Yep, it’s possible! Due to a new navigation feature added to its RemoteLink mobile app, that OnStar has developed so that a smart phone to be able to send driving directions and routes to your vehicle.
It actually works this way: the subscriber can search for a destination on the phone and then send it directly to the car. The great thing is that users can not only type a destination, but also speak it using a voice feature or search into their contact list for an address. Then, once the engine is started, the driver will receive audio indications with the route using OnStar Turn-by-Turn or through an in-dash navigation system.
“Our customer focus is simple connectivity and a seamless user experience. (…) RemoteLink’s navigation enhancement offers our customers another choice in how they get directions, whether they’re in their car, on their computer, or using their compatible smartphone.” said Steve Schwinke, OnStar director Advanced System Design.
This feature is available for all vehicles that use OnStar RemoteLink, an app that, according to OnStar, has been downloaded more than 450,000 times in North America and has accumulated more than 4.5 million service interactions since its launch. The app with the new feature can be found on the Android and iPhone marketplace since August 30.
So, what do you think about the idea of your phone talking to your car, for your personal use?
Post tags: Tags: android, app, iphone, onstar, smarphone
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OnStar’s Family Link – for Concerned Parents about their Teen Drivers
Being a parent has never been easy, but nowadays the situation seems to be even more complicated because of the developing society and children’s access to all sort of things, more or less dangerous for them. Undoubtedly, parents’ concern stays the same, if not even increases. Their kid driving is one of their main worries. This is why OnStar has created a system through which parents can check if their teen driver has arrived safely to the destination.
We are talking about a pilot program called The Family Link, which allows OnStar subscribers to be constantly informed about the location of a car equipped with the subscription-based communication system. In this way, any parent can log in to the Family Link website and check the car’s position on the map in any moment. In addition, it can also be activated a vehicle location alert, meaning that an email or a text message with the exact car location can be sent to parents, according to the time and frequency set by the user for receiving the messages.
According to OnStar, the entire system is currently just in the state of testing, which allows it to get some improvements, so that to include data about speed, boundary and arrival / departure alerts. In the near future, 10.000 OnStar subscribers will receive invitation to the pilot program, but no price has yet been announced.
We think this Family Link is useful for parents and helps them maintain their calm while waiting at home for their teen driver to call and say he reached the destination without any problem.
Do you think is this enough for you to stay calm about your kid while he is on the roads driving?
[Source: Motherproof, Photo]
Post tags: Tags: concerned parents, Family Link, onstar, safe driving, teen driver
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OnStar connectivity will help Chevy Volt Customers reduce driving costs
• Smart grid solutions enable utilities to manage electric vehicle energy demands
• OnStar will be the lone telematics provider able to create wireless bridge between electric vehicles and the grid
• Regional utility employees will drive Volts as every day vehicles in Q3
RALEIGH, N.C. – General Motors and OnStar will launch the first real-world pilot of smart grid solutions for electric vehicles this year, paving the way for utilities to increase energy efficiency and offer lower charging costs to customers.
Starting this quarter, hundreds of employees of regional utilities will drive leased Chevrolet Volts as their everyday vehicles and participate in the pilot.
“In contrast to other OEMs who are only talking about smart grid technology, we’re moving beyond research and development projects to a program in the real world,” said Nick Pudar, OnStar vice president of planning and business development. “Through this pilot we will see real-time results on how intelligent energy management can maximize EV charging efficiency and minimize the electric bill for EV drivers.”
Many utility companies throughout the United States have implemented programs where customers opt in to allow the utility to stop and start their home air conditioning units as needed when electricity demand is high. The customer benefit from this service is a lower electricity bill. OnStar’s smart grid solution builds on this concept, but to a much more advanced and sophisticated level.
Through the OnStar Advanced Telematics Operations Management System (ATOMS), a utility will be able to accurately monitor and manage the energy used by the vehicles. The data will give the utility deep insight into where and when EVs are charged and demand response, which allows the utility to reduce peak demand by shifting EV charging to non-peak hours.
