Not that long ago, a telephone meant a black two-piece unit with a handset and a rotary dial. Nowadays, the telephone has been completely redefined as a smartphone capable of performing an exponentially expanding array of tasks.
Similarly, the automobile is being redefined in its second century as not necessarily a "smart car" (that name is taken), but as something of a rolling infotainment machine.
At the sprawling International CES here last week, applications, systems and gadgets for automotive use were among the fastest-growing categories on display for the industry-only consumer electronics show. The total array was in the uncountable thousands, but a few stood out.
A CES Innovation Award winner was the Aha in-dash cloud-based entertainment interface. According to the developer, Harman Industries, Aha provides access to more than 600 free radio stations, 40,000-plus entertainment choices and more than 10 million songs. Among its offerings are podcasts, sports events, e-book readers and newscasts.
Like most of this latest generation of infotainment options, it will work with either Android or Apple systems. Harman lists eight automakers it is working with to make the system an option in new cars; aftermarket units would be available from audio makers like Pioneer, Alpine and Kenwood.
Mercedes-Benz demonstrated a new "wearable" interface that would let a smartwatch monitor auto functions like the door locks, maintenance intervals, climate control, tire pressures and an electric vehicle's rate of charge. Mercedes used a Pebble watch in its demonstration but said the technology would be functional in a variety of smartwatches yet to come. Asked if the selection might include a long-anticipated wearable device from Apple, a Mercedes engineer smiled and said, "No comment."
Another Mercedes system would let a car talk to your house. The interface is with the Nest home protection system, which can provide remote control of a house's thermostat and monitoring of the smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.
A demonstration showed a car passenger raising the temperature in a mountain cabin so it would be cozy when the travellers arrived. A version of this kind of system is also being developed by AT&T that allows you to watch any webcams set up in your home.
Audi showed, among other things, searingly powerful laser headlights and a suite of aids that it calls Intelligent Traffic Management. For one on-road demo, Audi was allowed to tap into the Las Vegas traffic control centre, which electronically monitors and controls traffic signals across the metropolitan area. An Audi sedan equipped with an in-car receiver was able to drive around town and display what the next traffic light on the road was about to do.
Approaching an intersection, for example, it could tell how many seconds remained before a green or red light would change.
In an unexpected twist, the Audi system also found some bugs in the Las Vegas control centre's system, including a traffic light in front of the Rio hotel and casino that had been permanently locked in "ambulance override," preventing it from functioning normally. (The information was passed along to the traffic control centre, which confirmed and corrected the issue.)
ON DISPLAY
Similarly, the automobile is being redefined in its second century as not necessarily a "smart car" (that name is taken), but as something of a rolling infotainment machine.
At the sprawling International CES here last week, applications, systems and gadgets for automotive use were among the fastest-growing categories on display for the industry-only consumer electronics show. The total array was in the uncountable thousands, but a few stood out.
A CES Innovation Award winner was the Aha in-dash cloud-based entertainment interface. According to the developer, Harman Industries, Aha provides access to more than 600 free radio stations, 40,000-plus entertainment choices and more than 10 million songs. Among its offerings are podcasts, sports events, e-book readers and newscasts.
Like most of this latest generation of infotainment options, it will work with either Android or Apple systems. Harman lists eight automakers it is working with to make the system an option in new cars; aftermarket units would be available from audio makers like Pioneer, Alpine and Kenwood.
Mercedes-Benz demonstrated a new "wearable" interface that would let a smartwatch monitor auto functions like the door locks, maintenance intervals, climate control, tire pressures and an electric vehicle's rate of charge. Mercedes used a Pebble watch in its demonstration but said the technology would be functional in a variety of smartwatches yet to come. Asked if the selection might include a long-anticipated wearable device from Apple, a Mercedes engineer smiled and said, "No comment."
Another Mercedes system would let a car talk to your house. The interface is with the Nest home protection system, which can provide remote control of a house's thermostat and monitoring of the smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.
A demonstration showed a car passenger raising the temperature in a mountain cabin so it would be cozy when the travellers arrived. A version of this kind of system is also being developed by AT&T that allows you to watch any webcams set up in your home.
Audi showed, among other things, searingly powerful laser headlights and a suite of aids that it calls Intelligent Traffic Management. For one on-road demo, Audi was allowed to tap into the Las Vegas traffic control centre, which electronically monitors and controls traffic signals across the metropolitan area. An Audi sedan equipped with an in-car receiver was able to drive around town and display what the next traffic light on the road was about to do.
Approaching an intersection, for example, it could tell how many seconds remained before a green or red light would change.
In an unexpected twist, the Audi system also found some bugs in the Las Vegas control centre's system, including a traffic light in front of the Rio hotel and casino that had been permanently locked in "ambulance override," preventing it from functioning normally. (The information was passed along to the traffic control centre, which confirmed and corrected the issue.)
© 2014 The New York Times News Service
ON DISPLAY
- 1. Ford unveils its 2015 Ford Mustang during the 2014 International CES
- 2. An Infiniti InTouch infotainment system is demonstrated inside an Infinity Q50S
- 3. A Sony SmartWatch2 on display