QNX drives home (quietly) with embedded award

Every year, the organizers of the Embedded World conference hold the embedded AWARDs to recognize the most innovative software, hardware, and tools for embedded developers. And this year, they selected QNX Acoustics for Active Noise Control, the new QNX solution for eliminating engine "boom" noise in cars, as the winner in the software category.

This marks the third time that QNX Software Systems has taken home an embedded AWARD. The company also won in 2004 for power management technology and in 2006 for its multicore tools and OS — and in 2010, it nabbed a finalist spot for its persistent publish/subscribe messaging. That's a lot of plaques.

QNX Acoustics for ANC eliminates the need
for costly dedicated ANC hardware.

So why did QNX Acoustics for ANC get the blue ribbon treatment? I can't speak on behalf of the Embedded World judges, but check out this overview I wrote a few months ago. Or better yet, read this deeper dive from my colleague Tina Jeffrey.

Or skip the middle man entirely and check out the product page, which does a nice job of summarizing what QNX Acoustics for ANC is all about.

When is a road trip not a road trip?

The über-cool modified Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG that QNX unveiled at CES is on its inaugural road trip. Well, sort of. It's actually winging its way to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2014.

For those that didn't have a chance to see it at CES, the car incorporates state-of-the-art voice recognition; navigation from Elektrobit, Here, and Kotei; smartphone connectivity based on Miracast and on MirrorLink from RealVNC; advanced multi-media streaming, including iHeartRadio; and a reconfigurable digital instrument cluster, all delivered in a user-centric, multi-modal experience.

For those that have seen it, it is still worthwhile taking the time to check it out because this time around it's powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S602A Automotive Solution. We announced the relationship with Qualcomm at CES and just over a month later we're showcasing the relationship in the Mercedes. Imagine what we'll do by Telematics Detroit.

You can check it out in the Qualcomm booth, Hall 3, Mobile World Congress 2014

Now powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S602A Automotive Solution: the latest QNX technology
concept car, based on a Mercedes CLA45 AMG.

Frankenstein and the future networked car

So what do Frankenstein and the future networked car have in common, you ask? Simple: both are compelling stories brought to life in Geneva, Switzerland.

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the creature is seen climbing Mont-Salève after having fled Geneva during a lightning storm:

“I thought of pursuing the devil; but it would have been in vain, for another flash discovered him to me hanging among the rocks of the nearly perpendicular ascent of Mont-Salève.”

Mont-Salève, overlooking Geneva
Photo: Benoit Kornmann

Of course, the future networked car is a very different type of story, but compelling nonetheless. The laboratory in this story is the ITU Symposium on The Future Networked Car being held within the Geneva Auto Show on March 5 to 6, where many new ideas will be brought to life by convening leaders and technical experts from the automotive and ICT communities.

The event, organized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), will consist of high-level dialogues and several technical sessions; these include a session on integrating nomadic devices in cars, where I will discuss how technology standards can help minimize driver distraction. The dialogues will cover road safety and innovation for the future car, and will feature key leaders such as the presidents of Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (Jean Todt) and Infiniti (Johan de Nysschen). The technical sessions will explore automated driving, connected car use cases, emergency services, and, of course, nomadic device integration. Speakers for these sessions come from a mix of automakers, tier one suppliers, ICT companies, standards development organizations (SDOs), industry groups, and government agencies.

The symposium also includes a session jointly organized by the ITU and UNECE Inland Transport Committee that deals with the human factors and regulatory issues introduced by automated driving. This session is an encouraging sign that the ITU and UNECE will continue the collaboration they started last June (see my previous post, “UN agencies take major step towards international standards for driver distraction”).

Hope to see you in Geneva!

Why I should have gone to CES this year

No problem, I said, I'll be happy to stay back at the office. After all, somebody has to hold down the fort while everyone is at CES, and it may as well be me.

Of course, I didn't know what Audi was bringing to the show. Because if I did, I wouldn't have been so willing to take one for the team. If you're wondering what I am talking about, it's the new user-programmable instrument cluster for the upcoming 2015 Audi TT. It's based on the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment, and it's about the coolest thing I've seen in a car, ever — even if I haven't yet had a chance to see it in person.

Roll the tape...

My top 10 QNX Auto posts from 2013

Normally, people write this kind of post at the beginning or end of a calendar year. But as an old friend once said, “Paul defines his own kind of normal.” He may have been right, I don’t know. What I do know is that this is definitely a personal list. It consists of posts that either made me laugh, taught me something I didn’t know, or helped me see things in a new light. I hope they do the same for you.

Disclosure: I wrote a couple of the posts in question. Because, sometimes, the best way to learn about something or see it in a new light is to write about it. :-)

Okay, enough preliminaries, let’s get to it…

• What happens when autonomous becomes ubiquitous? — One question, seventeen answers.
   
• Top 10 lessons learned from more than a decade in automotive — When it comes to software in the car, John Wall is the man.
   
• Protecting software components in an ISO 26262 system — Sometimes, software components can be downright delinquent.
   
• Why doesn’t my navigation system understand me? — Big data might be important, but small data can add a personal touch.
   
• Top 10 challenges facing the ADAS industry — For ADAS systems to be successful, a safety culture must be embedded in every organization in the supply chain. And that’s just the first challenge.
   
• Reducing driver distraction with ICTs — Yes, mobile phones can contribute to driver distraction. But they can also help solve the problem.
   
• A sound approach to creating a quieter ride — Paradoxically, the best way to eliminate engine noise is to generate noise.
   
• What's the word on HTML5? — If you want to know what experts at Audi, OnStar, Gartner, Pandora, TCS, and QNX think about HTML5 in the car, this is the post with the most (videos, that is).
   
• A matter of context — A look at how digital instrument clusters can help provide the right information, at the right time.
   
• My top moments of 2013 — Because this reminds me of the fantastic momentum QNX is building in automotive.
   
• HTML5 blooper reel — Because laughter.
  

Oops, I guess that makes 11.

Head to the polls and vote for your favorite CES Car of Fame

Over the last couple of months we have recapped the stars of the QNX garage – our technology concept cars and reference vehicle — in the CES Cars of Fame series. And now, we are opening the floor to you!

Starting today through February 14 you can vote for your favorite vehicle that we have featured at CES. Did the eye-catching Bentley strike your fancy or did the updated Jeep put you into another gear? It’s all up to you. We will announce the fan favorite on Tuesday, February 18.

So once again here is the full list of our CES Cars of Fame blog posts. Have one last look and cast your vote:

• The latest — technology concept car based on a Mercedes-Benz CLA54 AMG
   
• The sound machine — technology concept car for acoustics based on a Kia Soul
   
• The ultimate show-me car — technology concept car based on a Bentley Continental GT
   
• The most jazzed-up Jeep ever to hit CES — reference vehicle based on a Jeep Wrangler
   
• A Porsche you could talk to — technology concept car based on a Porsche 911 Carrera
   
• A true production car — BMW Z4 Roadster with QNX-powered ConnectedDrive
   
• The first-ever QNX technology concept car to hit CES — LTE Connected Car based on a Toyota Prius
   

Cast your vote here.