Tag Archives: automobile

Hackers rig up iPad-powered, driverless car

Oxford University isn't the only group working on an iPad-controlled car. As reported by Wired, a team of Russian hackers have also developed their own version of this Bond-inspired automobile.

The group took an old Opel Vectra and installed a handful of actuators and controllers in the car. These electronics connect wirelessly to an iPad that has custom software to pilot the automobile. The new hardware effectively takes over the steering and the shifting, removing control of the car from the driver and putting it under the capable guidance of an iPad.

The setup is pretty slick, except for the brakes and gas. Instead of a gradual control, the gas and brakes are either on or off. The system works fine in the controlled demo, but taking it out on the street would lead to a rather jolting ride. You can check out the project in the YouTube video below.

Hackers rig up iPad-powered, driverless car originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source

iPad navigates self-driving car

Researchers at Oxford University are working on technology that would let you ride in a self-driving car that's partially controlled by an iPad. According to a report in Clean Technica, the RobotCar UK project is headed up by Professor Paul Newman of Oxford University's Department of Engineering Science.

The computer-controlled system uses sensors on the outside of a Nissan Leaf to generate a detailed picture of the car's surroundings. An iPad sits in the dashboard and is the control panel that lets the user interact with the system. With just a few taps, the driver can turn auto-drive on and off.

The research team is still in the early stages of testing the self-driving system. It'll take some time for the technology to improve and for the cost to drop from its prototype price of

iPad mini at home in VW Jetta

What is better than an iPad mini on your desk? An iPad mini installed your car, of course. This wonderful car modification was shown by custom car company Soundwaves of Tampa, which has done at least one other iPad mini dashboard install that we covered last year.

This time around Soundwaves of Tampa published an excellent video detailing how they installed the iPad mini in a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. This system uses a magnetic clip to attach the mini to the dashboard and some wiring to hook it into the car's entertainment system. It's a sweet setup that makes me wish I had a modern car instead of my old clunker.

[Via iMore]

iPad mini at home in VW Jetta originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source

Nuance announces Dragon Drive, Siri-like functionality for cars

If you can't get enough of Siri's dulcet tones, then you'll be happy to hear that Nuance -- one of the companies behind Apple's intelligent assistant -- has announced a similar type of functionality that should be coming to cars soon. Dragon Drive replicates the power of Siri so that drivers can initiate a conversation to perform common tasks rather than take their hands off the wheel.

Expected sometime this summer, Dragon Drive lets drivers send text messages, check traffic information, play music, or get directions by just asking. A button on the steering wheel activates the voice recognition so that other discussions in the car don't set off a search. Dragon Drive then uses onboard software to do part of the voice recognition rather than relying solely on remote servers like Siri.

Like Siri, Dragon Drive learns a user's voice patters, and other noises like windshield wipers are filtered out. It's expected that the technology will soon be available to any smartphone user and in cars equipped with a cellular radio and SIM card.

Nuance technology is already used in infotainment systems in cars by GM, Ford, BMW, and Daimler, but it is unknown how many of the car manufacturers will opt to use Dragon Drive.

[via Macworld]

Nuance announces Dragon Drive, Siri-like functionality for cars originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source

Bracketron Power Dock Pro Flex keeps iPhone secured and powered in your car

Image

When it comes to car mounts for the iPhone and iPod touch, there are a lot of 'em available. I personally despise windshield suction-cup mounts, as every one I've tried has fallen off my windshield as soon as it heats up in the strong Colorado sun. When I saw Bracketron's new Universal USB Power Dock Pro Flex (US$34.95), I decided to give it a try -- it avoids the suction cup failure mode by running a 'stalk' up from the AC adapter port in the car's console.

My car mount woes are further aggravated by the fact that I use a mophie juice pack air battery case on my iPhone 4S. Many of the car mounts I've tested have required a bare iPhone, so I've had to remove the case every time I want to put the phone into a mount. Not so with Power Dock Pro Flex. It's adjustable, and I'm able to easily get iPhone and case into the mount.

However, there's one little fly in the ointment; the arms on the case that hold the phone in place end up covering the charging port for the juice pack air so that I can't charge it. I was able to resolve that problem by placing the iPhone into the mount upside-down! It's not the recommended way and definitely not suggested if you're putting an iPhone (with or without case) into the Power Dock Pro Flex and planning on charging it through the Dock connector.

