03 Kawasaki Kfx400 Shift Shaft Shifter Spindle on 2040-parts.com

AT&T Labs and Carnegie Mellon develop GPS-enabled haptic steering wheel

AT&T Labs and Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new GPS-enabled steering wheel prototype that incporporates haptic technology. For those who need a quick refresher, haptic technology is a feedback system that uses vibrations to provide alerts, for example vibrating mobile 'phones or your games console controller. Here the tech is used to alert drivers when navigation maneuvers are approaching, with the steering wheel syncing with GPS-enabled computer systems.

2013 Ford Escape can tow 3,500 pounds with EcoBoost engine

The 2013 Ford Escape, which we saw at the Detroit auto show in January, will have a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds when equipped with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, Ford said on Wednesday. That number easily bests four-cylinder-equipped competitors such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Kia Sportage and the Acura RDX. Ford says the new engine will make enough power to pull two jet skis down to the lake with a trailer, or to drag a snowmobile to the frozen tundra.

Top Gear Series 19 starts 27th January 2013

It looks like the new series of Top Gear – Series 19 – will start on 27th January after ticket allocations opened up for the Wednesday before. The new series of Top Gear – which will be series 19 – should have been on our screens months ago, but the summer of sport, Strictly and the X Factor hogging schedules meant BBC bosses decided to save the new Top Gear for the New Year. But it now looks like Top Gear is set to return on 27th January after Applause Store listed five new dates for Top Gear tickets, starting on Wednesday 23rd  January (which should air on Sunday 27th January) running through to Wednesday 20th February (which will air on Sunday 24th).