infotainment
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MOG Fusion to bring premium music service to cars, or so MOG hopes
MOG's on-demand music subscription service could be coming to a vehicle near you. Excited? You should be. At this year's CES, auto manufacturers had a coming-out party when it comes to in-car infotainment, and MOG's champing at the bit to jump on the bandwagon. According to the company, its newly launched MOG Fusion program will be accessible to select suppliers and manufacturers in the CE and automotive industries, with the API program being made available to "select partners," with Visteon Corporation being named in particular. It's still unclear how exactly tunes will be delivered, but we're sure all of that will be revealed in due time. Not nearly quick enough to satisfy you, we're sure, but hey...
Toyota Entune infotainment system hands-on (video)
Toyota's still the biggest auto manufacturer in the world, handily trumping GM and Ford, and with the Prius celebrating its 10 year anniversary it's clear the company can certainly lead the industry when it wants to. Not so much with advanced infotainment and smartphone integration. There the company has been lagging behind the competition, Ford's SYNC and the like, but now it's making a big step forward with Entune, and it chose this year's CES to do it. Toyota was kind enough to let us run a very early demo unit through its paces. Keep on reading for our impressions. %Gallery-112384%
Next-generation Mercedes mbrace iPhone app hands-on (video)
Last year Hughes Telematics had the Mercedes mbrace iPhone app on display, providing some OnStar-like functionality like locking your car remotely, unlocking your car remotely, and even getting navigation to your car for those times when you park way out in the lot and can't find it again when you're suffering from post-shopping marathon mental lethargy. Now there's a new version coming, getting submitted to Apple at the end of the month for a February release, and it adds a suite of new navigation features. Full details after the break.
Jungo and RealVNC partner up, aim to marry phones and infotainment systems
Quietly, in-car infotainment systems have progressed greatly here at CES 2011. What started a few years back with the integration of SYNC into Ford vehicles has blossomed into an industry-wide obsession, and now two of the biggest names that work behind the scenes are joining up to better integrate mobiles (and applications) with vehicle entertainment systems. Jungo and RealVNC's newfound bond has resulted in a CEA-approved solution to make that kind of magic happen, and it's one that just so happens to support Terminal Mode. The combined Automotive Connectivity middleware will enable a car's head unit to automatically detect, access and control mobile devices in the vehicle and display their content on the screen in the dashboard. The design combines VNC (remote access and control) technology from RealVNC with Jungo's tech, featuring device connectivity, media and network management, USB and Bluetooth protocol stacks. Hard to say when automakers will grab hold of this stuff and start offering it from the factory, but if we know anything about progress in the automotive industry, we'd say we're still a year or so out.
Mustang next to get SYNC AppLink smartphone integration, we hope to be next to get a Mustang
If you've been paying attention to our auto coverage from CES this year, posts with pictures of pretty cars that go tearing down the page amidst the flood of tablets and superphones, you might have spotted our hands-on with SYNC AppLink. It's making its debut in the 2011 Ford Fiesta, letting smartphoners stream Pandora and a few other apps right through the car. Now Ford is confirming that the 2012 Mustang is going to be next to get the nod and, like on the current Fiesta, it'll be free. That said, if you can't resist ticking the boxes next to the premium options you can choose to add voice-activated navigation, which includes an 8-inch touchscreen that also displays AppLink information. No word on cost for that just yet, but you can check out the interface in the pictures below. %Gallery-113256%
Next-generation Audi MMI Touch dashboard with NVIDIA Tegra-power hands-on (video)
Wishing you could get a little closer to that next-generation Audi MMI Touch interface we saw yesterday, the one we're expecting to debut on the A3? Well, you can't -- unless you're at CES, anyway, in which case you can find it chilling out in the NVIDIA booth waiting for you to go play with it. We did, getting a feel for all the lovely things that Audi is doing with the power of its Tegra chipset. It has decidedly limited functionality at this point, but it's certainly enough to give you an idea of what dashboards in 2012 are going to look like, which is way closer to Gran Turismo 5 than we'd have imagined, like a fly-around tire pressure display with a real-time 3D view of the car. Check out the video below and see for yourself. %Gallery-113310%
Audi's next-generation, Tegra-Powered MMI Touch is coming to Audi A3 first
When it comes to the proliferation of fancy infotainment systems into cars there are two schools of thought. Some, like Ford, believe that these systems should start at the lower range cars and spread across the brand. Other marques, typically higher-end ones, go the other way 'round, and Audi is definitely guilty, launching its MMI on the higher-end sedans and SUVs, like the A8 and Q7. That's changing with the next version of MMI Touch, starting on the (relatively) attainable A3. NVIDIA was quite proud to show off the system, with Tegra providing the power behind the scenes as we saw last year. That means lovely rendering of Google Earth, in 3D no less, and of course responsive performance. According to Autoblog it looks like the system's capacitive touchpad is being integrated into the scroll wheel, which should offer a solid usability improvement. No word on when we'll get to experience it, though, but we wouldn't be surprised to learn more next week in Detroit.
