Two new electric vehicles were unveiled by Chevrolet at the North American International Auto Show. First there’s the new 2016 Chevy Volt:
Key features include:
- 80 kilometres of EV range
- New two-motor drive unit is up to 12 percent more efficient and 45 kg (100 pounds )lighter than the first-generation drive unit
- Two-motor design enables 19 percent stronger zero-to-48 km/h acceleration
- Battery capacity has increased to 18.4 kWh using 192 cells (96 fewer than current generation) with weight reduced by more than 9 kg (20 pounds)
- Regen on Demand™ feature enables driver control of energy regeneration via a convenient paddle on the back of the steering wheel
- New 1.5L range extender, designed to use regular unleaded fuel, offers a GM estimated combined fuel consumption rating of 5.7 L/100km.
- Stronger body structure and quieter ride
- New braking system with improved capability and blended Regen feel
- New, five-passenger seating with available rear heated seats
- Location-based charging capability
- 120V portable cord set has a simpler, compact design with more convenient storage location
- Available illuminated charge port
Since this is a technology blog, one thing that caught my eye was GPS based charging. This will allow owners to set their charging preferences exclusively for “home” charging and the vehicle will automatically adjust to that setting when it is at “home” based on GPS data. Owners will be able to pre-set their 120V charging level (eight amps or 12 amps) and whether they wish to charge immediately, set a departure time for each day of the week, or set a departure time and a utility rate schedule to charge only at off-peak rates. These setting will only have to be programmed once and the Volt will default to them when the vehicle returns to its home location.
The 2016 Volt is scheduled to go on sale in mid 2015.
The second vehicle to make an appearance is the Bolt EV concept:
Leveraging the electrification prowess established by Volt and Spark EV, the Bolt EV concept is designed to offer long-range performance in all 50 states, Canada and many global markets.
Drivers will be able to select operating modes designed around preferred driving styles such as daily commuting and spirited weekend cruising, for uncompromising electric driving. The modes adjust accelerator pedal mapping, vehicle ride height and suspension tuning. The Bolt EV concept is also designed to support DC fast charging.
The Bolt EV concept also pushes the envelope for crossover aesthetics. Its unique proportion, with practically no front or rear overhang, makes the most of interior space and was designed to create a roomy environment for four that feels expansive. Lightweight materials, including aluminum, magnesium, carbon fibre and even woven mesh, complement the design, while driving down the curb weight to help maximize range. Aero-optimizing features such as vented rear fenders also help contribute to range.
The concept’s technological intuitiveness can be accessed via a smartphone with the concept Bolt EV Connect app, which is designed to:
- Allow a smartphone to perform as the key fob
- Allow ride-sharing management, including reservations, vehicle location, digital key and even payment processing via the smartphone
- Incorporate the concept automatic park-and-retrieval technology, which enables the driver to exit the vehicle and tell the Bolt EV concept to park itself – and when errands are completed, the Bolt EV concept can be summoned to return to the owner’s location.
A large, colour 10-inch-diagonal capacitive-touch screen, with interface features, complements the concept Bolt EV Connect app. It even allows the projection of all the application and other smartphone data onto the screen.
It may only be a concept, but it shows that Chevy is serious about EV vehicles.
If You Have An Android Phone With Android 4.3, You’re Out Of Support
Posted in Commentary with tags Google on January 12, 2015 by itnerdThis has got to suck for Android users.
Recently, an exploit has been uncovered in the WebView component of Android 4.3. Which by any reasonable estimated is run by roughly 60% of the Android install base. The kicker is that Google is saying that they will not patch the flaw. Google’s only reasoning seems to be that they are not fixing vulnerabilities in 4.3 (introduced in June 2012) anymore, as they have moved focus to newer releases. It would appear that over 930 million Android phones in use are out of official Google security patch support. Which means that if you can’t upgrade to a newer Android OS, you are screwed. Here’s what Rapid 7 had to say:
Google’s reasoning for this policy shift is that they “no longer certify 3rd party devices that include the Android Browser,” and “the best way to ensure that Android devices are secure is to update them to the latest version of Android.” To put it another way, Google’s position is that Jelly Bean devices are too old to support — after all, they are two versions back from the current release, Lollipop.
On its face, this seems like a reasonable decision. Maintaining support for a software product that is two versions behind would be fairly unusual in both the proprietary and open source software worlds; heck, many vendors drop support once the next version is released, and many others don’t have a clear End-Of-Life (EOL) policy at all. (An interesting side note: neither Google nor Apple have a published EOL policy for Android or iOS, but Microsoft and BlackBerry provide clear end of life and end of sales dates for their products).
Now, I completely understand why Google might want to constrain their development efforts. Especially since Android is so fragmented with each vendor taking the base Google Android OS of the day and doing their own thing. But not publishing it to their users nor fixing a bug that is kind of serious is a #fail. Thus Android users should prepare to get “Pwned” and “Pwned” often.
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