The Power Dock Pro Flex is designed to be universal, meaning that it works with a variety of smartphones. That's why it doesn't come with a Apple Dock connector cable; you'll have to supply your own. It does come with a USB to micro-USB cable, which works flawlessly to keep the juice pack air charged.

The mount plugs directly into a standard 12V power port in a car and has a flexible arm that ends in a ball-mounted holder for the phone. The part of the mount that's plugged into your power port has an LED to indicate that you have power, and the aforementioned USB port. Bracketron uses a feature called "power grip arms" that insures that the plug is going to stay put in that 12V power port. For those of you who might be wondering, I do NOT look at the phone when I'm driving -- that's what voice directions are for, so it makes no difference if my iPhone is within my field of vision or not.

I'm pretty happy with the Power Dock Pro Flex, and it's reasonably priced. It keeps an iPhone in an accessory case securely held in my car while providing a way to charge it, and that's all I need. It's also a perfect fit for those who may have several people with different smartphones who want to use the same mount in one car.

Bracketron Power Dock Pro Flex keeps iPhone secured and powered in your car originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source

Jaguar Integrates Two iPads Inside New $155,000 Luxury Sedan

If you have USD $155,000 burning a hole in your pocket and a love of luxury sedans, you may want to take a look at the new Jaguar XJ Ultimate. Equipped with all of the luxuries that an automobile can feature, the XJ Ultimate has also included their own Rear Seat Entertainment package. This decadent [...]

CarTrip will connect your iOS device and your automobile

Griffin CarTrip with CleanDrive app
Griffin kicked off CES with a bang today by introducing several new products including the new CarTrip hardware and CleanDrive app for iOS or Android.

CarTrip is a Bluetooth-enabled monitor that plugs into your car's OBD-II port and compiles the data logged by the car's onboard computer. Data accessible to the Griffin device includes car acceleration, top speed, fuel consumption and diagnostic codes. The module can store this information to an external SD card using the built-in SD card port, or you can access the data directly using your phone or iPod touch/iPad and Griffin's CleanDrive application.

The CleanDrive application reads and analyzes the data provided from your car. Both individual trip and long-term data helps you analyze the fuel efficiency of your car and troubleshoot that annoying and often mysterious "check engine" light. The application requires an iPhone, iPad or fourth generation iPod touch with iOS 4.0 or later, while the Bluetooth module requires a 1996 or newer car that contains an OBD-II compliant system.

The CarTrip Bluetooth module will be available in Q1 2011 for US$89.99 from Griffin's website. The free, companion CleanDrive app will debut in Q1 2011 for iOS and Q2 for Android. Anyone interested in a personal OBD-II monitoring system?

Continue reading CarTrip will connect your iOS device and your automobile

CarTrip will connect your iOS device and your automobile originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford’s AppLink to support iPhone voice control of apps

Ford Sync
My, how far we have come since Ford offered a "standard" iPod jack in its 2008 Ford Escape. Starting this month (and next depending on the model), SYNC-equipped Ford Fiesta owners with iPhone, Android or BlackBerry smartphones will be able to use free software from Ford called AppLink, which gives SYNC users voice control over several apps on their phones. Available for download over at owner site www.syncmyride.com, the first apps compatible with AppLink are Pandora (internet radio), Stitcher (news radio) and OpenBeak (for listening to Twitter posts).


While AppLink was initially only supposed to be for Android and BlackBerry phones, Ford decided to add the iPhone to its list of supported devices. By using Bluetooth streaming with Android and BlackBerry devices and a USB port for the iPhone, users just press the VOICE button on their steering wheel to enable voice command control of their apps. Currently only for SYNC-equipped Ford Fiestas, Ford says that additional vehicles and controllable apps are coming in 2011.

Just 12 months ago Ford started offering iTunes tagging in their cars with HD Radios, giving users the ability to tag songs for later purchase in iTunes. While that's a neat idea and something I am sure we will see more of in the future, it's really encouraging to see more work being done on the voice control front in the automobile world. With more and more people taking advantage of their smartphones while driving, and with Apple looking to hire more voice recognition specialists, anything that can make the roads a little safer to drive on is all right by me.

Ford's AppLink to support iPhone voice control of apps originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments