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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Apple Commits to Increased Drive Safety

BY:  Lewis White

With connection and convenience being of utmost importance to the modern 21st century consumer sometimes safety tends to take a backseat to this convenience. Hands free driving is a big concern for most folks but the concern and precaution is generally placed on the driver alone. Recently car companies have began to talk preventative measures regarding driver safety in relation to mobile devices. With easy to use in car smart systems as well as increased vehicle utility when it comes to safety and artificial intelligence, the automotive industry has been taking many progressive steps forward to increase driver safety.

With the automotive industry going beyond the call of duty to assist the 21st century mobile addict, the spotlight has now turned to the mobile providers to step in. With the increased prevalence of the smartphone over the past few years the ability to personally shut down major functions on your phone has been available. Up until now though, there has not been a means in which your mobile device does what’s best for you without your choice. Apple has been issued U.S Patent Number 8,706,143 for "Driver handheld computing device lock-out”, a system that intelligently determines whether a device user is driving and shuts off distracting phone functions accordingly. Apples newest invention takes on two very important tasks. The first concentrates on a lock-out mechanism that requires no input from a vehicle and instead uses on-board sensors to determine when a user is driving. In the second embodiment, the car is able to transmit blocking signals to an iPhone, effectively stopping a user from receiving and sending texts, or using other smartphone functions while in the driver's seat. 

With our society being so wrapped up in technology and connectedness, it seems as if there must be someone or something to step in and babysit the minds that seem to no longer be able to take care of themselves. We may never learn when enough is enough and when our safety should be our first priority, but at least someone has stepped in to do it for us.





27 comments:

  1. I agree, automotive safety should be drivers first priority. Also I am curious why this technology hasn't already been implemented into cars

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  2. It will be interesting to see what the demand will be for a product with this technology. I think it will be too expensive for many to buy and will not sale well in the market. It will be interesting to see how Apple makes these products affordable.

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  3. I think it could be a good idea to lock mobile devices while driving. I'm all for anything that increases safety but I can see how it can have a negative impact on people's freedom of choice.

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  4. Driver safety should be the primary concern of all automotive companies. However this feature is a step up from what is already available on smartphones to prevent drivers from being distracted by their notifications, such as, Driving Mode, Reading Mode, it may not be as helpful as it plans to be. Though giving it the ability to automatically shut off certain is a great feature.

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  5. I believe that implementing this Apple UI directly into vehicles will have many advantages. Today, auto manufacturers allocate large amounts of money to technology and entertainment systems. Most of these systems mimic what you already see on your iPhone or other smartphones. Many vehicles now are already equipped from the factory with large infotainment centers, which usually does not come with a drastic increase in price. Utilizing the Apple UI will allow auto manufacturers to focus on other aspects to enhance their product.

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  6. I feel that this idea is really needed, as the world grows bigger and cars are more of the norm we as people need someone to manage us, and as human beings we are at fault alot of the time

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  7. This is a really great commitment that Apple has done to increase safety. There are too many fatal car accidents that are caused by cell phone use. The only thing I wonder is how will people will appreciate this device. So many people are attached to their phones. How will this device sync with the technology market?

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  8. It's awesome to see Apple tapping into yet another industry. But drivers first priority should be safety.

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  9. Its cool to see that apple is making a move to make their poducts safer to use. Its just funny to me that they found a way to do it while also making some extra money

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  10. I think this is a good idea that apple came up with, This will definitely increase safety.

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  11. I must agree. safety is the most important factor to drivers as well as the pedestrians and other drivers.

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  12. Hands free driving is very important with all of the texting and social media going on these days. This idea has been around before this, but I think Apple will make it more appealing to consumers.

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  13. This is an inventive and forward thinking idea, however like all restrictive technologies, I look forward to the lengths that humans will go to to circumvent them.

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  14. Handsfree driving is very important. There has been technology in cars that has been in place since the time where they first started putting DVD players in the navigation system dock. Just like everything safety wise, I think people will figure out how to bypass these safety features in order to get the maximum use out of the money they spent on these products to use while driving.

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  15. Without a doubt this is a new technology that would help the road ways become much safer. I can't think of how many times I wish I didn't have to dootle with my phone trying to find and play a particular song.

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  16. This is a great addition to the functionally for cars. I can see this helping the driver focus more on the road than their cell phone. Driver safety has always been important, there have been similar idea to help increase driver safety, such as voice control, and bluetooth headsets. but this is a great leap forward in decreasing the amount of accidents.

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  17. The thought of having phones that respond when its user is driving to shut off all distractions is pretty interesting. The fact that safety is seemingly becoming less of a priority forces companies like Apple to step in and innovate for the safety of the consumer. Having phones respond in this manner by restricting texts and shutting off other mobile distractions is something that is definitely much needed to help the consumer. The technology of the 21st century is enabling innovation for increased driver safety.

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  18. This idea is a great thing to be add into a vehicle. It actually shuts your phone off. Even though this is a great idea some consumers will still be upset that this is happening. Because many people already feel that the government is controlling our life. And this is another way for them to tap into our lives. While this idea is great, the inventor also better be ready for some back lash. And this comes with anything that is new on the scene.

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  19. This is a fascinating idea because safety is extremely important when operating a vehicle. most people would not like the idea at first, I believe that it would eventually become the norm. Anything that helps people live easier while also keeping people safe could catch on easily and really change the world. I believe that it would take some time to implement this, but once it catches on there are unlimited possibilities.

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  20. This is a good idea for the automobile industry with the new technology they have in vehicles

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  21. This is a great idea! With the constant increase in apple phones and technology alone, more people can enjoy this. As stated in the video, this will help allow people to drive without looking at their phone and instead looking at their navigator.

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  22. This will be a highly useful technology and I find it amusing that android users are being put at such a disadvantage in the car industry. Not sure how it will affect peoples driving but I'm leaning towards the negative.

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  23. I really like the concept. But what if the driver needs to make an emergency phone call, do you have to stop your car? I am all for this technology atleast its a sign of a technology company taking responsibility for a problem it created.

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  24. My only question with this technology is how will it be abel to differentiate between the driver and passengers. I don't think that Apple wants to prevent passengers in the car from being able to use their phones.

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  25. This is an interesting concept. I appreciate's Apple's concern for customer saftey, but I do believe that this should be an optional model, because you never know the situation where you may actually really need your phone.

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  26. It is great to see apple reach yet another market. it seems like there is nothing that they cannot make. This would definitely make the roads much safer too. everything they make is revolutionary.

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  27. This is a great step towards road safety

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