Five technologies that will change driving forever

(October 20, 2010) SANTA MONICA, Calif. —Edmunds' InsideLine.com has posted the story Five Car Technologies That Will Change How You Drive.  An interesting perspective on the drive ahead.

The advanced car technologies highlighted in the article include:

• Connected Cars — Updated maps, local services and listings, real-time traffic information and much more are now available from your dashboard. Features like Ford’s Sync system and connected navigation such as Google Maps Navigation bring “cloud computing” to your car’s interior.

• Next-Generation Head-Up Displays — Holographic Laser Projection (HLP) display information on the windshield and infrared cameras “paint” the edges of a road during low visibility.


• Advanced Driver Assistance Systems — Lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, blind-spot detection and pedestrian detection can help protect drivers from even themselves.


• In-Car Apps — Soon drivers will be able to download a wide variety of apps to create customizable dashboards, navigation, communication and entertainment options within their vehicles.


• Telematics and Tracking – Voice activation, text-to-speech technology, audible RSS feeds, and vehicle tracking systems are being upgraded and developed.

"These rapidly evolving vehicle technologies offer an interesting trade-off between privacy, safety, and convenience for drivers," said Doug Newcomb, Senior Editor, Technology for InsideLine.com. “And although we don’t yet have flying cars, cars that drive themselves may not be too far off.”