Emerging Technologies: TELEMATICS
Latest Telematic News From Around The Web
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December 9, 2011
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NextGen Telematics - Where objects talk and humans watch
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Telematics | Connected Cars | M2M | Infotainment | Intelligent Cars | Telematics Domains
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Imagine this: You wake up in the morning and walk over to the kitchen. The fridge informs you that it’s time to get more milk cartons from the store. It updates you on the day’s weather, and just as you’re reaching in to grab the last carton of milk, the stereo behind you starts playing Rocky’s soundtrack, because that’s what gets you pumped up for the morning jog. Forty minutes later, your shoes talk to the health tracker app on your phone, and tell you how far you’ve run today, and whether or not you can compete for next month’s marathon. Back at the apartment, the TV on your wall reminds you about your 10 o’clock appointment with the suits from the ad agency, and that traffic on I.I. Chundrigar road is a little packed, because some guy is attempting to parachute off Habib Bank Plaza. The play-list segues to a Florence and the Machine track, just as you jump into the shower, where, of course, the water temperature adjusts itself to the weather outside.
Before you become dizzy with your own imagination, let me enlighten you about the “Internet of Things”. It’s not much of a name yet (though work is being done to strengthen its architecture, and establish its abbreviation, IoT), but it’s engrossing enough to make you wonder how you lived without it, just like the internet.
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December 8, 2011
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More on the Connected Car - The Coming Car Revolution |
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Electronic Cars | Broadcom | Telematics | Infotainment | M2M | Telematics Domains
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Broadcom announced a series of products that will bring the same kind of communications connectivity seen in home appliances and large data centers to cars.
Broadcom says the near-term effect will be lighter cars and cheaper in-car electronics in front-seat driver safety and rear-seat entertainment. Further out, it predicts, cars may function more like cellphones, with greater personalization and custom features.
Broadcom, which makes communications chips used across the Internet’s backbone and in mobile devices, sells some three billion chips a year. This move into cars is unlikely to turn into lots of sales right away, says Scott McGregor, Broadcom’s chief executive, but it has important implications for both Broadcom and the car business.
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December 5, 2011
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The Emergence of ‘Toyota 2.0' in 2012
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Telematics | Connected Cars | Toyota 2.0 | M2M | Infotainment | Intelligent Cars | Telematics Domains |
Toyota has suffered one of its toughest years in its history, the Japanese earthquake back in March severely affected Toyota’s global production capacity for many months and is only now starting to get back to some form of normality. Toyota was obviously not the only company to be impacted by the earthquake and they, like other companies have spent many months this year reviewing their supply chain strategies to ensure that production is never impacted so severely again in the future. Increasing supply chain resilience has been a topic of conversation at many logistics related conferences this year and the recent floods in Thailand have only highlighted this issue still further.
Now whilst many industry observers have been focusing on Toyota’s production issues, Toyota has been working quietly behind the scenes on expanding their partner eco-system. Japanese companies have always been very protective and reluctant to share engineering expertise with other companies but I believe that Toyota is reversing this trend and is becoming more open with who they work with and more importantly who they share their engineering expertise.
In earlier blog entries I highlighted how the automotive and high tech supply chains have been converging in recent years and I think we are reaching a tipping point now because Toyota is a good example of an automotive company fully embracing the product innovations emerging from the high tech space. It is also interesting to note that as soon as new technology hits the markets, whether it is downloadable apps or social networks, Toyota will evaluate it to see if it has a place in their automotive strategy and if so they will then partner with the leading providers in the industry.
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November 29, 2011
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Senseg creates textures on perfectly flat touchscreen displays
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Haptics | Senseg | Tactile Feedback | Haptic Technology | Tixels | Haptic Domains
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Senseg might have been around since 2008, but the company has now built a prototype of its displays into a tablet. The tactile panel tech uses electrostatic fields to simulate different levels of friction, allowing it to generate the sensation of texture on a totally flat screen. CNET got a chance to try out the display, and said that the textures it creates are easily recognisable — moving from gravel, to packing material, to sandpaper creates distinct, familiar feelings. The video also shows the potential implications for gaming, opening up a new level of immersion for designers.
