If you haven't yet seen it, there's news brewing in the automotive electronics world. The Wall Street Journal and the Detroit Free Press have reported in the past two days that Ford Motor Co. has joined forces with Microsoft Corp. on a new automotive software system. Dubbed "Sync," the new system will reportedly serve as a foundation for hands-free cell phone communication, as well as the ability to send and receive e-mail and download music. For the automotive industry, this is major news for two reasons: First, its a big win for Microsoft, which has been competing furiously with other operating systems vendors to gain a better foothold in vehicles. Second, it's deja vu for infotainment market. Since the infamous infotainment bust unfolded over the past half-decade, suppliers haven't talked much about e-mail in vehicles. Instead, the focus has been on entertainment. But now, vehicle e-mail is back again, and we can only assume Ford and Microsoft have big plans for it. How will this play out? It's really up to the consumer. The question isn't whether Ford and M'Soft can make it happen; it;s whether consumers will ultimately accept the idea of bringing the office into their vehicles. Read about it at http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6146286.html.
A massive engineering effort has produced a lightweight, high-strength body structure that will let Cadillac enter the compact luxury market segment this year.
If you design mechatronic systems and want to learn more about using microcontrollers (MCUs) in your applications, listen to our Design News radio program on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
Engineers who have equipped cars with cameras and collected millions of miles of data on crashes say that the key to distraction is visual, not cognitive.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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