2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 With Navigation on 2040-cars

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Google's new Android Autos OS unveiled, will be in cars this year [w/video]

Connected cars are coming en-masse. We know this much. How, though, remains something of an open question, especially as two of the world's largest tech companies are preparing to battle for control of your car's dashboard. On the one hand, we have Apple and its CarPlay system. And now, we know what Google has been working on with Auto Link.
Its new name is Android Auto, and yes, it's based off the Android architecture that is the primary challenger to Apple's iOS mobile operating system. Announced at Google's I/O conference today, Android Auto functions similarly to CarPlay - owners will need to plug their smartphones into their cars to access the full breadth of capability.
In Android Auto's case, that means a wealth of voice controls to limit distracted driving. Google's marquee apps will be available when the interface arrives in production models later this year, including Google Play Music, Google Maps and voice-activated texting and text playback. Meanwhile, developers will be able to begin designing custom apps for the new system via an upcoming software development kit.

Hyundai lets loose another Super Bowl ad

Another day, another Super Bowl ad from Hyundai. The automaker is planning to show off five spots during the big game, and seems hell-bent on trotting each one out ahead of time to garner the most amount of attention possible. We've already seen three of the ads, and the latest follows one young boy as he amasses a football team to take on a bully. His selections range from a set of body-building twins to a bear wrestler and a freakishly strong good Samaritan. The spot is intended to show off exactly what sort of uses you could come up with for the seven-passenger Santa Fe.
We understand Hyundai's push to roll out its ads ahead of time. Estimations from previous years indicate previewing Super Bowl ads can increase viewership by as much as 700 percent, but there's little call for this slow walk out. The company still has one more spot to show off, and we won't exactly be holding our breath. You can check out the latest ad below as well as the most recent press release.

Hyundai's zombie obsession is just good business

In case you somehow missed it, Hyundai has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with The Walking Dead, the critically acclaimed zombie apocalypse show that entertains the masses while they're waiting for the next season of Game of Thrones. Fans of the show will recognize Rick, Michonne, Carol, Maggie and Glenn's mint green Hyundai Tucson, a staple vehicle for the crew of survivors, but the relationship between manufacturer and show goes far beyond that. There's a whole line of Zombie Survival Machines, as well as a special-edition production model (shown above). Heck, even Hyundai's post-LA Auto Show party featured actors staggering about as startlingly realistic walkers (TWD's name for zombies).
So what is it about the dead that quickens the pulse of Hyundai's marketing department? Ward's Auto has a great interview with Steve Shannon, the brand's US vice president of marketing. In it, Shannon describes the sudden nature of the tie-in between the show and the automaker, while describing how the company's corporate overlords in South Korea saw the results of the deal. It's an interesting insight into automotive product placement, as well as Hyundai's marketing philosophy and plans for the future (spoiler alert: the Tucson, which has had a role in the show for several seasons, was seemingly abandoned at the end of season four).
Head over to Ward's and have a look.