Ford doesn't sell self-driving cars - yet. But some of the associated technology has begun to creep into its commercially available vehicles. Its latest premium SUV, the Ford Escape Titanium, boasts automated brakes that kick in without any input from the driver when it senses an incoming collision. Terrifyingly, we got behind the wheel to test out this feature for ourselves. Here is the video.

The main aim of a hackathon is to build a basic app in a limited period of time, but your success can have as much to do with your final presentation as with the quality of your code. Here are ten tips to maximise the impact of that slideshow and demonstration.

Over the weekend, Ford hosted a 'hackathon' to encourage developers to utilise its in-car SYNC system, which launches in Australia next April. This video shows demos of all the apps built at the hackathon, covering everything from finding cheap fuel to tracking tradie jobs and logging vehicle travel.

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers including: $100 million earmarked for mobile phone blackspots if Coalition gains power, SMASH cosplay highlights, the 10 hardest logic puzzles ever created.

Ford made the unfortunate but not unexpected decision last night to shutter its Australian manufacturing operations. A by-product of the announcement is the death of a great Australian motor car: the Ford Falcon. This iconic car has quite a history in Australia, but does that make the car an instant classic? Should you buy one now to profit from it in future?