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Sirius XM and AT&T team up to deliver online services for Nissan cars
AT&T wants every car to be connected, but it needs help; thankfully, Sirius XM is on the same wavelength. The two have reached a deal that will have AT&T supply mobile data for Sirius XM telematics systems in Nissan's North American vehicle lineup. So far, the partnership includes OnStar-like basics such as emergency assistance and theft tracking, although there are hints of "additional services" that'll be unveiled later. We don't yet know when this technology will reach shipping cars, but don't be surprised if the next Altima or Leaf is a little bit smarter in the not-so-distant future.
Verizon's Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi now monitoring your car for $250
Who'd have thought we'd be happy to see an unassuming black box? Delphi and Verizon managed to whet our interest with their Vehicle Diagnostics kit and service at CES, and our curiosity is renewed now that the monitoring combo is available for drivers. The finished product costs a fairly steep $250 for the Delphi adapter, although it does deliver two years of free service and costs a contract-free $5 per month afterwards. Shelling out brings the promised remote troubleshooting and notifications, including alerts for any performance problems and warnings for any geofencing violations. If you're willing to pair an Android or iOS phone with the kit over Bluetooth, you can also use the smart device in place of your keys -- temporarily, we hope. Vehicle Diagnostics should work with most cars made from 1996 onward, but do some homework before any outlay: at least a few cars miss out on the full diagnostic suite, which might dampen dreams of a connected car utopia.
Accel Telecom unveils Voyager, an Android smartphone that wants to stay in the car (video)
Remember the days of yore when carphones used to be attached to the car -- permanently? Accel Telecom wants to take you back there with the Voyager, an Android smartphone with car-centric functions that can stay put in your vehicle. To start with, the handset will feature a dedicated Waze launcher key for GPS navigation duties, and will also sport "high level noise reduction and echo cancellation," along with hands-free voice activation. Other features include a 3G-WiFi hotspot, a "driver-centric" design with large physical keys, multiple car-focused apps and "crystal clear, echo free sound quality." Interestingly, it'll also connect to your vehicle's on-board diagnostics system via RS232 or Bluetooth and ping you if any parts are about to break off. Accel told us that it'll launch Voyager in Europe and the US "with operators that offer a second sim device," to let you share your current phone number. There's no sign of pricing yet, but there is PR and a video after the break.
Cisco and NXP invest in Cohda, will work together to enable connected car
More than a year after NXP Semiconductors worked with Cohda Wireless to hook up cars via 802.11p, the chip maker has decided to invest in its partner with a little help from Uncle Cisco. While the PR is mum on the exact amount, the investment is apparently significant enough that all three companies are set to work together. Cohda's wireless knowhow, NXP's semiconductor chops and Cisco's vast infrastructure would join forces -- á la Voltron -- to help usher in the era of the connected car. By enabling car-to-car (C2C) and car-to-infrastructure (C2I) communications, drivers could avoid hazards, evade bad traffic and even form "trains" of vehicles on the road like what Volvo's demonstrated with its SARTRE project. No word on a timeline for when we'll see this on public roads, but automotive-qualified IEEE 802.11p products are said to be one of the trio's first goals, so hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later. [Image credit: Creativity103, Flickr]
Apple exec Eddy Cue joins Ferrari board of directors, raises hopes for truly high-tech exotic cars
Ferrari loves to extol the advances found in its drivetrains, but the unspoken rule is that its interior technology leaves something to be desired; unless you're thinking of a 458's manettino, even a less expensive car like the Tesla Model S is virtually in another league. The automaker may be narrowing that gap by putting Apple online lead Eddy Cue on the Ferrari board of directors. Without giving too much away, Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo points to Cue's experience with the "dynamic, innovative world of the internet" as the motivation -- as good a sign as any that the Maranello team wants to take connected cars seriously. Whenever the Apple Senior VP's experience comes into full effect, we may see one of the few supercar lineups whose cabins are as advanced as the engines. Just don't look for any tight integration with Ferrari-badged Acer gear in the near future.
Toyota's Smart Insect concept EV packs Kinect motion sensor, voice recognition (video)
Toyota is showing off its new Smart Insect prototype at the company's CEATEC booth. The fully electric car charges via a standard 100-volt AC outlet, and it's decked out with gull-wing doors and motion detection courtesy of Microsoft's Kinect. The on-board motion sensors allow the car to recognize its owner based on face and body shape, and it predicts the owner's behavior by analyzing movement and determining when to open the door, for example. (It also allows for the front and rear displays to show a welcome message when the owner approaches the car.) There's also voice recognition for opening the car door and other functions, with a speaker on the hood of the car and dashboard-mounted "dialogue monitors" on the front and back. The tech carries through to the Insect's interior, which sports a wireless charging pad, a dash-mounted monitor that connects to the driver's handset and a button for dialing up Toyota's virtual agent. As a connected car, the Insect naturally ties in with entertainment and navigation services (in this case, via Toyota's Smart Center). There's also integration with a home energy management system, which allows the owner to adjust air conditioning and lock the front door via a smartphone app. As this is a proof of concept -- and one we couldn't test out, at that -- it's unclear how well these features work, and it's unlikely that we'll ever see the prototype make it to market. Still, it's fun to dream, and you can do that by tuning into our hands-on video just past the break.
