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Tracking Device

Last year, 20-year-old Yasir Afifi found this GPS tracker on his car while undergoing a routine oil change (imgur via khaledthegypsy, Reddit).

Washington DC police thought they had a good idea when they attached a global-positioning-system (GPS) device on the car of a suspected drug dealer in order to more effectively tail him and find his "safe house" stash.

The police did, in fact, nail DC nightclub owner Antoine Jones. But the Supreme Court this week sided with the Appeals court that over-turned Jones's conviction on the grounds that police need to first obtain a search warrant before attaching such a device.

The decision by the high court was unanimous, a relative rarity for this court that is usually politically divided. But the decision also opens up questions, legal scholars and some of the justices believe, about whether law enforcement will be allowed to track suspects by homing in on their cellphone with or without a warrant.

View Gallery: GPS Tracking Devices

Judge Samuel Alito addressed the cell-phone issue in his opinion asserting that the most basic cellphone can be located by coordinating signals received by different towers. That would cover more than 322 million cellphones, he noted. Advanced smart-phones often contain GPS devices that can be more accurately tapped for a user's location – Apple, for example, allows a user of its new iCloud system to precisely locate a phone that might have been lost or stolen.

"It may be necessary to reconsider" whether simply carrying a cellphone means a citizen "has no reasonable expectation of privacy," at least when it comes to disclosing one's location, added the court's newest member, Sonia Sotomayor.

The decision should also open new questions about whether police can tap into GPS systems installed on cars, such as General Motors' OnStar system. In an episode of Hawaii Five-O on CBS, a show in which GM has had a vehicle integration deal, the Hawaii police literally caught a criminal by honing in on his OnStar. Before that, character Tony Soprano in HBOs The Sopranos, ordered that all the GPS stuff be ripped out of a new GM SUV to avoid having the FBI use it to track his movements. The idea is already very much in the pop culture.

Man Accused of Stealing Police Car During Traffic Stop

William Blankenship III, speaking in an interview (Chicago Sun-Times).

"The media made me look horrible, and I am not a horrible person," William Blankenship III said in a recent interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. "I am a family man ... with a full-time job, a house and a car."

Earlier this month, Blankenship was handcuffed in the back of a police car and accused of drug possession -- a crime he says he did not commit.

While driving to do some mechanical work for a friend in northern Indiana, he said he made an unexpected stop to use the bathroom at a Family Express, at which a police officer pulled up with his lights flashing.

Blankenship figured it was a routine traffic stop until the officer asked to search the car. After he agreed, Blankenship was placed in handcuffs and told to wait near the police car. After a few minutes, the officer told him he found drugs and paraphernalia.

Blankenship told the officer found he had never seen the contraband before, except a small scale often used for measuring and weighing drugs.

"He told me that what he found could put me away for life," he said in the interview. "But what he found I have never seen before in my life."

His mind raced while he sat handcuffed in the back of the police car. As he thought about his wife and newborn child, the 22-year-old hopped into the driver's seat of the police cruiser and took off while the officer underwent a more thorough inspection of Blankenship's car.

The joyride started a two-day-long ordeal that made headlines around the country after he radioed the police station asking for keys to the handcuffs and a cigarette lighter.

Blankenship was eventually caught and now stands accused of auto theft, criminal mischief, fleeing law enforcement and escape.

"Under circumstances of great stress I have made, in the past, poor decisions. I will admit that," he said. "But I wanted to see my wife and child again."

Men or Women?

Surveillance of parking lots across Great Britain has shown, contrary to popular belief, women are better at parking than men.

A comprehensive parking study took seven different parking styles into account and drew some interesting conclusions. Women are higher-quality parkers although they take longer to park, according to the footage. They were better at finding spaces, more accurate in lining themselves up to enter a space and more likely to use driving instructors' preferred method of backing into spaces.

Men, on the other hand, were found to be more efficient and displayed more confidence, but less accurate when parking. Because they were less likely to reposition, they ended up more askew in their spots.

Niel Beeson, the driving instructor who designed the experiment, said he found the results surprising.

"In my experience men have always been the best learners and usually performed better in lessons," he said. "However, it's possible that women have retained the information better. The results also appear to dispel the myth that men have better spatial awareness than women."

The score sheet

Car park firm NCP produced the study, during which researchers observed 2,500 drivers across 700 different parking lots.

Seven aspects of a person's parking job were scored and a final tally produced a "parking coefficient" for men and women.

All in all, the study found that women were slower to park, but, because they took their time, were ultimately better parkers. Fifty-two percent of women ended up in the middle of their respective spot, compared with only 25 percent of men. Additionally, 39 percent of women backed into spaces -- the expert recommendation -- compared with 28 percent of men.

