RFID Technology Coming to Ford Trucks
June 26, 2008
While listening to CNET’s CarTech Podcast recently, I heard about how Ford is planning to implement radio frequency identification (RFID) technology with select trucks this fall. This just goes to show that virtually all digital technologies will find their way into the automotive industry. Successful service techs must be willing to accept and even embrace emerging digital technologies going into the future.
Here is a brief clip taken from Think Magic’s Press Release:
ThingMagic, Inc. (www.thingmagic.com) will partner with DEWALT and Ford Motor Company to equip 2009 Ford F-150, F-Series Super Duty pickups and E-Series vans with an embedded RFID asset tracking system enabled by ThingMagic’s Mercury5e readers. Ford Work Solutions Tool Link by DEWALT uses a specifically designed RFID reader system powered by ThingMagic’s Mercury5e embedded module and a pair of antennas, in corrosion- and impact–resistant housings mounted in the pickup box, to enable Ford and DEWALT customers to track RFID-tagged assets, such as tools, construction equipment and materials, in the truck and ensure that vehicle contents are easily accounted for and quickly located at all times.
Here is an audio clip pulled from the CarTech Podcast about the RFID project:
CNET Car Tech Offers a Good Automotive Podcast
February 25, 2008
One of the best uses of computers in the automotive business is to manage all the automotive information that is made available online. In this previous post I talked about managing content using RSS/XML subscriptions. This same technology (RSS/XML feeds) can also be used to automatically send you audio and video content, and is often called a podcast. This post will focus on audio podcasts which can be played on virtually any computer or transferred to any portable MP3 player for mobile use.
A podcast is made up of individual audio recordings which are sometimes referred to as episodes. Most websites that publish an audio podcast will make the episodes available for individual downloads. One of the better automotive podcasts is produced by the guys on CNET’s Car Tech.
On the Car Tech Homepage you will find tons of information on how technology is being implemented in todays cars. You will also find a link to the CNET Car Tech Podcast page. From that page you can listen to the individual audio recordings or get information on how to subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or any other podcast aggregator.
Click here to hear the “Car Tech Episode 39: Are plug-in hybrids coming — or not?” If you like what you hear, go on over to CNET and subscribe to the podcast you you will automatically receive all future episodes automatically.
