In conjunction with this week’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines, and part of the new approval process includes a section that prohibits the inclusion of DUI checkpoints in iOS apps.
Section 22.8 states:
Apps which contain DUI checkpoints that are not published by law enforcement agencies, or encourage and enable drunk driving, will be rejected.
The updated terms come a few months , asking the smartphone companies to remove any and all apps that would inform users of DUI checkpoints.
While developers might be able to remove the DUI stop functionality from their apps, most of the programs that identify law enforcement activity and speed traps are crowd-sourced, meaning users could submit the checkpoints themselves without the app’s devs knowing what they’re identifying.
Neither Google or RIM have modified their app review guidelines yet, but if history holds true, where Apple goes, so goes the industry…
Stylish Five-Door Earns Respect Right Out Of The Box
2012 Audi A7 – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s only just arrived, and the new reminds us of a trusted old friend. That’s quite a compliment.
The five-door is fresh on the scene, with gorgeously sleek sheetmetal hiding an advanced supercharged engine and all-wheel drive. Inside, there is a four-place cabin loaded with luxury and some of the industry’s most innovative technology. Impressive, but that isn’t what sets the Audi apart.
While most original designs require time for familiarization, the A7 seems to be an exception. Unlike most cars that cross our paths, this new luxury hatchback welcomes occupants into one of the warmest and most inviting passenger cabins we have encountered in years. Even though it is thoroughly modern and sophisticated, all controls are intuitively placed and their operation is second nature. Everything, from throttle and steering response to passenger space and cargo utility, works exactly as one would expect it to.
This may sound crazy, but after just two minutes behind the wheel, we are as comfortable as if we were entering the tenth year of a long relationship…
2009 Nissan Frontier – Click above for high-res image gallery
has officially cranked out 1 million of the company’s pickup trucks. By the time the first truck to bear the Frontier name rolled off of the line in 1997 as a 1998 model, Nissan had already established itself as a purveyor of fiendishly tough, inexpensive midsized pickups. According to PickupTrucks.com, the Japanese automaker first got into the American truck market back in 1959 when the Datsun 1000 landed on our shores. But it wasn’t until the Datsun 520 showed up six years later that sales began to really take off.
Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to manufacture pickups in the U.S. in 1983 when the company began producing vehicles at its Smyrna, Tennessee plant. The move avoided a 25-percent tariff on foreign-built pickups, and since then, Nissan has built more than 2 million small trucks at the facility.
PickupTrucks.com reports that Nissan is working hard at the next-generation Frontier, but the model is facing poor sales at the moment. Last year, the automaker managed to sell just under 40,500 units – less than half of the 100,000 Hardbody pickups Nissan sold in 1987. Head over to for an excellent rundown of the history of Nissan trucks in America.
Mini Union Jack Sneaker – Click above for high-res image gallery
Hard as it might be to believe, there are some people out there who are as into sneakers as we are into cars. Crazy, we know. But they’re out there. Now is trying to bridge the gap with a special pair of its own kicks.
The latest item in the Mini Lifestyle Collection, the Union Jack Sneaker are festooned with – you guessed it – the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom that has graced so many a Mini roof over the years. The shoes are made primarily out of canvas, with white soles and laces and Mini logos aplenty.
Just like the latest Mini cars are unveiled at major auto shows, these sneaks were previewed at the Sneakerness convention in Cologne, Germany, and will go on tour with the traveling expo to Zurich and Amsterdam. But if you’re not planning on heading there yourself, you can check ‘em out in our high-res image gallery and the press release .
After a week with the top-rung (and top-dollar) STI, does this Subaru still have enough panache and punch to make it worth the premium? Would we really just rather have a WRX?
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Our first is in the books, and we thank our fantastic listeners for participating with us as we tried something new. Chris, Zach and Dan covered the Ecoboost three cylinder and eight-speed transmission, the F20 , five-star crash ratings for both the and and Ford’s tech glitches before moving on to a full-on interactive podcast with listener feedback in real time.
