InCarElectronics
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Alpine introduces INE-W927-HD AV and navigation system, Pandora, Sirius and more on a 7-inch touchscreen
Got car, need entertainment. Enter Alpine's INE-W927HD mouthful of a new audio, video and navigation system. The device comes with a 7-inch touchscreen, built-in HD Radio receiver plus Bluetooth. There's also access to the popular Pandora and SiriusXM services, as well as playlist support for iOS and Android audio streaming. Alpine's heritage in this space comes through in the form of an "iPersonalize" system that tunes the sound up based on various factors including vehicle type, number of speakers and even upholstery material. How much for such options? that's $1,200 when it launches sometime this month.
QNX unveils Jeep Wrangler reference vehicle for off-road Facebookers
QNX Software has just peeled the price-sticker off a new Jeep Wrangler reference vehicle that showcases its latest "CAR 2" application platform. The hope is to show how well the system can let car manufacturers build in-vehicle entertainment and infotainment with a custom look, and lets developers create apps that look native to the vehicle. As you'd expect, there's a bunch of hands-free Facebook functionality, and novelties like sending updates about your in-car music choice, which the firm was also keen to show off. QNX ultimately hopes that this Jeep will inspire auto-makers to use the platform across different product lines, knowing that it can "fit in" with different vehicles. We just want to update our status while going 4 x 4.%Gallery-157464%
VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car
VIA is planning to get some serious mileage out of its Eden X2 processor -- in the most literal sense possible. It's now producing the AMOS-3002, a Pico-ITX-sized PC intended for in-car infotainment and other situations where an embedded PC needs to have a little more juice for media tasks. The Eden X2 in question comes in a dual-core 1GHz flavor that's completely fanless, but it's fast enough to show 1080p video (when your car is parked, we hope) and can handle more intensive work like dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, optional 3G and even a 2.5-inch hard drive. That breadbox-sized shell can also take a lot of abuse, surviving temperatures between -4F and 140F as well as 50 Gs' worth of shock. You'll have to wait until your favorite car designer or digital sign maker uses the AMOS-3002 to see it in action, but until then, you can get the full details after the break.
Audi A3 with MMI Touch gesture-based entertainment system hands-on (video)
CeBIT isn't an auto show in the traditional sense, but we are in Germany after all, so we weren't terribly surprised to see Audi roll up with a brand new car. The latest A3 made its worldwide debut today, bringing with it that wheel-based menu navigation interface we saw in its prototype phase. The touchpad sits atop the jog-wheel and shrinks things down considerably compared to the original version found in the 7-series. To keep things nice and safe, Audi devised a system that recognizes letters you draw with your finger, enabling drivers keep their eyes on the road while selecting music, making calls or setting a destination in the GPS. Also, as is apparently the norm these days, there's Facebook and Twitter integration -- the car can even read updates as you drive. If you know, you can't wait until you're parked.As you might have gathered, the A3 is a connected vehicle, with a SIM slot or Bluetooth connection providing the car's link to the outside world. It offers another curious addition, too: a "Phone Box" signal boosting system. Details are sparse, but we do know there's an external antenna that relays the signal back to the handset. That particular feature is compatible with any phone you care to toss inside, and requires a wired connection only for charging (the box itself is amplified, so anything that sits within the enclosure will reap those boosting benefits). We managed to get the first hands-on demo with the car, and you can see all those new toys in the video and galleries below.
Toyota and Samsung turn your smartphone into a second display for your ride
Toyota and Samsung are pairing up to get the latter's smartphones to work perfectly with the former's vehicles. The duo will launch Samsung Mobile Car Application to sync your Android device to the in-vehicle-infotainment (IVI) systems of modern cars. You'll be able to use voice control and improve the accuracy of your GPS by hooking it up to mobile internet. At the minute it's just an announcement, we won't see any products entering the market until the second quarter of the year. They just wanted to tease, those lovable scamps.
Alps Electric wants to wire up your car for interactivity
At first glance it might seem that Alps Electric would actually just be happy to have you crash horrifically or mow down pedestrians while trying to fiddle with one of its steering wheel-mounted touchpads. Upon closer examination, however, it seems the Japanese-based Alps just loves tech, and is content to leave the specific applications -- and their potential safety implications -- up to others. The touchpads seem like a nice addition to a car if someone can come up with low-impact UI to be controlled by them, but we're more interested in the stereo camera and human presence sensor Alps Electric wants to build into your car roof. The idea is that it allows for folks in the back seat to use gestures to control the dashboard navigation device, or AC vents to automatically point themselves at the appropriate height of the occupant. The camera and presence sensor can also be used to obtain imagery of potential car thieves. We don't know how much all this will cost, or when we'll start finding it in our cars, but in the meantime we're going to start gesticulating wildly in the backseat of vehicles and seeing if any onboard electronics notice.