“OnStar is the only telematics provider that can create a wireless bridge between electric vehicles and the grid, building on our learning from the Chevrolet Volts on the road today,” Pudar said.
Through OnStar’s ATOMS infrastructure and partners’ solutions, utilities will be able to implement two Smart Grid services:
• Data Gathering. With customer permission, OnStar will provide the utility with overall charge level as well as charging history – by time and location – for the Volt pilot fleet, without the vehicles having to connect to a charging station. This will give the utility better insight for forecasting demand, setting rates and determining the best location for charging infrastructure.
• Demand response. OnStar will allow the utility to actively manage EV charging for those who opt in to the service. The utility can then reduce peak loads by offering discounts or other incentives to encourage drivers to charge their EVs when overall electricity demand is lowest, typically in the early morning hours.
OnStar, the automotive industry leader in telematics, first demonstrated EV data gathering and demand response in February at the DistribuTECH conference in San Diego. The Chevrolet Volt is now available in select U.S. markets and will be available nationwide by the end of the year.
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About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM), one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 202,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 30 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Italy. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.
About OnStar
OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of connected safety and security solutions, value-added mobility services and advanced information technology. Currently available on more than 40 MY 2011 GM models, OnStar soon will be available for installation on most other vehicles already on the road through local electronics retailers, including Best Buy. The OnStar Mobile App is a recipient of the 2011 Edison Award for Best New Product in the Remote Driving Aids segment and OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the Technology segment. OnStar safely connects its more than six million subscribers, in the U.S., Canada and China, in ways never thought possible. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com.
Post tags: Tags: chevrolet-volt, onstar, smart grid pilot
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DETROIT – OnStar won the Best Telematics Safety Technology Award from Telematics Update on Tuesday evening, the ninth consecutive year OnStar has received an International Telematics Update Award.
OnStar has accumulated 21 Telematics Update Awards in the program’s nine-year history. The ceremony, which was kicked off by Clear Channel’s Ryan Secreast, recognizes the most prominent and up-and-coming players in the industry in 10 telematics categories.
The Best Telematics Safety Technology award highlights OnStar’s commitment to providing more than 6 million customers with unparalleled safety and security services. Since its inception, OnStar has deployed emergency services more than 1 million times, and receives nearly 2,500 Automatic Crash Response alerts monthly.
“We’re thrilled that the telematics community has again recognized OnStar’s unwavering commitment to providing drivers with a safety service they can rely on,” said Linda Marshall, OnStar President. “Our team makes a constant effort to not only enhance the safety of our customers, but also to help all drivers on the road and assist first responders in emergency situations. We thank the first responder community, who make the life-saving technology of OnStar a reality every day.”
Last year, OnStar, in coordination with the General Motors Foundation, provided a $500,000 grant to the International Center of Automotive Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System for research related to the prediction of injury severity after a crash. Research being lead by Dr. Stewart Wang, director of the University of Michigan Program for Injury Research and Education, uses OnStar crash data, hospital records as well as first responder and police information to help improve the outcome for severe crash victims.
The awards precede the Telematics Detroit Conference, the biggest telematics-focused conference and exhibition of the year. On Thursday, Greg Ross, OnStar vice president business extensions, will give a keynote speech where he will discuss OnStar FMV, the company’s new retail product that can be installed in 90 million vehicles already on the road.
Launching later this summer, OnStar FMV will deliver OnStar’s award-winning services to drivers of non-GM and older GM vehicles on the road. It can be installed on most top-selling vehicles manufactured in the past 10 years, including vehicles from Ford, Toyota and Chrysler. OnStar FM will be available at Best Buy and other consumer electronic retail locations. To check if your vehicle can support OnStar FMV use the vehicle compatibility tool, which is also available at OnStar Facebook page.
About OnStar
OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of connected safety and security solutions, value-added mobility services and advanced information technology. Currently available on more than 40 MY 2011 GM models, OnStar soon will be available for installation on most other vehicles already on the road through local electronics retailers, including Best Buy. The OnStar Mobile App is a recipient of the 2011 Edison Award for Best New Product in the Remote Driving Aids segment and OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the Technology segment. OnStar safely connects its more than six million subscribers, in the U.S., Canada and China, in ways never thought possible. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com.
