Formula 1 McLaren Driven by a BlackBerry Storm

March 13, 2009 By Grant Swaim Leave a Comment

This site is about digital technology and cars so when I came across this video on YouTube, I just had to post it.

As the story goes, Simon and Steve develop an application for their BlackBerry Storm to steer a modified remote control car. They set up a make shift race track in their office and turn “another day at the office” into a RC car extravaganza. I am OK with the video so far.

Now, Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren Formula 1 team contacts Simon and Steve about their BlackBerry application. This is where I start to question if this is a fake or not.  I doubt that this car is actually being driven by the BlackBerry, but how? Maybe a midget laying on the floorboard? Maybe a real remote control, likely laptop based, sitting off camera? You watch the video and see what you think.

Filed Under: Car Tech, Digital Technology Tagged With: BlackBerry, Car Tech, video

What Will Transportation Look Like in 2088?

March 12, 2009 By Grant Swaim Leave a Comment
Mobility 2088 - Part of Honda's Power the Dream Series

Mobility 2088 - Part of Honda's Power the Dream Series

Honda produced a neat documentary where the question was, “What will transportation look like in 80 years? This film is part of their “Dream the Impossible” documentary series. No doubt that digital technology will be a major player.

Honda’s “Dream the Impossible” project is a series of well produced (high dollar) documentaries that are thought provoking. You can view all  the documentaries in the highest available quality at this link.

Dream The Impossible
Documentary Series

Honda is a company founded by a dreamer. And we are a company that believes in the Power of Dreams.

Honda has a rich history of making impossible dreams come to fruition. And because the lessons of the past help guide our future, there is a simple humanity found in even our most complex products.

We wanted to document our advancement as a company through film to give you a better understanding of the people behind our products. Please join us as we uncover Honda through the candid approach of the documentary film process.

View “Mobility 2088″ in the highest quality from Honda’s site

YouTube Preview Image
Filed Under: Car Tech, Digital Technology, Education / Training Tagged With: Car Tech, Education / Training, future, Honda, video

iPhone, Hughes Telematics and Cars

February 28, 2009 By Grant Swaim Leave a Comment

Looks like everybody wants to get into the phone-car convergence game including Hughes Telematics an OEM technology supplier to Chrysler and Mercedes. By 2010, Hughes Telematics will debut its  next-generation technology, which would allow drivers to install software in their cars, just as iPhones let users download applications to their handsets.

Some of the expected features are:

  • An application that could track your peregrinations and estimate your total carbon emissions.
  • Remotely starting a car
  • Resetting its alarm with an iPhone
  • Unlocking the doors with an iPhone (commands could be sent to the car over the Internet)
  • Cars equipped with blind-spot-detection video cameras could be programmed to take a picture of anyone near the car during a break-in and then e-mail it directly to a cellphone or computer.

Here is an article on this at the New York Times

Filed Under: Car Tech, Digital Technology Tagged With: Car Tech, Hughes Telematics, iPhone

A Google Car?

February 28, 2009 By Grant Swaim Leave a Comment

As smart phones get smarter, there will be more and more of a phone-car convergence. While it is not clear how these two technologies will merge, the fact is smart phones are becoming as powerful as a computer and the control and communication systems on cars are becoming sophisticated computer networks.

Now enter Google’s open source operating system (OS), Android. While Android is often thought of as a smart phone OS, it could become a platform used to operate an entire car. A Google car? Hum… I can see it now, ads popping up everywhere!

A good article on this was posted on the Headlight Blog: Read the Full Article

Filed Under: Car Tech Tagged With: Car Tech, Google, smart phone

Automotive Wi-Fi Reviewed by Walt Mossberg

February 28, 2009 By Grant Swaim Leave a Comment

The AutoNet Mobile in-car WiFi, has been around for a while now, and is even being offered as a dealer installed option for most Chrysler models. It was just a matter of time before it would make it to the attention of “main stream” geeks and get a review from the Wall Street Journal’s Personal Technology Columnist, Walt Mossberg.

Walt reviewed the unit in late 2008 and found the service to be a good solution to mobile email and web surfing but too slow to handle anything like streaming videos.

AutoNet Mobile recently partnered with Delphi in an effort to harden the design of their wireless router and to sell the technology straight to the manufacturers to use as an OEM option, not a dealer installed option.

You can read Walt’s full review on the WSJ site, here.

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Filed Under: Car Tech, Internet Tagged With: AutoNet Mobile, Car Tech, Chrysler, video, Walt Mossberg
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