Intelligent Conversation - with Your Car
A talking computer called "Hal" helped create a chilling vision of a computer-controlled future in Stanley Kubrick's classic 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Hal took control of the space ship from what he saw as incompetent humans. Well, Hal has finally arrived in the real world -- and he's really a nice person.
Honda already had the most advanced voice-controlled navigation system on the market, but the new version, announced Sept. 1, introduces a slew of improvements. They include the ability to process natural-language commands and questions, and giving people voice responses rather than requiring them to look at a computer screen.
A talking computer called "Hal" helped create a chilling vision of a computer-controlled future in Stanley Kubrick's classic 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Hal took control of the space ship from what he saw as incompetent humans. Well, Hal has finally arrived in the real world -- and he's really a nice person.
American Honda Motor, with a lot of help from IBM (NYSE: IBM), is set to introduce the most advanced voice-navigation system ever: an on-board computer that responds to voice questions and commands just about instantly with a friendly spoken response. The system will be standard equipment on the 2005 model of Acura RL sedan, coming out in October, and optional on Acura MDX sport-utility and Honda Odyssey minivan, which both arrive in September.
Honda's move shows how rapidly digital technology is transforming the auto industry's landscape. Manufacturers are tapping into the latest innovations in an attempt to differentiate their vehicles from the rest of the pack. "We're at the beginning edge," says analyst Thilo Koslowski of Gartner Group. "The car is becoming an extension of your personal network. It helps you get where you want to go and to communicate along the way."
Beyond Navigation
Honda already had the most advanced voice-controlled navigation system on the market, but the new version, announced Sept. 1, introduces a slew of improvements. They include the ability to process natural-language commands and questions, and giving people voice responses rather than requiring them to look at a computer screen.
Once a person asks for directions to an address, the computer reads them out loud. If the driver wants to know about stores or restaurants near a location, the computer lists them. It even reads reviews from Zagat's restaurant guide. The computer responds to 700 types of commands and holds a database of 1.2 million city and street names.
For Honda, voice commands go way beyond navigation. You can also use them to control the audio system and air conditioning. And if you tell the computer a phone number, it will look it up in a reverse directory and give you the address. Using a separate voice-recognition system, a driver can use his cell phone hands-free.
'Under Control'
The new system required some advanced engineering. Scientists from IBM Research tinkered with algorithms to make it possible to respond to commands without having to be trained to recognize a particular person's voice. Also, they made the system powerful enough to understand unusual regional pronunciations.
While it's whip-smart, there's no danger the computer will take over and direct you to a place you don't want to go. "We finally have Hal, but we have Hal under control," says Jim Ruthven, program director for IBM Telematics Solutions.
This is just the start of the automotive digital revolution. Carmakers and their technology partners are working on wireless systems that diagnose problems in cars without having to bring them into the repair shop and which monitor vehicle performance so quality and durability can be improved in future models.
Nightime Upgrades?
Honda later this year will introduce a system for broadcasting tips on how people can to get more out of their cars. In the future, it foresees being able to download new software capabilities wirelessly. "You can see a future where while you're sleeping we're upgrading the software in your car," says Robert Bienenfeld, senior manager for product planning at American Honda.
Maybe some of the info-tech giants will pick up some useful tips about handling seamless software upgrades from their auto maker brethren
Samsung Debuts First Mobile Phone with Hard Drive
Samsung Electronics unveiled what the company is calling the "first-ever mobile phone with an internal hard drive." The company's latest phone, the V5400, is currently being exhibited at the ITU Telecom Asia 2004 conference. The V5400 is equipped with a 1-inch, 1.5-GB hard drive designed to expand the memory capacity of mobile phones from the conventional 100 MB maximum capacity.
Samsung's V5400 mobile phone boasts a high-resolution 2.2-inch liquid crystal display and includes features such as an MP3 player, electronic book reader and Korean-English dictionary. A built-in microphone is designed to enhance the phone's camcorder function, while dual speakers provide a 3D sound effect.
Samsung Electronics unveiled what the company is calling the "first-ever mobile phone with an internal hard drive." The company's latest phone, the V5400, is currently being exhibited at the ITU Telecom Asia 2004 conference.
The V5400 is equipped with a 1-inch, 1.5-GB hard drive designed to expand the memory capacity of mobile phones from the conventional 100 MB maximum capacity.
The phone also boasts a high-resolution 2.2-inch liquid crystal display and includes features such as an MP3 player, electronic book reader and Korean-English dictionary. A built-in microphone is designed to enhance the phone's camcorder function, while dual speakers provide a 3D sound effect.
The product will be available for Korean consumers in the middle of September.
Samsung Electronics manufactures semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies, with 2003 sales of US.4 billion and net income of billion.
Employing approximately 88,000 people in 89 offices in 46 countries, Samsung Electronics is one of the world's largest producers of color monitors, color TVs, memory chips, TFT-LCDs and VCRs.
Advanced Micro Devices' dual-core Opteron processor will boost performance 30 to 55 percent over single-core Opterons, the company said at the Fall Processor Forum yesterday. AMD also said it is on target to release the chips for one- to eight-way servers in mid-2005, beating Intel to market. Analysts, however, question whether first-to-market will be enough of an edge.
Microsoft's MSN TV division has introduced its MSN TV 2 Internet and Media Player, a broadband-enabled device designed to bring MSN content, PC-stored digital media and e-mail to televisions. It includes a wireless keyboard and remote control and has a recommended U.S. retail price of .95 plus a monthly subscription fee that ranges from .95 to .95.
Amazon is looking to build its developer community with the release of new Web services that make it easier to use Amazon e-commerce services and take advantage of Amazon's Alexa Web page information, browsing and search capabilities.
The integration of a fingerprint scanner into IBM's new ThinkPad T42 series of notebooks opens the door for a whole host of secure transactions, but some analysts suggest that there are still flaws in the system. Using fingerprints to confirm identification has become pervasive in the public sector, according to Kush Wadhwa, director of the International Biometrics Group.