Autoblog

Ford takes interactivity to The Cloud with new Detroit show display

Chris Paukert — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Etc., Technology, Ford, Infotainment

The Detroit Auto Show won't swing open its doors officially until Monday's press days, but that doesn't mean the show hasn't already taken hold at Cobo Hall, as thousands of workers are busy erecting stands, checking lighting and jockeying vehicles into place. Ford Motor Company officials invited us over a little early to get a sneak peek at their still-being-built display, and it's chock-full of technology that takes interactivity to a new level.

Dominating Ford's Living Connected display is the centrally located "Cloud Journey" ride, which literally takes showgoers through the ceiling in the name of connectivity. The circular floating platform ride accommodates a dozen belted occupants in Sparco racing seats, pushing them up from the show floor to a recess in the ceiling with a 360-degree screen. Participants are then treated to an immersive 360-degree presentation that shows Ford's vision of the near-term future of cloud-enhanced motoring (about 10 years out, officials tell us), with items like car-to-car communication, dynamic routing and so on. While you're up in The Cloud, a series of digital cameras capture riders' experiences, and they'll be able to relive the experience at home with a video if they sign up for a Blue Oval Card.

What's a Blue Oval Card? It's a free, RFID-based card that can be used all over Ford's stand. As you walk through the various displays, you can wave the card over the various receiver 'pods' to interact with the displays. Your card will then have a digital record of your progress and the vehicles in which you have expressed interest, and if you like, when you get home, you can log in to a special website that will have information tailored specifically to you based on your experience at the Detroit Auto Show. You'll be able to download video of your time on the Focus ST simulator, get digital brochures on cars you expressed interested in, share items with Facebook friends and so on.

Continue reading Ford takes interactivity to The Cloud with new Detroit show display

Ford takes interactivity to The Cloud with new Detroit show display originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infographic: The Unstealable Car

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology

What a theft-proof car requires - Click above to view the image after the jump

According to HomeSecurity.net, one million vehicles (worth a total of $7.5 billion) were stolen in the United States last year. If you don't want to join a top ten list of vehicles dominated by Honda and Toyota, there are seven key technologies you'd install to create "The Ultimate Theft-Proof Car." No, one of them isn't The Club.

Leading the way is a radio-frequency transmitter, which is alone responsible for 90 percent of theft recoveries. Following that are a secure identification device like a fingerprint reader, some sort of GPS tracking system, SIM-card operated GSM communications that allow the car to call its owner when broken into, an interior motion detector, keyless entry and a passive immobilizer. Or you could just get an Abrams M1 tank - we hear they're pretty hard to lift. Follow the jump for the complete infographic.

[Source: HomeSecurity.net]

Continue reading Infographic: The Unstealable Car

Infographic: The Unstealable Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Japanese automakers developing e-tag system to streamline auto shipments

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 09:38:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Technology

Cars might be techno-marvels, but the way cars get from the factory to your driveway, in large part, isn't. Plain old ink and paper, with carbon copies for good measure, still factors into the process - and that means an extra dose of time and (potential) error as well.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun says that reduce all of that, Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi will begin working with the NYK Line shipping company to develop an e-tag system that will automate the process from factory to dealer. As with the introduction of electronic systems into all sorts of industrial processes, the plan is that with an instantly accessible inventory system, everyone will be able to react more quickly to provide what's needed. Manufacturers will get a better idea of current inventory, and dealers will be better able to resupply.

NYK Line ships 30 percent of new car inventory. Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi electronics have also shown interest, so assuming the system is developed and completed, it will come online in 2013 and is predicted to become a global standard.

[Source: Yomiuri Shimbun | Image: John-Morgan - C.C. License 2.0]

Report: Japanese automakers developing e-tag system to streamline auto shipments originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 09:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York now offering Enhanced Driver's Licenses with RFID

Michael Harley — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

New York has now become the second state in the country to offer RFID-embedded driver's licenses. Following Washington State's lead last year, the radio-frequency identification (aka RFID) licenses will be offered at a $30 premium over the standard driver's license. The benefits of the RFID license include their ability to do double-duty as a driver's license and a U.S. passport for those who frequently enter New York from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean (of course, you will still need a "real" passport to enter the state from other international destinations). Authorities say that only an ID number, no personal info, is stored on the chip. Regardless, as some embedded chips may be read from a distance -- and not necessarily a direct line of site -- authorities in New York will still offer standard licenses for those on the paranoid side... or they can run out and purchase an RFID-blocking wallet. Thanks for the tip, Yash!

[Source: Car Tech, Photo from New York DMV]

New York now offering Enhanced Driver's Licenses with RFID originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another giant leap for Big Brother: four states to insert RFID chips in driver's licenses

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:43:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

Just because you have an RFID chip in your driver's license doesn't mean the authorities are watching you; it simply means they can if they want, whenever they want. Arizona, Michigan, Vermont, and Washington will be the first states to begin placing the radio frequency identification chips in their citizens' licenses.

The chips don't need to be physically read by someone scanning your license -- they can be read by monitors within a 30-foot range. Information contained will include name, DOB, physical characteristics, and a private identity number that will allow access to further information stored in the state's DMV database. One good thing about the enhanced ID's: travelers will be able to cross the border without a passport as of January 2009.

The Department of Homeland Security is in favor of the program, promoting it under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Said a DHS fact sheet, "Multiple cards can be read at a distance and simultaneously with vicinity RFID technology, allowing an entire car full of people to be processed at once." Motorists won't be compelled to use an enhanced ID, however -- in the beginning, it will be by voluntary issue only.

[Source: The Newspaper]

Another giant leap for Big Brother: four states to insert RFID chips in driver's licenses originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Malaysia implements e-Plate with RFID to quell auto theft

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology

Yesterday it was chipped tires, today it's chipped license plates. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is becoming more popular in everything from credit cards and passports to toll transponders and now license plates. RFID tags can simplify life by providing an automatic ID when scanned. RFID uses a microchip and antenna that stores personal data and can be installed in a device or embedded into an object (or even under the skin). Although this raises a whole 'nother debate about the Big Brother aspect of monitoring people's movements and unwanted access to personal info by hackers, RFID can be used effectively to speed things up. Or to automatically register information. Which brings us to today's use generously shared by our brothers and sisters at Engadget: license plates.

Because of the frequency of auto theft in Malaysia, their Road Transport Department (RTD) has decided to start using RFID-equipped license plates. Integrated microchips will help make scanning and identifying vehicles easier for the authorities. Authorized mechanics will install the plates with the embedded microchips storing data about the vehicle's make, model, and driver info. Known as the e-plate, naturally, it has already been used effectively in Japan and the UK, where the chips can automatically record data from another vehicle's RFID in the event of an accident. Especially in hit-and-run situations this could be a Godsend. The RTD is hoping that Kuala Lumpur will see reductions in thefts as the new plates will make things tougher on carjackers because swapped plates won't match the vehicle ID. The program will start with new registrations and gradually work its way to older models on renewals. You just know these RFID tags are going to be implanted under the skin at birth in the not-too-distant future.

[Source: Engadget]

Malaysia implements e-Plate with RFID to quell auto theft originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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