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VW teams with Mobvoi to make in-car AI less terrible
As a general rule, in-car voice assistants are... lackluster. Unless you rely on a smartphone tie-in like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you're left with stiff voice commands and limited features. Volkswagen wants to do better. It's forming a joint venture with Mobvoi (yes, the smartwatch maker) that will push toward greater use of AI in cars. The two are planning to develop and sell technology that makes use of Mobvoi's voice recognition and search tech to streamline your driving experience. This includes products that are already on the market -- it's as much about reaching a wider audience as it is VW's long-term future.
Cadillac's cars are getting smart rearview mirrors next year
Hey, Nissan: you won't be the only big automaker with a camera-equipped rearview mirror next year. Cadillac has revealed that its future cars are getting a smart mirror that shows a 1,280 x 240 view of what's behind you without passengers or roof pillars getting in the way. You can flip between the camera's perspective and a conventional mirror at the drop of a hat, and the system is designed to both give you a wide view and hold up in harsh weather. It sounds cool (if familiar), but you'll be patient if you want a Caddy with this extra safety measure in place. The mirror will first be available when the CT6 launches in late 2015, and it could be a while longer before it spreads to other models.
So what is it like to drive with Nissan's Smart rearview mirror?
Despite all the changes going on in automobiles lately, one thing that's remained pretty consistent in every car I've driven has been the rearview mirror. We can check that one off now though, now that I've taken a test drive in a Nissan Rogue equipped with the new Smart rearview mirror. Due to roll out on the company's cars in North America next year, it's a simple augmentation that combines a traditional mirror with a video screen. Flipping the dimmer switch usually meant for night driving drops you into video camera mode, with a feed streamed directly from a 1.3MP camera mounted in the trunk that drops out the usual blockages from the car's interior for a clear view of what's behind you. Back up cameras are already common -- and highly necessary if you have my (lack of) parallel parking skills -- but is it time to change out something that's worked pretty well for the last century or so?
Nissan's camera-equipped rearview mirror provides a clear view in low light
Rearview mirrors aren't always as useful as you might like -- bright headlights, weather or a basketball team in the back seats can make it tough to see what's behind you. None of those should be a problem once Nissan's new Smart rearview mirror reaches cars, though. The peripheral blends a traditional mirror with both an LCD and a rear camera that compensates for bad lighting. Flick a switch and the camera system takes over, giving you a clear view of traffic no matter the road conditions. The smart mirror will first show up in the ZEOD RC Le Mans racer, and Nissan plans to make it an option for everyday cars starting with Japan this spring. Drivers worldwide will get it in 2015. That's just the start of the automaker's plans, however. Since the smart mirror is as effective as a large rear window, Nissan expects the technology to influence car design; you may see more aerodynamic vehicles now that there's less need for glass.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Rear View Mirror
The Mac App Store is full of useful apps, but it's also full of pretty silly little ones. Today's Daily Mac App is a mix of both. Rear View Mirror, is an app that helps you see what's happening behind you using your iSight or FaceTime HD camera. It essentially gives you a rearview mirror analogous to what you have in a car, displaying a video feed from your camera in a re-sizable simulation of said mirror. The app will display images from the top left, top right, the entire top, or the full feed from your camera. The idea is that you place it at the top of your screen somewhere out of the way, allowing you to see anyone sneaking up on you from behind. If you've ever worked in a coffee shop, library or any other public place where people come and go behind you, you've been worried about people sneaking up on you from behind or if you're just plain nosy, then this fun little US$0.99 Mac App Store app is for you.
Transparent OLED rearview mirror both dazzles and distracts
Although we've been hearing about transparent OLEDs for years now, mum's been the word on an actual product. So far the focus has been on Germany, but it looks like some interesting things have been going down in Korea as well. Researchers at ETRI (the flexible OLED folks) have apparently applied for 51 patents both nationally and internationally for the tech, including one for a transparent oxide resistor that helps increase the aperture ratio of AMOLEDs. And while all this is going down, NeoView KOLON has unveiled a new prototype rearview mirror that utilizes a transparent OLED display for -- well, displaying things. Just be sure to keep your eyes on the road, eh?Read - "Korean Researchers Develop Transparent Transistors OLED Displays"Read - "Neoview Kolon transparent OLED prototype"
