At Rs 38.1 lakhs this is what the new Audi A4 has in terms of in-car tech

Audi has brought the -new 1.4 TFSI engine driven Audi A4 to India at a price of Rs 38.1 lakhs. The new model is lighter by 95 Kg than the previous edition and will go up against the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-class.

"The all-new Audi A4 is a fascinating synthesis of technology and esthetics. All the technology in the brand's bestselling family has been redeveloped so that it yet again defines the benchmark in the segment. Light weight and more powerful, it is more than just a car: a mobile personality which fits perfectly with the individuality that our young customers show. The Audi A4 has been a leader across the world and the all-new Audi A4 is even more attractive, therefore I am sure it will bring in many new members to the Audi family," said Mr. Joe King, Head, Audi India.

The 2016 model of the Audi A4 just is not a good looking road machine, but has world class interiors and ICE (in car entertainment) features.

Here are the in-car tech qualities that will come with new Audi A4:

The 10 speaker sound system with a sub-woofer and amplifier will have 180 Watt RMS sound output.

The front seats are electronically managed with 4-way Lombard support.

Parking assistance plus is available that uses a rear camera to aid the driver to park easily in tight spaces.

An 8.3-inch touchscreen is available on the dash that will take care of the drivers and passengers entertainment, navigation and driving needs.

The driver will also get a fully functional 12.3-inch colour display in the drivers instrument cluster. This can be managed using the controls on and around the steering wheel.

The phone box under the middle handrest can charge smartphones wirelessly and also has USB and AUX ports for music
The Voice control system has been incorporated too in the new Audi A4. Just connect your Bluetooth phone with the system and press the speak button for this car to say "your wish is my command".

Tyre pressure monitoring system along with electronically managed climate controls are also available on the Audi A4 2016 model.

Ford Aims to Have Self-Driving Cars Take to Roads by 2021

Automaker Ford announced today that it plans to develop fully autonomous vehicles by 2021. The company is aiming to offer these self-driving cars to ride-sharing or ride-hailing services, according to Ford officials.
"It's now clear that the next decade is going to be defined by the automation of the automobile," Ford CEO Mark Fields said in a statement broadcast onlineTuesday (Aug. 16). "We see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford's moving assembly line did over a hundred years ago."
Ford said it intends to have a "fully autonomous SAE level 4-capable vehicle" in commercial operation in five years

Automaker Ford announced today that it plans to develop fully autonomous vehicles by 2021. The company is aiming to offer these self-driving cars to ride-sharing or ride-hailing services, according to Ford officials.
"It's now clear that the next decade is going to be defined by the automation of the automobile," Ford CEO Mark Fields said in a statement broadcast onlineTuesday (Aug. 16). "We see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford's moving assembly line did over a hundred years ago."
Ford said it intends to have a "fully autonomous SAE level 4-capable vehicle" in commercial operation in five years.
A level 4-capable autonomous vehicle, as defined by SAE International, a professional organization for engineers, puts all driving functions in the hands of a machine with no fallback option for a human driver. Functions like steering, navigation and road awareness would be fully automated, but in contrast to a fully automated level 5, a level 4-capable vehicle might not be able to handle every situation or "driving mode."
"Where we see the greatest opportunity, is where we're able to remove the driver from the responsibility of driving altogether," Ford CTO Raj Nair said in a statement.
Ford's self-driving vehicle will have no steering wheel, gas pedal or brake pedal to allow a human driver to take control in a recreational environment or emergency situation. Ford executives discussed driverless technology as an accessibility issue, both physically and financially. Machine-driven ride services could provide mobility to people unable to drive themselves and afford a private vehicle of their own.
As part of this effort, Ford will double the personnel at its Silicon Valley offices, the company said. Ford also announced investments in technology companies that specialize in light sensors, machine learning, artificial vision intelligence and high-resolution maps.
Today's announcement follows an agreement between rival auto company General Motors and the ride-hailing service Lyft to test self-driving electric cars within the next year, reported the Wall Street Journal

Uber Rolls Out First Driverless Cars

If you've ever driven around in downtown Pittsburgh, you know it's no picnic. In fact, it's whatever the opposite of a picnic is. Thanks to three converging rivers, the downtown area is a tangle of narrow bridges, stacked overpasses and barely sublimated Rust Belt aggression. Pittsburgh drivers are in it to win it.
So it's kind of a surprise that Uber is planning to roll out its first self-driving cars in the heart of Steel City. But that's evidently the plan, according to a recent report at Bloomberg.


Starting later this month, Uber customers in downtown Pittsburgh will be able to climb into specially modified Volvo XC90 sport-utility vehicles strapped with dozens of sensors, cameras, lasers and GPS components. The cars won't be completely roboticized — all vehicles will still have a human driver on board to supervise matters and take control if necessary.
Still, it's a Pretty Big Deal. If Uber follows though, the Pittsburgh experiment will be the first driverless car-sharing service to come to market. Uber is partnering with Volvo on the initiative, and the two companies plan to have around 100 self-driving vehicles on the street by the end of the year.
In the first phase of the rollout, the dispatch of self-driving cars will be randomized. Call up a ride with Uber, and you may get one of those souped-up Volvos. If so, your ride will be free of charge. Uber plans to eventually partner with other automakers getting into the autonomous vehicle business, according to the Bloomberg report.




The Pittsburgh rollout itself isn't random, however. The city is home to Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, which has been very busy with autonomous vehicle research. Uber has been hiring experts in the area for the last couple of years. In fact, the upcoming public rollout is just part of an ongoing beta test that Uber's been facilitating on downtown streets for a while now.
Check out the Bloomberg article if you're at all interested in this stuff — it's a lengthy report and there are some genuinely intriguing details. It appears that Uber is going all-in on autonomous vehicles and has hired hundreds of engineers, roboticists and mechanics for the venture. Volvo and Uber hope to have a fully autonomous fleet on the roads by 2021. Go, Yinzers!