An (info)graphic look at self-driving cars

If I were in the insurance industry, I'd be following the development of autonomous cars with keen interest. Think about it: all those cars will have to be insured, but they will probably get into fewer accidents (and incur fewer insurance settlements) than conventional vehicles. That could be good for business as well as for safety.

So why am I bringing this up? Because InsuranceQuotes.com has come up with an infographic on autonomous cars, and it's a doozy. (Trivia dep't: Some believe that the expression "it's a doozy" was coined by the legendary automaker Duesenberg, as part of a campaign to promote its vehicles. Others disagree. I thought you'd want to know.)

Kidding aside, the infographic does a nice job of summarizing the potential benefits of self-driving vehicles, including greater safety, faster traffic flow, reduced fuel wastage, and increased mobility for people with physical handicaps.

Of course, if these benefits are borne out, we will all have to come to terms with the inevitable conclusion: computers do a better job of driving than humans. If you can get comfortable with that, you should survive the year 2040 with a minimum of future shock.



Infographic from Bankrate Insurance’s InsuranceQuotes.com

First look: HTML5 SDK for the QNX CAR platform

Whenever I hear the word “ripple,” I think of ice cream: butterscotch ripple, chocolate ripple, lemon ripple, and (yum) strawberry ripple. Well, the video I'm about to show you isn’t about ice cream, but it is about something that’s just as cool and just as sweet: the Ripple mobile environment emulator.

Ripple already supports multiple platforms, such as BlackBerry 10 and Apache Cordova, allowing developers to preview how their apps will look and function on a variety of mobile devices. And now, thanks to extensions provided by the QNX CAR development team, it will also emulate how an app looks and performs in a vehicle infotainment system.

Simply put, the same tool that helps app developers target mobile platforms will also help them target the car.

QNX Software Systems will offer this modded version of Ripple as part of the HTML5 SDK for the QNX CAR platform. The goal of the SDK is simple: to help mobile developers and automakers work together on creating apps for in-vehicle infotainment systems.

If you’re a developer, you’ll be able to use the Ripple emulator and its associated Web Inspector to perform JavaScript debugging, HTML DOM inspection, automated testing, and screen-resolution emulation, all from the convenience of a web browser. You’ll also be able to modify your apps and view the results without having to recompile — simply edit your source code and hit refresh in the browser. You’ll even be able to perform remote debugging on the evaluation board or final hardware used by the automaker, again from the same browser environment.

Enough from me. Let’s get the complete scoop from my colleague Andy Gryc:

The 10 qualities of highly effective hands-free systems

The first time I saw — and heard — a hands-free kit in action was in 1988. (Or was it 1989? Meh, same difference.) At the time, I was pretty impressed with the sound quality. Heck, I was impressed that hands-free conversations were even possible. You have to remember that mobile phones were still an expensive novelty — about $4000 in today’s US dollars. And good grief, they looked like this:



It’s almost a shock to see how far we’ve come since 1988. We’ve become conditioned to devices that cost far less, do far more, and fit into much smaller pockets. (Though, admittedly, the size trend for smartphones has shifted into reverse.) Likewise, we’ve become conditioned to hands-free systems whose sound quality would put that 1998 kit to shame. The sound might have been okay at the time, but because of the contrast effect, it wouldn’t pass muster today. Our ears have become too discerning.

Which brings me to a new white paper from Phil Hetherington and Andrew Mohan of the acoustics team at QNX Software Systems. Evaluating hands-free solutions from various suppliers can be a complex endeavor, for the simple fact that hands-free systems have become so sophisticated and complex. To help simplify the decision process, Phil and Andrew have boiled the problem down to 10 key factors:

• Acoustic echo cancellation
  
• Noise reduction and speech reconstruction
  
• Multi-channel support
  
• Automatic gain control
  
• Equalization
  
• Wind buffet suppression
  
• Intelligibility enhancement
  
• Noise dependent receive gain
  
• Bandwidth extension
  
• Wideband support

Ultimately, you must judge a hands-free solution by the quality of the useful sound it delivers. By focusing on these 10 essentials, you can make a much sounder judgment (pun fully intended).

Recently, Electronic Design published a version of this paper on their website. For a longer version, which includes a decision checklist, visit the QNX download center.

Okay, time to get technical

Have glossy photos of the QNX concept car left you hungry for more? Dig into a technical whitepaper with our friends from Texas Instruments.

