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Peace of Mind When Children Ask to Borrow the Car

Some parents are adopting new technology to monitor their fledgling drivers, according to the New York Times.

David Phipps, a security consultant in Baltimore, is one of them. After his daughter, Katie, got her driver’s permit, Mr. Phipps said he worried about her safety on the road. So this year he bought a palm-size global positioning device that uses satellite technology to keep an eye on her Toyota Scion.

“I can click on the ‘track now’ button,” said Mr. Phipps, of Bel Air, Md., “then go online, and in 35 seconds I can see where she is.

“My wife and I wanted it for her safety, and for our peace of mind,” he said.

Mr. Phipps bought his device from an online retailer, Global Tracking Group. The device can send notification by e-mail or text message.

Such gadgets can be installed under the dashboard or, in some cases, plugged into the cigarette lighter or other vehicle power outlet to check on the driver’s behavior, whether it is reckless driving or speeding, where they are going and, for some devices, even whether they are wearing their seat belts.

In addition to the cost of the device, parents pay a monthly fee for the G.P.S. tracking, which uses satellites to pinpoint the car, then transmits the information via cellular tower.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:33 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Herb Chambers and KISS 108 replace truck destroyed in Res Sox riot

KISS 108 FM’s Matty in the Morning (right) teamed up with Herb Chambers (left) to give Michael DeMello (middle) the keys to a new Ford Ranger.

Mike’s Ford Ranger was totaled after the Sox won the World Series by a rioting crowd following the Red Sox World Series victory. The truck was completely destroyed and flipped over on Boylston Street.

The crew of the Matty in the Morning show at KISS 108 wanted to help Michael get back on his feet. Herb Chambers was live in the studio to surprise Michael with the keys on air, to a newer truck.

Herb Chambers owns over 40 dealerships in New England, including Herb Chambers Cadillac of Providence.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:06 AM to Fun | Permalink | Comments 0

The Dings and Dents of Toyota

DETROIT — It might seem odd to suggest that a 70-year-old company is going through growing pains, especially one with $183 billion in annual sales.

But 2007 has been a difficult year for Toyota, according to the New York Times.

Its reputation for building high-quality vehicles has been tarnished, most recently by the decision by Consumer Reports to stop automatically giving a “recommended” label to all its cars and trucks.

Toyota’s sales growth, which has been in the double-digit range in recent years, has slowed more in the United States than the company expected, causing it to lose its grip on the biggest-automaker title it took from General Motors last spring.

And it has seen some of its most talented American executives return to Detroit, notably James Press, who left the company’s highest-ranking job in North America to join Chrysler.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:01 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

GM pushes the pedal on hydrogen fuel-cell power

General Motors says it hopes to begin pumping hundreds of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles a year into ordinary buyers' hands through GM dealerships beginning in 2011, according to USA Today.

Though small numbers by auto-industry standards, it's the most ambitious public plan yet to bring pollution-free fuel-cell vehicles into the mainstream.

Perhaps more important, GM is "working as hard and fast as we can for competitive reasons," rather than as pure research on a promising technology, says Larry Burns, GM vice president in charge of research and development.

"I'm paranoid enough to conclude (rivals) are running on the same timeline we are," he says, citing fuel-cell research at Mercedes-Benz, Honda and others.

In other words, a race is on, and that always speeds development.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:57 AM to Alternative fuels , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Union leaders to get details of pact with Ford

UAW officials from local chapters that represent Ford workers nationwide are to meet in Dearborn today to learn the nitty-gritty details of the new tentative labor deal reached with the automaker, according to local union leaders cited by the Detroit Free Press.

A UAW spokesperson did not return calls for details about the meeting.

On Saturday, after more than 40 hours of round-the-clock bargaining, the two sides reached a deal on a new four-year labor contract to propose to workers, who will vote to ratify or reject the deal over the next week or so.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:53 AM to Ford , Unions | Permalink | Comments 0

Governments Demand a Bigger Share of Oil

TORONTO -- The oil industry is under assault globally by nations and even provinces who want companies like Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Suncor to cough up more royalties they can use to address issues like poverty and education, according to the Assosiated Press.

First it was Venezuela. Now, Nigeria is reviewing its relationships with international oil companies and the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta is set to announce a decision Thursday on increasing royalties from the energy industry. It's a move the industry warns could devastate Alberta's oil patch.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:49 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0