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November 29, 2011
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3 More Things We Need Before Cars Are Fully 'Connected' |
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Connected Cars | Connected Car Solutions | Telematics | Telematics Solutions | Telematics Domains
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Robert Acker wrote an article for Mashable about the five things that automakers must do in order to make web-connected cars attractive to mainstream consumers. Acker's comments are insightful -- we wouldn't expect anything less from the GM of from Aha Radio -- but we have a few more items to add to the wish list.
In a nutshell, Acker argues that automakers need to focus on making web integration safer, simpler, and more consistent from one vehicle to the next. We agree, but we envision a slightly different approach to the problems at hand. We suggest that car companies:
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November 28, 2011
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Toyota Fun-Vii concept is a configurable, connected car
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Connected Car | Toyota Fun Vii | Telematics | Configurable Car | Connectivity Domains | Telematics Domains
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What if changing the color of your car was as simple as tapping an app? Toyota's Fun-Vii concept promises exactly that and more.
The Fun-Vii's exterior surface is actually a user configurable display.
The Fun-Vii's skin is actually a massive display that can change its color at will, and display graphics, images, and custom messages for other drivers or bystanders. Toyota gives the visual example of a business using the Fun-Vii to display advertisement livery, but I'd love to be able to quickly throw up a "Back off, chump!" to a tailgater
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November 28, 2011
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5 Challenges to Make Connected Cars Mainstream |
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Connected Cars | Connected Car Solutions | Telematics | Telematics Solutions | Telematics Domains |
The American driver spends countless hours every day sitting in front of his car radio, a device that first appeared in the 1930s. While car infotainment systems, as they are called today, now have features like navigation and multichannel audio, the entertainment content hasn’t fundamentally changed in these past 80 years. It is still focused on playing content that is either broadcast (via AM, FM, satellite or HD) or brought in (via 8-track, cassette, CD, or now MP3). The current generation of digerati will expect more from their in-car content.
Back at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Ford and Microsoft took the stage and announced Ford SYNC, which forced the entire industry to get serious about mobile phone integration for drivers. Now five years later, CES is expecting record participation from automakers with the “connected car” as a major theme. Once again there is a lot of anticipation about the car joining people’s connected lives, and automakers are racing to safely deliver web content to the driver’s seat.
Some auto manufacturers will demonstrate the use of online data to augment onboard tech — an evolutionary approach if there ever was one. Others have experimented with copying mobile interfaces by creating app springboards in their vehicles, but you can’t take a two-foot mobile phone interface, put new lipstick on it and expect people to use it at 65 mph. (Imagine a scenario where “all” you have to do to change content is close a podcast app, slide over two screens, find and open a music service app, navigate through its interface, and select “play” to hear a station you like. Oh, and you have to drive in traffic at the same time.)
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November 28, 2011
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BMW, Fiat join Connected Car Consortium
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Connected Cars | Car Connectivity Consortium | Telematics | Telematics Solutions |Telematics Domains |
Fiat and BMW have joined the Car Connectivity Consortium, a body developing a standard scheme for linking smartphones to in-car entertainment and navigation systems that already numbers Daimler, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and VW among its members.
The group will promote the so-called "Terminal Mode standard" - a Nokia-developed specification for phone-to-car communications.
Terminal Mode was formerly renamed MirrorLink in October as the name under which the technology will be taken to market.
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November 26, 2011
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Ford Evos Concept: Cloud-connected Car
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Cloud Cars | Telematics | Connected Cars | Telematics Domains | Connectivity Domains
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The stunning Ford Evos Concept car will make its first appearance in North America as the centerpiece of Ford's display at the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas , Jan. 10-13, 2012 . The Evos Concept made its global debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
The Ford Evos Concept embodies the company's new global design language while providing a glimpse at Ford's technology future highlighted by the use of cloud computing to enhance the driving experience.