Check it out to hear how it went down live, and you can catch it as it happens next week at our , as well as the traditional ways we’ve always offered. Our Q&A module switched to live mode during the recording as well, and we’ve embedded that for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #233:
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In the Autoblog Garage
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Winged Wonder Offers Performance, But Does It Deliver Value?
2011Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Click above for high-res image gallery
During our weeklong stint with the , many friends asked an all-too-obvious question: “How does it compare to the ?” A fair query, as the STI vs. Evo debate is something that we’ve pondered ever since launched its street-legal rally car in the United States back in 2004.
But then a most astute car enthusiast friend asked something that continues to trigger moments of contemplation: “Wouldn’t you just rather buy a standard ?”
See, ever since the WRX’s major overhaul in 2009 (yes, we know the redesign happened in 2008, but the big boost in power and added suspension tuning didn’t come until one year later), the STI has been sort of a hard sell. To make matters worse, Subaru fitted the WRX with its big brother’s widebody pieces for the 2011 model year, giving the mid-grade Impreza model the appearance of a full-on Evo competitor.
So after a week with the top-rung (and top-dollar) STI, does this Subaru still have enough panache and punch to make it worth the premium? Would we really just rather have a WRX?
Mazda6 s Grand Touring – Click above for high-res image gallery
and have long participated in a joint-venture at the Auto Alliance International facility located in Flat Rock, Michigan. Mazda presently uses the facility to produce the , while Ford pumps out the . , and now those rumors have a bit more teeth. Mazda has announced that its next mid-size sedan will be produced at the Hofu plant in Japan.
Currently, the Mazda6 (also known as the Atenza) is built at AAI, Hofu and at China’s FAW Car Co. Mazda is going to continue to build the current Mazda6 at those three locations. Production of the next-generation car will be transferred from AAI to Hofu.
Importantly, Mazda they are examining other opportunities with Ford, so as to continue participating in the joint venture at AAI.
Different strokes for different folks. While chose to label its coupe-like derivative as the Scirocco, rival automakers are keeping theirs in the family. Take, for example, the Renault Megane coupe, and this – the new Vauxhall Astra GTC.
Compared to the already-sleek five-door Astra, the GTC retains only the door handles and antenna. All the body panels are fresh, riding on a wheelbase that’s actually longer than the existing five-door’s, and it’s slower and wider, too. Overall, it’s a pretty direct production of the unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last fall, and of the released more recently.
British buyers – and presumably European ones at Opel dealerships as well – will be able to choose from from four engine options: a 1.4 with 118 or 138 horsepower, a 1.6 with 178 hp or a 2.0-liter diesel with 163 hp. The sophisticated suspension from the higher-end Insignia VXR coupled with adaptive damping promise to keep handling tight.
The Astra GTC will headline Vauxhall’s lineup at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month for its public debut (it was originally promised for this fall’s Frankfurt Motor Show, but is showing up early), but you can check it out now in the high-res image gallery and the press release after the jump.
We all want to save our barnacled friends in the ocean and give the whole world a great big polar bear hug. But as enthusiasts, we’ve all got a char-black underbelly, too. Mercedes-Benz understands. AMG really understands.
Mini says that its creation should serve as a kick in the pants for the compact sports car segment. And hopefully, for the brand’s sales, too.
On July 1, 2011, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon will hit theaters around the country.
Also of interest:
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2012 BMW 1 Series M Sport – Click above for high-res image
The styling of the is indeed polarizing, and most of the design dissections here at Autoblog Towers are mostly concerned with the car’s front fascia, with upward-angled headlamps that blend into a larger dual-kidney grille. Much like the rest of its lineup, will offer an M Sport styling option for the , previewed by the image you see here, which we tend to think improves the 1er’s schnoz quite a bit.
In addition to the revised front bumper with larger air intakes, reports that the 1 Series M Sport will get a new rear bumper, side skirts and M-specific wheels to round off the exterior changes. Inside, the usual M Sport things like a new steering wheel, shifter and pedals will be fitted, along with sport seats. Look for the M Sport package to officially debut sometime in the fall.
