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SAIC and Chinese Internet Retailer Alibaba Unveil ‘Internet Car’

Jennifer van der Kleut

Chinese Internet retail giant Alibaba-often called the Amazon of China-has unveiled its first car, which they are calling their “Internet car.”

The car, an RX5 sport utility vehicle, was built by China’s biggest automaker, SAIC, and will run on YunOS software developed by Alibaba.

In addition to being able to connect with other devices, the OS’Car RX5 will offer premium alibaba-internet-car-interiorinfotainment features such as finding parking spaces and nearby gas stations, and even making restaurant reservations.

What’s more, multiple passengers will be able to log in to their individual Alibaba accounts to access music, shopping and more.

Industry analysts are already calling the OS’Car RX5 a strong contender when it comes to competing with the likes of Google, Apple and Blackberry, who have been working on infotainment systems like Android Auto, Apple Play and QNX, respectively, for years.

“Smart operating systems become the second engine of cars, while data is the new fuel,” Dr. Wang Jian, chairman of Alibaba’s Technology Steering Committee, said in a statement quoted by Alizila.

“It’s moving from the mobile smart phone connectivity to full-car connectivity to the internet,” said Steven Crumb, executive director of Genivi, an open-source infotainment cooperative, to AFR.com. “Even though you’ve got Google and others working on the autonomous vehicle, the way to get the autonomous vehicle is through the connected car. That’s the stepping stone to get where we are today to fully autonomous.”

The car will reportedly retail for 148,800 yuan, or $22,300 U.S.

 

sandisk-automotive-SD-flash-card

SanDisk Unveils SD Flash Card for Connected Cars

Jennifer van der Kleut

Here’s one creative way to customize and upgrade your car’s connectivity features-insert one of SanDisk’s new automotive SD flash cards.

SanDisk recently announced the debut of its new product, which the company says will allow advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), better infotainment and 3D mapping, among other features, to be loaded into compatible cars.

SanDisk’s move is being called a strong one by industry experts, as transportation advances are heavily shifting focus from hardware toward software to keep up with the growth of the “Internet of Things (IoT),” reports ZDNet.

Likewise, tech companies previously only known for their Web, phone and email services, like Google and Apple, are now ranking among major auto manufacturers like Ford, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz when it comes to auto innovation.

Richard Robinson, director of Strategy Analytics’ Global Automotive Practice, noted in a statement that “in-car tech is becoming as important as 0-60 and MPG ratings for car manufacturers, if not more so,” reports InfoStor.

SanDisk agrees.

“The ‘Internet of Things’ is the most dynamic force to impact the automotive and industrial markets in a decade, driving exciting new opportunities for connectivity as well as new challenges for how to store, process and manage the data it creates,” Oded Sagee, senior director of connected solutions at SanDisk, told ZDNet.

ZDNet reports that samples of SanDisk’s new automotive SD flash card will be released in March, and that SanDisk has plans to add the automotive card features to its Industrial and Industrial XT SD card products for IoT.

Apple CarPlay

Does Connected-Car Technology Add to Driver Distraction, or Help Protect From It?

Jennifer van der Kleut

As connected-car features rise in popularity among car buyers, some are questioning whether more connectivity features are providing worse driver distractions, or whether added technology could actually help protect us from distractions.

As The Globe and Mail points out, “The commute to work is getting almost as complicated as flying an airplane – many higher-end cars even have more computing power than a commercial jet.”

With larger dashboard displays, in-car infotainment systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto looming on the horizon, and even cars with their own WiFi signals hitting the market, the possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can do in your car.

ITWeb predicts that the number of connected cars on the road will reach 150 million this year, which spells big business for telecommunications companies.

But, is that good news? Driver distraction is still a very real problem, leading to numerous car crashes, injuries and fatalities on roads every day. Are connected cars adding to that?

As The Verge pointed out in 2014, the ideal scenario would be that “your car would drive itself while you and your passengers spend the entire trip fiddling with apps and using precious wireless data. But since self-driving cars are still at least six years from hitting the road, companies must balance the desire to do more things with your car and the need to keep your focus on driving.”

The Verge applauded some companies that put an extra safety measures in their apps that prevent them from working when a car is in motion, such as Ford’s Sync.

Other companies argue that, conversely, connected-car and semi-autonomous drive features are the key to minimizing driver distractions, especially as we move toward autonomous cars.

Denso International, which designs and manufactures many in-car systems that are in cars today, said at the Detroit International Auto Show this week that they are part of a consortium of automakers that are researching ways to measure how distracted a driver is, particularly to ensure that drivers can take over a car that’s in autonomous mode.

Denso also says in-car controls need to be simplified, more intuitive and easier to use, to minimize the time it takes to take one’s eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel to interact with a vehicle.

BMW’s product manager told The Globe and Mail that larger in-car displays actually help drivers-the larger they are, the less a driver has to move their head or divert their eyes from the road to see it.

Experts from Mercedes said that features that are easier to use and require the least amount of physical interaction with the vehicle are safest, such as thumb controls on steering wheels and voice control. With those, they say, the driver’s hands stay on the wheel and eyes stay on the road, where they belong.

Tell us what you think in the comments-are connected-car features bad news for driver distractions, or the key to solving them?

 

samsung_logo_seo

Samsung Joining Autonomous Car Race

A new company is joining the long list of those taking at a stab at the autonomous car business — Samsung.

Perhaps best known for flatscreen TVs and smartphones, news outlets are reporting that Samsung is launching a new division of its business aimed at manufacturing car parts for bigger automakers.

Engadget reports that the first project will be in-car infotainment systems, and that Samsung will eventually work its way up to car parts that enable autonomous driving. Engadget adds that many smartphone components also lend themselves to autonomous driving, making Samsung a credible player.

Both Motley Fool and Engadget point out that Samsung actually launched its own auto division, Samsung Motors, back in 1994. However, the market dive of 1997 forced Samsung to sell to Renault. Samsung reportedly still owns a 19-percent stake in that division.

CNBC points out that Samsung’s mobile phone division has plunged from over 60 percent to now just over 30 percent, and speculates the move may be fueled by a need to find new areas for growth. It also points out that Samsung’s biggest rival, LG Electronics, announced a deal in 2013 to manufacture car parts for General Motors’ electric Chevrolet Volt.