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Audi, Toyota land on MIT's list of 50 Most Disruptive Companies

MIT Technology Review, a magazine all about innovation, has announced its list of the 50 most disruptive companies in 2013, and both Audi and Toyota made the cut. While the term "most disruptive" may carry a negative connotation in most uses (especially in the classroom), the acknowledgement in this case is an accolade, signifying that the company is at the forefront of its industry. In a nutshell, a disruptive company is a business whose innovations force other businesses to alter their strategic direction.
Audi made the list for "pushing autonomous cars closer to fruition with a laser-scanning road detector that fits in a vehicle's front grille," and Toyota for "expanding its dominance of the hybrid-car market with its new plug-in version of the Prius." Click on the image above to be taken to the original graphic at MIT Technology Review, where clickable colored squares reveal information about each of the 50 winners, compiled from a variety of industries.

Ever wonder how to really pronounce Japanese automaker names?

People tend to get very set in their ways when it comes to the pronunciation of words. Just look at the endless debates over whether or not to say the final 'e' in Porsche (which you should in terms of correct German enunciation). Or the argument about whether to follow the British convention and give the 'u' in Jaguar a special delivery or to say the 'ua' diphthong as more of a 'w' sound, as usually happens in the US.
This short video doesn't answer either of those automotive questions, but it does allow a native Japanese speaker to demonstrate the accepted pronunciations for several, major automakers from the country. One benefit is that it clears up the occasional debate over whether Nissan should be said with a long or short 'i' sound. Also, listen closely to how the female host says Mazda as Matsuda, the way it's actually said in the language. Even if this doesn't change the way you enunciate these brands, at least now you know the accurate way in Japanese.

What to do if the infotainment in your Lexus isn't working

According to Toyota, "errant data from our traffic and weather data service provider" caused the infotainment systems in 2014-2016 Lexus vehicles and the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser to go into some sort of endless reboot loop. The video above shows what that looks like, in case you're interested. Obviously, it's not good – the malfunction means the audio systems, navigation and climate control systems aren't working properly, and that the hands-free mobile phone function won't work. Apparently, some owners were able to manually fix their cars by disconnecting the battery cables for 10 minutes, which forces the car's computer systems to restart. But Toyota isn't officially suggesting that people take that action. Instead, "Toyota and Lexus owners experiencing these issues should visit their dealer for a complimentary system reset and a confirmation of the system," the automaker said in a statement. It's worth noting that issues with the usability of modern infotainment systems have caused customer satisfaction scores to drop. Lexus, though, has been mostly immune to such complaints, having come in first place in J.D. Power's most recent Vehicle Dependability study. Not that you should automatically trust those findings, anyway... Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Lexus via Twitter Lexus Toyota Auto Repair Ownership Technology Infotainment