Autoblog

Click above to view a video of Chrysler's uConnect in action.

At Chrysler's annual "What's New" gathering at its Chelsea Proving Ground, we were able to get a demonstration of the new uConnect Web system, which transforms any vehicle into a rolling WiFi hot spot. The hardware consists of a WiFi router with a built in wireless 3G modem. The 3G modem automatically connects to the internet and allows any WiFi enabled devices, such as a laptop, iPod Touch, Nintendo DS or XBox to connect, as long as you're within range of a cell signal. Chrysler is offering the system as a dealer installed option through it's Mopar parts division starting this August. Initially, it will only be available for 2009 models, but earlier models will be added further down the road. The system will cost about $500 installed plus $29 a month for unlimited service, and if you sign up for a two-year contract you get two months for free. Theoretically, you could use the system as your home internet service with your car parked in the garage, making the initial cost of installation and monthly service charges a bit more palatable. Check out a video of the demonstration we received after the jump.

So here we have the kind of real-time social engagement that the Internet originally promised us. A site called Brandtag allows you to enter a 1-word attribute for a brand -- like "quattro" for Audi -- and then creates a page with the popularity of any brand identifier denoted by its size on the page relative to every other tag used, i.e. a tag cloud. For instance, one of the biggest words on the Ferrari page is "red," while one of the (many) smallest words is "viagra."

Generic descriptors seem to take the biggest places for all of the brands (browse them here) and some of the small words make you wonder -- like "pirate" for BMW. Yet there are some other intriguing middle-sized words that could make you ask, "Is that what more than one person thinks when they see me?" BMW owners should take note that many people apparently see you all as a-holes (NSFW-ish), though take heart that no brand is sacred from this swarm attack. Thanks for the tip, Alex!

[Source: Brandtags]

Back in the 90s, many automakers tried to cut dealerships out of the business equation by selling cars online, but OEMs found out that selling vehicles wasn't as easy as it looked. Since then, automakers have stuck to supporting its dealers on the web, and Saturn plans to take online shopping to the next level. Ten Saturn dealers are participating in a pilot that will give customers the ability to spend less time inside the dealership by using the Internet to apply for credit, schedule a test drive, settle on a price, and more.

The move makes sense for Saturn since it prides itself on its customer-friendly nature, and doing more without leaving the house or office leads to shorter dealer visits and faster transactions. One function of any sale that will difficult to do online is the valuation of the trade-in, but dealers will be able to give a ball-park figure based on make, model, mileage, and the description of the customer. If the pilot goes well, we're guessing other GM makes and the competition will start putting more of the car-buying process online. We're wondering why it took this long to get to this point in the first place.

There's a variety of flavors of in-car networking standards that corral the large number of embedded computers and nodes present in the modern automobile. BMW Research and Technology, an R&D division of BMW, has found Internet Protocol up to the tasks that the other standards currently perform. BMW engineers used a standard PC and connected it up to the expected gear -- ECUs, engine and chassis control systems, even a multimedia server for the entertainment system. The reasoning behind using IP versus the more specialized protocols is to anticipate future needs and requirements, as well as reducing costs. Costs drop because fewer specialized components are needed, and the new version of IPv6 is even better than the more than fine performance from IPv4. It's a little spooky to think that your fly-by-wire throttle could be trying to chat with the engine using the same technology that we use to send instant messages, but IP proved itself capable enough even for critical safety functions. The research is ongoing, but BMW's work bodes well for adding functionality and decreasing costs. Adding aftermarket goodies should be fairly painless and service shops will also have an easier time of it by going with a more universal language. Imagine surfing the web with iDrive, though. Blech.

[Source: Automotive Design Line, Photo: Zercustoms]

Pontiac has been revamping its brand, cutting the ass-ugly (Aztek, Montana) and adding the badass (G8, Solstice GXP). There's a strong desire to shift the median buyer age down. The effort's already underway, and has seen some success thus far, but Pontiac wants the coveted younger buyer. In the interest of getting the Pontiac name in front of their intended buyer, the division is actually cutting back on traditional advertising efforts. Huh? Well, how many 20-somethings do you know who watch Dateline? Right.

Think of it as a one-two punch from Pontiac. The first part is creating compelling product, which we've all been watching intently. The line's been purged of bad ideas, and a strong styling direction has taken hold. Excitement surrounds the launch of the G8 sedan, and the G6 has made us forget all about vehicles like the Sunfire. Okay, the G5 isn't helping matters, but the rest of the lineup is eye-catching and well turned out. Some brand watchers knock Pontiac for not retaining owners over the last ten years, but the brand has undergone some considerable change. We'd expect that buyers turned on by the Trans Sport aren't the same people that get excited by the impending awesomeness that is the G8.

