Electronics

Message sent: don’t text while driving Although the engineering/technology community has and will have a large impact regarding the problem of driver distraction—with that impact having negative and positive poles—it’s the vastly larger community of typical drivers who will determine whether the problem grows or dissipates. Read full story

Aftermarket brings connected vehicles to market sooner The future of automotive connectivity, which entails the further integration of automotive and consumer electronics as well as vehicle infrastructure integration, was discussed at a Driving Connected technology briefing seminar at the 2009 SEMA Show. Paramount for that integration to occur is open architectures. Read full story

AUTOSAR update comes with signs of adoption The software standard is undergoing a transition, moving to a new phase as Release 4.0 is unveiled. The change comes as the standard shows strong signs of acceptance in a range of new applications. Read full story

Consortium promotes new airbag standard Standardization is gaining acceptance in automotive electronics, though automakers often opt for a range of specifications for similar applications. As the number of airbags increases, three suppliers are banding together to promote a standard connection. Read full story