Siri, Take The Wheel

The Mercedes Touchpad is one of the slickest touch input devices out on cars
today. It also features a "wheel" for those more used to their old system.

New technology often tries to make our lives more simple, usually by making things more convenient for us. Unfortunately, it can also distract us from paying attention to what we’re doing. Welcome to the world of distracted driving. Nearly all of us carry our phone with us wherever we go, which means we’re always connected to others, even while driving.

Audi was one of the first manufacturers to introduce a
touch input for their MMI (multimedia) system.

Fortunately, automakers have come up with numerous ways to integrate our own gadgets to our cars in a safe way. With navigation/multimedia screens becoming increasingly more common in cars, many automakers including Audi, Lexus, and Mercedes have re-tooled their input systems so that you can get to the information you want in a much more intuitive way.

Gone are the days of having to press directional arrow keys to select what you want on the screen. Instead, it’s been replaced by something that’s far more simple to use – a touchpad. Now with the literal wave of a finger, you can write out your destination, or use it to scroll through phone contacts or dial a number on your phone via Bluetooth.

Terrible writing or not, Audi's touchpad knows exactly
which letter you're trying to draw.

If using physical inputs isn’t your cup of tea, you can always use voice controls to do your bidding. Voice control has come a long way over the years, even if my dad still insists on yelling commands because he doesn’t think the system can hear him. iPhone users have gotten used to giving orders to Siri, and it’s nice to see that this technology is following suit to certain new vehicles. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are two operating systems coming to a dashboard near you, that transform your car’s display to a similar layout of the main screen on your phone.

This means that you can then send a text with voice controls as you would with Siri, and have any new texts read out loud by the same system. Chevy has recently launched a new “Teen Driver” monitoring system in their 2016 Malibu, which mutes the radio until all seatbelts are fastened, enables all safety measures (traction control, ABS, etc.), and can even report back to parents if the driver exceeds a pre-determined range of speed, or if they happen to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision.

That’s probably a teen’s worst nightmare, but if it helps keep our roads safer then I’m all for it. It’s important for technology to enrich our lives, but also equally important that it doesn’t distract us from what matters the most. With these new systems, you’ll be able to enjoy these innovations and still keep your eyes on the road.     

Live From The #CIAS2016

Ford's 2017 GT supercar stood out for many reasons at this year's show.

This week is something of a special blog for me. Thanks to the kind folks at Enterprise Canada, I was lucky enough to attend Media Day at this year’s Canadian International AutoShow. As a car enthusiast, it was really a dream to experience the show before it’s filled with thousands of visitors. I got to sit behind the wheel of a number of great cars, including the BMW i8, Tesla's Model S & X, and the Maserati Quattroporte, just to name a few.

Alfa Romeo unveiled their stylish Giulietta sedan
to Canadian journalists.

I could ramble on about the incredible selection of cars at this year’s show, but what was even more impressive was the fantastic amount of innovation on display to the public. For starters, Audi unveiled a sporty new hydrogen-fueled concept, the H-Tron Quattro. The concept uses the harnessed power of hydrogen in order to drive electric motors at the front and rear, ultimately expelling zero emissions into the environment. Using hydrogen as a fuel source is a concept that’s still in its infancy, but seeing concepts from Audi and Lexus shows that automakers believe in its future.

High performance cars will always own the spotlight of the auto industry, and they did just that at this year’s auto show as well. What makes this different from any other year, you ask? Automakers are now able to build supercars that pack more power than ever before, but also return better fuel economy. For instance, let’s look at the Ford GT. Originally produced between 2005 - 2006, it featured a supercharged 5.4 L V8 engine that produced 550 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The 2017 GT now uses a twin-turbocharged 3.5 L V6 engine that produces 720 horsepower and 539 lb-ft of torque.

Acura proudly displayed their 2017 NSX, which is the
successor to their popular supercar of the 90s.

These are staggering figures, but they demonstrate what turbocharging an engine can bring to the table in today’s auto industry. In fact, F1 and Indy Car use turbocharged V6 engines, and they produce more power than their old V8 engines ever did. All of these great technologies and innovations were on display at this year’s Canadian International AutoShow, and I look forward to expanding upon some of these concepts and ideas that I witnessed in future blog posts.

Until then, go and check out the show at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto until it closes its doors on Feb. 21.

The Future Is Bright

New LED headlight units are very bright. And that's a good thing.

Driving down a rural road late at night, you mutter to yourself about what a lousy job your yellow-tinted incandescent headlights are doing at lighting up the road. Up ahead in the distance, you spot two bright white, laser-etched designs coming towards you. Old technology, meet new technology.

Audi's R8 was the first production car
to feature LED headlights.

Welcome to the world of the LED light. It’s incredibly common these days to spot a car driving around with a neat glowing design, but just a few years ago, it was more of a rarity. Personally, I think that LEDs add a nice cosmetic touch to vehicles by creating a sort of light signature through the car's headlights and brake lights. While this is of course subjective, it’s undeniable that these bright, “cool” coloured lights help make our roads safer to drive on.

Audi was the first auto manufacturer to put LEDs to use in their vehicles. They pioneered this practice by including LED daytime running lights on their 2005 A8 sedan, and took this a step further by being the first to install all-LED headlights in their 2008 R8 supercar. Not only are they brighter than any previous headlight technology out there, they’re a part of the greener, more environmentally-friendly movement in the auto industry.

LEDs allow manufacturers such as Mercedes to create
a visual "signature" which can be identified from far away.

LEDs by their very nature are quite energy efficient. Unlike older incandescent bulbs, they don't generate a great deal of heat, and they have a lifespan that often exceeds 50,000 hours of use. Like any other new technology, LEDs still tend to be an expensive option on most new vehicles. Certain manufacturers such as Mercedes have created headlight units featuring “adaptive high beam” systems, which automatically control your high beams by using a front-facing camera (remember those from last week?) that detects if a car is approaching you, and turns them off all by itself.

What’s next? Audi and BMW are using lasers as headlights on certain models in Europe, though they’re still considered to be illegal for use in the U.S. at present time. But for now, the future is looking bright thanks to the auto industry's innovative use of LEDs, and the added safety factor that they provide by illuminating all of our journeys.