Cadillac‘s latest in-vehicle connectivity and control module, called CUE, has been given a big boost by receiving the Top Gadgets of 2012: Editor’s Choice Award by Popular Mechanics magazine.

The award was presented to Cadillac at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV. Cadillac was the only auto manufacturer to walk away with an award from Popular Mechanics.

The CUE was picked because of its innovative technology and potential impact on the industry.

Andrew Del-Colle, assistant editor of Popular Mechanics magazine said; “After seeing an earlier demonstration of the system at the Los Angeles Auto Show, I knew it would be a strong candidate for an award at CES. The show offered a great opportunity to compare the CUE with many other OEM and aftermarket systems, and it stood out to us for its innovative use of new standards such as HTML 5, as well as for its intuitive user interface.”

CUE brings the first application of capacitive touch in an automobile. It uses electrodes to sense conductive properties of objects such as fingers. This system is similar to the touch and interaction one gets from gadgets like the iPad.

Other key aspects of CUE are natural speech recognition, Bluetooth connectivity for up to 10 devices and a motorized concealed storage compartment. The system runs on an ARM 11 3-core processor on a Linux open-source HTML5-based software platform.

The CUE system will debut in the Cadillac XTS and the ATS, and will be thus available to consumers from this summer.

Silicon Valley is well known for its creation of the latest high tech gadgets. This area has attracted the best minds to work for the best companies to create the gadgets we use in our daily lives.

Ford wants to be a player in this field and has announced that early this year, it will open a new dedicated research lab in Silicon Valley. The premise behind this new facility is to create uncompromised personal mobility experiences.

Being in Silicon Valley, Ford believes it can make better ties with established and start-up tech firms, plus link-up with area universities like Stanford.

“Ford has an incredible heritage of driving innovation in the transportation and manufacturing sectors during the past 107 years,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford chief technical officer and vice president of Research and Innovation. “Now it’s time to prepare for the next 100 years, ushering in a new era of collaboration and finding new partners to help us transform what it means to be an automaker.”

This new lab, which will be opened in the San Francisco Bay area will serve as a hub for all of Ford’s new technologies. Ford has in recent years developed products like MyKey, SYNC, EcoBoost and Inflatable Rear Seat Belts. By being in such a tech savvy location, what will Ford come out with next?

“Silicon Valley represents a deep and dynamic technology neighborhood and is far from Dearborn,” said K. Venkatesh Prasad, senior technical leader for open innovation with Ford Research and Innovation. “With so many opportunities and so much potential, our new lab will allow us to scout new technologies and partners in their own environment and continue our expansion beyond the traditional automaker mindset to drive innovation for a better mobility experience.”

Their goal is to integrate mobility with technology in everyday life, and bring that experience to millions of customers around the world.

Ever been out to the mall or on a trip out of town and wondered if you had closed your garage door?

Well if you have the new Craftsman garage door with AssureLink, you can close your door using your smart phone, laptop or tablet.

The system works similarly to that used by some car companies to remotely unlock doors or start the car. This system will allow you to close your garage door as long as you have a working smart device.

What if someone is in the way as the door closes? The system has you covered, as it makes plenty of audible sounds, plus will re-open if its obstructed by an object, so no worries about crushing anyone.

This system will appeal to many, but it does come with a price. Craftsman will require you to register for this app and it has an annual user fee of $19.99. Not bad if you are in California, wondering if your garage door is open in Kansas.

[Source: USA Today]