Communications

Two victims seriously injured in a distracted driving accident are suing not only the man looking at his mobile phone when he should have been driving, but also the person sending him text messages. A New Jersey judge will rule later this month if a text message sender can be held liable for a distracted driving accident, according to an article in the Daily Record.

In 2009, David and Linda Kubert were struck head-on by a truck as they rode their motorcycle. The driver of the truck, Kyle Best, was texting back and forth with Shannon Colonna when the vehicle … Read more

Clarion Corporation of America announced today at CTIA 2012 a new way to connect your iPhone to your car: the Next Gate.

Clarion's Next Gate is a 7-inch WVGA touch display that mounts on your vehicle's windshield with a suction cup, much like a portable navigation device. (However, at 7 inches, its size is only rivaled by the largest of PNDs, such as Magellan's RoadMate 9055-LM.) The Next Gate features a cable connection to the iPhone 4's or iPhone 4S' 30-pin dock connector for data and charging; meanwhile the Clarion unit itself is powered by a … Read more

Between May 6 and June 16, OnStar's aftermarket telematics system, the OnStar FMV, is getting a lot cheaper with a price drop to just $99, which includes installation at participating consumer electronics retail outlets, including Best Buy.

When I took a look at the OnStar FMV last year, one of the only drawbacks that I could find was that the "price, installation, and subscription fees create a high cost of entry." At an MSRP of $299 with a subscription fee of $199 to $299 per year, adding an OnStar mirror to your car was no mere impulse … Read more

It's official -- the best feature of SiriusXM's iPhone (and now Android app) has been removed from many of its most popular stations. Version 2.0.2 of the iPhone app confirmed what many subscribers suspected: licensing contracts got in the way of convenience and technology.

The satellite radio company updated its iPhone app on April 16 to version 2.0.1. Many listeners who updated reported network errors preventing them from using the app, and others lucky enough to connect to SiriusXM bemoaned the loss of an exit button and were left wondering why 5-hour rewind was … Read more

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants a federal law banning talking or texting on a cell phone while driving.

Yesterday at an event in San Antonio, Texas, he called for tough federal legislation that would deal with what he called a "national epidemic" of distracted driving, according to a Reuters report. LaHood told a group of doctors, government officials, and other advocates for bans on cell phone use while driving that police should have "the opportunity to write tickets when people are foolishly thinking they can drive safely or use a cell phone and text and … Read more

Apple is investigating Wi-Fi connection issues on the new iPad, according to a report at 9to5Mac.

The Apple-centric Web site has posted what it says is an AppleCare internal document citing "intermittent connectivity...slow Wi-Fi speeds...[and] Wi-Fi network not seen."

At the top, the document states in red, "Issue/Investigation in Progress" and, under that, "Products Affected, iPad (3rd generation)."

Retail stores and "contact centers" are instructed to "capture" third-generation iPads if they exhibit any Wi-Fi issues, according to the document. In this case, capture refers to picking up … Read more

The automobile is fast becoming the largest mobile electronics device, and in just a few years having a car that connects to the Internet will be the new standard.

Juniper Research studied the automotive telematics market in eight key global regions, and predicts more than 92 million vehicles with Internet connectivity will be on the road by 2016. Smartphones integrating with vehicle electronics platforms will fuel the growth.

Infotainment systems such as Ford's Sync AppLink, GM's IntelliLink, BMW's ConnectedDrive, and Toyota's Entune are key players driving this trend. In just a few years, these advanced technology … Read more

Using the phrase "unparalleled torsion and strength to weight ratio," terms usually reserved for cars and spacecraft, TAG Heuer gets into the smartphone business with the most likely very expensive Racer (not to be confused with Razr).

Today's release contains very little detail about the actual phone. Wrapped in an industrial-looking case made of carbon fiber and titanium, we are told it is Android-based, uses a 3D interface, and has a high-speed processor. … Read more

Harman International, in looking for a way to personalize the in-car experience, found that the most unique thing everyone carries is a phone. In its demonstration of a new dashboard electronics system, Harman pointed out that people are more likely to loan someone else their car keys than their phones.

At the 2012 Geneva auto show, Harman used Rinspeed's Dock+Go concept car to show off the new system. In the car we had a number of smartphones, each equipped with near field communications, belonging to a variety of different people (set up for the purposes of the demonstration). … Read more