Ford and Toyota Motors Give Tough Time To Apple and Google

Ford and Toyota Motors Give Tough Time To Apple and Google

The Michigan based enterprise, Ford and Toyota Motors Corporation would be adopting the same app to connect dashboard screens of vehicles to smartphone applications. In addition, they have invited other automotive organizations to join them for countering tech companies, Google and Apple’s efforts to control cars in the future.

Toyota, the largest vehicle maker by automobiles sales, and Ford said they would adopt an application made by Ford known as SDL or Smart Device Link, as the standard for linking dashboard screens of vehicles to smartphone applications.

The US carmaker has claimed that Mazda, Subaru, PSA Peugeot Citroën are also making efforts to investigate the application standards. SDL technology is able to integrate smartphone applications with automobiles through voice recognition technology, display screens, and dashboard buttons.

Using it as a standard for music streaming applications or navigation from the smartphone of a driver can help Toyota and Ford to lower down the levels of dependence on Alphabet’s Google or Apple, Ford officials stated. It is also capable of keeping tightly controlling the brand-describing look, customer information, and the feel of dashboard infotainment technologies, they added.

Adoption of a connectivity standard is not linked to Google or Apple. It might help automotive organizations in the biggest automotive market, China, where local corporations such as Alibaba are important players as far as mobile services and satellite mapping is concerned.

Google has a limited presence in China, although it has indicated an expansion there. Ford said Japanese automotive organizations Mazda Motor Corporation, Subaru and Honda are also making efforts to investigate the adoption of SDL as a standard. Automotive connectivity technology developers UIE Evolution and QNX Software Systems are adopting SDL.

Blackberry unit ‘QNX’ is a designer of infotainment system application utilized by 40 vehicle makers. The tie up between the two automakers follows the purchase later in 2015 by a consortium of German vehicle makers, HERE (mobile mapping business), which was previously owned by Nokia. Audi brand of Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Diamler AG stated they would employ HERE as a foundation for new features and connectivity services.

Mapping is essential for autonomous driving technologies, which the German companies plan to launch in the nearby future. Google and Apple introduce formidable weaponries to the war for controlling connected vehicles that are evolving rapidly. The competition is fierce ahead and companies are advancing hastily to beat others in the game. This is consequently fueling the competition furthermore.

Apple's Rumored iPhone 7c Might Turn Out To Be Interesting

The iPhone makers need something to increase sales even in the next quarter, and a new smaller phone in line might be a good option to consider

According to a recent article published in Motley Fool, it was seen that there is an increasing number of analysts in the tech industry who have their eyes set on the stock activities of Apple Inc and have grown to worry about its future now. This is basically coming in relation with the sales of its famous smart phone, which won hearts of a huge crowd, resulting in a larger than life revenue generation for the company. The tech giant, with its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus reported record sales, beating all of its own records which it made previously. However, things might not be as fancy for the Californian giant anymore which is why analysts in the market have turned rather concerned for its future.

Analysts have already stated that the near term future is expected to be a little worrisome for Apple business as long as it does not come up with a gadget which manages to get sold in double the amount as the latest iPhones, which clearly seems like too good to be true.  However, to believe that the software giant is not planning up something to balance out its sales for the quarter might sound too thick, as reports suggest that the tech company has already been planning to make a huge launch of a new phone in line; iPhone 7c.

There already have been a lot of rumors regarding Apple’s management thinking about making a new phone already, and these rumors started when the giant was getting ready to release iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Now that the release of the latter has been carried out effectively, reports have emerged which state that the software company is now working on a smaller smart phone which might be released either in the first quarter of the next year or in the second one. This phone is also been considered as an upgraded version of ‘iPhone 5s’ which is expected to either have the A8 processor or the A9 one.

The most interesting factor which the industry pundits choose to focus on, however, is about how the phone will be a 4-inch one, a much smaller version as compared to what already has been offered by the company to the users. Continuing the legacy of the 5c iPhones, the iPhone 7c is also expected to be made available in a number of different colors. Analysts believe that this new iPhone in line means the customers might be getting the best of both the 5c series along with the best of iPhone 6.

Meta's M1 smartwatch starts priced at $149 Comparatively Cheap Than Apple Watch

A Texas based smartwatch company, MetaWatch is offering its entry level smartwatch for only $149 ahead of Apple Watch release

Fossil Group Inc.’s spinoff, MetaWatch is in the market with a smartwatch, the Meta M1 priced at a humble $149. Meta’s M1 is already available in the market and claims to have sold 250,000 watches, with its “M1 Limited- Rose Gold” priced at $229, sold out already.

The M1’s functionalities range from receiving and displaying notifications to monitoring activity. The Dallas, Texas based private company intends its users to use the “state-of –the –art consumer electronics” as a 24/7 wearable accessory.

The company website also makes mention of the smartwatch being developer friendly too , as it can be paired with devices running on either Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iOS or an Android enabled device to review “glanceable” information on your wrist instead of pulling out the phone to review alerts and notifications and cloud-based information as well, according to latest apple news update.

The functionalities are impressive for the entry level wearable device, considering the petite price tag, compared to the Apple Watch prices confirmed by Apple news. MetaWatch has sliced off $100 from the original price of $249 and makes the smartwatch more attractive by adding another feature to it, by partnering with Misfit.

It can be said that MetaWatch aspires to stand in the way of tech giant, Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPLE) Apple Watch with its larger-than-life debut expected to come sooner than ever before.

The M1 has a very simple and minimalistic design; this coupled with a very affordable price range definitely looks like a winner for many looking to get their hands on wearable technology without breaking the bank.

Also another start-up which goes by the name Garmin, plans to raid the smart watch market with its own invention. Garmin is giving every opportunity to the fitness lovers to get fitter day by day with wearable technology. Garmin is reigning at CES 2015 with its wearable technology.

The company has always targeted the fitness lovers through its wearable tech devices.  There have been updates and upgrades which includes a newly updated high end Fenix 3 as well as the Vivoactive which is known as the smart watch for everyday fitness tracking.

Vivoactive is already said to be a winner and a market captivating wearable device which is unique in its style and functionality. According to various sources, Garmin will be providing the all in one package which will include notifications, music controls, and fitness tracking along with third party apps.

The smart watch has an impressive design which is available in different colors and patterns. The smart watch uses a color touchscreen which will also allow the users to read in scorching daylight. However, the main purpose of this smart watch is activity tracking which is supposed to be top notch. Hence the home screen will have icons of run, swim, bike, golf, and walk etc.

Vivoactive has totally made an impact in the market with its idea as along with GPS and swimming, the smart watch will have the facility to be connected with your smartphones via Bluetooth which will make fitness tracking easy with the help of notifications.