Car Tech

New car technology that connects to the connected car

Pioneer connected car systems CarPlay update 4 iPhone 5/5c/5S/6/6+: iOS 8 how to upgrade directions

PioneerFirmwareupdatePioneer promised an update for its higher-end  2014 NEX line of infotainment units by the the end of the summer.  The update was announced on Thursday and is available for download by a computer from the Pioneer website. Pioneer claims the update should take about 10 minutes, we suggest you allow a little more time to get used to how CarPlay works while you are not driving.

The good news is that Pioneer CarPlay is compatible with iPhone 6/6+/5/5S/5c with iOS 7.1 or higher with the compatible firmware and  a”Lightning to USB (sold separately) cable” that is MFI certified*.  If you have a rear view camera the update allows you to press and hold the MAP button to see the image from the camera.

Rivet News Radio lands in connected Jaguars & Land Rovers: HearHere!

Rivet News RadioAt the Paris Auto Show, HearHere Radio and Jaguar/Land Rover(JLR) announced that Rivet News Radio will be the first preferred service for JLR’s InControl Apps audio system.

The partnership is supported by tier-one system engineer Robert Bosch of Bosch Automotive Technology.

Hitachi & Clarion partner for fast connected car development

clarionhtichHitachi Data Systems and Clarion have partnered to develop data solutions for Clarion in-vehicle connections. They hope to give drivers and car makers information for better car performance and safety from the Internet of Things and M2M (Machine-to-Machine) communications.

Pandora gearing up for contextual ads in cars

The advertising industry is getting ready to learn how to offer contextual advertising in cars. In a video from AdAdge, Jack Krawczyk discusses Pandora advertising in cars. Pandora is expected to be in one-third of cars sold by the end of the year.

Rearview Mirror Unit with LTE & Wi-Fi Hotspots coming from Pioneer

Pioneerrearviewmirror2Pioneer announced that it has developed a rearview mirror telematics unit with LTE that it claims will be first in the Japanese market to utilize cloud services. It appears this could be a great aftermarket technology for those who want to connect a rear view camera and GPS with Wi-Fi hotspots and use voice commands.

Android code devs get Android Auto Guidelines

Android_Auto_UI_LauncherGoogle has published Android Auto Developer Overview guidelines for developing for Android Auto. The overall interface has been standardized for easy viewing while driving.

The document claims “The Android Auto SDK lets you easily extend your existing apps to work in the car, without having to worry about vehicle-specific hardware differences.”

The first version of Android Auto supports media apps such as music, podcast, live radio, and audio news apps.  The platform integrates existing APIs for notification and support a set of voice commands.  The Android SDK will be released in the coming months.

2015 Honda Civic Google Android 4.04 infotainment Honda Connect in Europe

Honda_Civic_ANdroid_infotainment_Paris_Motor_ShowEuropean Android fans may also become Honda Civic fans. Before to the Paris Auto Show on October 2, Honda announced that the 2015 Honda Civic will have an all new infotainment system using the Android-based Honda Connect System with a 7″ touchscreen in the car in the center stack.

The infotainment system features AM/FM, Digital Audio Broadcast Radio (Europe), internet Radio, Bluetooth connectivity, internet browsing, satellite navigation and rear-view parking camera. Honda has not announced smartphone connectivity options, yet.