Tis the Time to Watch Out: Cool Timepieces for the Auto Enthusiast

A red and white McLaren and a bright yellow-helmeted driver behind the wheel storming down the track is one of the images that defined the 1980’s-era of Formula 1.

The driver was, of course, the late Ayrton Senna. And the watch he wore was always a TAG Heuer, something that made many young fans of the most charismatic driver the world has ever seen yearn for one.

The Swiss brand continues its partnership with the Woking-based F1 team, making sure that Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button flash their timepieces at every opportunity.

On the other hand, the most famous, if not really the most exclusive or expensive watchmaker in the world, Rolex, has linked its name not only with the late actor, racing driver and Indycar team owner Paul Newman, but also sponsors and big names, many major events after its most coveted model, the Daytona chronograph.

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Let There be Light: LEDs to Trickle Down to More Mainstream Models

It wasn’t too long ago when LED (light-emitting diodes) lights were a feature one could only find in the top end premium cars. Today, they have become cheap enough to be produced in large quantities and as a result, are storming the car market.

LEDs are much more energy-efficient than conventional halogen bulbs because they do not generate light from heat. For example, a Visteon-designed LED headlight for a Bentley requires only 15 watts for the low beam, whereas an equivalent halogen bulb needs 65 watts to do the same job. They last longer as well; about 10,000 hours or 10 times longer than a halogen unit.

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GM Touts Recovery of Stolen Chrysler 300 Thanks to its OnStar FMV

Detroit's "Big Three" never miss the chance to take a dig at each other when the opportunity arises. And for General Motors, the opportunity came with the recovery of a stolen 2006 Chrysler 300 that was equipped with the firm's OnStar FMV [For My Vehicle] in-car wireless communication system.

This is the first recorded case of a non-GM vehicle fitted with the aftermarket mirror, which encompasses the OnStar system, that was stolen and recovered by the police since the company introduced it into the market earlier this spring.

"OnStar advisors typically assist in the recovery of more than 500 stolen General Motors’ vehicles each month, but helping to recover a competitor's stolen vehicle is a new undertaking," GM said in a statement.

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Volkswagen Disables Blackberry Emails After Work Hours to Protect the Well Being of its Employees

For sure, it's not something you hear very often these days, and especially in the corporate world, yet the Volkswagen Group has agreed to give 1,154 employees in Germany some peace of mind at home by stopping stop its Blackberry servers sending emails after normal work hours and weekends.

The move comes after several VW employees complained that the line between work and home had become more and more blurred, while the problem of over exhaustion from work has made headlines in Germany following the recent resignation of Bundesliga football coach Ralf Rangnick, who was diagnosed with fatigue syndrome, and is said to have suffered from a psychological burn-out.

Under the deal that the VW Group made with the works council, the company will stop its e-mail server from routing messaging traffic to the German employees that are covered by collective labor agreements, 30 minutes after their shift has ended and resume 30 minutes before it starts again in the morning.

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Transport Secretary LaHood Does Not Support NTSB Campaign for Hands-Free Calls Ban

Texting while driving is certainly not a very clever move – that’s why it’s been banned in 35 states in America already. Speaking on a handheld cellphone ranks a close second, since it distracts the driver and makes steering the vehicle more difficult.

Transport Secretary Ray LaHood is campaigning against distracted driving – and in that he has the support of car manufacturers, too. On the other hand, NTSB, a safety board, wants to ban all cell phone use while driving, including those made using hands-free devices.

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Disconnecting People: NTSB Push to Ban All In-Car Cellphone Use May Hurt Automakers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) and the U.S secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, are both trying to reduce road accidents caused by distracted driving.

So far, their efforts have resulted in 35 states, and the District of Columbia, banning the use of handheld cellphones or texting while driving.

Driving is, indeed, a serious activity that requires all of your attention. According to the Department of Transportation’s December 8 release, distracted driving caused 3,092 fatalities in 2010.

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Two “i”s Can’t Make a Wrong: BMW and Apple Join Forces to Launch iAd in Europe

Looking for new ways to market its new “i” sub-brand, BMW has chosen to launch three new digital channels through foursquare, Mashable.com and iAd. The latter is Apple’s mobile advertising platform used by third-party developers to apply ads into the applications downloaded to the users’ iPad, iPhone and iPhone touch mobile devices. .

All-New 2013 Ford Fusion / Mondeo Coming to Detroit, Take a Virtual Spin with App [Videos]

The second-generation of the Ford Fusion saloon is on its way with the world premiere to take place at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January.

As you'd expect, the Blue Oval is preparing a month long tease for its mid-size model starting with a new app that will give users the opportunity to drive the 2013 Fusion through a series of “worlds” that unlock to reveal the car.

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GE's Wall Mounted Fast Charging Station for EVs and Plug-in Hybrids Now Available on Amazon

It's amazing but at the same time scary of how many things you can buy online at the touch of a button, without ever leaving the comfort of your chair.

Adding to the long list of products one can acquire on the web is General Electric's 'WattStation' wall mount charger for pure electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles that is now available directly to U.S. consumers though Amazon.

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Something to Think About This Christmas: African Boys Make Homemade Toy Car [Video]

It's a well-known fact that children of all ages and ethnicities enjoy receiving gifts. Nevertheless, it's not uncommon for certain kids in better-off countries and/or families to be overly spoiled and at the same time ungrateful despite getting whatever their hearts desire …and then some more.

This brings us to this video starring a little boy from Africa and his homemade toy car. Even though it's clear that there are much more important concerns in his and his friends' lives, using whatever materials he could get his hands on, he was able to build this simple yet ingenious in its own way, toy car.

Be sure to check out the video past the jump.

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