AU survey results suggests men rely on GPS more than women

Remember the days before GPS? When it was just you, the open road, and a Rand-McNally mapbook tucked beneath the seat? We certainly do, but with the advent of GPS and smartphones, using electronic devices for guidance has become second nature. And it has turned one of the great stereotypes of the sexes sideways.

According to a study conducted by the Australian Association for Motor Insurers, men use GPS navigation more than women. The AAMI claims that 64 percent of men use nav systems while only 50 percent of women rely on them.

Reuben Aitchison, AAMI Corporate Affairs Manager, pondered the old stereotype of men never asking for directions, "It was a point of honour, sometimes known as stubbornness."

The poll also asked what voices from which people would be most and least likely to take directions. The most popular voiced included Morgan Freeman, Stewie Griffin, and Christopher Walken. The least favorite? Batman, Ozzy Osborne and your significant other.

A quick look over to the Garmin site reveals that none of those voices are available, but you can get Erine & Bert, Wallace & Gromit, Yoda, and Darth Vader.

The significant other? That's a no-cost option.

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Vehicle Paint Jobs Going Earthy?

 

BASF releases global automotive color trend report

Green, bronze, brown go beyond the silver trend; 'naturally cultivated' berry and copper tones ahead

SOUTHFIELD, MI, July 26, 2012 -- Designers from BASF Automotive Coatings have announced the results of its latest automotive color trend report. In the report, BASF color experts from North America, South America, Europe and Asia provide a forecast of the automotive colors of the future.

Results from this year's report show future colors will be "naturally cultivated" with nuanced berry and copper tones, along with natural colors such as brown, blue and green.

"Although popular staple colors such as silver, black and white make up approximately 50 to 80 percent of current production, there is a rich diversity of potential shades that is returning to the market," said Paul Czornij, Technical Manager for the BASF Color Excellence group. "The increasing inclination of society to celebrate beauty in earth tones and more traditional green and blue hues is the basis for this trend."

In recent years, the color green has not played much a role on the roads, yet in four to five years, the color is predicted to become more popular. Similarly, white, silver, and gray will gradually wane in popularity at the expense of more saturated colors like blues and browns.

"There are signs from automakers and consumers that the desire for more color on the roads is continuing. We will be tapping into further color spaces, such as bronzes and emeralds," says Mark Gutjahr, Head of Design for BASF in Europe. "The continued high value assigned to the notion of ecology may now again be signified by the color green."

New diversity
The topic of sustainability continues to be on the radar, attracting attention to not only the environment, but also the everyday world. Finding novel ways to use materials, simplify lifestyles and have a closer focus on daily experiences are the main inspirations for this trend.

"The innovation that arises from this mindset nurtures a stronger awareness for things great and small, which in turn raises social responsibility," said Czornij. "Colors are being developed that evoke this sense of purpose, stretching the aforementioned blue, green and browns into both strong and subtle tones."

Materials that can be experienced
Modern communication technologies are triggering huge changes. Setting the tone are phenomena such as the increasing "dematerialization" of technology. In the future, technology will be less tangible in a haptic sense, and instead will be increasingly more intuitive. For example, smart phones use a touch display instead of a keypad.

"We are observing new narrative and haptic qualities in many areas. Heavy substances, striking surfaces and expressive materials such as wood and stone create a stronger emotional connection to the world we live in. In the automotive world, this means that we can expect more intensive colors and bolder effects," said Corinna Sy, Designer at BASF Coatings Europe. "The new colors are expressive, but not blatant, like a good story."

With dark berries, intensive browns and coppers, along with radiant emeralds, BASF designers anticipate powerful color experiences on the roads.

Global team - China
Carmakers are working and thinking globally. For this reason, BASF's design team has a global presence, sounding out international trends without ignoring regional features or color trends. In order to acknowledge the increasing significance of the Chinese automotive industry, and specifically the local manufacturers, the designers have included special colors, such as various shades of gold, in their trend collection.

The colors developed for China demonstrate the ability of BASF's Design Team to utilize its colorant tools and paint technology to span the range of bold blues to elegant browns, golds and grays. This reflects to the local market and its evolution to more interest in colors as an expression of self. The vivid hues support these trends and are balanced with metallic effects that bring increased prominence to this growing segment.

Batmobile Documentary Trailer feat. Chris Nolan, Christian Bale, Tim Burton and More!

A new documentary is setting out to discern exactly where Batman gets his wonderful toys – more specifically, the Batmobile. The film will feature interviews with notable Batman movie directors including Chris Nolan, Joel Schumacher and Tim Burton, as well as actors like Christian Bale and even Adam West. From the looks of things, the documentary delves into every aspect of the Batmobile's evolution, from the early comics to the animated series and everything in between. With plenty of in-movie footage and words from stunt drivers and creators like George Barris, this looks to be the final word on epic transportation in Gotham City.

Visitors to this year's Comic-Con were treated to a special preview of the film, though the rest of us will have to wait until the holiday season to get a hold of either the digital download or a Blu-ray copy.

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