Fractus patents multiband antenna technology
Fractal antenna technology developer Fractus (www.fractus.com) has been granted patents in the U.S. (#7,015,868) and Europe (EP1223637), as well as in Russia and Mexico, for multilevel antenna technology that allows mobile devices to provide increased frequency bands in a smaller physical space.
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ABI Research investigates automotive RFID
Twenty years after its first automotive industry deployment, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) “is now becoming ubiquitous” within vehicles as well as in automotive manufacturing and distribution processes, according to a new report from ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com), “Automotive RFID Markets: Vehicle Entry and Security Systems, TPMS, Automotive Manufacturing, ETC and AVI."
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DENSO sets five-year North American environmental action plan
DENSO (www.densocorp-na.com) has announced a five-year North American Environmental Action Plan that encompasses product development, purchasing and manufacturing, and seeks to engage employees and other stakeholders.
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Quantum, former GM exec, join Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Consortium
Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (www.qtww.com) has joined the Plug-In Hybrid Development Consortium (www.hybridconsortium.org), the members of which are working to develop 100-200 mpg dual-mode plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs).
Quantum and its Tecstar Automotive Group subsidiary specialize in powertrain engineering, system integration, rapid prototyping, advanced propulsion systems, and manufacturing of packaged fuel systems for hybrid, fuel cell, and alternative fuel vehicles. Quantum has developed hybrid hydrogen technologies for the Toyota Prius and the Hydrogen Ford Escape Hybrid, which is currently in development. Quantum recently delivered five hydrogen-fueled Priuses to the City of Burbank, CA as part of the South Coast Air Quality Management District Program to develop 30 such vehicles for fleets in Southern California.
"We believe that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles can be practical and cost-effective, and support the transition to fuel cell vehicles," said Quantum chief technology officer Dr. Neel Sirosh.
Also joining the Consortium as an automotive industry consultant is Alan Perriton, formerly president of General Motors, Korea and head of GM Asia/Pacific's New Business Development/M&A activities. “I see plug-in hybrids as a legitimate bridging technology to our Hydrogen future," Perriton said.
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AIAG opens Shanghai office
The Automotive Industry Action Group (www.aiag.com), the trade association consisting of DaimlerChrysler (www.daimlerchrysler.com), Ford (www.ford.com), GM (www.gm.com) and major automotive suppliers, has opened a representative office in Shanghai and named Dr. Yilong Chen as its general director of Asia-Pacific affairs and chief representative in China.
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DriverTech selects NAVTEQ as preferred map provider
DriverTech (www.drivertech.com), which develops onboard computer systems for fleet management systems, has selected NAVTEQ (www.navteq.com) as its preferred digital map provider for the United States and Canada. ...
Gentex glare-eliminating mirror system is standard on Infiniti QX56
Gentex Corporation (www.gentex.com) said it’s shipping a three-mirror, automatic-dimming, glare-eliminating rearview mirror system that will be available as a standard feature on the 2006 Infiniti QX56 SUV. ...
smart cars get Garmin GPS
The Daimler Chyrysler (www.daimlerchrysler.com) subsidiary smart GmbH (www.smart.com) has selected Garmin International Inc. (www.garmin.com) to provide the smart portable navigator, a Garmin GPS designed for the cockpit of smart's fortwo and forfour models. ...
Maxim silicon oscillators can replace ceramic resonators
Maxim Integrated Products (www.maxim-ic.com) has introduced the MAX7387-MAX7391 family of silicon oscillators, which offer the supervisory functions of medium-accuracy silicon oscillators in a single, surface-mount microMAX package.
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Actel expands design tools for ARM7-enabled FPGAs
Hoping to simplify the development of embedded automotive and other systems, Actel Corporation (www.actel.com) has added an analog interface IP core to the design infrastructure that supports M7AFS, the ARM7-enabled version of Actel’s mixed-signal Fusion FPGA programmable system chip.
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Freescale unveils MCU roadmap; new eight-bit core
Freescale Semiconductor (www.freescale.com) has released a microcontroller roadmap with a new 8-bit core at its low end and a range of pin-compatible 8-bit and 32-bit devices that share peripherals and development tools.
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ABI eyes real-time traffic data collection
Radar, video, and reader-based RFID technologies are all vying to replace conventional embedded loop sensors as a primary means of collecting real-time traffic data. ...
Collins & Aikman names Wynalek EVP and CTO
Collins & Aikman Corporation (www.collinsaikman.com) has named James Wynalek executive vice president and chief technology officer, responsible for all research, engineering, development and design activities for the Company, which makes instrument panels and cockpit modules, among other automotive products.
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Firms launch B2B e-commerce hub for China’s automotive industry
B2B e-commerce systems developer GXS (www.gxs.com) has teamed up with China Enterprise Communications Limited (www.chinaentercom.com.cn) to launch China e-Auto Hub, a B2B e-commerce solution for more than 8,000 companies in China's automotive industry. ...
Frost reports on Japanese steering systems
The Japanese steering systems market is seeing an increasing shift in focus from hydraulic power steering (HPS) to electric power steering (EPS) systems mainly due to EPS’ fuel economy benefits, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan (www.frost.com).
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Wipro joins STAR standards body
Wipro Limited’s IT services division, Wipro Technologies, (www.wipro.com) has joined the automotive retail standards body STAR (Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail), becoming the first Indian services company to do so. ...
M/A-COM acquires automotive antenna testing facility
Tyco Electronics’ (www.tyco.com) M/A-COM unit (www.macom.com) has acquired an RF automotive antenna testing facility in Belleville, MI from JEF Consultant, Inc. (www.jefinc.com). ...
Aglaia picks ADI Blackfin for driver assistance systems
Visual sensor systems developer Aglaia GmbH (www.aglaia-gmbh.de) has selected Analog Devices (www.analog.com) ADSP-BR561 Blackfin processor for use in Aglaia’s TEPLA multi-processor platform for driver assistance applications such as night vision, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, headlight recognition, object recognition, and reversing assistance.
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