Clickdrive launches, aims to bring driving apps to your car
You shouldn't be using your phone in the car, and laws in many locations tell you so. But there are uses that don't interfere with your concentration on the road, such as mounting your handset on the dash or windshield and using it for navigation. There are also hands-free devices and even built-in solutions within new cars.
Now Clickdrive wants to take this to another level, bringing in-car integration to vehicles that don't currently contain such technology. The hardware-software solution has just launched an Indiegogo fund-raising drive, stating "founder Mark Sutheran and business partner Rishi Saraswat have developed Clickdrive from the ground up to create the world's first device to be entirely dedicated to driving in the information age".
Qualcomm unveils new processors for home entertainment and in-car infotainment solutions
Hours after Nvidia announced its new Tegra K1 processor, rival US company Qualcomm took the wraps off two new chips, called Snapdragon 802 and Snapdragon 602A, designed for home entertainment and in-car infotainment solutions, respectively.
The Snapdragon 802 is an iteration of the year-old Snapdragon 800, which was presented at CES 2013. The processor is aimed at the next generation of smart digital media adapters, set-top boxes and TVs. Unsurprisingly, it comes with 4K support and a number of technologies designed for efficient power consumption and resource-intensive applications, such as games.
Nokia announces HERE Connected Driving in-car navigation solution
On Friday, Finnish mobile maker Nokia announced HERE Connected Driving, a cloud-connected in-car navigation solution with offline mapping, real-time traffic information and mobile device app support. Labeled by the company as "the only end-to-end driving solution on the market", it will be officially demoed during the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany.
Nokia's in-car navigation solution is comprised of four parts -- HERE Auto, HERE Auto Cloud, HERE Auto Companion and HERE Traffic. HERE Auto takes care of navigation instructions, with or without a data connection, similar to the company's HERE Drive+ Windows Phone 8 app. It provides turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation in 95 countries, while supporting 2D, 3D and satellite map views (street imagery is also included). According to Nokia, Continental's Open Infotainment Platform already integrates HERE Auto and it is expected to arrive in cars in upcoming months.