E-Class: Saving Lives with Fine Print

E-Class: Saving Lives with Fine Print
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-31-2016 at 7:00 am

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


When Waze Comes to Town

When Waze Comes to Town
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-27-2016 at 12:00 pm

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

Car Theft Making a Comeback
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-24-2016 at 4:00 pm

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


AVS 2016: Table Set for Tesla Tussle

AVS 2016: Table Set for Tesla Tussle
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-18-2016 at 7:00 am

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


Autonomous Driving @ the Crossroads

Autonomous Driving @ the Crossroads
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-15-2016 at 12:00 pm

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

Car Sharing, Ride Hailing on Collision Course
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-10-2016 at 4:00 pm

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


Time for the ZeroDollar Car?

Time for the ZeroDollar Car?
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-06-2016 at 7:00 am

Bankrate.com came out with a report last week raising questions regarding new car pricing with a city-by-city breakdown of affordability. Bankrate’s key finding: a median-income household can not afford the average price of a new vehicle in any of the 50 largest cities in the U.S.… Read More


Brexit and Semiconductors

Brexit and Semiconductors
by Daniel Nenni on 07-01-2016 at 7:00 am

Interesting news last week with 51.9% of British voters saying yes to Brexit (exiting the European Union). What does it have to do with semiconductors? Plenty! After reading the media’s take on the subject and talking to friends (experts) in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, I must say that there is not a consensus to be found and there… Read More


IMEC Technology Forum (ITF) – IC Innovation

IMEC Technology Forum (ITF) – IC Innovation
by Scotten Jones on 05-25-2016 at 7:00 am

IMEC is a technology research center located in Belgium that is one of the premier semiconductor research centers in the world today. The IMEC Technology Forum (ITF) is a two-day event attended by approximately 1,000 people to showcase the work done by IMEC and their partners.

Luc Van Den Hove is the president and CEO of IMEC and he… Read More