Cars.com shows off Super Bowl commercial early

by Chris Shunk

It seems like only yesterday that Internet companies dominated the Super Bowl commercial water-cooler talk, but in fact it was a full decade ago. While most of those businesses are long gone, the few remaining Internet survivors like Go Daddy and Monster can be counted on for annual participation, and you can add Cars.com to that list, as the automotive research site has bought ad time during the Super Bowl for three consecutive years.

Cars.com's newest TV spot echoes the theme of last year's ad, which showed that even the smartest, best-prepared people in the world can use a little help when it comes to buying a new or used ride. This year's ad features a new lead, the eminently capable Timothy Richman: a guy who can put out fires with a rattle, ride a two-wheeler on the first try, take the bite out of jellyfish stings, deliver a breach tiger cub and predict the path of funnel clouds without a Doppler. But like so many folks, he gets anxious when he steps onto a car lot. Hit the jump to watch the one minute commercial for yourself. Wait, one minute? Who makes a one minute long commercial when a 30 second spot costs up to $3 million? Oh well, enjoy the sneak peek

First look at new Audi MMI with Google Earth integration

by Jonathon Ramsey

Audi isn't the first to add Google to its in-car information offerings. It is, however, the first to add Google Earth and then tie that in to a suite of mobile tools that will make using your navigation system almost as easy and comprehensive as using your home computer.

In the latest incarnation of Audi's Multimedia Interface (MMI), Google Earth provides a bird's-eye view of the surroundings. Then you can zoom over the landscape, choose a city to investigate and pull up its Wikipedia page. When you know where you want to go, let your finger do the typing on the touchpad to enter your destination. Follow the jump for a video of the system in action. The new A8 just got a little bit sweeter.