Autoblog

Ford won't be the only automaker in the U.S. to have Microsoft technology underhood for long, as Hyundai has hooked up with the software giant on new infotainment technology partnership. The first new jointly produced system will provide voice-controlled connectivity between mobile devices for Hyundai and Kia vehicles beginning in 2010. Microsoft will also work with Korea's Institute for IT Advancement to open an Automotive IT Innovation Centre in Seoul. The Korean auto giant will partner with Microsoft on auto telecommunication, telematics, navigation systems, and improving Human Machine Interface technology.

Recent developments in automotive technology show that infotainment tech like Ford's SYNC and BMW's in-car Internet systems are hot. Microsoft appears to be capitalizing on the new trend by netting a second automotive partner, while Hyundai gets the new interactive tech that customers are craving. If its cars are anything to go by, Hyundai's version of the technology will probably cost less and do more.

[Source: Hyundai]

The Internet has been invading every aspect of our lives, but until recently most of us have gone without a connection to the World Wide Web inside our cars. That's changing with third party companies and OEMs beginning to offer 3G WiFi solutions for automobiles, and Microsoft says it's working on an even better idea. The Seattle-based software giant is working with the Universities of Massachusetts and Washington to develop a more reliable WiFi experience that enables the reception of multiple signals simultaneously to cut back on choppy service.

Microsoft's WiFi solution would leverage fledgling municipal wireless infrastructures to bring the Internet to your car. The Ballmer boys are betting that WiFi services will spread like wildfire in the future, and its new technology will be able to utilize multiple signals at the same time to make in-car Internet as smooth as what you get at home. On the surface, in-car Internet sounds ridiculous, but think of all the iPhone-like apps that could make your life easier. Weather, navigation, information, show times, and even gaming for your passengers would be a click away. You could even read Autoblog in the parking lot while your spouse goes shopping.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

The rapidly shrinking US auto market has left automakers scrambling for any way to differentiate their products from the competition, and the fastest way to get the job done is with technology. Microsoft is all too aware of this, and the tech giant is betting big on automotive to give itself a larger presence in a rapidly growing field. Microsoft has increased both staffing and funding by 30% in an effort to get in on the connectivity and infotainment ground floor. Sync has been Microsoft's crowning achievement in the automotive space to date, with over 200,000 units sold so far and 1 m expected by the end of 2009. Though Ford owns Sync branding rights, Microsoft will be able to peddle the inexpensive system to other automakers in 2009. Microsoft's "Live Search" technology is also available to automakers, and it will spawn in-car systems that allow drivers to search for nearby businesses.

Since every other aspect of our lives is now interconnected, it makes sense for cars to follow the trend. Whether you love the Microsoft or hate it, having the 800-pound gorilla in the automotive realm is a good thing. We just hope we won't have to worry about a blue screen of death plaguing our family wagon.

[Source: Detroit News]

While Ford has enjoyed a year of exclusivity with its SYNC-branded version of Microsoft's in-car connectivity technology, the Redmond-based company has been itching to expand the availability of its in-car gadget integration system to other marques. According to the AP, the first post-Ford carmakers to use the platform in the U.S. will be sister companies Hyundai and Kia.

According to the report, the Korean automakers will have the right to offer the technology on its cars in November, but probably won't do so. The AP report quotes Velle Kolde, senior product manager for Microsoft Auto, saying the two companies are busy developing their own custom applications and don't plan to be ready until after that date.

There is no word yet on what the new system will be named, its cost or what vehicles it will be offered on. Currently the only automaker offering Microsoft's system in the U.S. is Ford. Fiat has rights to sell it internationally and calls its version Blue&Me.

UPDATE: Ford reminded us that only its version of Microsoft Auto's technology is called SYNC, so other brands will have to come up with and market their own names for it.

[Source: Associated Press]

Eric Horvitz is the president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, as well as being an AI researcher at Microsoft. When stuck in traffic one day in Seattle, he asked his nav system to reroute him via side streets, and the result was worse than being stuck on the highway. That incident turned into four years of research and data collection on traffic patterns to create the Clearflow traffic avoidance system for Microsoft's web portal-based Live Search Maps.

The point of Clearflow is to provide accurate route information that gives you the best chance to avoid traffic on highways and on the side streets. By logging data from 16,500 trips over 125,000 miles, Microsoft engineers came up with algorithms to predict traffic flow on highways and adjacent streets, the latter of which can be even more crowded than the main arteries.