Visteon puts an iPad in a car dashboard, we go hands-on (video)
We happen to think the future of the car dashboard is a gradual path to obsolescence, dying and getting replaced by a mobile device. Visteon also think there's a future for mobile devices in a dash -- but not for actually replacing the car stereo. Visteon showed off its Consumer Electronics Device to Vehicle HMI (human/machine interface), which is basically a stupidly long name for a system enabling device integration of the sort we haven't seen yet. Yes, you can stream tunes through the car's stereo but, more impressively, actually change the channel that it is tuned to. That's just the beginning, with a navigation display and even simplified web browsing, but most impressive is the ability to manage the rest of the car's interior. You can change seat positions, adjust climate controls, and probably much, much more than the semi-functional demo unit we got our hands on can do. There is a dock connector for the iPad but that's just for providing power: the connectivity is entirely wireless, meaning people in the back seat can change the channel -- or push up the seat of the person in front of them. The box that handles all this is going into production soon and so should start showing up in cars sometime over the next year. Which cars? Your guess is as good as ours, as Visteon works with more car marques than it doesn't. %Gallery-113075%
Hyundai announces Blue Link telematics system, makes texting your Sonata a sweet possibility
At the last CES it was Kia showing off its Microsoft-backed Uvo infotainment system. This year Big Poppa Hyundai is taking the reins and showing off Blue Link, which takes at least part of its name from the BLUE-WILL concept hybrid. Blue Link isn't a fancy car, though, rather a new infotainment and telematics system that will be first installed on the Sonata this spring, then coming to the Veloster this summer before hitting all models by 2013. What does it do, you ask? Why, lots of stuff. There's voice recognition, enabling the driver to search for POIs and the like without taking a single hand off the wheel. There's also remote start, which is handy on a cold morning, and even remote disabling of the car via text message, which is handy if you find nothing but an oil stain where you left your prized ride. No word on what if anything Hyundai will charge for Blue Link, but there will be a additional premium tiers of services, like Blue Link Assurance, which sounds a good bit like OnStar to us, and Blue Link Navigation. We'll be getting our hands on with Blue Link soon, but until then you'll have to bide your time reading the PR below.
Ford SYNC AppLink hands-on in a little green Fiesta
It seems like Ford just can't let another year go by without introducing some sort of tweak to SYNC, and this year is no different. The company is showing off part of the SYNC extensions it described last year, AppLink. As the name implies it enables apps running on a smartphone to connect (or, you know, link) to the car itself. The posterchild is definitely Pandora. When running the standard Pandora app your phone can connect over Bluetooth to the car. When that happens you take control over the app through the car itself, with simple voice commands ("thumb up"), with buttons on the wheel (track skip), and even the preset buttons on the main console to pick any of your top 10 stations. And, yes, while doing this your phone's screen is disabled to prevent you from fiddling when you should be driving. The demo itself unfortunately didn't go so well, with the phone timing out when attempting to load Pandora (which can be blamed on the crummy network here) and the car not correctly deciphering our voice (which can be blamed on the constant cacophany that envelops us). But, beyond those issues we were left quite impressed with the prospects here. Other compatible apps include OpenBeak and Stitcher News and compatible phones include Android and BlackBerry devices. iPhone support is coming soon, but you'll have to have a Ford Fiesta at the moment to use it, though the Mustang is next on the list. Yeah, we'd go with the latter too. Full details in the PR after the break, and we have a video demo coming shortly. Update: Video is added! %Gallery-112869%
AT&T to get future BMWs online, marque in danger of becoming Ultimate Downloading Machine
You'd have a hard time finding a car without power windows these days and, the way things are going, it won't be long before you'll have to look similarly hard for a disconnected car. The latest to push the trend is BMW, signing on with AT&T to enable the next-generation of Bimmers to have an always-on connection to pull down traffic information, weather conditions, and probably some less useful stuff too. No word on which cars this will first make an appearance in nor whether it'll allow for Leaf-like remote car maintenance nor, indeed, how much it will cost. For those answers and more you'll just have to wait for the future -- or look for a secret clue hidden in the PR below.