Interestingly, the study also showed that men were more likely to "pose park," meaning that when driving with a female companion, they were more likely to choose a smaller parking space in order to show off.

Women scored 13.4 points out of 20 overall, compared to 12.3 points for men.

The results contradict a previous study from Britain's Driving Standards Agency that showed tens of thousands more women fail the parking portion of their driving exam than men.

"It shows that us men need to give our partners more respect when it comes to parking. The facts don't lie," Beeson said.

Best March Deals

Click here to see the details on the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid finance deal (Hyundai)

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If you are like a lot of consumers, you are finally getting off the couch and into a new car, SUV or truck. Surveys show consumers are showing more confidence in the economy, and shopping sites like AOL Autos for their new ride.

March has some very good finance options. Popular SUVs like the Buick Enclave, Ford Escape and Chevrolet Traverse can be had for low APR rates. And given the current state of gas prices, consumers will be happy to find solid deals on fuel-efficient cars like the Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Volkswagen Jetta and Mazda2.

Of course, these are just a few options. Click below to see our complete list of the best finance deals of the month.

> In Pictures: 15 Great March Finance Deals

Popular mid-size cars from automakers Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Kia all have some tantalizing incentives as they try to stay towards the top of the hotly contested segment.

Big incentives are also being placed on some of the more gas-thirsty SUVs due to rising fuel prices. In order to ease the financial pain of owning a bigger vehicle, automakers are slashing rates. If you're in need of a family hauler, take a good look at the Ford Escape and Chevrolet Traverse, as both are coming with a 0% APR for 60 months for the month of March.

As the weather (slowly) heats up, so do the deals. But make sure to take advantage of them soon, as they'll be gone before you know it.

Select The Vehicles Below And View The Incentive:

AOL Autos Best Finance Deals
Hyundai Accent	Volkswagen Jetta	Chevrolet Malibu	Buick Enclave	Chevrolet Traverse
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid	Kia Optima	Mazda2	Subaru Forester	Chevrolet Avalanche
Volkswagen Eos	Honda Accord	Nissan 370Z	Ford F-150	Ford Escape

This Month's Editor's Pick: 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Gas prices are very high right now and they're sure to be affecting everyone's behavior at least a little bit.

The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid should help alleviate that pain a little bit without sacrificing the many benefits of a midsize sedan, such as lots of interior and cargo room, great standard tech and safety features and a nice, smooth ride.

The Sonata Hybrid is powered by a 2.4-liter Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder engine and powerful electric motor that combine to produce 206-hp. The power is sent through a six-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels. Traction control, stability control, anti-lock brakes, anti-whiplash front head restraints and more, all combine to ensure occupant safety. The exterior features unique Hybrid only alloy wheels and chrome grille. Interior features include a power driver seat with lumbar, unique metal-grain trim, Supervision instrumentation and dual-zone automatic climate control.

Right now, you can score a 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and get $500 bonus cash PLUS 0.9% financing for 36 months or 1.9% financing for 48 months. Not bad.

Subaru

Autohaus-Vick is your Subaru repair and service experts.
With our many years of Subaru repair experience, Autohaus-Vick will keep your Subaru running smoothly, with excellent Subaru service and value.
Subaru recommends different levels of service at regular mileage intervals. Our staff of ASE-certified technicians keep up-to-date on all Subaru service techniques and schedules and can address both regular service and Subaru repair issues that occur unexpectedly.

Acura

Autohaus-Vick is your Acura repair and service experts.
With our many years of Acura repair experience, Autohaus-Vick will keep your Acura running smoothly, with excellent Acura service and value.
Since 2007, all Acura vehicles came equipped with a maintenance minder system. This system calculates the life of the engine oil, transmission fluid, air and micron filters, coolant, spark plugs, timing belt, and rear differential fluid. The computer determines the life of each item based upon the driving conditions of the vehicle. The system then shows codes on a display for the driver telling them that service is needed. Whether you have an older model Acura that doesn’t use the maintenance minder system, or a new one that has shown you a service code, our staff of ASE-certified technicians and service advisors can advise you on the Acura repair service you need.

Honda

Autohaus-Vick is your Honda repair and service experts.
With over 30 years of Honda repair experience, Autohaus-Vick will keep your Honda running smoothly, with excellent Honda service and value.
Since 2007, all Honda vehicles came equipped with a maintenance minder system. This system calculates the life of the engine oil, transmission fluid, air and micron filters, coolant, spark plugs, timing belt, and rear differential fluid. The computer determines the life of each item based upon the driving conditions of the vehicle. The system then shows codes on a display for the driver telling them that service is needed. Whether you have an older model Honda that doesn’t use the maintenance minder system, or a new one that has shown you a service code, our staff of ASE-certified technicians and service advisors can advise you on the Honda repair service you need.