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Drivers of GM vehicles will be able to control car features via smartphone

Drivers of most 2011 General Motors Co. vehicles will be able to use a smartphone to carry out functions usually found on a key fob -- such as remote starting, activating the horn and lights, and remote locking and unlocking of doors. Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC, working through OnStar, are developing brand-specific mobile applications than can be controlled on Apple's iPhone and phones using Google's Android operating system.

One Lap of the Web: Happy birthday, John DeLorean, a legally imported Nissan Skyline, Amphicar for sale and the Righini Collection

-- Bust out the candles: American success story, visionary futurist and import/export whiz John DeLorean was born this day in 1925. Everyone knows about his battle to launch the DeLorean Motor Company, but the man behind the stainless-steel legend had a long career as a brilliant engineer that included time at Chrysler, Packard and General Motors. And while we might not all be driving DeLoreans today, we're still talking about both the man and the company -- which is pretty impressive when you think about it.

Lexus gets new focus

Battered by recalls and public inquisitions, Toyota is hoping to restore its once-pristine image with new hybrid products and a renewed focus on Lexus. Lexus increasingly will be positioned as a “global premium brand,” the company said on Wednesday, and see improved styling, more hybrids and better service. The brand's sales have fallen 9 percent this year, to 26,674 in the United States.