Looks like the biggest gadget convention on Earth is becoming the place for big automotive announcements. You'll remember that two years ago at the Consumer Electronics Show, Ford and Microsoft announced their partnership on Ford's SYNC system, and last January General Motor's CEO Rick Wagoner chose Las Vegas to unveil the all-electric Cadillac Provoq concept. It was the first time in the convention's 40-year history an automaker had revealed a concept car to the world there.
This year it's Ford's turn again at CES, with CEO Alan Mulally taking the keynote spot. CES runs January 8-11 next year, but there's no word yet on what day Mulally will make his appearance. There's also no word on what he'll be saying or revealing to the thousands of people gathered in that Vegas ballroom. New SYNC features are a given, but will Ford also choose CES to roll out its plug-in hybrid project? Stay tuned for full coverage from the Autoblog team.
Volkswagen knows that 73% of the people want to take the tiny soap and shampoo from hotel rooms. They also know that 60% of ice cream buyers prefer cones over cups. On an apparent quest to learn everything, Volkswagen's just-announced multi-faceted polling effort, known as It's what the people want, "...is a way of keeping in touch with what matters to people today," according to Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing for VW of America.
In addition to the web-based polling, VW has also taken their efforts to Times Square where consumers may participate in live-polling, via text SMS, with the ABC Supersign (pictured above). If music is more your style, VW is also encouraging people to visit pandora to influence the playlists of two Volkswagen radio stations. While we endorse any effort by an automaker to understand what the public really wants, this obsession to learn everything may have gone too far. We just can't seem to overlook the notion that while Volkswagen accepts the fact that 65% of the people want boxers, not briefs, they still haven't fully grasped the concept that we also want the new Scirocco on our shores. Where's that poll?
The latest gizmo from Japan's Takata will tell you where to go, but not like those verbally abusive digital keychains from the '90s. The Takata CSW steering wheel is designed to interface with sensors in your vehicle and display different messages on an LCD screen in the 12 o'clock position. There are already lights and sirens to let you know if your door is ajar or the washer fluid is low, but the CSW wheel's best trick is that it will talk to the Navigon 7100 navigation system, should you have one. It's an interesting cross-brand lashup that is pushing the envelope of aftermarket integration.
The screen in the wheel works in conjunction with the larger screen in the navigation unit to display instructions, though the improvement over just the Navigon would likely be sufficient. Both the wheel and the Navi can reportedly poll vehicle sensors, though we're not sure exactly how, so the systems would be more aware of what the driver is doing beyond merely position data. Both companies hope the wheel will reduce driver distraction, though we're not convinced that looking down to the wheel rim is any safer or more convenient than the slight gaze diversion to the customary upper center of the dashboard. We don't know of any manufacturer plans to OEM-issue these units, but the effort could portend a future convergence in the gadget galaxy.
Back in December, Hughes Telematics announced it would be providing technology for use in Mercedes vehicles, and they also worked out a deal with Chrysler the prior January. Hughes says its telematics system will one day be standard on all Chrysler products, and that the company hopes to expand beyond Mercedes and Chrysler, as well. "Hughes is talking to every OEM except General Motors," we were told.
To show off what's in store for future car buyers, Hughes brought a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee to CES in Las Vegas this year packed full of its in-development technology, and we got a chance to check it out. Its system offers much of what Ford and GM can already do, but with promises of more, more, more. Kevin Link, Hughes' vice president said, "We are Ford's SYNC and OnStar plus."
So, yeah, there's nav and voice-controlled iPod integration. But there's also remote diagnostics, the ability to start your car with your mobile phone, remote emissions testing and GPS tracking. And you're right. That's a nice list of features, but where's the good stuff? That list is after the jump.
That little red box contains a lot of electronic goodies that, until now, were only available as options on newer vehicles. Plug that plastic rectangle into your car's diagnostics port and CarShield puts you in touch with your car like never before.
Like most simple telematic systems, it contains cellular capabilities, GPS and Bluetooth. Those technologies allow car owners to open locked car doors with a Bluetooth mobile phone and track where there car is, has been or is going. Got a teen driver? If the little brat ventures outside your pre-determined boundaries, the CarShield will send you a text message to let you know.