By now, many of you have seen photos and videos of the new QNX technology concept car, a specially modded Bentley Continental GT. Now, I'd like to say that the car was completed in record time by a small team of highly creative QNX engineers. And in many ways, that's absolutely true. But it's just as true that the work started more than 10 years ago, when QNX Software Systems started to build deep partnerships with leading players in the auto industry.

Because the truth is, you don't create this kind of magic overnight. And you don't do it on your lonesome. QNX has become successful in automotive for many reasons, but one of the most important is our ability to work closely, and productively, with A-list partners like Texas Instruments.

Inside the concept car

Take a look at the amazing displays in the Bentley, and the speed at which the screens redraw, and you get a taste just for how well QNX software and TI silicon work together under the covers.

Which brings me to a new white paper co-authored by Andy Gryc of QNX, and Matt Watson and Scott Linke of TI. It's titled "In-Vehicle Connectivity is So Retro," and among other things, it tells the story of how technologies from QNX and TI have co-evolved to help automotive developers build high-performance systems in less time and at less cost.

If your working vocabulary includes terms like OMAP 5, 1080p video decode/encode, floating-point DSP, MOST MLB, Ethernet AVB, PCIe, SATA, WiLink, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC, this paper is for you.

QNX at 2013 CES: The media's take

The show ain't over yet, but already, media coverage of the QNX concept car at 2013 CES is pouring in faster than my modest brain can handle. I'm still catching up, but here, in no particular order, are my favorite stories so far.

I'd love to hear what you think of what the media is saying. So before you go, let me know!

New York Times — A Tricked-Out Bentley at CES Shows Off Tech’s Capabilities

Washington Post — CES 2013: Car tech focuses on making the most of your time on the road — safely

Driving.ca — QNX's Bentley gives glimpse of future car tech

Engadget — QNX unveils concept Bentley Continental GT alongside Car Platform 2.0

CNET — QNX concept Bentley showcases future dashboard technologies

Uber Gizmo — QNX Shows Off Bentley Continental GT Concept Car

Car Design News — QNX Car 2 at CES 2013 (video)

CrackBerry —  Dan Dodge shows off the QNX Bentley concept car at CES (video)

BerryReview — Monitor RIM’s New Bentley QNX Concept Car @CES from Your Browser

Auto Guide — QNX Previews Tesla-Sized Touch Screen in a Bentley

Engadget — QNX builds in-car speech framework with AT&T's Watson, knows our true intentions

Itbusiness.ca — RIM subsidiary brings in-car speech recognition (and a Bentley) to CES

LAPTOP — QNX Bringing HTML 5, 4G LTE, Video Conferencing to Future Cars

TechnoBuffalo — Chevy, Ford, and QNX at CES 2013 (video)

Financial Post — CES 2013 kicks off with RIM’s QNX showing off car, a step closer to digitized homes

Ottawa Citizen — Ottawa companies use CES to pitch latest products to the world

Tech 2 — CES 2013: QNX shows off Car Platform 2.0 with concept Bentley Continental GT

Blast Magazine — At 2013’s Consumer Electronics Show, car safety has become a hot topic

N4BB — QNX CAR Application Platform 2.0 Chosen by Delphi for Next-Generation Infotainment

That's it for now. I aim to post some more stories and videos early next week. Stay tuned.

QNX-powered Chevy Mylink drives home with 2013 Best of CES award

Congratulations to the infotainment team at Chevrolet! Their next-generation Chevy MyLink system has just won a Best of CES award, in the car tech category. The competition judges were particularly impressed with MyLink's user interface and integration with the car's instrument cluster.

The MyLink system was one of two QNX-powered finalists in this year's competition; the other was Garmin's K2 infotainment platform.

Chevy plans to roll out the new version of MyLink later this year.

Two QNX customers, Chevrolet and Garmin, shortlisted for 2013 Best of CES awards

Who doesn't love to win an award? Last year, for example, we were absolutely thrilled that our QNX CAR application platform drove home with a Best of CES award. Heck, I'm still excited!

But here's the thing. All of the products and services that QNX offers are designed with one goal in mind: to make our customers successful. The more our customers succeed, the more QNX succeeds. Which is why I am doubly excited today. Because not one, but two customers have nabbed finalist spots at this year's Best of CES awards for their QNX-based products: Chevrolet for its second-generation MyLink system, and Garmin for its K2 infotainment platform.

Congratulations to our friends at Chevrolet and Garmin — I'll be rooting for all of you!