Next-gen Mini Cooper spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
may have just released its own , set to go on sale later this year, but now, our cameramen have spotted the next-generation volume model Mini out on the street. As you can see, the next is expected to grow in size a bit, if only to make room for a smaller entry-level car that’s coming down the pipeline (previewed by the concept from this year’s Geneva Motor Show).
While the Mini’s overall shape won’t be changing, we can expect the front fascia to take influence from the design seen on the crossover. Moreover, the new platform that underpins the Cooper will be shared with a new series of front-wheel-drive models. The biggest changes will, of course, be found underhood, where we can likely expect an updated range of turbocharged and naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines.
has no plans to retire just yet. The 65-year-old CEO is still going strong at the helm in Dearborn, and is working to get his company back up to an investment-grade credit rating. Still, Bill Ford, Jr. explained to reporters last week that the former Boeing CEO’s replacement will probably come from within the company.
According to The Detroit News, Ford went as far as to say it would be “very unusual” if Mulally’s replacement came from outside. The executive chairman elaborated, explaining that Mulally holds “Business Performance Review” meetings every Thursday, encouraging execs from different wings of the company to participate and learn as much as they can about the business as a whole. In part, the meetings are designed to help “train the next generation” of leadership for the company.
2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery
Let’s be honest. We all want to save our barnacled friends in the ocean and give the whole world a great big polar bear hug. But as enthusiasts, we’ve all got a char-black underbelly, too. understands. More specifically, the folks at AMG really understand. While Daimler has been working diligently this year to reduce its offerings’ various footprints and curb their dependence on gas, the people there haven’t lost sight of the fact that, occasionally, enthusiasts need to put away their canvas Whole Foods bags and indulge their dark side a bit.
How else to explain the 2012 C63 AMG Coupe? Not only is this new coupe bodystyle more self-absorbed by definition, Mercedes has ensured it qualifies for full homewrecker status by passing over its excellent new 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 in favor of the 6.2-liter V8 it was designed to replace. But for those interested in indulging their inner baddy, this is actually a very good thing. While the modestly downsized and significantly more efficient 5.5-liter is a wonderfully flexible and more powerful thing in Benz’s spectacular new , we have yet to connect with it on the same visceral, loin-stirring level as the almighty 6.2, mostly because of its less burly soundtrack. Mercedes may have eschewed the higher-tech motor on cost-savings grounds, but it’s also the correct choice for retaining the C63’s chain-smoking sprinter character.
International motor racing is a complicated web of various series, each with their own types of cars run under different rules. The one element that binds them all – or at least a good proportion of them – together is the FIA. The international automobile federation governs Formula One, the World Rally Championship, the World Touring Car Championship and a variety of others. The one notable exception is Le Mans.
The iconic 24-hour endurance race and its affiliated series are organized by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), and have long stood apart from the FIA. But not any more, as the two French racing organizations have come together to form the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The announcement is set to take effect with a new series next season, but poses more questions than its answers. Of particular interest is what effect this will have on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Europe-based Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series and the newly formed Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, as well as the FIA’s GT1 World Championship (pictured above) and GT3 European Championship. However, the FIA is said to be working on combining its GT1, GT2 and GT3 regulations into one class of sports cars.
A further announcement set for June 9 will hopefully address such details, but in the meantime, as a symbol of their cooperation, FIA President Jean Todt has been announced to start the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 11. for the full press release.
Top Gear Eco Challenge spoof – Click above to watch the video
Facts are facts, right? When you’re talking electric vehicles, a few salient details can completely make or break your experience with the machine; two of the most important being the time it takes to achieve a full charge and how much distance the car can go at a certain speed on that charge.
