What’s the point of hitting the road for glamorous destinations if you can’t brag it up? To that end, Glympse is launching a new voice-activated location-sharing app that works with Ford SYNC-equipped vehicles. You’ll need to install it on a compatible iOS or Android smartphone, then connect to your SYNC system via Bluetooth, provided you’re one of the 5 million Ford drivers so equipped. From there, you’ll be able to share your location with contacts by saying “send a Glympse,” forewarning Grandma via Facebook or Twitter to put the pumpkin pie in the oven — without needing to take your eyes off the road or make a call. Your contacts can even go online to see a moving map presentation of your Napa Valley wine tour while they’re slaving in front of a screen — so head sideways after the break for more info.
Delphi has allied itself with Verizon to launch a new Vehicle Diagnostics service. It works through a cloud system that connects your four-wheeler to your smartphone (or internet browser), showing precisely where your car is, as well as options to secure it and check its vitals. Delphi promises the new system will work in most vehicles sold in the US since 1996 and users can pick up alerts for driving and vehicle performance issues, as well as setup geo-fences to monitor if your car goes outside specified zones. Connecting your phone to the car is done through Bluetooth and adds access to key fob commands including remote door control. The compatible smartphone app will arrive on devices running Android 2.2 or later and iOS 5.0 onwards, while the Delphi Web portal works on Internet Explorer 7, with Firefox, Chrome and Safari versions still in the works.
Korean car-maker Kia is set to give its UVO eServices telematics a huge shot in the arm, teaming up with Google to offer its next-generation navigation system. The new setup will debut in this year’s Sorento CUV, which is scheduled to arrive in Q1. Kia’s updated (once Microsoft-assisted) UVO system will allow users to send directions and locales from their smartphone (or the web) to your new ride. Baked-in Google Places will also inform you of your nearest dealership (even when you’re already in that new Kia) while existing music management, hands-free features and improved voice recognition will all be wrapped into the same interface. Kia explains it all in the full press release after the break.
This year the automotive world really stepped it up when it comes to technological breakthroughs, especially when it came to connecting to drivers’ personal mobile devices. What we’ve seen was everything from integration of mobile chipsets into automobile systems to wireless connectivity to smartphones from many of the top car and truck brands across the spectrum. Have a peek at some of the highlights in our 2012 run-down right this minute!
Note: the following set of vehicles and technology is in no particular order – the innovations we’re seeing this year are essentially all groundbreaking as we’re seeing the dawn of the mobile connectivity age in auto right before our eyes!
Audi A6: Google Maps, NVIDIA Tegra SoC, Bang and Olufsen audio
Back in January of this year we heard direct from Audi that they’d be teaming up with NVIDIA to bring the Tegra 3 quad-core mobile chipset to their automotive lineup. The Audi A6 took the opportunity to work with that processor and bust out a lovely touchscreen panel with 3D Google Earth views that the pilot is able to control on the fly. There’s also a touchpad where you can write commands to the vehicle one letter at a time as well as voice controls for next-generation control.
This machine works with Bang & Olufsen audio to keep your beats strong, and Audi assures the user that they’ve got plans for upgradeable entertainment and graphics modules as well. Keep an eye on our Tegra Portal to see NVIDIA continue working to bring high-powered processing to the market!
Tesla Model S: the year’s most infamous electric vehicle
The Tesla Model S has been in the news for months upon months now, gaining a spot up at the top of the “best of 2012″ lists for auto publications galore here near the end of the year. This machine is the flagship of the Tesla fleet and works with a collection of massive battery options – have at its birth the longest range of any electric vehicle on the planet.
This machine works with a beastly 17-inch capacitive touch LCD display with built-in navigation (with seven years of free updates if you pick the right package) and connection to a high-definition rear-view camera. This machine is shifting the way we work with cars here in the now, an essential cog in the machine that drives us toward an all-electric vehicle set for humanity.