Perhaps more useful to the general population, though, are CarShields diagnostic features. It monitors your car's health, and alerts you via text message if your battery is getting weak, if your tires are low or, in some cars, if you need an oil change.
Westinghouse Digital had its PumpTop TV on display at CES. As described by the title, it's a flatscreen monitor that sits on top of a fuel pump. It gives the consumer something to do besides staring at passing vehicles while waiting around for the tank to fill. The unit is already in use at many gas stations throughout the United States. While the idea of being bombarded by even more advertising when out driving is not a pleasant thought, the TV network might be helpful in exposing folks to urgent news alerts such as bridge collapses, dust storms, or forest fires. In Southern California some pump televisions also display real-time traffic data in addition to weather, news and (of course) advertisements. While that can be useful info when trying to plan a route through clogged freeways, the downside of the PumpTop set is its poor screen visibility in extreme sunlight, which might explain why many stations equipped with the devices simply leave them turned off.
We've seen a lot of cool technology coming out of the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, but few gadgets are more useful or cool than this dual-view navigation screen from Delphi. When out of Park, the driver can only see navigation or radio controls on the nav screen, but a passenger riding shotgun can watch a movie. The driver can't even lean over to see the other view while driving, as Delphi employed special blocking technology to keep its invention from causing accidents. One screen with two simultaneous uses is good stuff. Check out Engadget's embedded YouTube clip of the technology in action after the jump.
Among the never-ending sea of house-sized LCD TVs, untold navigation devices and cutesy robots at CES are more than a few cars. While last year the theme among custom-car builders was overwhelming gaudiness, this year someone must have written a rule mandating at least a little class.
As we approached the Dolby booth we were a bit intimidated by what we assume is a life-size model of the Transformer Bumblee. Very impressive indeed.
Perhaps the most surprising automotive find at CES was a Chery CrossEastar (shown at right) at the Delphi booth. Seating for eight, luxury to rival at least the Big Three, and an expected bargain-basement price has us looking forward to seeing what the company finally sends us. In the opinion of a dad, aside from the potential quality problems, it's an attractive vehicle. Delphi had it at CES to show its global reach, since it supplies its technology products to the Chinese automaker.
We're sure there were tons more we didn't see, but Ford and GM kept us busy this year. Check out our gallery of 60 high-res images for more cars we spotted CES.
Prior to his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yesterday, GM Chairman Rick Wagoner held a discussion with a group of us flacks to answer all of our questions clearly and completely without equivocation. OK just kidding, he did hedge on a number of questions as would be expected of any major executive, especially one heading up the largest automaker in the world (for now). A range of issues were discussed, including alternative fuels, hybrids and the fate of the Zeta platform beyond the Pontiac G8 and the Camaro.
Wagoner reiterated that nothing had changed on the status of the Volt and that it was still on track. He expressed appreciation that the EPA had denied the California waiver request for its greenhouse gas rules so that carmakers could focus on meeting one national set of CAFE standards. Also related to fuel economy, he declined to comment on the status of some vehicles planned off of the Zeta platform, aside from the fact that they were still considering options including models with smaller engines. You can listen to the whole discussion here as an mp3.
Click for a high res gallery of the Provoq from the keynote
3:45pm: At about 4:30pm Las Vegas time GM Chairman Rick Wagoner will be taking the stage here at the Sands convention center to deliver the first keynote by a car company executive in the 41 year history of the Consumer Electronics Show. Once the speech starts we'll be bringing you full coverage right here so just keep refreshing the page for updates.
4:06pm We're now in the ballroom setup with front row seats.
Your photographer for today's festivities will be our own Chris Tutor.
3:45pm: At about 4:30pm Las Vegas time GM Chairman Rick Wagoner will be taking the stage here at the Sands convention center to deliver the first keynote by a car company executive in the 41 year history of the Consumer Electronics Show. Once the speech starts we'll be bringing you full coverage right here so just keep refreshing the page for updates.
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