More car manufacturers are including advanced active safety features across their lineups, and the world’s largest automaker is no exception. In a recent press release, Toyota stated that beginning in 2018, its Safety Sense technology will be standard on almost every Toyota trim level in the U.S. This feature is designed to mitigate and help prevent collisions.
The most advanced version of Safety Sense, TSS-P, won the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) Yankee Cup Technology Award last week. The NEMPA Yankee Cup is awarded each year to a vehicle, automotive feature, or system that “significantly enhances the motoring experience, whether by making driving safer, more cost-efficient, or simply more enjoyable.”
The award was presented at NEMPA’s sixth annual conference and banquet, which was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab in Cambridge. In addition to Toyota’s TSS-P technology, the RAV4 Hybrid and Toyota Tacoma won Winter Vehicle Awards in the Green Crossover and Midsize/Compact Pickup Truck categories.
TSS-P uses an in-vehicle camera and front-grille-mounted millimeter-wave radar to enhance the driving experience by detecting obstacles and automatically applying the brakes if an imminent collision is detected.
The safety suite includes four features. The Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection function prompts the driver via audio and visual alerts to take action and apply the brakes if the system detects the possibility of a frontal collision. The system itself will supplement the driver by applying the brakes on its own with Brake Assist, but it can also take initiative itself if need be. The in-vehicle camera looks out for pedestrians using a formula based on size, profile, and motion.
By analyzing lane markings, the system can detect when the vehicle is deviating from its lane. If this occurs, the Lane Departure Alert kicks in, giving the driver audio and visual cues to fix the problem. The Steering Assist function can help out by applying small, corrective steering inputs.
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control adjusts vehicle speed to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead. If that vehicle slows down, the system can decelerate to maintain distance. If the vehicle speeds up or there is no vehicle there at all, the system will accelerate until the preset speed is reached.
The Automatic High Beams feature detects the headlights of oncoming vehicles as well as the taillights of preceding vehicles and automatically switches between high and low beams.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.
Missing out on the self-driving future is a tough pill to swallow, especially as a car enthusiast. But that is what Tesla handed us on Wednesday, without a hint of mercy.
During its October 21, 2026 earnings call, Elon Musk told investors the Cybercab is meant mainly as a ride service. Further, nearly all of them will be owned and managed by Tesla.