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CES: GM to open the dashboard to developers

At last year's Autoweek Design Forum, father of the iPod and Nest Labs co-founder Tony Fadell suggested that automakers concentrate on designing and building cars, leaving handset makers to handle infotainment. The latest announcements from Ford and GM -- in conjunction with the International CES -- suggest that automakers would rather treat the dashboard space as a handset. Yesterday, Dearborn, Mich., announced the Ford Developer Program, which opens up Sync to outside application development; now General Motors has announced a similar initiative.

Land Rover Discovery – 20 years old +video

Land Rover Discovery 4 - The latest iteration of the Discovery It’s a sure sign that I’m getting old. Policeman look like they’ve just come out of short pants (which in the case of the ‘Plastic’ (community) police, some have); white cars look old-fashioned (although I’m coming to terms with that one); my arms are only just long enough to read the newspaper and my back goes out more than I do. But I can now add another to that list: Land Rover’s ‘New’ car – the Land Rover Discovery – is 20 years old, and it only seems five minutes since it hit the market.

2014 Toyota Corolla loses Furia's flair, but theme remains

The all-new 2014 Toyota Corolla debuted last week with a fresh look, confirming that the Furia concept Toyota brought to the Detroit auto show was more than just an exercise in styling. The Furia concept's sporty and flashy design intrigued us, and while the 2014 Corolla is an upgrade from the bland Corollas of the past, it also glosses over most of the flair of the Furia. So, what hints did Toyota reveal with the Furia concept, and what got cut on the design-room floor?