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Volvo extends its range of DRIVe Eco cars

It really is remarkable what car makers can do when pushed. After years of thirsty cars, more and more manufacturers are showing us what can be done when they make a real effort in this direction (and not always at the expense of performance), and the latest is Volvo, which has extended its range of DRIVe cars to seven. Volvo DRIVe range extended to seven models - will show at Geneva '09 The full DRIVe range will be revealed at Geneva ’09, and includes the C30, S40, V50, V70, S80, XC60 and XC70.

Magna Electronics develops 'Touchskin' concept [w/video]

Electronics firm Magna is working on a new technology it calls 'Touchskin concept' that has the potential to eliminate traditional switches and instruments inside vehicles. As part of its ‘Intelligent Surface Technology', the Touchskin concept is set to be an integral part of a system that allows the user to control the car via intuitive gestures – such as pinching, tapping and swiping – as we've become so familiar with when using smartphones. The potential design implications are easy to see with the large amount of space made available by removing the traditional instrument cluster and its wiring and the removal of wired-in switches and buttons.

Uber smartphone app to take over taxi market?

A new smartphone app called Uber is threatening to put the traditional taxi out of business. The smartphone software allows users to ‘order’ a private car, connecting passengers with regular drivers willing to hire out their vehicles. However, these aren’t taxis… On Bing: see pictures of Uber Wifi hotspots for London’s black cabs Uber originally began in San Francisco in 2009, with users able to book and reserve a car driven by a regular member of the public for journeys via text message or the dedicated smartphone app.