Nevada currently requires a driver and a passenger in each of the test vehicles. Google has asked the state to exempt human backup drivers of automatic vehicles from laws that prevent drivers from texting behind the wheel. That being said, a human can always take control of the car by depressing the brake pedal or grabbing the steering wheel.

While science fiction fans might be rejoicing, commercially marketing the technology isn’t currently in the realm of possibilities. General Motors predicted that self-driving automotive technology would be standard in cars by 2020. Drivers certainly won’t be able to buy robotic cars any time soon.

While I had mostly passed these ads off as nothing but rubbish, one day, my curiosity got the best of me and I planned to go to one nearby. The ad stated that vendors would have the latest and best in car stereos, speakers and amps, all at discounts of 90% off of retail, so I decided to see what all of the hype was about. I was a fan of upgrading and modifying my ride at the time, so I figured if I could do so without spending extra money; what would it hurt?

Unfortunately, when I arrived at the sale, I found out very quickly that I had been had. I paid $12 at the door for entry, and this only allowed me to walk around and peruse the various auto electronics on sale. As I visited each table, it became apparent that I was not going to save any money at all; essentially, all of the vendors were selling junk. Each vendor I visited was hocking no-name, low-budget electronics, many of which I had heard bad things about. Although the prices were incredibly low, I knew from experience that a $10 CD player wasn’t going to last long.

In spite of my better judgement, I did buy a pair of 12″ speakers for $20. I got them home, hooked them up, and within two days, they were blown. Of course, by that point, I couldn’t revisit the retailer for a refund because the electronics show was over. I simply had to live with my purchase.

When it came time to sell my vehicle, I had to remove the speakers, as no respectable buyer would have given me top dollar for my car with such poor speakers inside. I soon learned that, in order to get the best price on a used vehicle, it’s important to keep as much factory equipment inside as possible, and also avoid installing cheap, inefficient equipment.

These days, it seems as if there’s an app for everything. From movie show times to social networking, people are using apps on their mobile devices more than ever; however, did you know that there are many helpful apps that you can use to enhance your driving experience? Below are some app ideas that you can use to get where you’re going faster, easier and more affordably. Before using any of these apps, however, make sure you pull off the road. Never use your mobile device while driving!

GPS Apps – In the past, to get somewhere you either had to know the way or you had to use a map. Thankfully, today’s mobile devices can harness the power of global positioning satellites, or GPS, to give you turn-by-turn directions to virtually anywhere. Many of today’s advanced smartphones come with a free GPS app already installed, but you can also browse your app store for more options.

Gas Station Locators – In today’s economy, it pays to save every way you can, and that includes while filling up. By using a gas station locator app, you can not only find the closest station, but also find out about prices in your area. Some gas station locator apps allow you to search for different brands of gasoline, as well as amenities at gas stations, such as a snack bar, public restrooms and more.

Auto Insurance Company Apps – Like most companies, auto insurance providers have begun to adapt their business model to the evolving digital landscape. As a result, most major auto insurance companies now have a downloadable app that can assist you with virtually all of your insurance needs. Whether you need to file a claim, contact an agent, report an accident or more, an app from your auto insurer can help you get it done faster.

Area Information Apps – Just like gas station locator apps, area information apps allow you to find specific places around town. These apps are great for when you’re traveling in an unfamiliar place, as they can search for and guide you to restaurants, malls, attractions and more. Many of these apps also work with social media sites, allowing you to see reviews about places from real people in your social networks.

The best part is, these are just a few of the many apps available that can help you to maximize your driving experience. Once again, never use your mobile device while driving. Not only is it against the law in many places, but it can also be deadly!

Do you know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle? With fewer than ten percent of all cars and trucks sold in the U.S. last year being manual transmission vehicles, there’s a good chance that you either don’t know how to drive one or simply don’t want to deal with the hassle of doing so. However, there is that added benefit of better fuel economy in manual vehicles. Interested in getting more miles per gallon without having to deal with a clutch? Then you may want to look into purchasing a new Ford Fiesta or Focus.