Tesla Model S to have 17-inch infotainment console powered by Tegra; BMW using NVIDIA tech too
Tesla is touting the world's biggest center console for its upcoming Model S today: a titanic 17-inch touchscreen display powered by NVIDIA's Tegra chip. Infotainment, climate control and navigation will all be managed using the vast dashboard dominator, while NVIDIA's hardware will also take responsibility for keeping the 12.3-inch instrument cluster LCD updated. Considering the Model S, like the Roadster before it, is an all-electric vehicle, you'd expect energy efficiency to be a pretty important consideration in the choice of infotainment system and Tesla points that out as a key advantage of Tegra, describing it as "power-stingy." Another motor company hooking up with NVIDIA is BMW, who promises that all of its upcoming models for 2011 will benefit from Green Team GPUs powering their iDrive navigation and information systems. We don't know what exact GPUs will be used, but a "visually rich" next-gen UI is being promised, stretching out to a 1280 x 600 resolution. You'll find both press releases after the break.
Toyota Entune in-car infotainment system interfaces with your smartphone, does everything but drive
Ford and Microsoft have been all over the smartphone-car integration scene with their SYNC system, but now it's Toyota's turn. The outfit is launching a major initiative here at CES to make your vehicle more than just a mode of transportation, with the Entune infotainment system offering Bluetooth, a host of mobile apps and the ability to read-back and replay text messages. Entune is expected to launch as an option on "select models" later this year, with featured apps including Bing, iheartradio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable and Pandora, not to mention location-based services such as personalized traffic, fuel prices, stock alerts, weather reports and sports scores. It'll rely on voice commands and in-vehicle controls, enabling users to be informed and empowered while traveling. Aside from giving motorists the ability to reserve a table as they're en route to an eatery and order a movie ticket for later, it's also a fully-featured entertainment center -- you'll get access to HD Radio, a CD player, USB connectivity and Bluetooth audio streaming. Best of all, the entire setup is firmware upgradable via OTA updates, so the risk of obsolesce is lessened a good bit. We're hoping to get some hands-on time with an Entune-equipped whip here on the show floor, and we'll be sure to share our impressions just as soon as we do. For now, feel free to get a closer look in the gallery below and the video after the break. %Gallery-112384%
Ford installs Sync in more than 3 million cars, takes a moment to congratulate self
Ford and Microsoft's little voice control in-car connectivity project seems to be doing pretty well for itself, judging by the latest milestone it has passed. Sync has just been announced to have crossed the three million mark when counting the cars it's installed in, with recent data suggesting takeup for the $395 optional extra is growing. Nearly 80 percent of purchases of current 2011 Ford models include Sync, while over 80 percent of those already using it say they'd recommend the service to others. The latter number has improved by a robust 5 percentage points over last year, so clearly something's being done right here, but we're more interested in finding out what alternatives the other car and electronics makers will come up with during this year's CES. Rest assured, we'll explore them all.
