The first thing you need to know about QNX -- other than the fact that they develop really cool technology -- is that they are Canadian, based in the nation's capital.
It is difficult to pinpoint or to resume what it is that QNX does, but know that every day there's a strong chance that you, as a consumer, have come across a QNX-controlled system in your car, while shopping, while watching TV, or even right now while surfing the internet. That's heavy.
What we're going to concentrate on is how QNX is hard at work making users like you and I stay connected while in our cars. The race to find the ideal -- if not perfect -- HMI (Human-Machine-Interface) system has been raging for a while, and although what can be found in a 2013 model-year car is quite innovative, it is nothing compared to what the upcoming years hold.
QNX technology is presently found in over 200 vehicles around the world, and is used by more automakers than any other technological platform in the world. How is it then that we know so little about them?
At this past January's 2013 CES, QNX had a booth that featured a pair of nearly interesting cars; a Bentley Continental GTC and a Jeep Wrangler...
QNX tried their best to grab passersby by displaying these two cars and gather some much needed attention. It got ours.
The Bentley you see in the gallery is not actually a setup that you or I can purchase. However, it is a showcase of what QNX could do, or at the very least a demonstration of their capabilities. A large part of the future in cars belongs to apps and how they will work and be applied in each vehicle. QNX has determined that HTML5 is the best platform for running these apps as its code enables video and audio to be read without any plug-ins. Thank Flash for that.
The Jeep is another more "basic" working example of HTML5 development. It features a more common user-interface (UI) that is closer to what we could get today.
The entire UI supports apps from a mobile space (your phone, for example) and integrates them in a display that is not only incredibly user-friendly but uses some mind-blowing graphics taken directly from Photoshop using Storyboard. The final product is fantastic to behold.
Cool is a better word to describe it -- actually, it's more than that. The first sign of QNX's sexy technological abilities is seen when, as my hand hovers over the gorgeous digital faux-Breitling clock (which also doubles as a selector wheel), the camera behind the system's screen detects my hand and immediately displays a menu or displaces clutter on the screen so I can make a coherent selection.
From there, navigating through the various screens is as easy and intuitive as working your favourite smartphone. If touching the screen disturbs you, you can use keyword-spotting voice commands that do not require the touch of a button.
The pictures in the gallery are not lying: The screen in the Bentley is nearly the full length of the center stack. The huge screen allows for a gynormous elektrobit map for navigation or to be split into two large halves where both a map and HVAC controls can be displayed.
The possibilities here are nearly limitless. The audio calling was mind blowing. It is like nothing I've ever seen. In the process of building this car, the people from QNX wanted to make good with Bentley and the crew from Crewe really wanted a video experience. As the pictures clearly depict, when the transmission is in Park, there's nothing like it; the sound is in full bandwidth and stereo. In a Flying Spur, for example, the rear passengers could entertain a two-way phone conversation while the car is in motion.
Beyond the coolness factor of what shows up on the screen, what I really appreciated was the screen's touch sensitivity and the wheel's weight. The interface is simply stunning. Check out the "making of the Jeep" video on QNX's website. From 2:30 on, you'll notice the functionality of the scroll motion. It's impressive to say the least.
There's so much more to touch on that a small book could be written on what it is that QNX can integrate and do with a car. We firmly intend on visiting QNX's headquarters in the next little while and bring you more on their technologies and the cars they're working on.
In the meantime, check out their website for more www.qnx.com
Watch the video:
It is difficult to pinpoint or to resume what it is that QNX does, but know that every day there's a strong chance that you, as a consumer, have come across a QNX-controlled system in your car, while shopping, while watching TV, or even right now while surfing the internet. That's heavy.
What we're going to concentrate on is how QNX is hard at work making users like you and I stay connected while in our cars. The race to find the ideal -- if not perfect -- HMI (Human-Machine-Interface) system has been raging for a while, and although what can be found in a 2013 model-year car is quite innovative, it is nothing compared to what the upcoming years hold.
QNX technology is presently found in over 200 vehicles around the world, and is used by more automakers than any other technological platform in the world. How is it then that we know so little about them?
At this past January's 2013 CES, QNX had a booth that featured a pair of nearly interesting cars; a Bentley Continental GTC and a Jeep Wrangler...
QNX tried their best to grab passersby by displaying these two cars and gather some much needed attention. It got ours.
The Bentley you see in the gallery is not actually a setup that you or I can purchase. However, it is a showcase of what QNX could do, or at the very least a demonstration of their capabilities. A large part of the future in cars belongs to apps and how they will work and be applied in each vehicle. QNX has determined that HTML5 is the best platform for running these apps as its code enables video and audio to be read without any plug-ins. Thank Flash for that.
The Jeep is another more "basic" working example of HTML5 development. It features a more common user-interface (UI) that is closer to what we could get today.
The entire UI supports apps from a mobile space (your phone, for example) and integrates them in a display that is not only incredibly user-friendly but uses some mind-blowing graphics taken directly from Photoshop using Storyboard. The final product is fantastic to behold.
Cool is a better word to describe it -- actually, it's more than that. The first sign of QNX's sexy technological abilities is seen when, as my hand hovers over the gorgeous digital faux-Breitling clock (which also doubles as a selector wheel), the camera behind the system's screen detects my hand and immediately displays a menu or displaces clutter on the screen so I can make a coherent selection.
From there, navigating through the various screens is as easy and intuitive as working your favourite smartphone. If touching the screen disturbs you, you can use keyword-spotting voice commands that do not require the touch of a button.
The pictures in the gallery are not lying: The screen in the Bentley is nearly the full length of the center stack. The huge screen allows for a gynormous elektrobit map for navigation or to be split into two large halves where both a map and HVAC controls can be displayed.
The possibilities here are nearly limitless. The audio calling was mind blowing. It is like nothing I've ever seen. In the process of building this car, the people from QNX wanted to make good with Bentley and the crew from Crewe really wanted a video experience. As the pictures clearly depict, when the transmission is in Park, there's nothing like it; the sound is in full bandwidth and stereo. In a Flying Spur, for example, the rear passengers could entertain a two-way phone conversation while the car is in motion.
Beyond the coolness factor of what shows up on the screen, what I really appreciated was the screen's touch sensitivity and the wheel's weight. The interface is simply stunning. Check out the "making of the Jeep" video on QNX's website. From 2:30 on, you'll notice the functionality of the scroll motion. It's impressive to say the least.
There's so much more to touch on that a small book could be written on what it is that QNX can integrate and do with a car. We firmly intend on visiting QNX's headquarters in the next little while and bring you more on their technologies and the cars they're working on.
In the meantime, check out their website for more www.qnx.com
Watch the video: