Electrical & Wire Harness Design Blog

Renesas made a rather significant announcement this week, launching the newest system-on-chip (SoC) in its R-Car series. It refers to the device – the R-Car H2 – as “a complete solution for next-generation high-end multimedia and navigation” with “high performance and state-of-the-art 3D graphics capabilities.” The performance comes in part from ARM’s big.LITTLE processing technology, which in … Read More

Renesas, QNX Software Systems, Wind River, Blu-Ray, Elektrobit, ARM, Mentor Graphics, Microsoft, Imagination Technologies, Infotainment

  STMicroelectronics announced a new strategic plan in which it will exit its mobile platform and wireless semiconductor alliance, ST-Ericsson, and focus on two product-segment organizations – Sense & Power and Automotive Products, and Embedded Processing Solutions. Sense & Power and Automotive includes MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) and other sensors, power discrete and advanced … Read More

low-g accelerometer, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), Infotainment, STMicroelectronics, Powertrain, ST-Ericsson

At Mentor Graphics IESF in Detroit last month Paul Hansen, editor and publisher of The Hansen Report on Automotive Electronics (hansenreport.com) told attendees that automotive cloud computing “will bring about an upheaval in automotive electronics” over the next decade or two. “No longer do carmakers have to rely only on the computing power and memory they can afford to embed in the vehicle; they … Read More

Kia, Infotainment, Laird Technologies, automotive cloud computing, Toyota, Verizon Wireless, 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars, LTE, Hyundai, Mentor Graphics, IESF, telematics 4G LTE ecosystem, Driver Assistance Systems, The Hansen Report on Automotive Electronics, Honda

I thought everybody but me had a smart phone but Tony Kraatz, lead engineer for GM’s new infotainment system, the Chevy MyLink, reminded me that, in fact, not everybody has one, so you won’t need one to use MyLink. Any Bluetooth phone or USB device will work, and if you don’t have either of those you can use the 7-inch color touch screen, steering wheel controls, or voice commands to control the radio, … Read More

IHS iSuppli, Gracenote, Infotainment, Bluetooth, turn-by-turn navigation, Chevrolet, Add new tag, Chevy Volt, Nuance, OnStar, GM, Chevy Equinox, Pandora Internet radio, Stitcher Internet radio, Chevy MyLink

  Suppose you’re the person responsible for managing an automaker’s infotainment strategy. Let’s say you currently offer SiriusXM satellite radio, AM/FM, and HD. When and how do you add Internet radio? Ford is offering Pandora and Stitcher (music and news programming respectively), Toyota recently announced a partnership with Clear Channel’s iheartradio (750+ stations). Is now the time to make a move, … Read More

Slacker Internet Radio, Sirius/XM, Stitcher, Clear Channel, Ford, ABC News Radio, Toyota, Internet radio, Pandora, Wi-Fi, iheartradio, Infotainment

I want lots of connectivity in my next car and have every reason to expect it (and, of course, to use it responsibly). We’re talking-cutting edge technology of the kind increasingly available to mid-range buyers; features like Internet access, voice recognition, full-color touch-screen displays, diagnostics, and various forms of infotainment. I was a bit surprised to learn that all of that and more … Read More

OLED Displays, Network Car, LCD, Android, Bluetooth, Linux, Microsoft, Netscape, 3G Cellular, Google, Delphi, DSRC, IBM, Infotainment, Bob Schumacher, COMDEX, Internet Access, DVB-T, DVB-SH, Genivi Consortium, QNX, Voice Recognitiion, Wi-Fi, Touch-Screen Displays, USB, Smartphones, Sun Microsystems

DENSO’s Blue Harmony is among the more recent in-vehicle communications and infotainment systems to hit the market. Like others in the space, Blue Harmony promises compatibility with current and future devices for consumers who want to stay connected while in their car. DENSO says Blue Harmony will allow drivers to access their consumer electronics devices and off-board information and services safely. … Read More

In-Vehicle Communications, DENSO, Infotainment, App Store, Visteon, Voice Recognition, AutoLinQ, 802.11, iSuppli, Consumer Electronics Show, Phil Magney, Continental AG, Telematics, Blue Harmony, Bluetooth Hands-Free Calling

Readers of the New York Times were shocked – shocked – by a January 7 article headlined “Despite Risks, Internet Creeps Onto Car Dashboards.” Most of the nearly 500 Times readers who posted comments on the paper’s Web site voiced outrage that the automotive industry, in its greed and stupidity (paraphrasing here), would have the audacity to offer such disastrous wares when so much attention is already … Read More

Distracted Driving, Ford, Audi, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Infotainment, New York Times

Remember the Presidential debates a year or so ago? Or the race itself, for that matter. Think how much of the reporting focused on who won the last debate, or who was ahead in the race at the moment. Same with college football. We want to know who’s leading whom – even if we don’t have reliable metrics for determining the winner. This desire to keep score came to mind when I thought about the recent … Read More

4G, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota Prius, Long Term Evolution, Fiat, Alcatel-Lucent, Daimler, Volkswagen, LTE, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Infotainment, Telematics Munich, Microsoft Auto, Ford, QNX Software, ng Connect Program, QNX CAR, Genivi Alliance

Does anyone still listen to CDs in their car or have we all migrated to iPods and other personal storage devices, and/or to HD or satellite radio? With so many more infotainment choices available now, and digital music downloads on the rise while CD sales continue to decline, can automakers just do away with CD changers? Someday they will follow 8-track and cassette players to the technology afterlife, … Read More

Infotainment, IMS Research, iPod, Bluetooth, Cassette Player, 8-Track Player, iSuppli, Satellite Radio, HD Radio, CD Player, SBD, Clarion Corporation of America