external effects Mozilla Smartphones On the Way WORDS BY JAMIE SORCHER
Does Mozilla Have A Moneymaker? What’s Going On: Mozilla, Google’s biggest
competitor in the Web brows- er market, is planning its first smartphones that will be pow- ered by its Firefox operating sys- tem with the idea that the web will be the app store. The two handsets, which will be based on the HTML5 Web programming language, will face tough competition from the growing field of new smartphone platforms including Blackber- ry 10 along with a market already occupied by Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry 7, and Symbian.
Apps Are On Te Way
How It Can Affect You: Consumers who go outside of the main realm of Apple or Android are going to be looking for alternatives that work in their vehicles — ways to get music, use their social media, and stay connected. These new platforms may not survive, but retailers will need to
be educated as to what options are out there. If Firefox OS is a success it should help drive the creation of HTML5 apps, which by their nature should work on any smartphone.
Apple Still Solid At Te Core
What’s Going On: iPads and iPhones are some of the most desirable tech gadgets, but Apple’s invincible run may be
What’s Going On: On the heels of CES, where automakers
grabbed a big share of the spotlight, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, also held in January, had a strong emphasis on navigation and entertainment systems. Infiniti, Hyundai and Lexus all revealed new and im- proved interfaces for upcoming models to be re- leased. Nissan’s Infiniti Q50, on sale this summer, has Direct Adaptive Steering, hailed as a world’s
Charge It
What’s Going On: Denso has developed what it claims is the world’s first in-vehicle wireless cell phone charger, in col- laboration with Philips and Lite-On Digital Solutions. It will make its debut in North America on the 2013 Toyota Avalon Limited as part of the available technology package.
18 Mobile Electronics February—March 2013
How It Can Affect You: Wireless is the way of the future.
As smartphones become more widely used in cars, there will be more related product development — and cutting the cords is how many consumers are getting used to doing things.
How It Can Affect You: Automakers are stepping up their efforts to offer technologies they hadn’t before, and ones with which the aftermarket has had more visibil- ity up until now. There is still a lag time for when automakers can update their systems, but they are moving forward as fast as they can with top- of-mind technologies for consumers.
first. It allows independent control of the Q50’s tire angle and steering inputs and transmits the driver’s intentions to the wheels faster than a mechanical system. Infinit’s inTouch, the vehicle’s next-generation telematics system, features dual touchscreens (with hand-gesture screen oper- ation), smartphone connectivity, and custom apps. Owners will also be able to update and sync personal apps with their smartphones. And Hyundai showed its HCD-14 Genesis, a “premium sport four-door coupe,” with an iPad dock along with cutting edge eye-tracking (courtesy of two cameras in the steering wheel) and hand-gesture recognition (raising the hand to raise the stereo’s volume) to keep the driver’s eyes on the road for the majority of time.
over. The world’s largest tech company, and one that has hugely influenced in-vehicle electronics, saw its stock plummet 10 percent in late January after releasing its earnings that missed Wall Street’s revenue forecast for the third straight quarter.
How It Can Affect You: With iPhones falling
short of their target, it opens the door for Apple competitors to grab more share of the market. Apple shipped 47.8 million iPhones over the sales season, which ended in December. That number was up 29 percent from a year earlier, but below the 50 million that Wall Street had projected. So, by no means, is Apple going any- where, but other compa- nies like Microsoft, Black- berry and Samsung are all in the mix now and it could change what evolves with in-vehicle electronics and how prominent Apple remains as a choice.
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