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November 2011
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Connected Car Solutions for 2012
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Connected Cars | Connected Car Solutions | Telematics | Telematics Solutions | Telematics Domains
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The Vehicle of the Future is Connected
• Clear Focus on the Automotive OEMs for Connected Speech
– Use speech to reduce consumer expectation from intent to action
– Ongoing demand for global language portfolio in ASR and TTS
– Industry trending to hybrid and thin client MMHUs with cloud services defining the future of automotive applications
• Nuance Role is to Deliver a Superior Driving Experience
– Hybrid architectures for superior performance and flexibility
– Best in Class automotive grade UI designs for task completion while minimizing driver distraction
• Auto Companies Demand Something New and Unique
– A user interface where everything is available at the “top” menu
– Seamless client speech applications that deliver embedded and connected services at the right price
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October 26, 2011
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New Tech: The Connected Car Has Arrived
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Telematic News | Connected Car | Electronic Vehicles | Infotainment | Connectivity News | Telematic Domains
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Automobile technology has become so advanced that today's cars are essentially computers with wheels. So why aren't we using them to surf the Web, communicate with other cars or order food at nearby restaurants?
We're well on our way. Current models of several cars, including the Ford Edge, the Audi A6 and the Lincoln MKX, can all connect to the Internet over Wi-Fi or 3G networks. These connections bring streaming audio and video, Twitter feeds, spoken text messages and current traffic information into the vehicle.
And that's just the beginning. In the near future, you'll be able to browse the Web and get Facebook updates on your in-car navigation screen. And in coming years, wireless standards such as dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) will help cars connect to one another and to the road infrastructure, communicating real-time road conditions and other helpful information.
There are still numerous technical, legal and privacy issues to be worked out, not to mention major concerns over distracted driving and safety. But like it or not, the day of the connected car is dawning.
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October 24, 2011
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Cars Drop Off Drivers - Search For Parking Spaces on Their Own |
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Telematics Connected Cars | V2V Communication | Automated Cars | Telematics Domains
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Cars that park themselves and automatically convoy with other cars could reduce congestion and emissions.
Several automakers are developing technology to let cars drive themselves, mainly as a way to make driving more convenient and improve safety. But it could also significantly reduce gasoline consumption, says Nady Boules, the director of GM's Electrical and Controls Integration Lab.
Increased automation could reduce congestion, but also allow for radical redesigns of automobiles to make them lighter and more fuel-efficient. Boules says partially automated vehicles that let drivers take their hands off the steering wheel and the accelerator, but still require them to pay attention, could be sold by the end of the decade.
Some cars already have a system that prompts drivers to change the way they accelerate to drive more efficiently. Allowing the car to control acceleration automatically could also save fuel.
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October 18, 2011
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Preview: What's coming in car tech - The Connected Car
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Telematics News | Connected Cars | Infotainment | Telematics | Telematics Domains
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We talked with CNET's Brian Cooley about what is coming up in car tech, and what it means to the digital marketing community. Here is a sneak peek - They're here: connected cars!
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October 14, 20011
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Connected Cars + Automakers + Governments = Standards
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Telematics | Connected Cars | Connected Vehicles | Intelligent Transportation Systems | Telematics Domains
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The Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Consortium (VIIC), a consortium of most major global automakers, will join key government officials and other automakers from around the world to help accelerate the development of connected vehicles by harmonizing standards. In the U.S., there is a strong commitment to deployment of crash avoidance safety applications using connected vehicle technologies.
Globally harmonized standards will enable the automakers and other stakeholders to bring connected vehicle technologies to market more quickly and at a reduced cost for the consumer. The announcement comes as transportation innovators, leaders and officials participate in the premier event showcasing intelligent transportation, the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems in Orlando, Florida, Oct. 16-20
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October 13, 2011
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The Next Boom in Mobile Devices Is the Connected Car
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Telematics News | Connected Cars | Car Tech | Internet Connected Cars | Telematics | Telematics Domains
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Cars, one of the great mobile devices to begin with, are about to get connected to the Internet like never before. It will change not just how we drive, but the economics of the car business.
