Microsoft will help train LG’s self-driving car software

While LG's CES presence has mainly been about TVs -- of the rollable and 8K variety -- and robots, it hasn't forgotten about the tech show's other obsession: cars. With a self-driving data collection partnership with Here maps already under its belt,...

Volvo will embed Google Assistant and Maps into future cars

Volvo announced today that its next-generation Sensus infotainment system, which will run on Android, will have the Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Google Play Store embedded within it. Adding Google Maps has some obvious benefits for drivers w...

Mercedes goes all in with in-car natural language control

Infotainment systems are a mixed bag. There are very few truly good ones, but even if an automaker can pull off a solid interface, it's mired by latency thanks to a slow processor. Typically these in-car systems usually aren't up to par with the offe...

Cadillac to update CUE infotainment system for improved responsiveness

Cadillac to update CUE infotainment system for improved responsiveness

If unresponsiveness in Cadillac's CUE infotainment system has been a personal point of frustration, relief is on the way: an update to smooth things over is being worked on. CUE Design Manager Jeff Massimilla told Wired that the firm's received feedback regarding responsiveness, and they're working on "a modification that will be released sometime later this year." With the upgrade, the infotainment system will be more responsive and the touchscreen and capacitive buttons will provide haptic feedback more quickly. The Cadillac XTS and ATS are set to score the update, but there's still no exact date penciled in for the patch's arrival. Though vehicles could suck down the update with a built-in data connection, the software will need to be installed by a Cadillac dealership instead. Not a fan of having lost knobs and dials to a touchscreen in the first place? According to Cadillac VP of Marketing Don Butler, we'll see the likes of such analog controls complement the screen interface in the future.

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Via: Autoblog

Source: Wired

Hyundai to wire cars with Broadcom ethernet tech, put infotainment and security systems on one network

Hyundai to wire cars with Broadcom ethernet tech, put infotainment and security systems on one network

Cars wired with ethernet may conjure thoughts of roving internet hotspots, but that's not what Hyundai and Broadcom have in mind in this case. Traditionally, infotainment consoles, safety systems and the like are built on multiple in-car networks, but the duo will rig vehicles with modified ethernet cables to unify some of the disparate systems on a single network. Dubbed BroadR-Reach, the tech uses a single pair of unshielded wires to offer 100Mbps connection speeds and could scale up to 1Gbps. Though Hyundai and other automakers joined with Broadcom's standards group for the technology last year, the firm is now the second car manufacturer to pledge that its autos will get the tech. As of now, there's still no word on which models will be lined with ethernet or when they'll roll off assembly lines.

Continue reading Hyundai to wire cars with Broadcom ethernet tech, put infotainment and security systems on one network

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Hyundai to wire cars with Broadcom ethernet tech, put infotainment and security systems on one network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parrot unveils Asteroid Smart, Tablet and Mini car infotainment systems, we go hands-on

Parrot unveils Asteroid Smart, Tablet and Mini car infotainment systems, we go handson

We first laid eyes on Parrot's first Android-based Asteroid car infotainment system a couple years ago at CES. Then, at this past year's show, we got a sneak peek at a trio of successor Asteroid devices. Now, a mere 10 months later, the Asteroid Smart, Tablet and Mini have finally arrived in consumer-ready garb. First, there's a flagship in-dash system, the double-DIN Asteroid Smart. It features a 6.2-inch 800 x 480 capacitive display, a Texas Instruments 800MHz processor and runs a heavily skinned version of Android 2.3. The Smart also has four USB 2.0 ports (one which pushes 5V to charge an iPod) for connecting external devices like the included GPS antenna or a dongle for cellular data. Plus, there are 3.5mm line-in and microphone jacks to go with a host of RCA connections and a micro-USB port round the back. Bluetooth 3.0 is baked in, and an SD card slot sits behind the detachable security strip to the left of the screen.

The Smart's siblings, the Asteroid Mini and Asteroid Tablet are also coming to North America this month. The Tablet packs similar specs as the Smart, only it's got a 5-inch capacitive screen and is portable, as opposed to an in-dash solution. It runs the same skinned version of Gingerbread, has GPS and Bluetooth radios, and packs 512MB of RAM and 1GB of on-board storage, plus an SD slot. It also comes with a wireless touchpad remote so you can control the system straight from your steering wheel. Meanwhile, the Mini, with its 3.2-inch, non-touch screen has a similar form factor to the Tablet and comes with a wireless remote as well. However, its OS is built on Android 1.5 and it relies upon an external GPS antenna like its bigger, double-DIN cousin. The Asteroid Tablet will retail for $399, and the Mini will cost a hundred bucks less when they go on sale in a few weeks.

We got to swipe our way around the Parrot Smart, so join us after the break to see it in action.

Continue reading Parrot unveils Asteroid Smart, Tablet and Mini car infotainment systems, we go hands-on

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Parrot unveils Asteroid Smart, Tablet and Mini car infotainment systems, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ca-Fi 621000 brings infotainment to cars with double DIN / without Connect or Sync

Ca-Fi 621000 brings infotainment to cars with double DIN / without Connect or Sync

Shenzhen-based Innotrends has been pushing infotainment systems for a while now, and though standalone solutions like the Ca-Fi seem rather clunky when you can buy a Focus with Sync baked in, not everyone can count a flashy new "connected" model as their set of wheels. Today the company announced the latest version of its Android-powered infotainment system. The new Ca-Fi 621000 Universal runs Android Gingerbread and packs a 1GHz CPU with 512MB of RAM. It also sports a capacitive touchscreen rather than the resistive display of versions past, and there's an OBD2-USB cable, plus the pre-loaded Torque app for keeping tabs on your vehicle's health. If sprucing up your sedan is more in line with your budget than the 2013 BMW 7 Series with iDrive Touch and 3D maps, you can nab the Ca-Fi 621000 for $999 starting at the end of August -- just make sure your car has the requisite double-DIN slot first.

Continue reading Ca-Fi 621000 brings infotainment to cars with double DIN / without Connect or Sync

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Ca-Fi 621000 brings infotainment to cars with double DIN / without Connect or Sync originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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