Japanese automaker Nissan has applied its self-healing paint technology to an iPhone case. The first-of-its-kind case is a tribute to the Juke crossover and was created with the help of the University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials. As on Nissan's cars, any small scratches or scrapes can fix themselves over time.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) is reportedly looking into the safety of lithium-ion batteries used in electric automobiles. The action identified by Bloomberg tipsters comes in the aftermath of a recent battery fire involving a Chevy Volt. The scope of investigation will most probably include plug-in vehicles from Nissan and Ford, as well as other General Motors subsidiaries.
In January, Nissan launched an iPhone app for its Leaf electric car owners. The company has now made versions of this app available for BlackBerry (App World) and Android-based device owners (Android Market) as well. Using it, a Leaf owner can check the state of the battery charge or start charging, get an estimated driving range, and turn the climate control system on or off.
At the SAE Convergence 2010 exhibition on Tuesday, Microsoft revealed the new Windows Embedded Automotive 7 is now available to its car and in-vehicle entertainment partners. The new software brings with it enhanced speech commands, touch input, a Bluetooth connection with phones and other devices as well as access to maps, music, navigation and third-party apps. Silverlight is now integrated, letting partners create 2D or 3D graphics on their desktops and have them quickly be deployed on the car platform.
Nissan is developing an iPhone app to accompany a trio of electric cars, according to sister site Leftlane News. The cars are expected to be announced on August 2nd, at which point the iPhone app may be announced as well. Taking advantage of Apple's iPhone 3.0 firmware, the app should be able to monitor a car's battery level away from the display.
Automaker Nissan, wireless network provider NTT DoCoMo and electronics maker Sharp on Wednesday announced they have developed a prototype cellphone that doubles as an intelligent ignition key for automobiles. Like the system used in Nissan’s Japanese cars since 2002, the intelligent key uses two-way wireless communications capable of triggering the doors or engine but without requiring a separate device.
