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GPS Business News: Nokia and CE4A (Consumer Electronics for Automotive) working group have released the Terminal Mode technology specification as a proposed industry standard for the integration of mobile applications into the car environment. The German CE4A group includes Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen.

Developed in co-operation with Nokia Research Center in Palo Alto and CE4A, Terminal Mode integrates smartphones into an in-vehicle infotainment system. Once connected, the full range of smartphone features, services and applications, such as navigation and music from Ovi by Nokia can be made available through screens and audio systems embedded in the car. It also enables information exchange between the smartphone and the car systems.

In addition to the CE4A participants, Nokia has also established collaborations with Alpine Electronics, Continental, Fiat, Harman Becker and Magneti Marelli to use this technology.

A “Terminal Mode Summit” is expected to take place in June 2010, but no more information was made available by Nokia on this topic at this stage.

The specification documents (Terminal Mode v0.9) are available here:
http://www.nokia.com/terminalmode

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NaviGadget: Volkswagen research lab has managed to integrated a fully connected PC to one of their vehicles.

The project demonstrates the capabilities of Intel’s IVI (in vehicle infotainment) and is a fully functional self contained head unit that doesn’t require any space in your trunk.

Some features include digital music, 3G GPS navigation with online satellite imagery, ability to view pictures and videos from SD card or the HDD, AM/FM radio, online services; and for in-car connectivity USB ports, Wi-Fi, and bluetooth.

Broadband internet connectivity is always on, and gesture based touch screen controls.

Interesting video here.

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Pioneer Europe: This July, Pioneer will be releasing an exclusively-designed navigation and multimedia centre for a range of VW, Skoda or Seat vehicles: the AVIC-F9110BT.

As well complementing the interior of your vehicle, the NavGate AVIC-F9110BT delivers more efficient and pleasurable journeys through comprehensive navigation capabilities, high-quality and versatile entertainment and convenient and safe communications.

The stylish unit is shaped and manufactured from specialist materials to seamlessly integrate with a wide range of cars from the VW Group.

Behind the sleek façade of the high-resolution 5.8-inch WVGA touch panel is seriously powerful navigation technology:

• The high-speed 2GB flash memory quickly plots your course across
• 44 European countries using built-in TeleAtlas maps spanning
• 9 million kms of road and including 1.5million Points-of-Interest ( POI) with famous landmarks shown in 3D.
• Voice guidance provides route instructions and applies Text-to-Speech (TTS) functionality to safely relay traffic information – informing you of events based on TMC bulletins – and suggest new routes.
• Clever features also assure accurate guidance in areas where GPS coverage is compromised.

At the heart of the NavGate AVIC-F9110BT is a powerful processor which enables navigation and entertainment features to be used simultaneously .

The NavGate AVIC-F9110BT is compatible with 18 VW, Skoda and Seat cars as follows (an original VW, Skoda and Seat accessory may be required to fit the unit):

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Macnn: Negotiations between Apple and Volkswagen are at a halt, a German business publication suggests. The companies’ respective CEOs, Steve Jobs and Martin Winterkorn, are said to have met in August to discuss the prospect of an “iCar,” which would integrate Apple products directly into the design; now however, Capital magazine claims that although Volkswagen later confirmed exploratory talks, these have suddenly stopped. “The project is shaky,” say the magazine’s business sources.

Also suggested is that Apple has started negotiating with other car manufacturers, a tactic which may be designed to put pressure on VW to accept its terms. Apple has long been rumored to pit companies against each other for its own benefit. One of the most recent examples of this is the iPhone and British carrier O2; while O2 eventually won the contract, The Guardian wrote that Apple had threatened to share iPhone distribution with Orange, a move which would have seriously harmed O2′s profits.

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