Custom In-Car Wireless Phone Chargers

First Custom In-Car Wireless Phone Chargers

AMY GILROY JULY 8, 2014 0

Brandmotion is shipping the first aftermarket line of in-car wireless phone chargers that are customized for many vehicles.

It is offering a small wireless charging panel that connects to the car’s electrical system (so no wires are seen).  Users just place a phone on the pad while driving, and the phone charges.

Brandmotion is using the popular Qi wireless standard for its device.

The catch is that both the phone and charging pad must be Qi-capable, so Brandmotion offers adapter sleeves to slide over an iPhone 4 or iPhone 5.

The Toyota Camry will soon  join the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, 2014 Toyota Avalon and a handful of other vehicles as the only new cars with built-in wireless charging.  Brandmotion says it will cover just about every other vehicle with a custom charging kit under its FreedomCharge line.  The first four of these kits are now shipping.

“We anticipate the car makers will be the catalyst for a major marketing push outlining the benefits of wireless charging in the car,” said Jeff Varick, Brandmotion President.  “Our message on top of that is simple – you can get the same benefit they are offering in new cars, in a kit that’s made specifically for your car – today. And for a whole lot less than buying a new car.”

Charging kits for the 2013-2014 Ford Fusion;  2011-2014 Toyota Camry;  and 2009-2014 Ram trucks with bucket seats are now available. A universal kits is also now shipping: the installer may cut the pad to fit any console tray up to 10.5 by 7.5 inches and then hard wire it to the car.

Kits for other car models should become available each month.

'iPhone 6' to launch on Sept. 25, larger 5.5" version dubbed 'iPhone Air'

Rumor: Apple's 'iPhone 6' to launch on Sept. 25, larger 5.5" version dubbed 'iPhone Air'

By AppleInsider Staff

Another questionable rumor out of China on Thursday claims Apple will announce its next-gen iPhone on Sept. 15 ahead of a Sept. 25 launch date, while mention is made of a 16GB 5.5-inch version that will supposedly be called "iPhone Air."

"iPhone 6" and "iPhone 6c" concepts by Martin Hajek.

What to expect:
'iPhone 6' rumors

• Larger screen, thinner design
• Two new sizes: 4.7" & 5.5"
• Faster next-gen 'A8' CPU
• Fall 2014 launch

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According to Chinese language website China.com, industry sources are telling various media outlets in the region that Apple is planning to start sales of its next iPhone on Sept. 25, with China expected to be in the first group of countries to get the device.

The report, spotted by GforGames is highly suspect, as Apple historically starts sales of new iPhone models on Fridays, and Sept. 25 is a Thursday. Last year, Apple performed a simultaneous launch with the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on Friday, Sept. 20.

Perhaps more believable, though by no means verifiable, is a rumor from May saying that Apple plans to launch the device or devices on Sept. 19, a date echoed in a follow-up report last week.

Insiders also said a 5.5-inch "phablet" version of the next-gen "iPhone 6" will be called "iPhone Air," though such a move would likely confuse the "Air" naming convention. As it stands, the MacBook Air represents the Apple's smallest and lightest laptops, while the "Air" moniker is assigned to the company's largest iPad.

As for pricing, Thursday's report is exactly in line with prior claims that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will cost 5,288 yuan (about $850) when it hits store shelves. While last week's rumor failed to mention a 16GB variant of an anticipated 5.5-inch iPhone, today's report cites insiders as saying the device does exist and expects it to run 5,998 yuan (about $965).

Finally, sources claim Apple's partner carriers in the region, China Mobile and China Unicom, are already testing prototype iPhone 6 units on their respective 4G networks.

When the next-gen iPhone lineup does launch sometime this fall, many expect the handset to feature a complete redesign relocated sleep/wake button, slimmed-down profile and advanced innards like an "A8" processor. Some analysts believe Apple plans to differentiate the purported 5.5-inch version from its smaller siblings by adding on features like optical image stabilization and higher storage capacities.

Completely redesigned iPhone 6 housing revealed in huge leak

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Image Source: Nowhereelse.fr

By Chris Smith on Jun 9, 2014 at 9:30 AM

Email @chris_writes

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A new set of high-resolution images have hit the web in China, showing what is believed to be an authentic metal housing from Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6. The case has been photographed from all possible angles, likely providing further confirmation of Apple’s huge new design revamp for the handset.

This purported iPhone 6 component suggests the next-gen iPhone will be significantly thinner than its predecessors, and feature more curved lines, including curved corners and edges. Furthermore, the metal frame has slimmer volume rockers, similar to what’s already available on iPod touch and iPad models, and a relocated power button, which is now placed on the right side of the handset above the SIM tray, rather than on the top side.

Antenna bands, rear camera, flash and Apple logo cutouts are also present on the metal case, which are all consistent with what dummy units and similar leaks have recently revealed.

The Chinese publication that posted the images wondered whether the cutout Apple logo has anything to do with possible NFC- or wireless charging features the iPhone 6 may have to offer. Coincidentally or not, a recent report suggested that the iPhone 6 will indeed support NFC connectivity as well as wireless charging, although obviously nothing is confirmed that this point.

For what its worth though, both the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini have similar cutouts in their respective rear metal covers, without offering NFC or wireless charging support.

Some images showing the rumored iPhone 6 rear case follow below, with more available by following the link in our source section.

View the full Completely redesigned iPhone 6 housing revealed in huge leak gallery

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Google Unveils Car of the Future

AMY GILROY MAY 28, 2014 0

Google is now building high tech cars.

In the past, the technology giant stuffed electronics in an existing car model to create an autonomous car, but now, Google is entering the car making business, at least in prototypes, by building a fleet of up to 200 self-driving car prototypes.

Gone is the steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal, now unnecessary technology. Instead you just push a button to get to where you want to go.

“We took a look from the ground up as to what it would be like if we had self-driving cars in the world,” announced Google co-founder Sergey Brin Monday. “We’ve worked with partners in the Detroit area, Germany and California,” he said.

The cars will be very basic initially with two seats and some storage space and a maximum speed capability of 25 mph.  The windshield is plastic. They have a stop/start button and a screen to display your travel route.  The car lets you ask for a destination address and then it will drive you to it, said Brin, according to Bloomberg News.

Google said it is not aiming to get rid of traditional cars but that “some features we’ve developed may be useful for those cars,” said Brin, according to Yahoo News.

“I expect people will use a mix – some will want their own car to drive, and sometimes they’ll choose to use a self-driving car,” he said.

Until now Google has been using modified Prius, Lexus and other cars for its autonomous prototypes.

By 2050 almost all cars will be self-driving predicts IHS Automotive.  And nearly 12 million autonomous cars will be on the road by 2035.  IHS expects that autonomous cars will cost an additional $7-$10,000 over standard cars by the year 2025, said Bloomberg.

Aftermarket Vehicle-Specific Blind Spot Detectors on Way

AMY GILROY MAY 20, 2014 0

Morlin Group, which began offering an aftermarket blindspot detector a couple of months ago, is planning car specific models as early as the third quarter this year.

The company hopes to offer camera-based blind spot detectors that can tie in with the navigation or information system on certain vehicles.  In addition, it is looking at offering a camera-based blind spot detector that would work with a more universal aftermarket rear view mirror.

Morlin, based in Perkasie, PA,  entered the aftermarket blind spot detector market under its iCar-Link brand about two months ago with two-sensor units—the BS-100 and step up BS-200. Both models use OEM grade sensors, but the step up model uses a slightly better sensor.  Suggested retail prices are about $249 and $279, respectively. The systems’ two sensors install on either side of the rear bumper and the driver gets a warning from an LED and/buzzer.  The warnings may be set to activate only when a turn signal is on (preferably) or they may be set to alert any time there is an object in the blind spot.

Morlin is sourcing its product from a “design and supply team in China,” said President Bob Morgan.

Huge leak may show us exactly what the iPhone 6 looks like

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Image Source: Martin Hajek

By Chris Smith on Apr 30, 2014 at 9:54 AM

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After numerous reports claimed the iPhone 6 will have a completely new design featuring curved edges and an extremely thin profile, Nowhereelse has foundimages showing a mockup iPhone 6 model that seems to match the recent leaks – the dummy iPhone has reportedly been photographed in China, although it’s not clear who made it and for what purpose. The publication says the images have been posted on a Chinese forum well known for Apple leaks.

This purported iPhone 6 dummy model features the same design lines mentioned in many reports including round corners and edges, a protruding rear camera, a thin profile, and redesigned volume buttons that look more like the iPhone’s 5c buttons than the traditional volume rockers found the iPhone 5s and older iPhone models.

The power button doesn’t appear to be placed on top of the handset, in traditional iPhone fashion, but an image showing the phone’s right hand side edge – where the button is believed to have been relocated – isn’t available.

However, the size of this iPhone mockup was not mentioned. The phone is expected to pack a 4.7-inch display, and be just 6.1mm thick. Photos showing a purported iPhone 6 manufacturing mold indicated the phone could be 138mm long and 64mm wide. The current iPhone 5s measures 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm.

An iPhone 6 case has already been obtained by an insider, with a YouTube channelusing it to compare the iPhone 6’s size to the iPhone 5s and current iPod touch model, but also to many Android flagship devices. Leaked schematics showing alleged iPhone 6 components also featured the same design elements featured in this iPhone 6 dummy unit.

The leaked images showing this iPhone 6 mockup follow below.

View the full Huge leak may show us exactly what the iPhone 6 looks like gallery

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The 2 Most Used Apps While Driving

AMY GILROY APRIL 23, 2014 0

The two most often used apps while driving are Google Search and Google Navigation, according to a recent Strategy Analytics survey.

Facebook is also frequently used while driving, as is Pandora.

And drivers prefer to use these apps through their dashboard rather than directly through their smartphone. “Consumers tell us they want to access these apps through the in-vehicle controls to minimize driver distraction, but current connected car implementations leave much to be desired,” said Chris Schreiner of Strategy Analytics.

The study also found that 48 percent of smartphone owners in the US report using apps while driving. This is in comparison to 37 percent in Europe and a whopping 78 percent in China.

For more information see the report: “The Connected Car: Consumer Interest and Current User Experience.”