Autoblog

Delphi to offer clever DIY smartphone interface for older cars

Chris Tutor — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, CES, Technology

Those of us with an older car might be feeling a bit jealous of all the new cars with their fancy smart phone apps. But if you have a 1996 or newer vehicle, you may soon be able to bring your car closer to those new-fangled models.

Autoblog spoke with Craig Tieman, advanced concepts and market development manager for Delphi, at the 2013 CES in Las Vegas Monday night about Delphi's Connected Car device. The matchbox-sized box plugs into a car's OBDII port to provide a link from your smartphone to your car.

From there, things get really interesting. After scanning your car's onboard computers, the little black box pairs with your smart phone and offers a choice of key fob designs on the screen. Choose the one that most resembles your car's original fob, and you're ready to go. Essentially, the smartphone app replaces all of the functions of your fob. Honk the panic button, open the doors, remote start, etc.

Using the OBDII connection, Delphi's gadget can also be used as an error code scanner to help you determine the source of your car's problems. Depending on the model of your car, the smartphone app can even display fuel level, battery health, and several other datapoints including a list of all trips, average speed, etc.

More? Okay. The Connected Car also can provide location information. If your teen driver sets out in the snow, you can track the vehicle's route in almost real time. Using your smart phone, you can even set up virtual geofencing boundaries that, if crossed, will send you an email. So you'll know when Junior is taking your Camaro to the drag strip, or when your little Snowflake is visiting that older boy you told her she couldn't see any more.

All this is can be done using Verizon's mobile service, so you can access the information from anywhere your phone can receive a signal. No phone? A web browser interface is also available.

If you're trying to unlock your car deep within your underground bunker and have no cell service, the Connected Car also includes a Bluetooth module. Once paired, cell service isn't needed for most of the basic functions.

Tieman says this is only the beginning, pledging to expect new functionality soon after the device is launched in February. Pricing of the Connected Car, to be sold by Verizon, as well as the service fees, haven't been determined. But, hey... it's got to be cheaper than buying a new car.

Delphi to offer clever DIY smartphone interface for older cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011: GM shows off OnStar equipped with 4G, Skype, video monitoring and more [w/video]

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Technology, Buick, Cadillac, GM

Click above to view the video after the jump

Verizon just rolled out its 4G LTE wireless broadband network, and with General Motors using Big Red for its OnStar system for over 15 years, GM is asking itself: What can we do with all this bandwidth?

The answer is 'plenty'... but nothing immediately.

Instead, GM and Verizon equipped a Buick LaCrosse with a 4G LTE modem and a host of cameras, sensors and controls and is trotting it out at CES to demonstrate how the broadband tech could be implemented.

Among the possible applications is a vehicle monitoring system that utilizes a handful of lipstick cameras to transmit video to the driver to see what's going on both inside and outside the vehicle while they're away. On the same front, the system can be paired with Verizon's 4Home service, which connects with home security cameras, lights and thermostats and transmits information back to the driver.

Other features include voice search, a traffic view that streams live traffic-cam images, Skype with video chat and a impact detection system that would identify if your car was hit in a parking lot, and would then turn on all the exterior cameras and capture an image of the offending vehicle as it drove away.

Hit the jump for a video of the various systems in action along with the press blast, and look for our initial impressions from CES later this week.

Continue reading CES 2011: GM shows off OnStar equipped with 4G, Skype, video monitoring and more [w/video]

CES 2011: GM shows off OnStar equipped with 4G, Skype, video monitoring and more [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford the talk of the town

Joel Arellano — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:24:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Ford, Toyota

You would think that Ford Motors would be but a whisper on anyone's tongue with all the merger talk about an alliance between General Motors and Renault/Nissan. But according to the Keller Fay Group, the Blue Oval is actually the most talked about brand among in America at the moment. The marketing research and consulting company, which measures brands via word of mouth advertising, ranks the automotive company ahead of wireless company Verizon and computer maker Dell.

But being the talk of the town is not all good news. Ford failed to crack the top ten for positive word of mouth. Rival Toyota Motor Corp scored the number one spot in that list. Interesting, Wal-Mart scored second after Toyota despite all the negative press about the retail chain.

So how important is word of mouth? According to Keller Fay Group CEO Ed Keller, nearly half of the consumers who participated in these surveys are likely to buy a brand because of what other people say about the product.

[Source: Associated Press via Canton Repository]

Ford the talk of the town originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VZ Navigator: Do not pass Go, do pass destination, go directly to jail

Joel Arellano — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Gadgets, Etc., I.C.E., Technology

Martha McKay of the Wichita Eagle recently tested the VZ Navigator, a GPS navigation system offered by Verizon for its Motorola V325 cell phone. The service became available in January.

In a similar manner to TechnoRide's testing of OnStar's Turn-By-Turn service, McKay entered her destination address into the cellphone, which downloaded directions to the unit. McKay then followed "Michelle's" voice prompts and found herself driving a half-mile past her destination to the Bergen County Jail. A Verizon representative later explained that the VZ Navigator's mapping directions are provided by Navteq Corp., and such inaccurate information was probably an aberration.

Uh-huh. McKay at least can take some comfort that VZ Navigator didn't guide her over a cliff. Share your sat-nav experiences (good and bad) with your fellow reader in 'comments.'

[Source: The Record via The Wichita Eagle]

VZ Navigator: Do not pass Go, *do* pass destination, go directly to jail originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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