The winners of this year's Best of CES awards will be announced today, at 11 am PT.

Now on YouTube! First video of QNX technology concept car

Yesterday, some friends from Texas Instruments dropped by our CES booth for a demo of the new QNX concept car. The cameras were rolling, and here's what they caught.

Mark Rigley, head of the QNX concept team, did a fantastic job of guiding TI's Michael Guillory through the car's many features, including the gorgeous HD display powered by TI DLP technology and by a TI OMAP 5 processor. Check it out:



My favorite part? The exceedingly cool video conferencing. What's yours?

Works for me: The making of the QNX technology concept car

If I were asked to create a recruitment video for QNX Software Systems, this is the video I'd want to shoot. Because this is the QNX that I know and feel proud to represent.

A place where people work hard. A place where people work together. A place where people work on technology that is changing how we drive and communicate. A place where I'd rather work than anywhere else.

Enough said. Roll the tape:

Delphi taps QNX CAR platform for next-generation infotainment

This just in: Delphi Automotive, a global supplier of automotive electronics with operations in 30 countries, has chosen the QNX CAR application platform 2.0 for use in next-generation infotainment systems.

This week, at 2013 CES, Delphi will demonstrate how it has leveraged the HTML5 framework in the QNX CAR platform to create a powerful graphics system for automotive use.

According to Jugal Vijayvargiya, senior vice president of Delphi and president of Delphi Electronics & Safety, “Our more than ten-year collaboration with QNX Software Systems has resulted in highly successful infotainment solutions that we’ve been able to bring to market quickly, thanks to the efficient, modular architecture of the QNX platform and its rich associated toolset. We’re very pleased to now extend our work on advanced in-vehicle technology with the latest version of the platform, which we were able to experience through QNX Software Systems' early access program.”

Read the full press release.

If you're 2013 CES this week, be sure to visit the Delphi booth in the North Hall, #730. You can also follow Delphi on Twitter: @DelphiAuto

It's a Bentley! A guided tour of the new QNX technology concept car

"Bend it, shape it, any way you want it"
— Headline from a QNX advertisement, circa 1987

I’m about to show you some pictures of a car. Not just any car, but a powerful, luxurious, and stunningly beautiful car. A car that has undergone a technological transformation.

If you’re like me, you'll be fascinated by the car’s features, some of which have never been seen in a vehicle — until now. But if you can, remember that it isn’t just about the cool features. It’s also about the platform that enabled them.

I’m speaking, of course, of the QNX CAR application platform.

We created the new QNX technology concept car — a modified Bentley Continental GT — to demonstrate that flexibility and customization form the very DNA of the QNX CAR platform. If you’ve seen the QNX reference vehicle, you already know that the platform provides an extremely rich environment for in-car infotainment, complete with HMI frameworks, smartphone integration, an HTML5 engine, a mobile device gateway, and a host of pre-integrated partner technologies — everything to kickstart our customers' projects. But in the automotive world, differentiation is everything. So it’s just as important that the platform enables customers to add their own branding, features, and sizzle. And to do it quickly.

Ease of branding and
personalization is just one

of the capabilities of the
QNX CAR platform.

Which is where the new concept car comes in. To create it, we used the same base QNX CAR platform that we offer our customers. But when you compare the Bentley to the Jeep, which uses a stock version of QNX CAR, the differences are dramatic: different features, different branding, and a different look-and-feel. In effect, the Jeep shows what QNX CAR can do out of the box, while the Bentley shows what QNX CAR lets you do once you start bending it to your imagination. One platform, many possibilities.

Which brings me to the slogan at the top of this post. It's amazing to think that a core value of QNX technology in the 1980s — giving customers the flexibility to achieve what they want to do — remains just as true today. Some values, it seems, are worth keeping.

And now, the car…
I know that you’re anxious to peek inside the car and see what we’ve done. But before we go any further, take a moment to savor the car’s beautifully sculpted exterior. This is one classy set of wheels. In fact, if you ask me, the wheels alone are worth the price of admission:



The awesome (and full HD) center stack
Okay, time to hop in — but get ready to prop up your jaw. Because the first thing you’ll notice is the jaw-droppingly beautiful center stack. This immense touchscreen features a gracefully curved surface, full HD graphics, and TI’s optical touch input technology, which allows a physical control knob to be mounted directly on the screen — a feature that’s cool and useful. (In the photo below, the clock display appears within the knob.)

