That is obviously no good, and specifically, the problem centers around faulty park lock cables and warped steering column lock actuator gears. If your car is affected by the issue, it means you could potentially shift your car from park without the key in the ignition or without pressing the brake pedal while the key is in the off position. This in turn could lead to a very bad day, and to make matters worse, this problem seems to affect a number of different models.

The 2013 Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT are the cars from Cadillac that could potentially be affected by this flaw. For Chevrolet, we’re looking at the 2013 Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe. Finally, GMC cars affected by this defect include the Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL. A total of 55,000 of these vehicles are currently in the US, while 6,310 are in Canada, 670 are in Mexico, and the remaining 7,084 are exports.

Despite this potentially dangerous flaw, there is some good news in that GM hasn’t had any reports of injuries or crashes. The company also says that only 1 in 1,000 of the recalled cars are believed to be affected by this issue, and that most of them are still on dealer lots or on the way to dealers. Affected cars that are still with dealers will be fixed before being sold off, while GM will be sending out letters to owners starting January 22. GM will replace the flawed steering columns at no cost to the owners.

[via Reuters]

The company has announced that they’re dropping the cookie-cutter approach to the interiors and exteriors of its full-size SUVs and pickup trucks, beginning with the redesigned 2014 models. We already took a look at the 2014 Silverado and Sierra from Chevrolet and GMC, respectively, but it looks like 2014 SUVs, like the Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon, will look a bit different this time around.

Chris Hilts, creative manager of interior design at General Motors, says that in the past, the company has “shared SUV and truck interiors. That is not the case going forward.” When the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Suburban, the GMC Yukons, and the Cadillac Escalades get their redesigns for 2014, they’ll be getting their own instrument panels, consoles, instrumentation, knobs, materials, and other design elements.

Previously, the Escalades and Yukons shared similar door panels, but since these two vehicles have different prices ranges that cater towards different types of people, GM thought it was necessary to finally give each of their SUVs a unique look that differentiated from one another. Essentially, GM says that a 2014 Silverado and a 2014 Tahoe will look completely different, and won’t have similar qualities that the two vehicles have shared for so long.

[via Car and Driver]

Curiosity showed us today what the night sky looks like from the surface of Mars (spoiler alert: it’s pretty awesome), while PlayOn has provided Wii U users with 45 Internet video channels. The Windows 8 store is now accepting PEGI 18 games, and New York City Taxi apps have been approved for a pilot test program. Both the 2014 GMC Sierra and the 2014 Chevy Silverado were revealed today, and both are sporting new MyLink and IntelliLink technology.

Pudding Monsters got its first gameplay video today, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II players are in for yet another double XP weekend. We found out this afternoon that Samsung’s president uses Apple products, and that the Hitman HD Trilogy will be launching in the US and Europe next year. The Humble THQ Bundle has closed with more than $5 million raised, and there’s a new Borderlands 2 patch that fixes the rank reset problem on Xbox 360. A very ridiculous sounding rumor pegs Intel with a desire to buy NVIDIA, while Kingston has launched a new 128GB Wi-Drive for Android and iOS devices.

Finally tonight, we have to urge you to check our new original posts. We take Apple Maps and Google Maps with us to the airport to see which one performs better, while Chris Burns delivers his review of the new iOS Google Maps app and Chris Davies tells us what he thinks of the HTC Windows Phone 8S. That does it for tonight’s evening wrap-up, we hope you enjoy the rest of your night folks!

The Silverado’s newly integrated MyLink system offers connections to menus and media sources of your choice – iPods, Bluetooth-enabled smartphones of all kinds and apps like Pandora internet radio. The new Chevy Silverado offers as many as five USB ports for charging and connecting your devices as well as a 110-volt outlet and a 12-volt outlet too. This MyLink system can be operated with the available touchscreen interface or with “large, clearly labeled knobs” – or with integrated steering wheel controls – your choice!

This system is able to store up to 60 favorite elements, this including “radio stations (AM/FM/XM), contacts, destinations, music and other media.” You can connect up to 10 devices at once, and voice recognition controls with MyLink provide as on-time a collection of abilities to control as you could ask for. Voice recognition software with MyLink offers customers the ability to place calls, enter destinations, browse media, and play music at will.

