Specs for Cars?

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLh2Fvd4qvC-ZeRYg4T9TUvY1zKRpUE02I1pwEBia1gLCOrVQJHYIeFTZrPi47e1wPSKVrLyrYSnHklqnDMGrcZXykCuaiWydCRUv7RcHbGB4hnAtfIhLmbBLDw11bOXpim4cGwXshrs/s1600/tina_jeffrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLh2Fvd4qvC-ZeRYg4T9TUvY1zKRpUE02I1pwEBia1gLCOrVQJHYIeFTZrPi47e1wPSKVrLyrYSnHklqnDMGrcZXykCuaiWydCRUv7RcHbGB4hnAtfIhLmbBLDw11bOXpim4cGwXshrs/s1600/tina_jeffrey.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Tina Jeffrey</b></td></tr></tbody></table>As <a href="http://www.google.com/glass/start/">Google Glass</a>, the latest in experimental computer wearables, starts to make its way into the hands of select users, a multitude of use cases is popping up. For instance, a <a href="http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/04/google-glass-car/">WIRED article</a> recently explored the notion of your car being a ‘killer app’ for Google Glass. Now, you may not want to think of your car as a killer app, but let’s contemplate this use case for a moment. <br /><br />Drivers wearing Glass could pair their new specs to their phone and instantly have a personal heads-up display (HUD) that overlays virtual road signs and GPS information over the scene in front of them. For instance:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyywD7XI97CPvnUdwLFGhP5z6lyG45xoXyAXrK76ymY_mg2DSWWyZZBQdmA9KZfTIrFQdpZEobiw-YX0CaMPDTij46h4RBSLcbErrhycmveB4M8EDtXTObmjFXHkPXhy50PGGB5y6_wWA/s1600/glass_550.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyywD7XI97CPvnUdwLFGhP5z6lyG45xoXyAXrK76ymY_mg2DSWWyZZBQdmA9KZfTIrFQdpZEobiw-YX0CaMPDTij46h4RBSLcbErrhycmveB4M8EDtXTObmjFXHkPXhy50PGGB5y6_wWA/s1600/glass_550.jpg" /></a><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Google</span></b><br /><br />Glass also understands voice commands and could dictate an email, display turn by turn directions, or set up and display point-of-interest destination data based on a simple voice command such as “Find the nearest Starbucks”. <br /><br />This is all very cool — but does it bring anything new to the driving experience that isn’t already available? Not really. Car makers have already deployed voice-enabled systems to interface with navigation and location-based services; these services either run locally or are accessed through a brought-in mobile device and displayed on the head unit in a safe manner. ADAS algorithms, meanwhile, perform real-time traffic sign detection and recognition to display speed limits on the vehicle’s HUD. All this technology exists today and works quite well. <br /><br /><b>Catch me if you can</b><br />Another aspect to consider is the regulatory uncertainty created by drivers wearing these types of devices. Police can spot a driver with their head down texting on a cellphone or watching a movie on a DVD player. But detecting a driver performing these same activities while wearing a head-mounted display — not so easy. There’s no way of knowing whether the activities a driver is engaged in are driving related or an outright distraction. Unlike an HUD specified by the automaker, which is designed to coordinate and synchronize displayed data based on vehicle conditions and an assessment of cognitive load, a head-mounted display like Glass could give a driver free reign to engage in any activity at any time. This flies in the face of driver distraction guidelines being promulgated by government agencies.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong. Glass is cool technology, and I see viable applications for it. For instance, as an alternative to helmet cams when filming a first-person perspective of a ski run down a mountain, or in taking augmented reality gaming to the next level. (You can see many other applications on the <a href="http://www.google.com/glass/start/what-it-does/">Glass site</a>.) But Glass is a personal display that operates as an extension of your cellphone, not as a replacement for a car’s HUD. Cars need well-integrated, useable systems that can safely enhance the driving experience. Because of this, I don’t believe that devices like Glass, as they are currently conceived, will garner a spot in our cars.<br /><br />

Specs for Cars?

Tina Jeffrey As Google Glass , the latest in experimental computer wearables, starts to make its way into the hands of select users, a multi...

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Making your car a first-class citizen of the Web

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSEoe7FR5Qp0_VGVv6zW2bIF0Dg2WB0lnvFPXAaGBoSgJhyphenhypheno40mjM0_IOCIQa6lUfXZYeDFlAfRH3xKXPcV8EHNMV0XMn4uBNBxfWgKQWoXWV7gjDn1g3wTzavyA1fXn2i-CvSdh8Gg0/s1600/tina_jeffries_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSEoe7FR5Qp0_VGVv6zW2bIF0Dg2WB0lnvFPXAaGBoSgJhyphenhypheno40mjM0_IOCIQa6lUfXZYeDFlAfRH3xKXPcV8EHNMV0XMn4uBNBxfWgKQWoXWV7gjDn1g3wTzavyA1fXn2i-CvSdh8Gg0/s320/tina_jeffries_thumb.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Tina Jeffrey</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Anyone who follows the latest ongoings of the Worldwide Web Consortium (<a href="http://www.w3.org/">W3C</a>) may have heard <a href="http://www.w3.org/2013/02/autobg.html.en">today’s news</a>: the launch of the Automotive and Web Platform Business group. We live in a connected world, and let’s face it, many of us expect access to our favorite applications and services while on the road. I see the formation of this W3C group as a huge step in the pursuit of marrying web technology and the automobile. <br /><br />The business group will bring together developers, OEMs, automotive technology vendors — many of who, like QNX, were part of <a href="http://www.w3.org/2012/08/web-and-automotive/">Web and Automotive Workshop</a> held last November. The group allows us to continue the discussion and to define a vehicle data API standard for enabling automotive services via the Web. And this is just the start of greater things to come: standards for OTA (over-the-air) software updates, driver safety, security, and seamless integration of smart phones and tablets. <br /><br />As a member of the QNX automotive team, I second my colleague Andy’s enthusiasm in the announcement in saying we’re extremely excited to be part of this group and the process of helping to define these standards for the industry.<br /><br />Check out the W3C <a href="http://www.w3.org/2013/02/autobg.html.en">press release</a>.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><i>Tina is an automotive product marketing manager at QNX Software Systems</i><br /><i><br /></i>

Making your car a first-class citizen of the Web

Tina Jeffrey Anyone who follows the latest ongoings of the Worldwide Web Consortium ( W3C ) may have heard today’s news : the launch of the ...

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