The center stack supports a host of applications, including a 3D navigation system from Elektrobit that makes full use of the display. Just check out this bird’s-eye view of the Las Vegas Strip:



So how big is the display? Big enough to provide access to other functions, such as the car’s media player or virtual mechanic, and still have plenty room for navigation. Check it out:



The awesome (and very polite) voice rec system
Time to talk to the car. Just say “Hello Bentley,” and the car’s voice recognition system immediately comes to life and begins to interact with you — in a British accent, no less. You can now tell the media player what you’d like to hear and the navigation system where you’d like to go.

To provide natural language speech recognition, the system uses the cloud-based AT&T Watson speech engine, as well as an “intent framework” from QNX. It also uses keyword spotting technology from Sensory so you can start the system simply by talking to it.

The awesome (and nicely integrated) smartphone support
The Bentley also showcases how the QNX CAR platform enables automakers to offer advanced integration with popular smartphones. For instance, the car can communicate with a smartphone to stream music, or to provide notifications of incoming email, news feeds, and other real-time information — all displayed in a manner appropriate to the automotive context. Here's an example:



The awesome (and just plain fun) web app
I know, I know: the car looks cool, but you’re not at CES this week to see it first-hand. But how about the next best thing? Just connect to the web app and keep tabs on the Bentley in real time. (Note: The car will go online later this morning.) The app lets you view a variety of data that the car publishes to the cloud, such as what song the infotainment system is playing and whether someone has just opened a door. It also displays information that would be extremely helpful if this were your personal car, such as fluid levels and tire pressure. (This is a preliminary screen for the app, so I'm not sure if the tire pressures are realistic.)



UPDATE: The web app is now live, and the desktop version features a live camera feed of the Bentley and Jeep. Check it out!



The awesome (and very configurable) digital instrument cluster
The instrument cluster is implemented entirely in software, though you would hardly know it — the virtual gauges are impressively realistic. But more impressive still is the cluster’s ability to morph itself on the fly. Put the car in Drive, and the cluster will display a tach, gas gauge, temperature gauge, and turn-by-turn directions — the cluster pulls these directions from the center stack’s navigation system (cool, that). Put the car in Reverse, and the cluster will display a video feed from the car’s backup camera.



There are other options as well. For instance, the cluster can display information from the media player or display the current weather:



The awesome everything else
I’ve only scratched the surface of what the car can do. For instance, it also provides:

• Advanced multimedia system — Offers direct support for Pandora radio and the first embedded in-car implementation of the Shazam music discovery service.
   
• Video conferencing with realistic telepresence — Separate cameras for the driver and passenger provide independent video streams, while high-definition voice technology from QNX offers expanded bandwidth for greater realism, as well as stereo telepresence for making the remote caller sound as if they’re sitting right next to you.
   
• LTE connectivity — The car features an LTE radio modem, as well as a Wi-Fi hotspot for devices you bring into the car.

Super size those images
Want to see the center stack and instrument cluster in all their high-resolution glory? Just check out our QNX Flickr account.

That's all for now, but stay tuned: We’ll have plenty more news for you today and all through this week.

New QNX framework promises to bring power of AT&T Watson to greater variety of in-car systems

This just in: QNX has announced a new framework that will help speech recognition systems in cars understand a speaker’s intent. The framework extracts meaning from the driver’s spoken words, enabling in-car systems to set complex navigation destinations, create calendar appointments, dictate email or text messages, or even perform general Internet searches.

The framework, which is a component of the QNX CAR application platform, will enable in-car systems to take advantage of AT&T Watson, a multilingual speech engine that runs on a cloud-based server to provide high-quality, low-latency voice recognition.

Determination of the driver's intent starts on the server, where the Watson engine begins to analyze the driver's words and fits them to known patterns. The results are then handed off to the car, where the intent engine from QNX performs further speech analysis to determine how to act.

According to my colleague Andy Gryc, "the server-side analysis provided by AT&T Watson is optimized for complex scenarios, such as a navigation application in which the driver may verbalize destinations in hundreds of different ways. The QNX client-side analysis grants car makers greater flexibility, enabling them to adapt the AT&T Watson results to a variety of in-car applications, regional aspects, or personal tastes.”

The intent system will be offered as a component of the QNX CAR application platform in 2013. For more information, read the press release.

Find me a Starbucks!
QNX and AT&T have already done a lot work to bring the Watson speech engine to cars. For an example, check out this Engadget video of the QNX concept car (a modified Porsche 911), filmed at an AT&T event this past April: