The Hill -- Major vehicle manufacturers are telling Congress to keep its distance as the industry evolves to take advantage of the “Internet of cars.”

Representatives of Toyota, Tesla and GM are scheduled to testify before a House Oversight subcommittee on Wednesday, when they will tout the safety and comfort benefits of increasingly connected cars in prepared testimony. 

“Regulation at a time of rapid innovation runs the risk of limiting the realization of the full extent of safety advances,” Tesla’s head of business development Diarmuid O’Connell will say when testifying Wednesday. 

Increased regulation should be avoided unless “absolutely necessary,” he will say.

O’Connell said the Chrysler vulnerability could have been avoided if manufacturers ensured that their vehicles were not directly connected across the Internet. He also said connected cars must isolate their mechanical systems, such as braking, and make sure to use encryption technology to protect privacy of information transferred to and from vehicles. 

“Tesla is seeing increased vehicle security interest and scrutiny from academic and industry security researchers,” he said. “Tesla encourages and applauds this assistance — to the extent of even providing financial rewards for the best research.”

Read the rest here: http://thehill.com/policy/technology/260584-industry-warns-congress-about-increased-regulation-of-internet-of-cars

1-25-2017, TechCrunch -- Connected vehicles are booming – they’re often mentioned in the same breath as autonomous cars, but are much more achievable from a technical perspective. Car makers are increasingly making on-board cellular data connections a standard option, too, and now we have some insight into why – a survey of automotive company executives found that they share the opinion that connected cars are huge revenue generators, with around 10x the earning power of the average non-connected vehicle.

The auto execs, responding to a survey created by KPMG with a sample group of 1,000 high-level car company employees, found that 76 percent of respondents said connected cars generate tenfold what a standard vehicle can produce in terms of available revenue streams, and 71 percent said the impact is so significant that just tracking unit sales to measure relative carmaker performance is an outdated measure that no longer paints an accurate picture.

The survey also found that 83 percent of execs agree that they’ll derive revenue from data shared by vehicle owners, and that they also need to focus on information security and privacy as a key value to attract customers in the future as a result.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Multichannel News -- Comcast Ventures, the V.C. arm of Comcast, was one of the companies that participated in a $24 million “B” round in Automatic Labs, a startup that has developed a connected car platform.

Comcast Ventures did not specify its investment. Automatic Labs, which has raised about $32 million so far, said the B round also included participation from an investment subsidiary of USAA (a top insurance and financial services provider for military families), CDK Global, along with existing investors Y Combinator, RPM Ventures, Anthemis Group, Amicus Capital, as well as several angel investors.

San Francisco-based Automatic Labs pairs an app with an in-car device that can help drivers diagnose engine trouble, detect accidents and send emergency responses.  According to the company, its adapter plugs into the standard diagnostics port hidden under the dash in most cars since 1996. When paired with that device, Automatic Labs’ app displays useful information about the user’s car and driving habits.

Automatic Labs sells its device for $99.95 via its own site, as well as at retailers such as Apple.com, Best Buy, Target, and Amazon.com. Automatic Labs was founded in 2011.

- See more at: http://www.multichannel.com/news/technology/comcast-ventures-backs-connected-car-startup/391946#sthash.P7p7N35w.dpuf

The Los Angeles Auto Show’s Connected Car Expo (CCE) will assemble the companies and innovators that are redefining the automotive and transportation business. The full day conference and exposition has outgrown its previous space at the Los Angeles Convention Center and will now occupy virtually the entire JW Marriott at the adjacent L.A. Live entertainment complex.

“Expanding our campus to include the adjacent JW Marriott delivers a presentation room with capacity for 1,500 seats, 60,000 square feet of exhibit floor and dozens of meeting and hospitality areas,” said the show’s EVP and General Manager Terri Toennies. “The demand on exhibit and hospitality space has already created limited availability.”

More than 25 speakers will outline their vision for the dramatic changes facing the auto industry as it collaborates with technology titans like Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Qualcomm and dozens of other fast-moving tech innovators. Influential experts from Google, Volkswagen, Continental, Movimento, HARMAN Redbend, J.D. Power, Pebble and others will converge in Los Angeles to debate some of the industry’s most critical issues and identify opportunities and challenges that lie on the road ahead. Selected by the CCE Advisory Board, this year’s conference topics focus on the hot-button issues including autonomous vehicles, car sharing, cybersecurity, 3D printing, over-the-air updates and much more. The full tentative schedule can be seen at: http://www.connectedcarexpo.com/schedule.

In addition to the conference, CCE attendees will be able to discover the latest automotive innovations at the JW Marriott, where more than 30 companies will demonstrate their latest solutions and products. Companies participating include Auto Alliance, Covisint, Elektrobit, Faurecia, Garmin, Global Automakers, KPMG, Mojio, OnStar, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, QNX, whiteCryption, Wind River and dozens of start-ups and app developers. The exhibit floor will also serve as this year’s stage for several auto-tech press conferences on Nov. 17.

“This collaboration between major auto and technology players, combined with the emergence of thousands of disruptive start-up companies, creates an unprecedented need for an automotive-focused forum connecting this rapidly changing industry,” said Lisa Kaz, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Auto Show and CCE.

Part of the LA Auto Show’s broader Press & Trade Days, CCE is the award-winning conference and trade show that unites innovators, manufacturers, futurists and influencers to further the convergence of technology and the automobile. This year’s CCE kicks off with an evening welcome reception on Monday, Nov. 16, and is followed by LA Auto Show’s press and trade events at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Nov. 18-19. Other CCE events start on Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15, including the Mojio hackathon and the UCLA Anderson School of Business Connected Car discussion taking place after the Monday evening reception at the JW Marriott.

Registration is now open. CCE exhibitors and attendees with a three days pass will be able to witness this year’s vehicle debuts and have access to an all-new CCE networking destination at the convention center.

For more information visit www.ConnectedCarExpo.com and www.LAAutoShow.com.

For 15 years TU-Automotive Detroit 2015 (June 3-4, Novi, MI) has been dedicated to the connected car. With 3,000 expert attendees in 2015 it is looking to THE event to map out the new industry landscape as automotive converges around connectivity. 

The speaker line-up will include Klas Bendrik, VP & Group CIO, Volvo Car Group, Brian Simmermon, VP & CIO, Subaru, Alain De Taeye, Management Board, TomTom, and experts from Ford, GM, Nissan and  Mercedes, among others. 

The event will feature more sessions than ever before. Key themes include enhancing user experience, secure software architecture, data monetization, diagnostics & aftermarket services and much more to bring guests up to speed on all things telematics and auto tech.

See full event details here: www.tu-auto.com/detroit

From Google Cars to Apple and McLaren to Daimler Benz and in-car voice activated Microsoft office to specially designed safety chips – the journey is only starting

Reuters, May 5, 2016 -- Ford Motor Co (F.N) is investing $182.2 million in San Francisco-based Pivotal Software, underscoring the pressure carmakers face to boost their technology platforms given the rise of connected and self-driving cars.

The investment in Pivotal, a cloud-software company which provides tools that make it easier for developers to build software, will help Ford boost its own software capabilities. As part of the deal, Ford and Pivotal will jointly open labs in the United States and Europe where their engineers will work side by side.

While Pivotal does not make the software at the heart of self-driving car technology, Ford chief executive Mark Fields said he expected benefits from the partnership to flow to all product-development and information-technology teams at Ford, including those working on autonomous cars.

For example, Pivotal can help Ford speed up its software-development times, he said in an interview.

Ford's investment, part of a $253 million funding round into Pivotal, comes a day after Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCHA.MI) said they would collaborate on creating autonomous minivans. In March, General Motors Co (GM.N) spent $1 billion on Cruise Automation, whose best-known product aims to add self-driving technology onto traditional cars.

“This is not about catching up or one upping the competition,” Fields said. “We have had leadership in (autonomous vehicles) for some time now.”

Ford is on track for a fleet of 30 autonomous cars by year end, a Ford spokesman said, second only to Google’s test fleet of autonomous cars. In general, Ford has provided few public details on its plans for self-driving cars.

Software maker Microsoft Corp.(MSFT.O) is also investing in the funding round for Pivotal, which had been considered a 2016 IPO candidate when this year's market for initial public offerings looked more promising.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ford-motor-pivotal-software-idUSKCN0XW11G

Montreal, 15th December 2015 - Fortin is announcing its release of an exclusive HONDA 3X Lock and stand alone remote starter solution. 

Fortin releases an exclusive HONDA 3X Lock and stand alone solution for remote starter and security system installations. The module now monitors and controls the OEM remote while the engine is running. Popular long range RF Kits can also be connected directly to the module. 

3 T-Harnesses cables are now also available to help installers to keep the original ignition and immobilizer wiring intact and to speed-up their installations. THAR-ONE-HON1 works for 2008+ key vehicles, THAR-ONE-HON2 works for 2012+ key vehicles and THAR-ONE-HON3 works for 2013+ push-to-start vehicles. These 3 harnesses are exclusive to the EVO-ONE Fortin module. 

The EVO-ONE is an all-in-one immobilizer bypass, door lock, digital high current remote starter & security system. 
Fortin Electronic Systems is a world leading developer and manufacturer of integrated consumer 
solutions for vehicle control and connectivity.

Visit Fortin.ca to discover more remote starter, bypass and security system solutions. 

Gizmag -- Researchers have found a better way to crunch the data that GPS-enabled devices use to determine their location. The result could provide a level of accuracy down to the centimeter that's needed in things like autonomous vehicles and other precision tech.

We've seen other efforts to improve GPS location to centimeter-level accuracy using what's called "differential GPS," that makes use of ground-based reference points in addition to satellite GPS data. This latest effort from the University of California - Riverside (UCR) seems similar in that it's basically a software-based approach.

What's perhaps most revolutionary about the advance is not just the improved level of accuracy, but just how efficiently centimeter-accurate positioning is established.

"Achieving this level of accuracy with computational loads that are suitable for real-time applications on low-power processors will not only advance the capabilities of highly specialized navigation systems – like those used in driverless cars and precision agriculture – but it will also improve location services accessed through mobile phones and other personal devices, without increasing their cost," said UCR professor Jay Farrell, who led the research.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.gizmag.com/gps-accurate-centimeter-level-autonomous-cars/41803/

Automotive IT -- The manufacturing industry, including the world’s automakers and suppliers, has been putting in a lot of effort to improve production processes through the introduction of new, connected, technologies. “Industry 4.0,” which involves the networking of machinery and processes, is on track in many companies.

But logistics, arguably as important as the actual manufacturing of products, appears to be a somewhat neglected area. “Connectivity between transport, delivery and supplier is lacking,” says Heiko Breier, a logistics expert at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. “So far, these units are traditionally all operating independently.”

That’s unfortunate. As Breier points out, all participants in the process could benefit from an integrated approach to information sharing.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.automotiveit.com/point-of-view-a-need-for-connected-logistics/news/id-0010427

Your car knows more about you than you think.

DETROIT (AP) -- Your car knows more about you than you think.

Newer cars that connect to the internet can collect vast amounts of data about drivers, such as where you went to dinner, if you broke the speed limit or if your seat belt was buckled.

When you buy a car, you cede data control to your car company. Most automakers say they won't sell information without an owner's consent. But they're not legally required to inform you if they do.

Car data is about to become big business. A new report from consulting firm McKinsey says automotive data could be worth $450 billion to $750 billion globally by 2030. Automakers, insurers, high-tech firms, city planners and advertisers are among those who could use data to refine services. Drivers could share data in exchange for navigation systems, or they could pay extra for perks like a parking spot finder.

Here's a primer on the emerging issue of connected-car data:

Q: Which cars collect data?

A: Just under 20 percent of new cars sold globally now can be linked to the internet, according to BI Intelligence. That figure is expected to reach 75 percent by 2020.

For example, General Motors Co. will have 12 million connected vehicles by the end of this year worldwide, which it says is the most for any automaker.

Q: Do I own data that's collected?

CNBC -- Samsung Electronics is setting up a new business unit to focus on automotive-related technology such as components for driverless cars, the South Korean giant said on Wednesday.

Details about the team were scarce but Samsung said it is to focus on infotainment systems and autonomous driving technology. Samsung did not say how big the team would be.

The news comes as Samsung looks to find new growth drivers amid slowing smartphone sales and as an increasing number of technology companies look to jump into the automotive space.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/09/samsung-sets-up-team-to-focus-on-driverless-cars.html

USA Today -- Toyota announced an enhanced relationship with Microsoft on Monday aimed at delivering "connected car" services to drivers in ways they probably never could have imagined.

For instance, artificial-intelligence features could be added to cars that allow them to know where the car is going and offer services drivers might want along the way. Going to the baseball game this weekend? The car might detect the route a driver normally takes and recommend restaurants for a pre-game lunch.

Toyota Connected, as the partnership will be known, "will help free our customers from the tyranny of technology. It will make lives easier and help us to return to our humanity,” said Zack Hicks, the chief information officer of Toyota Motor North America who was appointed CEO of Toyota Connected.

Already, drivers ask the infotainment system in their cars for restaurant recommendations, but many locations often would require that a driver turn around. But with Toyota Connected, the system might be modified to only recommend restaurants on the highway ahead — and then only the kinds of food that the driver usually prefers.

The services offered can be tailored to individual customers. "We don't want to dump everything on everyone," said Sandy Lobenstein, executive vice president of Toyota Connected. "The whole is idea is getting to know our customers better."

Road information can be delivered to drivers based on driving patterns — knowing the routes they usually take. Auto insurance could be priced more accurately because the system could report on a driver's actual miles and routes traveled.

Medical-related sensors could also be built into the car, like heartbeat monitors or sensors on the steering wheel. Some of the services could be offered to customers wirelessly by being beamed directly into their cars, but Lobenstein said that customer privacy considerations will be paramount.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/04/04/toyota-connected-car-microsoft/82602066/

WorldDAB is hosting a workshop on the role of digital radio in connected vehicles. The event will take place during the Geneva auto show on March 8, 2016.

At the show, several major car brands will display new models that come with digital radio reception built in. The conference will look at the content car buyers can expect, the changing user interfaces, and the benefits to connected drivers.

The event will feature speakers from the automotive and broadcast industries. During the afternoon, four modules will focus on the role of broadcasters and automakers, connectivity issues, dealerships and safety.

Visitors to the Geneva auto show can come to the conference free of charge.