Using the data collected in Seattle, along with the results from highway sensors, the system works for 72 cities, and can "predict congestion based on time of day, weather and other variables like sporting events." Clearflow went live Thursday, April 10, with the choice to "Choose route based on traffic".

[Source: New York Times]

Ford's SYNC system is winning friends left and right, with CNET giving it the nod as Coolest New Car Tech and The Detroit News calling it "the best $395 option of 2007". Sales of the Ford Focus, in which the system debuted, are up 22.5% this year, despite the car's iffy redesign. According to Ford, consumers are choosing to add SYNC to their cars two to one over those who skip it, and Microsoft, which supplies the software to run SYNC, has noticed this popularity. The software giant from Redmond has pretty big plans for its Automotive Business Unit beyond supporting Ford's SYNC system, and hopes to give its software system "daily relevance" within five years by networking infotainment systems with each other. A local search function, for instance, could offer multiple possible routes based on up-to-the-minute information gathered from the network.

All of these upgrades need to be paid for somehow, and Martin Thall, the General Manager of Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit, has suggested that they may integrate advertisements into the infotainment system as opposed to charging subscription fees like General Motors does with its OnStar service. After all, you hear ads on your radio and pass by billboards every time you get in your car, right? Would serving up advertisements or coupons to Starbucks while you're driving be a distraction, though? They better think this through carefully.

[Source: CNET]

SYNC appears to be a big win so far for Ford, with the communications technology helping to move vehicles off dealer lots faster than vehicles without the system. Ford and Microsoft have been working to take SYNC to the next level, however, and the changes announced by Bill Gates at CES show that the technology is on an upward trajectory. Gates announced two new capabilities for SYNC that will help Ford offer a richer multimedia experience while competing with GM's OnStar satellite service.

First, SYNC will soon be able to assist drivers in calling 911 if an accident is detected. Drivers will need a SYNC-paired phone for SYNC 911 Assist to work, and since the SYNC simply uses the driver's phone, there is no monthly charge for the service. Ford tells us that it had to clear hurdles for 911 Assist because the government doesn't want systems to call 911 without human intervention, so a 10-second buffer gives drivers the ability to cancel the call. If the occupants of the vehicle are incapacitated, SYNC will automatically call 911 if the driver doesn't cancel the 911 call after 10 seconds. Ford points out that 911 Assist doesn't need an operator working as a 911 middle-man, giving it a speed advantage over OnStar. Hit the jump to read about SYNC's Vehicle Health Reports and Ford's official press release.

You can see a gallery of photos from the CES announcement here.

[Source: Ford]

Popular Mechanics is handing out its breakthrough awards, and Ford's SYNC made its way into the tech magazine's top 10 breakthrough products. SYNC's reasonable $395 price tag and voice recognition capability gave Ford and Microsoft's joint project the edge, and Popular Mechanics also really liked the fact that SYNC can read your text messages to you. SYNC will be available on 12 Ford products for the 2008 model year, with more availability in 2009.

Ford wasn't the only automaker to make its way onto the breakthrough award list, either. GM, BMW, and DaimlerChrysler's joint Two-Mode Hybrid project was also recognized for its ability to save fuel on the gas guzzlers that need it most.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Siemens and Microsoft have announced a joint partnership to develop the next generation of in-car entertainment and sat-nav products, which, much like the Ford/Microsoft Sync system, will allow users to connect everything from mobile phones to media players. Recognizing that standalone audio systems are quickly becoming a thing of the past, the new system seeks to integrate every facet of the "digital lifestyle" into one all-encompassing unit. The fruits of their labors should be in production by 2009, assuming all goes well over in Redmond.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Home racing games have come a long way since Pole Position, with controllers providing feedback to virtual drivers, while true to life graphics and vehicle driving dynamics making the action feel much more real. Microsoft has even engineered some real-life smoke from their official steering wheel, even though the software giant from Redmond, Washington really wishes the problem didn't exist.

The pneumatic experts at Festo have taken a big step towards making the most real-life racing game experience, and the extent of on-road feel of their new contraption looks very impressive. Festo uses Fluidic Muscles and mechatronic systems to give users a true sensation of either driving or flying, depending on the software being used. It's really more of an industrial simulator than a game, and we're pretty sure it costs a bit more than a Playstation 3. Either way, we'll need to come up with a business case to AOL for buying one for the Autoblog team. You can check out a video of the Festo system after the jump.

Thanks for the tip, thesawzall!