Why are the new Ford Fiesta and Focus a good choice? Because they both are coming with the option to choose the “PowerShift” transmission system. The PowerShift system uses a gearbox rather than a traditional clutch that needs to be pressed with your foot, so that you’ll be able to push buttons instead. It’s easier to use that a traditional manual transmission vehicle, so those that could never quite get the hang of letting the clutch in and releasing just right can enjoy the benefits of a manual without the hassle.

The benefit of purchasing a PowerShift vehicle is that fuel efficiency is improved by as much as ten percent as compared to automatic Ford Fiestas and Focuses. This efficiency comes with features usually reserved for automatic transmissions: PowerShift vehicles have more control at low speeds than traditional manual vehicles, and there is none of the rollback on hills associated with driving a manual transmission vehicle.

The PowerShift technology gives Ford a boost in the fuel efficiency arena, an area that the company is attempting to dominate by offering best-in-class vehicles in the category of fuel efficiency for every class. The company has targeted increased fuel efficiency as a central goal, which has also been highlighted in its recent partnership with SunPower to offer solar panel packages in conjunction with its all-electric 2012 Focus.

If you’re looking for the benefits of a manual transmission, but prefer the convenience of an automatic, the PowerShift Fiesta or Focus may be the right vehicle for you.

More cars are coming equipped with new features allowing wireless connections for everything from unlocking the doors to reading trouble codes with a diagnostic scanner, but is there a cost for this connectivity?

Most cars that can potentially be targeted for malware are in the upper five-digit and even into the six-digit price range, meaning this is a problem that the average driver most likely isn’t going to have to worry about in the near future. However, as technology advances, more and more cars will come equipped with Bluetooth calling capabilities right from your car, steering and speed control options that would be connected wirelessly and use hardware and software systems to run; the potential for problems is apparent.

The potential for malware is so obvious to car manufacturers and anti-malware companies that McAfee, one of the most prevalent anti-malware and antivirus companies, published a report addressing possible concerns. The report is a collaboration of information from several different universities that ran studies on the security of automobile connectivity. The conclusion: more connected features cause a definite increase in the possibility that the security of these systems can be compromised.

What makes these new, connected cars so susceptible to security threats? One study cites the fact that hundreds of millions of lines of coding are needed to run the features, adding ample opportunity for the coding to be corrupted. Besides this fact, these systems are often connected to other car’s systems, meaning that someone driving another connected vehicle may be able to access someone else’s system. Internet connectivity is necessary to run some of the features on connected cars, meaning that those vehicles offering features requiring such a connection will be just as vulnerable to attacks as a connected personal computer.

So, what would criminals be able to do if they could hack into your car’s connected system? If you have keyless entry and a remote starter that happen to be connected to the Internet, there is the possibility that someone could unlock and start your car just by hacking into the system.

If a GPS is connected, a person could access the system and maliciously alter information, meaning your directions will not take you where you want to go. High profile individuals in particular should be wary of the possibility of tracking driver location.

More research is being done on the issue, and anti-malware companies will likely offer a security package for vehicles in the near future.

American car manufacturer Ford announced its plans to further contribute to the alternative-energy movement by offering solar powered vehicles starting in 2012.

SunPower, a California-based company specializing in the manufacture of solar panels, will be partnering with Ford in the development and sale of their solar powered electric vehicle. The company is looking forward to assisting Ford with breaking into the electric vehicle market, which it expects will give it an advantage in the currently very competitive solar power market.

The solar panels will be sold with the all-electric 2012 Ford Focus that is expected to hit markets in late 2011. The power generators will be used on the roof of a driver’s home and will be used to generate the electricity needed to charge the electric version of the Ford Focus. Solar panel units will be installed by a professional, and will be both available at Ford dealerships and in Best Buy stores. The generators are expected to retail for approximately $10,000, although consumers will also have the option to lease them from SunPower.

