Hyundai, Kia Get Onboard with Microsoft

By Nick Mokey Published May 5, 2008

Hyundai, Kia Get Onboard with Microsoft

Having proven its mettle in the automotive industry with the Ford Sync in-car systems, which allow for everything from voice-activated music to Bluetooth-radio integration, Microsoft has been able to attract a major Asian automaker to its onboard computer systems as well. On Tuesday, Microsoft announced that it had entered into long-term agreement with the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group to develop its next generation of in-car entertainment.

Although details were sparse, the first Microsoft-powered system in a Hyundai or Kia will appear stateside in 2010. Microsoft says it will provide “voice-controlled connectivity between mobile devices,” which will likely make it similar in function to the existing Ford Sync. Later devices will venture into multimedia and navigation, built on an updateable PC-like platform.

Recommended Videos

“The advanced capabilities, flexibility and low price point make the Microsoft Auto software platform an attractive solution for us,” said Hyun Soon Lee, president and chief technology officer of HKAG, in a statement. Although the company hasn’t publicly speculated about what the systems will cost to equip, Ford offers the Sync for only $395, a relative bargain compared to what other automakers charge for similar features.

Topics

Emerging Tech

Editor in Chief

As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…

Emerging Tech

Pandemic-fueled automation is gobbling up jobs, and we’ll never get them back

pandemic automation jobs economics amazonemployee

The COVID-19 pandemic has had massive economic impacts in the United States, and one of the problems many companies have been facing as a result is how to keep business moving along without putting employees at risk of being infected. As you might expect, one of the ways many businesses are staying operational is by automating tasks that would otherwise be done by humans. Robots, after all, aren’t at risk of dying from COVID-19.

Since the pandemic began, we’ve seen efforts to automate jobs increase significantly in the food service industry, manufacturing, meatpacking, grocery stores and beyond. Due in part to this pandemic, some economists estimate 2 million manufacturing jobs will be gone forever by 2025. We were already heading toward an era where more jobs could be automated than ever before, but COVID-19 has greatly increased the speed at which we may see that happen.
Automation beyond automatons
David Autor, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, tells Digital Trends he’s not surprised that we’re seeing an increase in automation efforts.

Emerging Tech

Robots everywhere: Army of single-purpose ‘bots get household chores done

robots everywhere episode 2 robotseverything chorerobots ytthumb robot

For decades, science fiction has been promising a future filled with robots performing all of our mundane daily tasks for us. From Rosie the maid on The Jetsons to C-3PO in the Star Wars films, we’ve all pictured a day when we won’t have to lift a finger, but instead are surrounded by all manner of cyborg butlers and servants to do the things around the house we don’t want to do ourselves.

Unfortunately, we still don’t live in the age of the one-size-fits-all robot servant. Instead, we have a smaller army of single-purpose robotic aids that can perform all sorts of specific tasks, from vacuuming our floors to mowing our lawns. But even those are still fairly basic. The problem is that even the most mundane household task, from dishwashing to taking out the trash, contains myriad individual tasks that today’s robots simply can’t handle.

Emerging Tech

Best cheap drones to get you up in the air

Tello

When it comes to drones, it wasn’t too long ago when getting into the skies with a decent drone would cost you well over a grand of your hard-earned cash. Today, however, there is an excellent selection of drones available at much lower prices. Whether you simply find thrill in flying a drone through the skies, want to find something for your kids, or wish to kickstart your aerial photography hobby, we have a fantastic option for you. The Ryze Tello is the best overall option since it has all of the features you would want as well as not putting a major dent in your wallet. Continue reading to learn about the best cheap drones you can buy without breaking the bank, and let’s get airborne!

Looking for the best done on the market, no matter the price? Be sure to check out our detailed guide of the best drones that you can buy for even more great options. If you're feeling adventurous, check out the most expensive drones in the world, or for those of you that want to save some money, check out our collection of the best Black Friday drone deals.
At a glance