Fisker Karma: a lot of bad press for a radical plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan
What we saw with the Fisker Karma this year was nothing short of a negative press nightmare with two major recalls, one starting in December of 2011 and reverberating through the press through 2012, the other logged in August of 2012. The first recall was for a battery fire risk caused by coolant leakage, the second was for a faulty cooling fan unit. Then there were several fires, one of them in May in Fort Bend County, Texas, another in August in Woodside, California. After a single vehicle model has more than a couple incidents with it such as these, the press tends to pick up even the most minor incident – the result was that this futuristic beast had a lot more “negative” visibility than it did positive in 2012.
On the other hand, Fisker hasn’t fallen to the press. They’re bringing on the Fisker Atlantic EV early in the year and a new $100 million dollar investment round in September. They’ve also got plans for a less expensive vehicle by the name of Fisker Atlantic which will be appearing no sooner than 2014.
BMW 3 Series and friends: packed tight with technological mainstays
The folks at BMW have brought on a fabulous mix of high-tech features to not just their 3 Series and X3 SUVs, but the BMW X1 Crossover [check out our full review here] as well, most notably with the iconic center control station you see in the photo below. BMW comes correct on more than one model this year with blind spot detection, heads-up displays, lane departure warnings, and both rear and side parking cameras so you’ll never miss that rambunctious pet of yours.
BMW brings on adaptive cruise control, auto-high-beams, and internet integration with your center stack display – you’ll want to pick up a brand new 3 Series or X3 SUV for every single one of these features should you pick up the right package. It’s not going to come on cheap, but BMW created some of the most impressive packages the whole year long.
Ford Focus: an affordable line of forward-thinking vehicles for the whole family
The Ford Focus lineup includes several lovely little beasts pumped full of technological features, including the hatchback, the sedan, Focus ST with EcoBoost engine, C-Max station wagon / MPV coming in two iterations (hybrid and plug-in hybrid), and the fabulous Focus Electric. These vehicles each have their own fabulous feature high-marks like electric power-assist steering, iPod jacks, Bluetooth wireless connectivity to your smartphone, and parking sonar.
With Ford’s parking sonar technology ties up with electric power-assist steering to bring on automated self-parking and brings on cross-traffic alerts as well. You can upgrade your Focus in several cases with on-screen navigation, and there’s a bit of brand Ford brought forward that’ll place a smile on the faces of parents everywhere: MyKey. With MyKey, parents are able to limit how fast a Focus can stop, the on/off and volume of the vehicle’s audio system, and crash notifications via the web.
We also got a hands-on look at the AT&T-branded MyFord Mobile app for the 2012 Ford Focus Electric earlier this year that you’re going to be able to have a peek at below. This app works on iOS and Android and allows you to jump right into the guts of your vehicle without even being in the same neighborhood – hot stuff!
Nissan Altima: it’s got two display size options, sure, but it’s really all about the tires
The Nissan Altima works with either a 5 or 7-inch display ready to work with your tunes and your backup camera. This display allows you to work with Pandora radio, Google-powered local destination alerts, text messages, and more – though for some of these items you’ll need a connected smartphone. You’ve also got blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings, and moving object detection too. This machine also packs a simple AUX-in port that every modern vehicle should so you can connect your MP3 player or smartphone with a simple headphone-sized audio cord right out of the box.
The most instant-win technology you’ll get on this line is Easy Fill. With the technology known as Easy Fill, you fill your tires up with air until the vehicle beeps once when you’re near the correct pressure, then again when you’re there. Extremely simple feature that we’re certain most people would love to have.
Toyota Prius: a hero for the hybrid class gets a big tech upgrade
This year the Toyota Prius blasted forth once again with the new highest-mpg on the road along with the all-new Entune music and smartphone connectivity system. The Prius line carrying Entune works with your Entune account, your compatible smartphone connecting with the official Entune app and Bluetooth (or USB) with apps galore. Bing brings you local points of interest, as does OpenTable – dinner reservations too, Pandora and iheartradio bring on the runes, and MovieTickets.com allows you to pick up tickets for the next big blockbuster from your center console.
Entune also brings on local Fuel Prices, Stocks, Sports, Traffic, and Weather information too – and of course Entune isn’t limited to the Prius, it’s hit quite a few of Toyota’s 2012 and 2013 models. The Prius line is coming forth with Bluetooth and USB jack standard from now through the foreseeable future, too, Toyota making such connections an expected feature in cars across the industry (so it is expected).
