Add Bluetooth or Apple Lightning support to your car with new Griffin iTrip accessories
Sure, I'm a pretty high-tech guy who loves his gadgets and toys; however, I am also extremely frugal. Don't get me wrong, I am willing to spend money for quality, but I believe the old adage that a fool and his money are easily parted. Case in point, when I went new car shopping a few years back, I had a number in my head that I did not want my monthly payment to exceed. Once at the Ford dealership, I found a car that fit my budget, but it did not have any cool tech features. The little car has no Bluetooth support, no steering wheel audio controls, no navigation. It did, however, have Sirius Satellite radio, which I needed for Howard Stern, but I digress.
Long story short, I connect my Nexus 6 to my car stereo using an Aux cable with the headphone jack, like a total loser. Day after day, I pine away for a Bluetooth connection for my ride. Well, the concept of adding such a connection to a car is not new, but today, Griffin announces an elegant solution for a dilemma such as mine. Hell, for you Apple folks who want to charge and play through a lightning connection, the company has you covered too.
US military worried about stolen cars being used as weapons
The US military is preparing to wage war on car crime with the specific remit to develop a plan with manufacturers that prevents hackers stealing cars and one day turning them into weapons.
A group of hackers was recently hired by the US Defense Department to see if they could break into a 2012 model car and computer scientist Kathleen Fisher, who heads the group, showed that an electronic key could be created to unlock to car’s network.
Keyless cars being targeted by high-tech thieves in London
Thefts of cars that use keyless fobs to gain access are on the rise after criminals gained the ability to hack into the car’s onboard computer and it is causing some luxury car owners to be refused insurance.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers [SMMT] reports that organized crime syndicates have been able to bypass the onboard security by using software only meant for mechanics and start vehicles using the ignition button present in many high end models, such as Range Rovers and BMWs.
Building and securing the connected cars of the future
The number of people living in cities is expected to double by 2050, meaning congestion and pollution will increasingly be a problem for city dwellers. As a result the cities of the future will demand smarter traffic management solutions and more intelligent vehicles.
Experts say that car industry will develop more in the next decade than it has in the last fifty years due to the rise in connectivity and mobile technology. The industry is gearing itself up for the age of the 'connected car' but how will this manifest itself? What will cars look like five, ten even twenty years from now?
The lights that guided Lewis Hamilton to victory at the Singapore Grand Prix
For those of you who tuned in to the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, you would have undoubtedly been delighted to see Lewis Hamilton storming to a first place finish and leapfrogging teammate and arch-rival Nico Rosberg in the drivers' Championship standings.
What you may not have noticed, however, was the flag signal system that was in place.
Uber, self-driving cars and Google
This is a topic I've briefly discussed on Twitter and then again on Bernard Leong's podcast, but I think it deserves a deeper look. Many are excited about the potential of Uber integrating with self-driving cars. But in my opinion, self-driving cars could be disruptive to Uber's current business model. Let's take a look at a few facets of Uber's business model and gauge the potential impact of Google's self-driving cars.
As I've mentioned previously, Uber is a platform that connects transportation providers (or drivers) with potential customers. Self-driving cars completely remove drivers from this equation and could force Uber to own and manage their own fleet. With their current model, Uber operates with "zero capex" and their marginal cost for adding supply is effectively zero. But by owning self-driving cars, this marginal cost becomes a meaningful amount, i.e. the cost of each vehicle. With this revised cost structure, the value of Uber's business model changes completely.
Lumsing E-DR15 car charger: Splitting one cigarette lighter socket into three [Review]
A few years ago, the very concept of a three port extender for your car's cigarette lighter socket would have caused some raised eyebrows. Even if you were in a car packed full of chainsmokers, three lighter sockets would be deemed excessive.
Of course, these days, the lighter socket is less for lighting cigarettes and more for powering devices, so Lumsing's power splitter serves a clear purpose.
Connected cars will help to make our roads safer
As a young Londoner, I'm not much of a driver, but boy do I see some congestion. Our capital's streets are bursting at the seams with cars, buses, bikes and trucks, and the majority are completely unconnected to each other.
