Connectivity trends at Paris Motor Show

This time, the connected car is on he road. At Paris Motor Show, Renault is showing R-Link on board tablet PC (soon available in new Clio and Zoé). Linked to the Internet, this Android based device enables the driver to get up to date informations on traffic, weather forecasts and parking lots available. Renault has created a R-Link Store inspired by the famous App Store.

So does Peugeot with the Connect Apps on the 208. Thanks to a 3G USB stick, a touch screen displays live services, including Michelin features (restaurants, traffic).

Another trend is the presence of the tablet PC, iPad or others. You can find it at rear seat, or in front. The TeRRA concept car from Nissan uses this device as an intelligent key to turn on the car and make it connected.

Another example is given by Orange, the french telecom carrier, which displays on its booth a concept car with two tablet PCs : one for the driver, the other one for the passenger.

On a tablet PC, a smartphone or on board, traffic information is getting live and better each day.

At Nokia, we can see an amazing augmented reality guidance on a smartphone for pedestrians. This feature is called City Lens.

Next, we will discuss safety features.

Connectivity trends @ Geneva

Cars are more and more connected. At Geneva Motor Show, OEMs unveiled new services, such as Renault with R-Link system in the new Zoé. This embedded tablet PC gives access to a world of connected services. By downloading applications from a R-Link store, users will get car oriented services (navigation, location based services). Fifty applications will be available at the launch of R-Link in october. HMI is a state of the art, with voice recognition, touch screen and remote controls on the steering wheel.

Peugeot is offering connected services too on the 208. Thanks to the customer's smartphone, used a modem, and a touch screen, ten applications are available in the car for traffic, gas prices, parking lots and so on. At Geneva Motor Show, some other OEMs (BMW with BMW Apps and BMW Live, Mercedes with COMAND on line) were offering the same connectivity in 3 G.

4 G, also known as LTE (Long Term Evolution) is arriving in the car. This technology was displayed by Delphi Automotive and Sbarro on the F1 for 3 (an astonishing Formula 1 car with three seats). The connectivity on board is as fast as the car itself, with digital content on personal passengers devices. A special antenna is carrying all the services (GPS, GSM, TV) inside.

To conclude, connectivity means personalized services too. Harman was showing NFC applications in Rinspeed' Dock & Go Concept. With a compliant mobile phone, a driver can be recognized by the car and finds his personal settings (seats, radio, navigation, apps) when he gets on board.
Welcome to the connected car...

Bill Ford Outlines “Blueprint for Mobility” Vision

In a speech at Barcelona Mobile World Congress, Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman, Bill Ford, has outlined vision for smart transportation and need for development of intelligent vehicles and transport systems for 2025.
Ford Motor Company’s “Blueprint for Mobility” calls for partnership with telecommunications industry to create an inter-connected transportation network as part of the solution for alleviating “global gridlock”. The US car maker envisions a radically different transportation landscape where pedestrian, bicycle, private car, commercial and public transportation traffic are woven into a connected network to save time, conserve resources, lower emissions and improve safety.
Ford is already developing new business models and partnerships in anticipation of personal vehicle ownership in cities becoming increasingly impractical.
Read the full story : http://media.ford.com/news/billfordoutlinesblueprintformobilityvisioncallsonmobileindustrytohelpdeveloptransportationsolutions.htm