ford

Airbags have become a crucial part of the safety features in any modern car. Unfortunately, they only protect people in the front seats. To solve this problem, Ford has created a combination seat belt/airbag for passengers in the back of the vehicle.

The inflatable seat belts blow up upon impact of a certain force, quickly expanding and providing added restraint and protection for people riding in the back seat of cars. And since the passenger in the back seat is more likely to be a child or elderly person, that extra protection really goes a long way.

It's driver's license day. Time to borrow the keys and head to the mall -- and, of course, to test out that 130-mph top speed on dad's Ford Taurus SHO. Not so fast, whippersnapper. Ford's MyKey system is in effect. The new top speed is 80. And put on that seatbelt.

For nervous parents, MyKey may be the next best thing to hiring an armed nanny to ride along with their kids. Mom or dad can program junior's own key fob to limit the car's functions, with an eye toward keeping brand-new drivers from getting in over their heads.

Ford's already said its twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V6, offered in the company's Taurus SHO, offers the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of a six. Now, take that down two cylinders. The company confirmed at a Dearborn press conference this morning it will build a four-cylinder version of its Ecoboost engine. Following on the company's engine calculus, that means the power of a six-cylinder engine with the fuel economy of a four.

The old adage "race on Sunday, sell on Monday" apparently still holds water among US automakers. Ford announced this week the company's Fiesta subcompact will make its US motorsport debut at the punishing Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb this July. The company is apparently cultivating a high-performance image for its economy-minded Fiesta subcompact, which is set for a market launch in the US by 2010.

With tech companies firing, Steve Jobs ailing (get well, Steve!) and the auto industry in a downward spiral, it’s no wonder that the first of 2009’s big shows were a bit ho-hum.

As we mentioned in our earlier post on the Esquire E-Ink cover, we have uncovered some additional details regarding the operation of this interesting E-Ink evaluation board set. There are two eight-stage shift-and-store bus registers (HEF4094BT) that drive each of the two E-Ink panels. The PIC12F629 controls the state of the HEF4094BT outputs: positive voltage, negative voltage, high impedance off, and shift register stage.

Not since the November 3, 1948 Chicago Tribune erroneously blared “Dewey Defeats Truman” has a publication’s cover caused such a visceral stir among its readership. Attempting to make a solid technological statement, the October 2008 cover of Esquire magazine featured two embedded 2 ¼- x 5-inch E-Ink panels.