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Kia Optima Hybrid. Photo: Kia media website. If you've been waiting anxiously to be able to control your Kia from an Alexa-powered Amazon device, your moment has arrived. Kia Motors America announced on Monday that they have added the ability to remotely control a number of functions, such as starting and stopping the engine or heating and cooling car interiors, using simple voice commands. The new features are enhancements of Kia's UVO Skill system, UVO being an acronym for "Your Voice." UVO Skill also allows owners to lock doors, sound the horn and flash the lights, and start and stop charging a Kia plug-in or electric vehicle.

Wankel Rotary Engine architecture (left) compared to LiquidPiston Rotary "X" Engine. Remember the Wankel Rotary Engine that powered the Mazda RX-7? Today, the original Mazda RX-7 power plant continues to have a devoted cult following of enthusiasts, even though it never achieved wide commercial success. That said, Mazda did continue producing rotary engine cars until 2012, the last one being the RX-8, and plans to release its next rotary engine next year , according to Fox News. Meanwhile, LiquidPiston Inc., an  advanced internal combustion engine technology company based in Bloomfield, CT, has other plans for a new engineering approach to the rotary engine. The company envisions its Rotary "X" engine as a better alternative for range extension in electric vehicles and hybrids.