Microsoft job posting hints at Connected Car strategy: Azure, Kinect and WP8
Redmond seems to have more grandiose ideas for Connected Car than it's let on before, judging from a recent help wanted ad on its site. Reading more like PR for its car-based plans, the job notice waxes poetically about using "the full power of the Microsoft ecosystem" in an upcoming auto platform with tech such as Kinect, Azure, Windows 8 and Windows Phone. Those products would use face-tracking, speech and gestures to learn your driving habits and safely guide or entertain you on the road, according to the software engineer listing. It also hints that everything would be tied together using Azure's cloud platform, so that your favorite music or shortcuts would follow you around, even if you're not piloting your own rig. All that makes its original Connected Car plans from 2009 seem a bit laughable -- check the original video for yourself after the break.
Dragon Drive! lets you take the wheel, while Nuance takes dictation
Do you like your cars smart? Are you itching to drive something a bit more K.I.T.T. than KIA? Well, this summer the glory of your Hasselhoff-soaked, '80s dreams will become reality, thanks to the folks at Nuance. Utilizing the same natural-language voice software currently employed across select mobile phones and TV sets, the outfit's hatched a new platform, dubbed Dragon Drive!, specifically for connected autos. The hands-free tech will support six languages at launch, with more to come throughout the year, giving drivers the ability to dictate texts and emails, as well as manage multimedia and navigation without ever lifting a finger from the wheel. So far, the company hasn't outed any initial partners for the voice recognition service. But if you're in the market for a high-end vehicle and your very own virtual Synergy, rest assured, your needs are going to be met. Hit up the break for the official presser and video tour.
Panasonic, AT&T team up for connected cars, rule out extra-long Ethernet cables
High-end automakers like BMW and Audi have already demoed their takes on the "connected car," and even Intel's gotten into the game with its safety-first, egg-shaped iteration. Now Panasonic and AT&T have partnered to explore the concept: Panny will provide hardware and integration, and Ma Bell will handle connectivity. All this concept-exploration will take place in Peachtree City, Georgia, and the team's "connected lifestyle projects" will likely include basic in-car infotainment systems -- think streaming music and video, along with social networking apps. But we're also hoping for some really blue-sky stuff, more like the Mini Cooper's driving-influenced playlist. After all, it won't be long before the cars drive themselves, leaving passengers to demand some serious entertainment. Oh, and speaking of entertainment, check out the press release after the break.
Audi starts calling its vehicular broadband plans 'Audi connect,' partners with Alcatel for LTE internet
Audi's had grand designs on the connected car for years now, and is presently looking to upgrade to LTE, but first it's time to address the most important consideration -- marketing the stuff effectively. To that end, Audi's unifying its infotainment initiatives under the brand Audi Connect, so it will be absolutely clear how you can pimp your ride with tech when you walk into an Audi dealership. That is, if you don't already have Audi Connect, because the company claims it's already present in the A8, A7 and A6. Those three automobiles can presently add an optional UMTS modem for online apps, though Audi's also working with Alcatel-Lucent to bring faster LTE connectivity by 2014. Expect a software update sooner than that: this summer, Audi hopes to add live traffic data and voice commands to control a suite of Google services as well. Find more details at our source links.
Intel Connected Cars will record your bad driving for posterity, take over if you're really screwing up
Intel's latest Research Day has sprung up a new vision for "smart" vehicles; a vision that frankly chills us to our very geeky core. Cameras and sensors attached to an Intel Connected Car will record data about your speed, steering and braking, and upon the event of an accident, forward those bits and bytes along to the police and your insurance company. Just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it? Don't get us wrong, the tech foundation here is good -- having cars permanently hooked up to the ether can generally be considered a good thing -- but what's being envisioned is as obtrusive as it is irritating. Oh, didn't we mention that the cars can become self-aware and overrule you if you try to bend the rules of the road? Because they can.
Next-gen dashboards get Tegra 2, Moblin, Atom, we go hands-on
Intel Atom processors, capacitive touchscreens, NVIDIA Tegra 2 graphics, Moblin installs... sounds like a suite of hot next-gen ultra-portables, right? Think again. Those are just some of the technologies used in the dashboards of cars that will be appearing on showrooms in the coming months and years, dashes that were largely on display at CES -- minus the cars themselves, usually. There we were treated to mobile glimpses of Google Earth, Pandora, and Slacker Radio on the go, plus the ability to lock and unlock your car via Ye Olde Internets. It's the future, and it's coming soon, so click on through already and get a sneak peek.
