Infotainment

When it debuts at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show next week, the all-new 2014 Lexus IS sedan will become the first model in the U.S. to offer subscription-free traffic and weather updates. The announcement was made this week at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The...

Audi has given a preview of its upcoming technologies at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, this week. Though aimed at the general electronics industry, the annual show, known to most as CES, has grown to become a key event for automakers announcing their latest...

Harman bills itself as “the premium global audio and infotainment group,” so it’s a safe bet that the company would pick the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce its latest advancements in the field of automotive infotainment systems. First up is its app-centric...

Automotive technology supplier Harman recently partnered with BMW to develop a new connectivity and infotainment system for the German automaker’s cars, which for the first time is being announced for customers in the U.S. Forming the core of BMW’s own ConnectedDrive technology mantel...

Subaru is the latest automaker to announce a new vehicle connectivity and infotainment system, joining the likes of BMW, Ford, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, which have been offering such systems for years. Subaru’s new system is called Starlink and it made its official debut this week at...

Coinciding with the launch of the 2014 Chevrolet Impala next spring, Chevy will introduce its next-generation MyLink infotainment system, which the automaker says has been made easier to use, more customizable and now able to link up to 10 different mobile devices. MyLink is Chevy’s vehicle...

If you're a typical car owner, or even an enthusiast, you probably don't know what QNX is--but you should. Or at the least, you should know about the company's work in the field of in-car technology, because chances are good you use it every day. In the near future, you'll use it to do new things...

When it comes to customers demanding the latest in high-tech infotainment systems, Buick probably has more leeway than many luxury automakers. While its demographic is changing, the average Buick shopper is still concerned more with ride comfort than with streaming music via Pandora. That’s...

Honda said today that it would launch a new cloud connectivity service in its upcoming 2013 Accord, which will be unveiled later this year. The 2013 Accord will offer HondaLink on upper trim levels, and the new HondaLink service represents the first full launch of the Aha internet radio platform in...

BMW’s defines its ConnectedDrive as “the innovative connection between you, your BMW and the rest of the world.” That’s a more poetic way of saying that ConnectedDrive blends apps, navigation, smartphone integration, infotainment and telematics to create an improved driving...

Last January, we told you that Ford would be opening a lab in California’s Silicon Valley, specifically to “drive innovation in personal mobility.” Ford has recently opened the doors to its Ford Silicon Valley Lab facility, which has a mission based around three priorities: big...

Volvo has selected electronics giant Mitsubishi Electric, a subsidiary of the same group that owns the automaker Mitsubishi, to help develop next-generation infotainment systems for use in its future cars. Mitsubishi Electric will develop the central module and be the main supplier for the overall...

When it comes to hands-free infotainment solutions, automakers aren’t the only ones looking to make both the government and consumers happy. Now Apple has joined the fray, with a novel approach to adding steering-wheel-mounted controls. As the diagram shows, Apple’s solution is a...

The user interfaces of modern infotainment systems can be difficult for the average consumer to understand and embrace. Ford learned this lesson the hard way when it launched the MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch infotainment systems to a flood of criticism and negative feedback. Cadillac...

CUE, short for Cadillac User Experience, is GM’s high end infotainment system, scheduled to debut in the upcoming Cadillac XTS sedan. After learning from mistakes made by Ford and Lincoln, Cadillac designed the CUE to be more intuitive and user friendly. CUE will also be the first automotive...

After showing off a prototype fitting in a 2013 Subaru BRZ at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas recently, Subaru has now confirmed it’s integrating Aha across its model line. Subies enabled with Aha in an optional infotainment package open literally thousands of...

There are two big advantages to the sort of platform and technology sharing that goes on in the Volkswagen Group (VAG). One, is economies of scale. The more you share across a greater range, the bigger the profit margins. The second, is seeing the cool tech developed for high-end cars filter down...

Chevy is including its MyLink infotainment system in the upcoming Sonic RS, as well as higher-trim models of the Spark.

Ford will launch five more SYNC-compatible in-car apps at next week's CES show, and is opening a new research facility in Northern California to "drive innovation ion personal mobility."

BMW has incorporated the Yelp application into its BMW Online service, allowing owners to search for nearby businesses and restaurants and even sort by rating.