[Source: OnStar]
Post tags: Tags: award, onstar, telematics
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Last week we revealed a report containing all of the new features that might be implemented in the new and improved OnStar system on vehicles from General Motors.
Now, GM has officially revealed what new things will be implemented in its next gen infotainment system.
First off, the voice recognition system has been improved, in order to allow drivers and passengers to better control the systems of the car. Secondly, the Bluetooth connection will support full phonebook integration, while the navigation system has been improved. You will also be able to connect to traffic management and weather alert services in order to stay informed on trips.
OnStar will also launch a new MyLink series of mobile apps for smartphones, including ones for iPhones and those running Android OS. These will basically act like your virtual key, allowing you to lock and unlock the car, start the engine and other such things.
Here’s the more interesting part, the rumored Facebook and voice texting support. These features are still in the testing, but OnStar will allow you to post audio Facebook updates, as well as read aloud updates from your friend feed.
The voice texting part has also been confirmed, but not in the way that you were expecting. When you will receive a text message, OnStar will read it for you, and allow you to select pre-recorded messages, like “I’m driving”. This will be achieved using only your voice. Those that wanted speech-to-text capability are going to be disappointed, as GM might not implement such a thing, in order to keep from distracting the driver.
Overall, the OnStar system is becoming extremely robust, and might constitute a big advantage for GM cars in front of its rivals. What do you think?
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Post tags: Tags: details, facebook, features, General Motors, gm, infotainment, onstar, technology, texting
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The newest battle zone for General Motors and Ford is in terms of infotainment services, with GM boasting OnStar and Ford having the SYNC system.
Seeing as how Sync is still top dog, especially in its newest form, the MyFord/MyLincoln Touch versions, GM is planning a healthy upgrade to its OnStar service in order to expand its capabilities.
According to the latest batch of rumors, things might get pretty interesting for OnStar customers. It seems that the service will get Facebook capability, as well as the ability to respond to SMS messages with your own voice and even built-in functionality for the Trapster app.
First off, it seems that OnStar will use its voice recognition software to allow you to publish audio updates to your own Facebook page. While this idea sounds a bit weird, it might really help those that can’t get enough of the social network.
Secondly, when you receive text messages, OnStar will read them out for you and then let you reply to them by choosing four pre-determined messages through the voice command system. Not exactly what some might have in mind, but if it helps reduce distracted driving, we’re all for it.
The last rumor is a bit of stretch, but it might happen. Trapster, a popular mobile phone app which lets you know where police radars or traps are located, might be incorporated into OnStar. This is reinforced by the fact that a Cadillac CTS-V Coupe with manufacturer plates has recently been spotted around the Trapster HQ and will be used by the company in the 11-99 Foundation Car Drive.
The new and improved OnStar is set to be revealed next week, so until then, we can only guess what new features will be added.
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Post tags: Tags: facebook, General Motors, gm, infotainment, onstar, upgrade
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GM’s OnStar mobile app to use Google Maps for Chevrolet Volt navigation
At the end of the year, when GM will officially start rolling out the new Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle into select markets, we know that a mobile OnStar application will also be released. It will allow owners to check battery charge levels and find out other important things about their car.
Last week, we also heard that GM might be talking with software and search engine giant Google, in order to use its Android mobile operating system on future cars. Many people expected to find out something about this partnership yesterday, at a prepared press conference.
Sadly, at least for those who wanted a Google Android-powered car, the announcement wasn’t that groundbreaking. It seems that for the aforementioned OnStar app, GM will use the Google Maps mobile navigation software, instead of its own system.
It won’t be available at launch with the OnStar app, but will be featured in the 2.0 variant, which isn’t even dated for release.
Who knows what other plans GM and Google may be talking about, but if they’re still about navigation, then we’re not that excited.
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Post tags: Tags: Chevrolet, chevrolet-volt, General Motors, gm, google, google maps, navigation, onstar, technology
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