Meanwhile the 2014 GMC Sierra brings forth the technology known as IntelliLink. This new brand brings on a high-definition eight-inch color touchscreen with a reconfigurable layout and much of the connectivity offered in the vehicle above. You can connect with all-new map displays, Bluetooth for connectivity to your smartphone, and of course a Pandora app to boot. Voice commands are also included in this release, allowing you to control your vehicles infotainment system with ease.

Both of these vehicles work with Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning, too. These systems work with a camera embedded in the windshield that’s able to “study the road ahead” in order to alert drivers of incoming dangers. This system is able to be paired with the segment’s own Active Safety Seat, a feature which sends vibraions through the seat on one side or the other, this directing the driver’s attention in the direction it needs to go.

Upon first glance, you’ll probably notice a familiar, yet slightly upgraded look to the headlights and grille. It’s very similar to the last generation, where the headlights are still relatively square-shaped, and the grille is basically one large rectangle with thick chrome trimming, but the headlights on the new Sierra have upgraded to LEDs, as well as holding in regular lamps.

However, one of the biggest changes is the interior, with a new steering wheel and a redesigned dashboard and center console. One of the biggest game changers, though, is that these new trucks will come with heated cloth seats, and it’ll be the first time that a pickup truck will come with this option, according to GM.

The Silverado will have two V8 engines to choose from (a 5.3 and 6.2 liter), and a brand new 4.3-Liter V6 that’s based on the V8 motor. There are no turbochargers or anything too fancy, but they do have cylinder deactivation and direct injection to maximize fuel economy — similar to what last-generation GM trucks have.

This is all connected to a six-speed automatic transmission, and GM is estimating around 17 MPG combined as far as fuel economy is concerned. This isn’t too stellar overall, but it’s certainly not bad for a HD pickup truck. If you’re wondering about power ratings, they aren’t out yet, but we’d expect improvements across the board.

General Motors also operates Buick, which has cars and a couple SUV models. General Motors has outlined its product scheduled for both GMC and Buick over the next 12 months. The two brands have six new brand models that are being teased at the same time that will be debuting sometime in the next 12 months.

The six new models include a new Buick Regal, a new Buick LaCrosse, a new GMC Yukon, a new GMC Sierra HD truck, a new GMC Sierra truck, and a new GMC Yukon XL. Those GMC truck models are copies of Chevrolets as I mentioned before.

GMC is also planning to bring the Canyon mid-size truck back as a new model, but it’s not listed among the new versions debuting in the next 12 months. The new GMC vehicles will mean that the oldest GMC and Buick models will only date back to 2010 making both brands full of new designs. I wish Buick would bring back an exciting car like the Grand National from the 80s.

[via Motoward]

The technology will also indicate other things in the GMC vehicles such as vehicle warnings, outside temperature, turn signal activation, and radio information. The driver can adjust the position on the windshield, the display can be dimmed or brightened, and can be turned off. GMC says that the HUD was designed as part of the instrument panel.

The GMC system uses a series of mirrors and a display screen to project the HUD on the windshield. Some of the challenges the GMC facing getting the HUD to work and look good included the need to overcome various obstacles such as the seemingly simple task of making a square look square when it is projected onto a curved surface. HUD’s and then offer is accessories and some vehicles for a long time, but they weren’t always discreetly integrated into the vehicle in the manner GMC has accomplished. Check out the video to learn more.

This sounds a lot like the Ford Sync system in most Ford vehicles. GMC says that the IntelliLink home screen can be configured by the driver with the icons they want. It has icons built-in for Pandora and Stitcher streaming via smartphones. The system should work pretty much like Ford Sync since it, and IntelliLink are powered by Nuance.

The voice control system also uses the Gracenote media database to provide album art and artist information. This also allows people to find content using nicknames such as “The Boss” and others. IntelliLink’s integration of Gracenote is the first to provide track data via Bluetooth streaming rather than having to have the device plugged into the USB port.

“Gracenote is typically limited to devices plugged in to the USB port,” he said. “With IntelliLink, we are the first company to run Bluetooth streaming audio through the Gracenote database to display album art for music players connected wirelessly.”