Government fuel efficiency standards have gotten much more strict and require car manufacturers to increase fuel efficiency drastically by the year 2025, when vehicles must adhere to an average miles per gallon of 54.5. Due to these new regulations and the increasing popularity of alternative fuel, Ford has felt the need to push further into the alternative energy market. The car manufacturer aims to have electric vehicles make up one-fifth of all their new vehicle sales by the year 2020, and believes that the partnership with SunPower will help them achieve this goal.

SunPower estimates that their solar power generator unit that will be sold in conjunction with the Ford Focus will allow consumers to generate enough electricity to drive their electric vehicle 1,000 miles per month. This is approximately the average mileage driven by individuals in the United States every month, so the unit should provide all of the energy needed for consumers to drive their vehicles.

At this time, Ford has not yet released any pricing information for the all-electric Ford Focus. The vehicle is expected to hit the market sometime in November 2011.

The federal government offered a research contract to the University of Michigan to learn about how the use of connected vehicles could positively impact highway safety. The university will be testing the technology in the Ann Arbor area to learn whether the use of connected vehicles can effectively cut back the over 30,000 deaths per year caused by motor vehicle accidents.

Connected vehicles use a wireless technology that alerts drivers about potential dangers that otherwise may not be apparent. The system is similar to the sensory systems available in luxury vehicles that detect objects within collision range of a vehicle before collision occurs. The alert system is especially useful for driving in weather that affects visibility, as drivers will be alerted about the location of surrounding vehicles.

The wireless devices will be installed in approximately 3,000 vehicles as part of the study. The effectiveness of this new technology on the streets of Ann Arbor will be closely studied for a year, after which the University of Michigan will determine whether the technology has the potential to significantly reduce the number of car crashes in the country.

Researchers predict that the wireless device could reduce crashes by nearly 90%, saving tens of thousands of lives every year. Not only is the system expected to save lives, but injuries and costly car repairs are expected to be greatly reduced.

The University of Michigan will be allowed a budget of $14.9 million to complete the year-long study. Connected vehicles have been studied and developed extensively in research labs, but the federal government intends for this study to be the first real world application of the technology. The aim is to use real street and highway driving to test the effectiveness of the technology in a real environment.

The issue of blind spots in driving will be virtually eliminated with the use of wireless detection technology, and drivers will even be alerted to any obstructions or braking vehicles several car lengths ahead of them that may affect their drive.

It is possible that, should the research prove the technology successful, the system may be required in all vehicles in the country within the next three years.

A recent announcement will see the coupling of Toyota and Microsoft in a new venture to bring telematics to future automobiles via Cloud technology. The $12 million dollar venture will allow various technologies to be combined and managed in new hybrids and electric Toyotas. The idea is to provide a centralized network where the driver can manage their battery, stream music, upgrade and install applications, or access other information networks through onboard electronics.

Microsoft and Toyota are pairing up to create a worldwide network based on the Azure cloud-computing platform. The goal is to have the system available in next year’s electric and plug-in hybrids as an initial push. Expansion from that point will include a new Prius and RAV4 EV that are meant to communicate with the grid. The communication will allow future Toyotas to monitor their power and draw from the grid when needed.

Many people think of entertainment and distractions when talking wireless communication from an automobile. That is not the case for the new system being developed by Toyota for use with Microsoft’s information infrastructure. It is about connecting vehicles to servers to provide a wider range of more efficient services. Similar systems have already been seen in General Motor’s OnStar and Ford’s Sync.

Some electric cars, such as the Chevrolet Volt, have smart phone apps that were developed to manage their battery levels. This system will see an expanded basis for the sharing and management of that information. Toyota’s vision is for a platform where personal electronic devices can interconnect with a charging station, home systems and electronics, and even the vehicle itself to help manage our energy use.

