The Core

Why We Are Here => Water Cooler => Topic started by: Brad on April 21, 2015, 12:57:30 PM

Title: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: Brad on April 21, 2015, 12:57:30 PM
Until Norway, yes Norway, alerted me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-32380222

Which got me researching, I knew about satellite radio but nothing about wireless digital radio.

They call it HD Radio here and many major market FM stations are simulcasting in FM and Digital.  Minor markets are not switching yet because of costs. FCC is letting market forces decide.

More on HD Radio:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2011/01/hd-radio/index.htm

As someone that is buying a new car in the next year this becomes important, since I think it worth it to upgrade the radio option to HD before I buy.  Considering how long cars last it makes sense to have a hybrid receiver that can get both analog and digital signals.

Anyway, it was all news to me.

Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on April 21, 2015, 01:06:30 PM
I don't give a rat's a## about radio, but HD FM was news to me, too.

>car

You spark my interest here. I'm of the general opinion that phones are rapidly obsoleting added electronics in autos.  I think more generic, less expensive vehicles are going to be the other disruption brought on by everyone carrying a personal supercomputer.  No way, for instance, would I buy a hardwired dash gps system.
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on April 21, 2015, 01:19:55 PM
<added>

I think Johnson Controls sees the disruption train coming, too.

https://www.google.com/search?q=johnson+control+selling+auto+electronics
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: Brad on April 21, 2015, 02:29:27 PM
The things that got my interest: an analog station being able to split its signal several other streams like digital OTA TV. That could be interesting and open things up.

Range: I'm going to bet digital is limited.  There is some good points to that.  I'm a big believer in hyper local, newspapers, radio and TV.  We were supposed to get hyper local FM with the Community radio law about 25 years ago but that got killed off mostly by the media lobby which didn't want competition.  Will going digital better allow for small cities and towns to each have their own locally focused radio stations? If so, that is disruptive - not controlled by The Man.

>gps

Agree on that. I'd rather use my phone.

On the car I'm looking at the HD radio is just one step up from the base radio. Next year it might be the base radio. But I know what to look for.
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio... [add App of Interest: Android]
Post by: rcjordan on February 24, 2016, 01:21:00 PM
>phones are rapidly obsoleting added electronics in autos. ...  No way, for instance, would I buy a hardwired dash gps system.

Honda gets it.

Quote
Honda built a concept car with a phone dock on the dashboard, and hooked it up to Drivemode so drivers could control core functions like calling, messaging, music, and navigation through buttons on the steering wheel. It even linked to backup and blind spot cameras so when you put your car in reverse or turn your blinkers on, the camera displays on your smartphone screen through the Drivemode interface.

https://medium.com/car-tech-ux-drivemode/drivemode-and-honda-team-up-to-build-a-car-around-your-smartphone-f28afb791283#.ucvgne1i8

https://drivemode.com/

I'll load this up, but there ain't no chance that Louise will give up Waze and her new pal, Morgan Freeman
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on January 02, 2017, 02:15:38 PM
<time warp>

>Johnson Controls sees the disruption train coming

Quote
The rising popularity of systems like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which look the same regardless of where they run, has threatened auto manufacturers' control of the dashboards of their own cars.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/google-and-fca-put-android-7-0-in-the-dash-of-a-concept-chrysler-300/
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: Brad on January 02, 2017, 10:20:22 PM
It's spooky that you can buy a new third party infotainment head unit and install it in your car.  So if your original head unit does not run CarPlay, upgrade.

The electronics are going to be obsolete long before the 10 year life of the average car.  Car manufacturers need to make these upgradable.
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on January 02, 2017, 10:31:46 PM
>upgrade

f### if I want their junky crap in my car. 
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: Brad on January 03, 2017, 11:24:48 AM
>upgrade

f### if I want their junky crap in my car.  


Yeah, agree.  Except, visits to the dealer are going to be increasingly about software upgrades

I don't think we will be given a choice, except maybe in work trucks.

My 2016 Subaru has neither Android Auto or CarPlay but some Rube Goldberg cludge cooked up by Subaru.  The manual for the infotainment is longer than the manual for the car.  And I still don't know how to set the clock. Heh.

Added:

Need something like Alexa to reset car clock!
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on January 03, 2017, 02:50:12 PM
Louise's 2010 Honda fit has a decent media dashboard with a usb dongle in the glove box. That's all that's needed --IF that.

There are a crapload of articles out there about Fiat's Jeep being hacked, even to the point of controlling braking.  I've had 50 years of acquaintance with Fiat and, based upon that, I'll be damned if I want Fiat in charge of developing systems for me.  They couldn't find Security with two hands.
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: Brad on January 05, 2017, 12:29:05 PM
Alexa coming to Ford:

http://www.macrumors.com/2017/01/05/ces-2017-ford-alexa-cars-from-next-month/
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: anallawalla on January 06, 2017, 12:09:37 AM
Australia has had DAB+ radio for some years now and many cars have it as standard. It repeats all the AM and FM stations and has many more digital-only stations. It's nice to have the clock in sync and to see the names of the songs on the radio display.

Agree about devices replacing features in cars. I have a Garmin GPS+dashcam that also has lane departure warning and forward collision warning.
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: Woz on January 06, 2017, 02:26:53 AM
>Australia has had DAB+ radio for some years now

Sadly only in Capital cities.   :-\
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on January 06, 2017, 02:29:33 AM
G'morning, Woz.
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: Woz on January 06, 2017, 02:34:13 AM
G'Afternoon.
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on April 30, 2017, 02:28:24 PM
update:

Quote
US respondents said that systems that allow consumers to design and personalize vehicles, control automated systems in their homes, and help manage daily activities are the least useful in a car.

http://www.businessinsider.com/people-opt-to-use-cell-phones-over-infotainment-consoles-in-cars-2017-4
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on May 01, 2017, 04:49:18 PM
There was minor sidebar discussion about this at Corecon as Cabo bought a Samsung Note 8 while there.  Android apps have had broader "tech interfaces" and/or electronic "tools" than ios (I assume that still holds true.)

Anyway, 2 years ago, I bought a $14 Chinee OBD dongle and patched my phone into the car electronics. I had it decode a nuisance service alert. Pretty slick.

https://www.howtogeek.com/304155/how-to-make-your-car-smarter-with-an-obd-ii-adapter/
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on September 20, 2017, 10:08:52 PM
>There are a crapload of articles out there about Fiat's Jeep being hacked, even to the point of controlling braking.  I've had 50 years of acquaintance with Fiat and, based upon that, I'll be damned if I want Fiat in charge of developing systems for me.  They couldn't find Security with two hands.

Car Makers Haven’t Learned, Part 2: Same App Security Issues, 6 Months Hence

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/kaspersky-connected-cars-still-vulnerable,35505.html

We had a better thread predicting that automakers would sidestep security issues but I couldn't find it.
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on December 13, 2017, 10:54:45 PM
<update>

Norway first country to switch off FM radio

http://www.france24.com/en/20171213-norway-first-country-switch-off-fm-radio
Title: Re: I almost missed HD Radio...
Post by: rcjordan on February 14, 2018, 03:35:55 AM
Another update from our Told-You-So Dept:

An update reportedly bricks Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep vehicles with Uconnect

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/ota-update-bricks-dodge-chrysler-jeep-vehicles-with-uconnect/