Freescale announces i.MX 6 processor series, wants quad cores in your smartphone
Power. We need more. More for streaming video, more for playing games, and more just so that we can say we have it. Freescale hears us, and it's delivering the i.MX 6 series of mobile processors offering up to four ARM Cortex A9 cores at 1.2GHz each. That's plenty for 3D rendering on your car infotainment system, music-making on your smartphone, maybe a little SETI action on your next smart refrigerator. Even 1080p30 video encoding is a said to be within these chips' reach. i.MX 6 processors will be available in one, two, or four core configurations with up to 1MB of L2 cache. HDMI 1.4 support is onboard, along with gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0, but sadly not 3.0. It seems there's always something to look forward to in the next revision, but that could be quite a wait with i.MX 6 sampling not set to begin until "later this year."
BMW Connected app hits iOS App Store, 'Apps' function hitting vehicles next year
Like son, like father? Evidently that's exactly how things are playing out, with papa BMW following the footsteps of MINI in the run-up to 2011. Just days after the MINI Connected app found itself situated in the App Store, a BMW Connected app has done likewise. The software itself is free to download, but you'll need a 6NR-equipped Bimmer to take advantage. From what we can gather, you'll have to fork out €150 or so for the Apps option, but sadly, there are two costly prerequisites to that: a €3,800 navigation option and a €400 USB interface. In other words, we get the impression that existing BMW owners are out of luck. If you've got the magic concoction (available from March 2011), you'll be able to access web radio stations, hear your Twitter and Facebook updates aloud and control your music via the iDrive setup. That is, until iOS 4.3 goes and breaks compatibility with everything, forever. Joy, joy.
Mercedes Terminal Mode partnership comes to fruition with internet-connected 2012 C-Class
Last year Nokia made something of a telematics coup, partnering with just about every major European manufacturer and doing everything it could to get its Terminal Mode in-car smartphone integration into more autos. Mercedes was one of those partners and now we're getting a glimpse of the result in the new C-Class. Merc has made some minor exterior updates to the car (not necessarily for the better, in our opinion), but on the inside comes an updated Mercedes COMAND infotainment system that, for the first time, offers full internet access. Using Terminal Mode the car interacts with a smartphone to provide the data, allowing dashboard surfing (while stationary) and the transmission of Google Maps points and directions right to the vehicle. There's also Bluetooth for streaming your tunes through the car's sound system and a USB port in the armrest to keep things charged while you decimate that slab. PR is below if you're looking for more details, or you can just wait for our impressions when we get to Detroit in a few weeks.
Mini Connected app hits iTunes, now you can finally hit the road
Get your iPhone running. Head out on the highway. Looking for some pancakes, and whatever else Google Local Search finds along the way. BMW's Mini brand has been on the forefront of iOS connectivity and the Mini Connect app is now in the App Store, ready for download. It lets you stream internet radio through your 2011 model's speakers or have Twitter and news feeds read to you. Google integration means easy use of Local Search and a "Send To Car" feature lets you find your destination on the phone and then deploy it to the rather more clunky built-in nav system. Finally, the "Minimalism Analyser" (MINImalism, hah!) gives you points for driving all nice and environmentally friendly. You'd better lay off the Stepphenwolf if you're looking to do well there.
Pioneer teams with Microvision on laser heads-up display, next-gen pico projector tech
Remember when Pioneer's Android minions shot laser beams from their eyes and created an awesome prototype heads-up display? It turns out those lasers came from a Microbision PicoP projector, and that prototype is inching towards reality. You see, Pioneer's partnered with Microvision to build a brand-new laser module for the commercial version -- which is set to debut in 2012 -- using a brand-new display engine and the actual green laser that's been missing from the formula up until now. We can't wait to burn driving directions into our collective retina, so we'll be watching this one closely from now on. PR and video after the break.
OnStar's MyLink smartphone apps now available on Android and iOS
Looking to spend a little quality time with your ride this weekend? If you just plunked down for a 2011 Chevrolet or Cadillac, and you just so happen to own an Android or iOS-based phone, you can now download the myChevrolet, myCadillac, and OnStar MyLink mobile phone apps that were duly introduced last month. We're told that the Buick and GMC versions will be launched in November, with the whole crew enabling owners to access vehicle-specific information, vehicle diagnostics, and even lock / unlock the doors. There's still no word on widespread Facebook integration, but hey, baby steps... right?
