We all know that technology moves at a breakneck pace these days. And automakers are trying to keep up with the expectations of constantly connected consumers. Lots of new bells and whistles were unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show this week, and Ford dropped a few nuggets at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon in San Francisco.
From luxury iPad integration to self-parking VWs, here's a rundown of a big week in car tech.
Car Connectivity Consortium: Never heard of this group? Here's a little memory refresher. It consists of automakers, suppliers and consumer-electronics device makers attempting to develop standards so that your smartphone won't act wacky from one car to the next. The news out of Frankfurt from this recently formed group was that the original terrible name of the standard the group hopes to eventually hammer out -- Terminal Mode -- has been changed to the almost as bad MirrorLink. Automakers supporting the standard include Daimler, GM, Honda, VW, while suppliers include Alpine, Panasonic and Denso. Device makers HTC, Samsung, LGE and Motorola are also onboard. Odds are Apple won't join though.
BMW: Introduced a concept in-dash app store for its ConnectedDrive platform in Frankfurt. We've seen enough concept app stores from automakers and suppliers that it's almost become a cliche. But we'd bet that, as the first automaker to bring Google search to the dash and a string of other innovations, BMW may just pull it off. The Munich-based automaker also changed how it will offer smartphone integration by making BMW Apps a standalone $250 option on all models to replace the Smartphone Integration option.
Bentley: Now the top 1% of income earners can stay connected and entertained while being chauffeured. The Mulsanne Executive Interior Concept at the Frankfurt show includes twin power-folding, wood-veneer "picnic tables" in the backs of the front seats that each house an iPad and Bluetooth keyboard (pictured at top). An Apple Mac Mini in the boot connects the keyboards to the iPads, while an iPod Touch in the center console acts as a control panel for the system. Apple Media Centre is also onboard, as well as Internet access via W-LAN, and hi-def video content can be screened on a 15.6-inch HD LED monitor that drops down from the ceiling.
Ford: The Blue Oval already dropped its Evos Concept in Berlin two weeks before the Frankfurt show. So the big tech news from Ford came out of the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon in San Francisco. First, the automaker let hackers hook up Sync with the hot new music service Spotify. But the real head-turner was Ford's teaming up with Bug Labs for a joint research project to provide open-source software tools to outside developers via a platform dubbed OpenXC. You can get your geek on by reading all the details via a TechCrunch blog post, but the bottom line is that it opens up the dash to customization and features limited only to developers' imaginations. Picture an app-like approach where you can buy or even rent plug-and-play features, whether it's a guided tour of PCH, a personalized driving feedback program or a car-monitoring system that lets you spy on what's happening with your ride 24/7. Ford also quietly released an iHeartRadio app for Sync AppLink that's the first available for BlackBerry.
Mercedes-Benz: Debuted an iPhone Interface Plus Concept that uses the device as an "external media centre." The iPhone plugs into a cable in the glove box, as with current MB Apple integration. But the iPhone's familiar interface, instead of the automaker's own, is displayed on the vehicle's in-dash screen. The transfer of the iPhone UI (which sounds very Terminal Mode-like) is accomplished via an app on the device that also offers "holistic integration" of social networking features such as Facebook and Twitter as well as Internet radio and Google Local Search. Mercedes also showed an iPad Integration Plus docking station that attaches to the back of a vehicle's front-seat headrests and tilts and turns 90 degrees. That should keep the kids in the backseat quiet while the front-seat passengers check their Facebook status and Tweeter feeds.
Valeo: An app that allows you to automatically park your car with or without you in it? Sounds crazy and you'd have to be crazy to trust a smartphone app to park your prized ride. But the automotive supplier created a buzz by showing its Park4U Remote App for iOS and Android and what it can do when connected to a VW. Check out the video below for proof.
93aero says:
09:32 AM, 09/17/11
I can just see the many many ways that remote parking app could go horribly wrong.