The rapid advancement of smart phone and smart-grid technology will permit a greater meshing of this information to provide a wider range of services. Troubleshooting and tracking of fleet vehicles will be made easier by having them networked to the centralized grid. The user will be able to do things such as schedule when they want their hybrid or electric car to charge to take advantage of when rates are currently low.

The interactive nature of electric and hybrid vehicles with a smart grid will also permit easier upgrading of firmware and installation of vehicle applications.

Aston Martin is leading the way in working to integrate mobile technology with automobiles. It is no great stretch of imagination that most drivers put as much importance on packing up their personal electronics as their car keys when they head to their vehicle. It was only a matter of time before automakers started looking at mobile devices to provide integration with a vehicle. An initial offering from Aston Martin in this area was a pairing with watch-maker Jaeger-LeCoultre to mount a transponder into their watches that would lock and unlock a vehicle.

A collaboration with the Canadian luxury cell phone company Mobiado resulted in the unveil of the CPT002 at the BaselWorld watch and jewelry exposition in Switzerland. The CPT002 is a concept cell phone that can lock and unlock a vehicle the same way that a proximity fob does. In addition, it can sync with social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter to help the owner locate their friends they are meeting. It is able to automatically provide updates on road progress or if the user performs track driving. Safety features are also included to allow the vehicle’s computer to access the phone’s accelerometer to help prepare for a crash.

The cell phone is crafted of platinum and a transparent sapphire crystal capacitive touch screen which houses all the required electronics.

At the moment, this system is just a concept with only a prototype. Consumers can expect to see the march forward in technology result in pieces like this in the future. Computers have been shrinking and getting more powerful since the first mainframes were used back in the 1940’s. The average MP3 player or cell phone carries more processing power than some of those machines did.

It is fascinating to wonder just what kind of technological advancements we will see in the automotive industry in the years to come. Entry systems based on personal electronic technology would give more options to get into one’s vehicle. Even now, technology is making circumstances like locking your keys in your car a more difficult thing to do. Many companies that provide automotive services are able to provide remote unlock through their own systems.

The vision of a future with a highly integrated personal electronics device with one’s home and vehicle seems more likely with each passing day.

In today’s world, being “green” is more important than ever before because waste means that we are not conserving enough natural resources. Solar energy is a renewable resource that is relatively easy to harness as well as something that can be used without worry of pollution or other negative effects on the planet. It is becoming quite common to use solar panels to collect energy for homes and businesses but solar powered roads may soon be a reality as well.

An electrical engineer named Scott Brusaw has created a way to make solar powered roads and will begin testing the roads at his company Solar Roadways in Idaho. Brusaw, the CEO of Solar Roadways, believes that having solar powered roads will eventually replace asphalt roads in many areas within the United States. The U.S. Department of Transportation funded Brusaw’s idea because of the many positive effects that solar roads would have on the nation.

The solar powered roads that Brusaw has designed have the strength of steel and can easily withstand the weight of automobiles, although the cost of long term maintenance remains to be seen. One of the main uses of solar powered roads will be to keep frozen precipitation such as ice and snow off the roads. The solar paneled roads will collect the sun’s power and use it to melt away any precipitation as well as dry the roads for safer driving. While safety is the main concern for Brusaw, the solar roadways will also save money in the form of road maintenance during adverse weather as well as eliminate shoddy road conditions such as low shoulders and potholes.

Reducing the need for asphalt used in making roads is also an important impact that solar powered highways will have on the environment. Many people may not know it but petroleum is used in the producing of asphalt and since there are millions of asphalt roads across the nation and petroleum is a nonrenewable resource, it is readily apparent that reducing our need for asphalt is important.

While solar powered roads have the potential to positively impact our world with safer driving conditions and less use of fossil fuels, the overall cost is something to carefully consider. The cost of replacing asphalt roads for solar ones may be as much as $4.4 million per mile. While this number is staggering, experts believe that these energy efficient roads will pay for themselves over time. While it is hard to stomach the cost, the positive impact of solar roads should not be understated.