So it was with interest that I attended NXP's Innovation Day in Eindhoven, Holland, to witness a range of technologies developed by the semiconductor company, including the latest automotive innovations. Falling under the ever-expanding category that is the Internet of Things, the connected car is seen by many to be the future of sustainable transport.
Google revs up Android Auto, its Apple CarPlay rival
As expected, one of the big new announcements at Google’s I/O conference was Android Auto which takes Google’s mobile operating system into vehicles.
Android Auto runs on your smartphone but the apps and features are mirrored and can be controlled through a touchscreen in the vehicle. The car-specific interface is a simplified version of the forthcoming (and unnamed) Android L release, with larger less distracting 'touch targets'.
Harley-Davidson unveils its first electric motorcycle
Legendary motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson has invited members of the public to test its first electric motorbike. Instead of the bike going on general sale, US customers will be invited to take it out for a spin and provide feedback.
The bike, labelled project LiveWire, will visit over 30 Harley-Davidson dealerships between now and the end of the year by travelling down the US' iconic Route 66.
Mountain View to take on Detroit? Google building its own cars
When Google's self-driving car program first came to light, I was excited, yet dubious. You see, as much as I love the concept, it is hard to imagine widespread adoption; Americans love to drive -- the USA is the home of the Mustang and GTO. While self-driving cars can have a positive impact on society, such as eliminating DUI, it would destroy a huge part of the USA's identity.
Now, Google shocks the world by announcing that it is building its own self-driving automobiles. Yes, Mountain View is stepping on the toes of automakers by building prototype cars. Rather than continue to retrofit its technology on existing cars, it is making vehicles without unneeded extras, such as break-pedals and steering wheels.
BMW Motorrad partners with Netbiscuits to overhaul its mobile strategy
BMW Motorrad, the motorcycle division of the famous German company, is partnering with Netbiscuits to elevate its customers' web experience to the next level.
Netbiscuits is a cloud platform that allows companies greater insight into which of their customers are interacting with their site using mobile devices, thus driving increased performance conversion and customer engagement across the board. BMW Motorrad's decision to partner with Netbiscuits is emblematic of a growing preoccupation with mobile markets and high-quality targeted content.
Nokia bets $100 million on 'connected' car tech
Even though the Nokia name will (still) be associated with phone making for years to come, the Finnish company is also known, albeit to a lesser extent, as a player in the telecommunications equipment and automotive markets, through its NSN and HERE businesses, respectively. And it is not shying away from revealing the path it wants to pursue, following the recent sale of its Devices & Services business to Microsoft.
It should come as no surprise that Nokia is willing to bet on car tech, as it has already introduced a couple of automotive products, like HERE Connected Driving. To grow its portfolio, Nokia just announced it has set up a $100 million fund which "will be used to invest in new opportunities around the automotive mapping and location ecosystem".
Google's self-driving car cruises around the city
As a Long Islander, I am a suburbanite with easy access to Manhattan -- something I probably take for granted. However, when I do make the trip to NYC, I take the train rather than my car. Why? City driving is crazy! Horn-honking, being cut-off, jay-walkers -- it is frustrating and scary to say the least.
For Google though, the company does not see fear in city driving, it sees a challenge. You see, the search-giant's self-driving car has proven successful in slow-paced situations, but now the true test is to take the futuristic vehicle to the city.
Who's driving your car? AVG warns about connected vehicles
The 2014 South by Southwest festival is in full swing. It's a combination of tech, music and film rolled into one Texas-sized good time. While it all sounds like a fun-house, there is a serious note to some of the discussions. AVG was part of a forum on connected cars, taking a look at the data collected and what happens to it.
It's not all doom and gloom -- nobody showed a hack that will let the perpetrator literally take over your car. But who controls the data being collected by said vehicle is certainly a security concern. The security company's Judith Bitterli spoke during the meeting and then put her thoughts together in a quick post.
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