Earlier this year Toyota finally confirmed it would be including Android Auto on some of its vehicles. Now, it’s been confirmed that the Toyota RAV4 will also include Android Auto as a standard feature with the new model year.
Android Auto has seen some huge expansion over the past few years, and earlier this year, Toyota finally announced that it would start using Google’s platform. Now, Toyota’s luxury division Lexus is also confirming support for Android Auto.
Infotainment systems like Google’s Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay have turned into a major consideration for new car buyers in recent years. Unfortunately for many, though, some car makers have been slow to adopt these options, especially Google’s option. Now, it appears Toyota is finally giving in…
These days, it’s hard to find a car manufacturer that doesn’t support Android Auto in at least some of its different models. But one significant holdout is Toyota. Speaking at a Toyota first-drive event, a company representative said this is due to privacy concerns…
According to a report from Tech Insider today, Google is nearing a deal with Toyota to sell its Boston Dynamics robotics division to the car maker. This follows a report from two months ago suggesting that Alphabet was planning to sell the division known for its super-creepy animal-like and human-like robots due to lack of a ‘marketable product’ in the next few years…
Before former Android head Andy Rubin left Google, he headed up Google’s robotics efforts. In 2013, Google acquired numerous companies and added 300 robotics engineers. The crown jewel was Boston Dynamics, already known for their animal- and human-like robots. However, Bloomberg is now reporting that Alphabet is selling Boston Dynamics.
Given Google’s apparent lead in driverless car technology, you might imagine that the tech giant has notched-up the greatest number of patents in the field, but Reuters says that this isn’t the case. A detailed analysis of patent filings for autonomous car technology shows that car manufacturers are way out ahead, with Google only taking 26th place.
Toyota is, far and away, the global leader in the number of self-driving car patents, the report found. Toyota is followed by Germany’s Robert Bosch GmbH, Japan’s Denso Corp, Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co and General Motors Co. The tech company with the most autonomous-driving patents, Alphabet Inc’s Google, ranks 26th on the list.
Toyota has more than 1,400 patents in the field, twice as many as second-placed Robert Bosch …
Toyota, which makes three of the top-ten best-selling cars in the USA, has told the NY Times that it “currently has no plans” to offer Android Auto in US-sold cars.
John Hanson, the national manager of Toyota’s advanced technology communications, said while the company talked frequently with both Google and Apple, it currently had no plans to adopt Android Auto or CarPlay in the United States.
“We may all eventually wind up there, but right now we prefer to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions,” Mr. Hanson said.
Google created the Open Automotive Alliance for manufacturers committed to bringing the Android platform to cars, whether through original in-car entertainment systems or after-market equipment. Toyota was a notable omission from the 28 car manufacturers listed.
The company is also going it alone on the self-driving car front, currently testing a Lexus LS 600h using what appears to be the same laser-scanning equipment used on Google’s autonomous cars.
Google Product manager Eran Arkin just made a quiet but perhaps major announcement in how Google+ will handle brands and social ads moving forward. Google will begin testing a new type of monetization for Google+ called +Post ads. In simple terms, Google will let brands turn their Google+ content into display ads across the web.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTJFdMO-DQA&feature=youtu.be
While Google often uses Toyota vehicles in its fleet of self-driving cars, Toyota is planning to show off its own autonomous car technology next week at CES. As noted by The Wall Street Journal, Toyota yesterday posted a short five-second clip of its advanced active safety research vehicle, a Lexus LS 600h, equipped with advanced cameras and sensors. Toyota confirmed to the WSJ that its system is being developed independently from Google. Audi is also said to have self-driving capabilities ready to demonstrate at CES in Las Vegas next week. We’ll be on hand with live coverage from Las Vegas, and we’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for any vehicles driving around by themselves.
Toyota’s prototype vehicle is a Lexus LS 600h fitted with radar and camera equipment that can detect other vehicles, road lane lines and traffic signals, giving the vehicle the ability to navigate streets without a driver. It also includes what appears to be the same roof-mounted laser that Google Inc. has been using on its autonomous research cars. Google began testing self-driving cars in 2009.
An Audi official also said the luxury-car company will be demonstrating autonomous vehicle capabilities at the Las Vegas show, including a feature that allows a car to find a parking space and park itself without a driver behind the wheel.
Earlier this year, Cadillac also showed off its own “Super Cruise” self-driving car technology.
