We’ve heard recently from several sources that millimeter wave radios, once the exclusive realm of defense and satellite use, are now finding homes in applications such as automotive radar and 5G networks. Therein lies a significant opportunity for digital design: moving frequency conversion and filtering from the analog … Read More
E-Class: Saving Lives with Fine Print
Television spots for cars are becoming a little like pharmaceutical ads filled with fine print and warnings about side effects and clarifications. Safety advocates are taking Mercedes to task for its latest TV ads for the 2017 E Class, claiming that the car company is misleading consumers into thinking the car can drive itself.… Read More
Why Elon Musk’s crazy plans for Tesla aren’t crazy
Elon Musk recently laid out a “master plan” for where his company, Tesla Motors, is heading. The vision is undoubtedly ambitious: four new kinds of Tesla vehicles, solar initiatives, autonomous driving technologies and a ride-sharing program.… Read More
When Waze Comes to Town
Waze’s Connected Citizens program, rolled out in October of 2014, was envisioned as a means for cities to create a two-way data exchange between Waze users and cities for communicating urgent traffic information as well as to facilitate the analysis of traffic patterns. In other words, Waze wanted to be part of the solution… Read More
Car Theft Making a Comeback
In the U.K., where vehicle theft has been in a steep decline for the past 20 years, the most widespread advice given by police to car owners is: keep your car keys in your freezer. The most common source of vulnerability these days is the interception of RF signals between keyfobs and cars. For a time, several years ago, there was a rash… Read More
After the fatal Tesla crash, I still feel safe in my self-driving car
At first, the thought of letting my car drive itself seemed rather frightening. But the highway was almost empty and the lanes were clearly marked, so I took the risk and engaged the autopilot function in my new Tesla Model X. Yet I couldn’t let go of the steering wheel. I didn’t want to put my life in the hands of software. This was two … Read More
AVS 2016: Table Set for Tesla Tussle
As predicted, by me, the anti-Tesla and anti-autonomous vehicle forces are gathering in the wake of the recent fatal Tesla Model S crash in Florida. The rising resistance arrives one week in advance of next week’s Automated Vehicles Symposium in San Francisco – setting the stage for a spirited debate.… Read More
Safety Verification for Software
When automakers are thinking about the safety of an embedded system in a car, while it’s good to know the hardware has been comprehensively tested for safety-specific requirements, that isn’t much help if the software component of the system is not supplied with similarly robust guarantees.
The challenge is that the software … Read More
Autonomous Driving @ the Crossroads
One of the most terrifying moments one can experience as a driver or passenger in a Tesla Model S driving with autopilot turned on is the realization that the system cannot recognize intersections or traffic lights. It seems like such a basic and obvious requirement for automated driving but the Model S can’t hack it –… Read More
Car Sharing, Ride Hailing on Collision Course
Do car makers know what they are getting themselves into with car sharing? Car companies are lacing up their skates and venturing out on the thin ice of car sharing. General Motors’ Maven, with fledgling efforts in New York City and Ann Arbor, Mich., is the latest incarnation of this movement. The movement is pervasive and growing… Read More
Micron- “The first cut isn’t the deepest”- Chops production & forecast further