[Source: Advertising Age]

Every automaker has its web presence set up where you can sort of shop for a car. It gets a little difficult when you actually go to get a price quote – you'll get directed to a selection of local dealers, some more willing to deal than others – it's enough to make you wish for a "Buy It Now" button. AutoNation's testing pretty much that very idea at an Atlanta location. The experience doesn't differ much from what's already available at automotive sales websites. You can browse inventory, schedule test drives, get price quotes, even apply for credit. Where the AutoNation website differs is that you can actually trade in a vehicle, secure financing, and arrange delivery or pick up of your new car. AutoNation's not sure whether or not they'll roll out the service to their largest-in-the-nation dealer network. In the past, it's not proven to move as much iron as you'd think. There's a lot to consider when buying a car, and it might just be too bewildering for people to feel comfortable with a "purchase car" button to click. Problem credit is another issue that can plug up the works. In the end, while AutoNation may offer complete online sales, it may not find that many takers.

[Source: The Auto Channel, Photo: Carsnaps]

Ah scapegoating, the last refuge of the defeated. This season McLaren got caught red-handed (pardon the pun) and lost the constructor's championship. Then its poor reliability and performance meant that neither of the team's incredibly talented pilots could lock up the driver's title, either. Rather than look inwards to find cause for his team's enormous disappointment, team principal Ron Dennis is pointing his finger. And he's pointing in our direction.

"The internet is an unregulated source of information that is a nuissance." That's what Dennis had to say. "It has added to the pressure on our team." Ron went on a bit, but that's pretty much the gist of it. Feel free to follow the link to find out how else we and our ilk screwed things up for McLaren.

(For those not yet sufficiently entertained, Autosport is reporting that McLaren mechanics made Dennis a fake trophy.)

Don't blame us, Ron. Blame Al Gore. After all, he invented the internet.

[Source: F1-live]

Mercedes has its 3-pointed hands in just about everything, from classic rallies to virtual opera to Fashion Week's around the world. In just two days, at 8PM on July 12, you'll be able to keep track of it all when Mercedes-Benz launches five channels of Internet television devoted to lifestyle, cars, engines and sports, history and legends, and innovation.

The first broadcast, in German and English, will be a presentation of a weekly news magazine hosted by German society reporter Tanja Bülter. Airing with that will be a program called Power Meets Fashion, from Fashion Week Berlin, that will see drivers like Lewis Hamilton taking spins around Berlin in cars like the Ocean Drive and Uhlenhaut Coupe. Each of the five channels will launch with an hour of programming, available on demand, 24 hours a day, with events like auto shows and launches broadcast live. While we can wonder how much "news" there will be in the news magazine, Mercedes has got the resources, the production values -- and the cars -- to provide something sure to have enough eye candy for between-task breaks.

Related posts:

All Audi, all the time: Audi TV hits the web waves

[Source: Auto Spies]

Both Volkswagen and Google have responded to criticism that the automaker's web pages were in violation of Google's quality guidelines. The uproar centers around hidden keywords in flash-based pages.

Rather than include the keywords in the meta tag of the HTML page, which is where information about the document is typically placed, VW was hiding search keywords inside the page. Using a div layer, which is a technique of building pages with style sheets, Volkswagen had loads of search terms that would register with web spiders, but not show up to end users. The end result would be the Volkswagen pages would be called up for more searches on Google than they otherwise would be.

The name of this suspect layer, "invisibleContent," seems to clearly register its intent. Since being flagged, Google and Volkswagen's agency had a chat, and the search terms are now properly placed under the Meta description in the page. Oh yeah, the pages now block web crawlers from caching the pages - a total 180 degree turn from spamming search engines with hidden terms. Very weird.

Some webmasters are a little miffed that Google didn't throw the book at VW and kick it from the search engine's index, a particularly devastating reaction for websites that Google often has when a site is found to be violating its quality guidelines. Apparently it doesn't matter, however, since VW's blocked its site from being cached anyway.

[Source: cartoonbarry.com]

It's like Pandora for your car! Slacker, a new web-based radio website has just launched this week. The channel selection is very similar to what's available on XM or Sirius, and we liken it to Pandora because the number of songs you can skip is limited, but the selection is large and the experience is flexible and customizeable. The website alone is a nice little diversion anywhere you've got a browser and bandwidth, but the exciting news is that there will soon be an iPod-like device so you can take your Slacker with you. That means never having to listen to the angry guy talk channel while stuck in a traffic jam again. It's also better than the four-song playlists each FM genre now spins, too. The portable device will store songs, and later this year Slacker will be unveiling a car dock that will be able to receive music from satellite signals.

Pulling down music from the birds is the same trick that Sirius and XM manage, but they cost money. Slacker is free once you purchase the hardware. How is that possible? Why, the very same way broadcast television and radio are free: advertising. If you're willing to sit through some ads, you get free music. In fact, the music is merely there to keep you interested enough that you'll continue to listen through the spots – of course, many of us are obsessive channel flippers (or worse yet, NPR junkies). You can have your Slacking and no commercials, too. For about half the price of Sirius, your $7.50 per month will keep the music rolling in and offer you unlimited skips and no ads. The price is so much lower because Slacker doesn't have big loans for satellites to pay off. The quality is in the MP3 realm, and sounds decent, which is encouraging. Some of us with finely tuned ears have a hard time listening to SatRad because of the digital compression artifacts. We'll see what happens if Slacker is able to popularize it's offerings, and deliver on the promise they're dangling tantalizingly in front of our noses.

[Source: Kicking Tires]