Lexus Sc400 Sc300 Climate Control on 2040-parts.com

Automakers trail in the great gizmo race

A customer at Rockland Toyota in suburban New York recently asked why he couldn't recharge his cell phone through the USB port built into the otherwise sophisticated Toyota Venza crossover. Evan Kuperman, the dealership's assistant general manager, took a deep breath. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

Jaguar XF Black Pack (2010) first pictures

The Black Pack option on the Jaguar XKR is proving popular - nearly half of buyers are currently ordering it and the Speed pack - so Jag's rolling it out to the XF range as well. It's similar to what's offered on the XK sports car. The XF Black Pack brings dark grey 20-inch alloys, diamond-turned rims, gloss black grille and window surrounds. The purely cosmetic Black Pack kit will set you back £950 and is available on the XF diesel, 5.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol V8 and XFR models.

Multi-touch UI reduces touchscreen interaction to simple swipes [w/video]

Touchscreens have become widespread standard features in many cars over the last few years, consolidating the modern car's many functions into one interface. But despite their advantages there's the big downside of driver distraction, something user interface designer Matthaeus Krenn believes he has solved with his UI. Unlike most other touchscreens, Krenn's interface isn't organized into menus and small, hard-to-hit buttons, but instead makes use of multi-touch gestures, reducing the accuracy and attention needed to operate key functions.