“Five percent of cars are connected today,” said Glenn Lurie, president of AT&T’s Emerging Devices business. He was speaking of new vehicles, not all cars on the road. “Three to five years from now, 100 percent will be connected. You’ll see diagnostics, calls when the airbag goes off, real-time traffic reports, entertainment in the back seat.”
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September 6, 2011
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Edmunds.com Launches New Shopping Guide for Telematics
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Telematics | Connected Cars | Edmunds | Car Technology | M2M | Telematics Domains
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Edmunds.com Launches New Shopping Guide for Car Technology
Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, launched today a new online guide to help consumers better understand the range of new entertainment and information technology that are now available in most new cars.
"Car Technology 101" features 15 new articles from Edmunds.com Technology Editor Doug Newcomb that cover electronic infotainment features such as Bluetooth, in-dash navigation and music integration systems. The articles explain the basics of these features and offer tips on how to assess them in a test drive. Videos are also included to give readers a better visual understanding of the systems and gadgets.
"Cars these days are filled with incredible technology that's designed to make the driving experience more convenient and enjoyable, but owners can often have trouble evaluating these features when car shopping," said Newcomb. "These articles educate consumers on the nuances of in-cabin technology and help them get the most out of their investments."
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August 25, 2011
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Car Tech 101: Telematics System Basics
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Telematics News | Connected Cars | Telematics Systems | Telematics Domains
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The number of new telematics systems from automakers has more than doubled in recent years. Systems such as OnStar provide car owners and their families with peace of mind in case of a crash or a catastrophic event such as a tornado or other disaster. But they're not just for emergencies. The systems also offer navigation services and conveniences like remote door unlocking, to name just a couple of features. Now, manufacturers are linking telematics systems to smartphone apps, giving owners remote control over some aspects of their vehicles.
Telematics hardware comes built into vehicles. You don't pay extra for it. Their features and services are initially free on new cars. But once the trial period ends, you have to pay a monthly or yearly subscription to continue receiving the services.
To help you decide whether a telematics system is essential in your next new car, we put together the following info as part of our Car Tech 101 series. And since it's easy to get confused by telematics terminology, our Telematics Chart breaks down the features and services available from each automaker. The systems go by different names, but they do the same things.
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August 1, 2011
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Telematics Solutions to reach 189 million by 2016
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Telematics News | Connected Cars | Telematics Systems | Connected Car Systems | Telematics Domains
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Despite all the hype about hybrid and smartphone-based telematics solutions, embedded connected car systems still have a bright future,” says ABI Research telematics and navigation group director Dominique Bonte. “On the OEM side, solutions such as GM’s OnStar and Hyundai’s Blue Link offer more reliable safety and security functionality such as emergency calling. Similarly, embedded aftermarket systems for insurance telematics, road user charging, or stolen vehicle tracking offer the best performance. Finally, electric vehicles simply require embedded connectivity in order to remotely check battery charging status, which has even prompted Ford to abandon its hybrid approach in the Ford Focus Electric.”
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April 6, 2011
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Toyota and Microsoft hook up on NextGen telematics
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Telematics News | NextGen Telematics | Toyota | Microsoft | Connected Cars | Telematics Domains
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Toyota has officially announced that it's teaming up with Microsoft. The two have formed a partnership with a goal of developing the next generation of telecommunication and information technology for automobiles, starting next year with the automaker's electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Telematics, as readers are no doubt aware, encompasses technology that ranges from navigation systems and multimedia players to energy management. Utilizing the Windows Azure platform, Toyota and Microsoft will create a variety of systems that could begin appearing as early as 2012. The ultimate goal, however, will be to have a cloud platform from which Toyota customers can utilize telematics services around the globe. To reach that target, the companies are investing one billion yen (or nearly $12 million USD) in the joint venture
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