Mercedes, VW Caught in TikTok Blok

Mercedes, VW Caught in TikTok Blok
by Roger C. Lanctot on 03-23-2023 at 10:00 am

Mercedes VW Caught in TikTok Blok

Thirteen years ago, General Motors announced the introduction of a voice-enabled integration of Facebook in its cars. The announcement reflected the irresistible urge to please consumers and lead the market.

Today, multiple car makers are introducing games, streaming video, and social media apps, the most prominent of which… Read More


AAA Hypes Self-Driving Car Fears

AAA Hypes Self-Driving Car Fears
by Roger C. Lanctot on 03-09-2023 at 10:00 am

AAA Hypes Self Driving Car Fears

The AAA (U.S. auto club) must have AGHD (attention-getting deficit disorder). The headline from the organization’s latest research is: “Fear of Self-Driving Cars is on the Rise.” That should straighten things out, right?

The survey was conducted across a representative sample of U.S. households, according to the reported… Read More


IoT in Distress at MWC 2023

IoT in Distress at MWC 2023
by Roger C. Lanctot on 03-01-2023 at 10:00 am

MWC 2023 IoT in Distress

The talk of the table – or at least my end of the table – at the annual Cybersecurity Dinner – hosted by Copper Horse Ltd. – was the dismal state of IoT. Millions of devices are being connected – but no one is making money.

Of course that isn’t absolutely accurate. There are organizations that are able to make money in IoT,… Read More


Safe Driving: FSD vs. V2X

Safe Driving: FSD vs. V2X
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-22-2023 at 10:00 am

Safe Driving FSD vs. V2X

When it comes to competing with Elon Musk’s Tesla the automotive industry is, in many ways, its own worst enemy. For more than two decades the auto industry – in the U.S. and E.U. – has struggled to bring vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology to market – first as dedicated short range communications… Read More


Privacy? What Privacy?

Privacy? What Privacy?
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-06-2023 at 10:00 am

Automotive Privacy and Security

It seems as if every day brings news of yet another company that is using artificial intelligence to leverage smartphone data for “non-invasive” analytics of human movement. Our smartphones and smartwatches and fitbits can detect whatever activity we are doing, how well or poorly we are doing it, how it is affecting our mood, … Read More


Careful Who You Work for

Careful Who You Work for
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-02-2023 at 6:00 am

Careful Who You Work for

When one is looking for a job and that hunt extends from weeks into months or even years one is inclined to default to an any-port-in-a-storm mindset. Some recent experiences suggest to me that that mentality may need a reevaluation.

I was surprised to learn recently, from conversations with industry acquaintances, that one’s… Read More


ATSC 3.0: Sleeper Hit of CES 2023

ATSC 3.0: Sleeper Hit of CES 2023
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-19-2023 at 10:00 am

ATSC 3.0 Sleeper Hit of CES 2023

Ten years ago the Open Mobile Video Coalition was touting its plans to deliver free over-the-air television to mobile devices and automobiles. At the time, OMVC was seen as the realization of a dream of delivering video to cars – front seat and back.

The dream didn’t last long and the plans for ATSC M/H brought to the market by the OMVC… Read More


ZoneCast Blast Misses Its Mark

ZoneCast Blast Misses Its Mark
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-19-2023 at 6:00 am

ZoneCast Blast Misses Its Mark

On my flight to Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics show I dug in to Jeff Smulyan’s autobiographical “Never Ride a RollerCoaster Upside Down – The Ups and Downs and Reinvention of an Entrepreneur.” As CEO, Chairman, and Founder of Emmis Communications Smulyan has had a front row seat to the evolution of the electronics… Read More


To EV or NOT to EV?

To EV or NOT to EV?
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-12-2023 at 10:00 am

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It’s anybody’s guess when it comes to future demand for EVs. KPMG is the latest to put a perspective out on the subject – drastically slashing timelines for EV adoption based on a survey of senior industry executives. KPMG says the surveyed executives reported a median expectation for EV adoption by 2030 to 35% of sales from 65% … Read More


The Smartphone Snitch in Your Pocket

The Smartphone Snitch in Your Pocket
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-05-2023 at 6:00 am

The Smartphone Snitch in Your Pocket

The story in the New York Times came with a sensational headline: “Couple in Car Survive 300-foot Fall into a Canyon.” The canyon in question was Monkey Canyon in the Angeles National Forest outside Los Angeles and the couple survived, so the story goes, thanks to their satellite-connectivity-enhanced iPhone.

This is the kind… Read More