Although you may not be driving your BMW remotely, the new My Remote iOS app is now available in the U.S. Once installed, you’ll be able to remotely lock, honk, and even find your lost car from the comfort of your iOS device. You can check out the full release after the jump… +Continue Reading
Driving around SoCal, I’ve been noticing more signage and attention being brought to the issue of using cellphones while driving.
Distracting, dangerous, and something most of us tech savvy folks have been guilty of at one time or another. AT&T has been working at the local level to increase education, and has started touring a driving simulator, built around an actual car, to show young and old how dangerous even a momentary distraction can be while operating a vehicle.
Full Press release (with more educational and video links) after the jump. +Continue Reading
Could you imagine a day where nearly every element of your in-vehicle controls require no touch whatsoever? That is the dream of Mercedes Benz, who has been demonstrating their latest concept interior called “DICE”. Short for Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience, DICE will rely on a variety of proximity sensors that will defect hand and arm movement, giving you control of everything from temperature control to navigation and entertainment. We suspect that it will be quite some time before we see any of this tech make its way into vehicles, but it’s still fun to get a quick glimpse our automotive future…
We know you love reading about all of the latest CES announcements–but wouldn’t you rather see it for yourself? Kristen Bean is at CES bringing you the latest gear releases, and she’ll be reporting for us during the show–so check back with us throughout the week as YourTechReport is Live at CES 2012…
Consumer Electronics come in all shapes and sizes, and car tech must now be included – and not just after market. Mercedes-Benz will be front and center at CES next week showcasing the vehicle technology of tomorrow. Their new mbrace2 communications platform is said to deliver cloud-based communications and be a pretty impressive system. Designed to help enhance the driving experience, the system offers a range of features that are related to safety, information, personal assistance, vehicle care and of course, in-car entertainment. This will come in the form of cloud-based apps, traffic and navigation assistance, speech control & recognition, internet browsing, searching and concierge services. We’re looking forward to going hands on and getting you some more info come CES next week. Check the full release after the jump. +Continue Reading
Satechi has announced the availability of their new Bluetooth FM Transmitter with embedded 2 inch LCD screen. This new accessory is designed for wirelessly streaming your music with an informative on-device display that shows caller information and playlists from any compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone. Check the full release after the jump. +Continue Reading
Think back 10 years and soak this one in – LCD screens in your car. And you thought texting and driving was an issue? Seats have memory, kids have entertainment, and your car might even be able to back itself up. Hot on the heels of Verizon’s 4G Lte network comes news that OnStar, from General Motors, has developed a new system recently demonstrated in a Buick LaCrosse research vehicle. This new system will take advantage of the LTE network and deliver cloud-based streaming of both news and entertainment–video chat capabilities will even be available for back seat drivers. Now if I could only afford my own driver…
Now that American Airlines has FAA approval to use iPad’s in the cockpit, the love is spreading as the airline is equipping their inflight entertainment with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Branded tablets will make American the first domestic airline to feature the tabs for entertainment in premium cabins, allowing you to enjoy content from 35,000 ft. Check the full release after the jump. +Continue Reading
Bridgestone is making major advancements to tire technology. This new curved resin design features air-free tires – which means you’ll never have to change a flat again. You can see them in action in this demo which clearly outlines how they work. There is still plenty of R&D ahead before we see these hit the mainstream, as they currently only support up to 330 pounds (enough for a golf cart with merely one rider); but the new technology clearly has tons of potential.
What do you get when you put Nintendo together with West Coast Customs? We’re not sure…but we’re looking forward to finding out! For the first time ever, Nintendo will make an appearance at an auto show, as Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime will take the stage with West Coast Customs founder Ryan Friedlinghaus, to make a special joint presentation at 12:10 p.m. on November 17th. Exactly what this collaboration is remains to be seen–but we’ll have the full story as soon as it breaks. Though the announcement is a press-only event, Nintendo will have a booth at the LA Auto Show that will be open to the public Nov. 18-27. Check after the jump for more details…
Heads up displays are pretty cool…but until recently have been limited to little tidbits of single-color information. Fear not–BMW has their next gen HUD in testing and it comes in full color. Their goal is to deliver just the right amount of information to aid in driving, without being a distraction. Accoring to BMW, the presence of an HUD will improve safety because it reduces the time the driver needs to look at and absorb information from a screen. This new $1,300 feature will be introduced on the next BMW 3 series and will be available from February 2012 forward. On the HUD screen, users will see turn-by turn navigation, speed and cruise control settings, as well as lane guard, night vision pedestrian recognition, and adaptive cruise control following distance.
This is “Just Plain Cool.” BMW is integrating iPhone Calendars into their BMW ConnectedDrive system. The app will be able to display upcoming appointments and will even be able to dictate details while you’re busy behind the wheel. At the moment the app is limited to the iPhone–but BMW has stated that they will expand to Android as well by next year. The move by BMW is a great indication of the connected-car future, allowing third party app developers to create apps for its car system; and with such a huge iOS and Android developer base, we can’t wait to see how they meld together to create the future of in-car entertainment.
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