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: geofencing, smartphone connectivity, and a massive display up front
Earlier this year we had a test drive of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and had a peek at its futuristic insides. This machine brings on an 8-inch color LCD touchscreen with full navigation integration. This vehicle’s system includes Bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone for music streaming as well as an iPhone app for remote start, locking, and unlocking. You’ve also got the option to “geofence” this vehicle digitally, setting physical limits for where this vehicle can drive – drive too far and the whole vehicle shuts down.
2013 Cadillac ATS: with the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) in full effect
We had a close-up peek at the CUE in our 2013 Cadillac ATS Review – it was clear basically immediately that the high-quality interior on this machine was right in step with the competition, starting with its 8-inch capacitive touchscreen and running right through to USB and SD card compatibility. Have a peek at the hands-on video with CUE and feel the excellence in informatics and entertainment – Bluetooth connectivity with up to 10 devices included as well.
This machine works with physical buttons galore as well, pushing information to another 5.7-inch display in the instrument cluster and a heads-up display as well. The audio in this machine works with Bose technology, including a noise-cancellation system to reduce road and engine noise while you’re jamming at high speed.
Kia Soul (Eclaim!): bringing the Microsoft UVO Infotainment System to the great outdoors
The Kia Soul comes in several different spec models, as many fine modern vehicles do: our Kia Soul Review from earlier this year went by the name !, or Exclaim! This machine brought on the Microsoft-powered “UVO Infotainment System.” This system works with a 7-inch touchscreen in this case, bringing on Bluetooth stereo, USB and aux-in connections for your smartphone, and voice control. You can work with Sirius XM satellite radio right out the gate, and of course there’s a back-up camera so you’ll be in-line with governmental regulations for many years to come.
Mazda CX-5: with SKYACTIV, this machine may well be the best competition future-friendly electric batteries have
This machine takes on the hybrid and all-electric competition with Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology, combining “weight reduction, efficiency improvement and design rethinking”, as our Mazda CX-5 Review mentions right up front. This machine also works with three-stage heated front seats, rear-view mirror auto-dimming, and of course, a 5.8-inch LCD display. This display is touch friendly (provided you get the right package) as well as TomTom-powered GPS navigation.
Wireless connectivity with your smartphone is provided by Bluetooth and syncing allows you to access you contacts and make a call from the vehicle’s touchscreen. There’s a controller down by your parking break called the Multimedia Commander that you can use to scroll through selections on your touchscreen – or you can just use the generally OK voice command system via the dedicated activation button on the vehicle’s steering wheel.
Wrap-up
SlashGear will continue to be your source for the top technology coverage in automotive through the future with many more high-powered vehicle reviews to come in 2013. Be sure to check out our monstrous [Car Portal] to see the futuristic automobile segment from any angle you do so choose, top to bottom, and get pumped up about the connections you’re about to make!
This week the folks at Hyundai have previewed a concept vehicle system in which you’ll be able to use your smartphone to unlock your vehicle with a physical tap. This system uses NFC tags to make the connection between your smartphone and your vehicle, taking away the need for you to use a key at all, whatsoever. This system is called “Connectivity Concept” quite simply at the moment and is being previewed at the moment only at the manufacturer’s European headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany – but we’re expecting more up close and personal looks here in the USA soon.
This concept is being shown on the manufacturer’s New Generation i30, using Near Field Communication to make the connection. Your smartphone makes the vehicle unlock its doors and is then placed in a center console in the vehicle for further use. Once you’re connected within, you’ve got a 7-inch touchscreen to work with up front on the dash where you’re able to access music, phone contacts, radio, and phone settings.
This system also works with wireless charging, this we must assume being compatible with all of the new devices that are working with said technology including the Nokia Lumia 920 and friends, the HTC DROID DNA (and Butterfly), and the LG Nexus 4. Of course it’s no guarantee, and the device they’re using in the demonstration thus far is none of these, but we can dream!
Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Hyundai Motor Europe, noted the following about the system as it stands today:
“Hyundai’s Connectivity Concept showcases the brand’s philosophy of making tomorrow’s technology accessible to a wide range of customers. With this technology, Hyundai is able to harness the all-in-one functionality of existing smartphone technology and integrating it into everyday driving in a seamless fashion. As the technology continually develops there will be capabilities to store driver’s seating positions and exterior mirror settings, providing customers with a comfortable and individual driving environment.” – Rushforth
This system works with MirrorLink technology for wireless connectivity and also makes it known that Hyundai is working in a joint development agreement with Broadcom Corporation to make this all possible. We’ll be seeing more of this action soon!
The dedicated car phone may be a thing of the past, but the in-car hotspot is becoming increasingly common. BMW isn’t shy when it comes to in-vehicle tech, so the fact that it’s launching its own solution should come as no surprise. We initially heard about the ConnectedDrive LTE integration back in summer, but now it looks like it’s almost here. The BMW Car Hotspot LTE is essentially a purpose-built WiFi router that houses an LTE SIM (it also supports 3G and EDGE). It’s compatible with any BMW with a telephone docking station and allows connections from up to eight client devices. Authentication can be done via code entry or NFC (or there’s WPS too). Rather than just rebranding an LTE dongle, the system is designed to integrate with the vehicle’s aerial for better signal, while the dock keeps it charged. As you might surmise, this does indeed mean there is an internal battery, making it useful beyond the confines of the automobile too (for about an hour according to the car maker). No official word on price or release, but it’s suggested it’ll be landing in Europe as soon as this week.
I like to think that I’m pretty plugged into retro geek culture, but I have to hand it to the guys over at You Found a Secret Area! for turning up something I’ve not seen before – a series of Atari 2600-themed cars from Hot Wheels. Oh, and you can still buy them!
The 1/64th scale die-cast vehicle series is packaged on cards that look like classic Atari 2600 games, including Breakout, Centipede, Pong, Missile Command, and Tempest. There’s even an Atari 2600 party bus (aka Urban Assault Vehicle) for good measure. I’m not sure if the vehicles really make much sense, but they’re still an awesome bit of swag for any collector of Atari 2600 memorabilia. My personal favorite has to be the Centipede monster machine – it totally reminds me of the 1970s with its funny car styling and giant exhaust headers.
Here are a bunch of detailed video shots of each vehicle, courtesy of Hot Wheels Nation:
You can find them over on Amazon for $9.99(USD) each. But you’d better move fast before they all become as hard to find as a copy of Air Raid.
Black boxes on cars aren’t entirely new. Last year, we wrote to you about a new plan initiated by federal officials to use black boxes on all cars. Well, after months of waiting, it seems that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is on the verge of implementing the use of event data recorders, also called black boxes, in new vehicles. The White House Office of Management Budget has recently reviewed and approved the said proposal. This means that it is now up to the NHTSA to finalize the standard. (more…)
The notion of tracking cars for insurance purposes tends to polarize us: it’s either a technical marvel that gives an honest appraisal of how we drive, or a dystopian nightmare that makes it impossible to have a little fun without a large bill. MetroMile is banking on more of us taking the optimistic view. It claims to have the first ‘true’ pay-per-mile car insurance, and combines a fixed base fee with mileage derived from a tracking device attached to a given vehicle. Weekend drivers can theoretically save 20 to 50 percent, and any customer can see detailed analytics online. The catch, of course, is having to be comfortable with an insurer as a silent copilot. MetroMile is careful to note that it’s only watching mileage — it doesn’t care if motorists swing by the racetrack or across the border. Provided that they’re happy with relaying a piece of their driving experience to outsiders, Oregonians can sign up for MetroMile’s experiment today; who knows, it might just pay off.
Many automakers are testing the waters by introducing all-electric vehicles to consumers at this year’s LA Auto Show, but Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV Evolution aims to stomp with the big dogs in the world of competitive racing. Taking second place at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, this juiced up carbon-fiber speedster pushes around 322HP from its three 80KW electric motors and packs a 35KWh lithium-ion battery. While it seems the Evo should be chasing after the Mach 5 and it looks like it came from Pops Racer’s garage, many of its components come from its predecessor, with the exception of its all-wheel drive configuration. Speed past the break to get a closer look at this battery-powered brute in all of its manga inspired glory.
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Black boxes on cars aren’t entirely new. Last year, we wrote to you about