Of course, a creative person (or television series) can wreak havoc with such facts and do it all in the name of entertainment. Take, for instance, the reviewTop Gear made of the , the result of which – a not-really-dead dead battery and a push to the garage – led to a . And if that wasn’t enough to get EV fans in a tizzy, we know that the TG crew has that also ended up with pushing, presumably due to dead batteries. We’re expecting controversy…
Whether more Top Gear reviews of electric cars are a good or bad thing depends largely on your point of view – do you trust a show like Top Gear enough that it would influence your purchasing decisions or do you merely watch to get a good laugh and witness automotive hijinks?
If the latter is true of you, we’d like to direct you to one particularly hilarious spoof of Jeremy Clarkson and James May, two of the three stars of the hit UK show. Two electric cars are put to the test (well, sort of… actually, not at all, but that’s hardly the point) by two young Brits who have rather spot-on interpretations of their characters.
Keep in mind that the real version of the Top Gear episode in question is , and we’re really looking forward to it. In the meantime, kill 10 minutes of your life by watching the spoof video , it’s worth it.
Possessing the elegant style of a fashionable fat kid, the Escalade Hybrid manages to produce brutish noises and surprising bursts of speed. Call it the anti-Prius.
We only have a few angles (so far), but the 2012 BMW 1 Series hatch looks to be a polarizing design.
Your smug neighbors clean their clothes with Method laundry detergent, they’ve laid down cork flooring on their first floor and they have organic cotton shower curtains hanging in all four of their bathrooms. Driveways around the country are filled with neighbors swapping prideful mile-per-gallon figures instead of Junior’s latest little league stats. Yet we fear that the term “green” gets tossed around far too easily these days. We see hybrids and electrics all around us, but most aren’t designed to compete against the green yardstick that is the .
The 2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, for example, relies on similar tech, yet it’s effectively the Toyota’s polar opposite. Possessing the elegant style of a fashionable fat kid, the Escalade Hybrid manages to produce brutish noises and surprising bursts of speed. An expensive eight-passenger luxury barge, this full-size hybrid SUV could easily be dismissed as an overpriced dinosaur – especially as it has been getting a bit long-in-the-tooth while the competition has continued to evolve. GM knows this, and it’s recently committed to this Caddy rides upon.
A replacement may be on the way for 2014, but we still couldn’t help but feel that there’s something compelling about this generation’s sharp fenders, large rolling stock and singular swagger that’s worth revisiting. Not wanting to mess about with anything less than full kingpin spec, we requested a week with the hybrid Platinum model seen here. Click past the jump to see if this baller still has game.
Mazda6 s Grand Touring – Click above for high-res image gallery
AutoAlliance International is located in Flat Rock, Michigan, and the factory serves as a joint-venture assembly plant for and . The Blue Oval builds the , while its Japanese partner churns out the . There seems to be a problem, though – at least on Mazda’s end of the partnership.
Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), is reporting that Mazda is looking to get out of the venture. According to the report, the automaker will remove itself from the partnership by as early as 2013, sending Mazda6 production back to its Yamaguchi prefecture facilities in Japan. Mazda’s profits are understood to be hurting due to the yen-dollar exchange rate, and the Mazda6’s less-than-stellar sales volumes in the States can’t be helping, either.
Both Ford and Mazda are dismissing the report as speculative, but Mazda admits it has been discussing “future plans” for the facility.
Forza 4 and Kinect in action – Click above to watch video
Polyphony Digital took its sweet time bringing us . It took five years for the game to arrive in stores and the homes of PS3 fans across the world. Turn 10 Studios clearly works a bit quicker, and the next chapter in the Forza series is on schedule for a late 2011 arrival. Forza 4 will no doubt be packed with slick graphics and drool-inducing vehicles, but the gaming company is also taking advantage of another Microsoft tie-in – Kinect.
The Kinect system for the Xbox 360 “sees” a players movements. Kinect allows the player to interact with the game, without using controllers. Forza 4 will allow a user to drive a car using his or her hands to mimic a steering wheel. It’s more than playing “kiddie vroom vroom” though. Kinect will allow you to look into turns, take tours of the vehicles and walk around the parked cars.
Sounds kind of crazy? to check it out for yourself.
