DAB in auto, Fiat parte con la nuova 500/L

Ufficialmente annunciata dalla Fiat la nuova 500/L, attesa per l'autunno. Dovrebbe montare il sistema di infotainment e navigazione Uconnect, utilizzato dalle Chrysler, e tra le varie opzioni dovrebbe esserci anche la ricezione DAB, almeno secondo questo comunicato Fiat. Al salone di Ginevra Fiat e Continental avevano presentato un analogo sistema, ma non si riesce a capire del tutto se Uconnect e Continental siano la stessa cosa. Si stanno comunque cominciando a muovere le acque per quanto concerne la possibilità di ascoltare la radio digitale a bordo delle autovetture. Peccato che - con la sola eccezione della promessa "sperimentazione" nel trentino da avviare entro quest'anno - le acque del DAB italiano siano paurosamente stagnanti e che in questo quadro congiunturale probabilmente la cosa sia destinata a durare per un bel po'.

Mini Connected, iPhone porta la radio nella Mini Cooper

I saloni dell'auto di Ginevra e New York (è in corso in questi giorni) e prima ancora il CES di Las Vegas hanno proposto diversi annunci relativi a soluzioni per la cosiddetta connected car. Tra le novità più interessanti c'è quella proposta da BMW che si è accordata con Radio Time, uno dei più popolari servizi di directory per Web radio, per montare a bordo della Mini Cooper il nuovo Mini Connected, una piattaforma di car entertainment che integra - l'avete indovinato - Apple iPhone e che grazie a Radio Time consente di sintonizzarsi su migliaia di stazioni radio via Internet. BMW sembra essere riuscita a battere Blaupunkt e un servizio di directory australiano MiRoamer sul terreno delle Web radio per auto.

Quella della automobile interconnessa è una metafora inevitabile per molte ragioni. Dentro alle automobili trascorriamo parecchio del nostro tempo libero e di lavoro e visto che ormai nel corso del nostro tempo libero e di lavoro siamo abituati a disporre di ogni sorta di modalità di collegamento senza-fili, su scala locale e "geografica", non si vede perché tutta questa nuvola di connettività wireless non debba circondarci anche mentre guidiamo o veniamo trasportati a bordo di un veicolo su ruote (così come su treni e aerei). Connected car signfica essenzialmente due cose. All'interno dell'abitacolo, connessioni bluetooth e Wi-Fi per usufruire di servizi multimediali, di comunicazione e navigazione. Fuori dall'abitacolo, il wireless diventa un modo per assicurare, anche alla mobilità "su gomma", la possibilità di accedere a Internet e alle sue meraviglie. Scegliete voi con quale mezzo: oggi la connessione wireless geografica per le auto può essere garantita con la copertura cellulare 3G, domani sarà la volta di LTE (se WiMax finirà davvero, come sostengono alcuni, per morire sul nascere). Anche al volante, in definitiva, Internet ci scombinerà tutte le carte. Finora il telefonino serviva per comunicare e la radio per divertirsi, informarsi, ascoltare musica. Adesso che cosa succederà? Che ruolo potrebbero avere sistemi come la radio FM, o le sue evoluzioni digitali terrestri o satellitari?

Recentemente ho ricevuto un commento sferzante per aver osato affermare il mio scetticismo nei confronti delle onde corte digitali del sistema Digital Radio Mondiale. Un lettore anonimo ha scritto che i miei sono "latrati", ripetitivi e noiosi. Non ho difficoltà ad ammetterlo: non mi stancherò mai di ripetere che il mercato della car radio deve imparare a fare i conti con tutte le piattaforme alternative alla tradizionale accoppiata AM/FM (l'AM in realtà è già sparita dal radar) e che tra queste alternative la piattaforma dominante non è la radio digitale ma Internet.

Ecco un interessante reportage su Mini Connect dal blog Edmunds.com e il comunicato stampa ufficiale.

Car Tech Tuesdays: MINI Connected for iPhone to Debut in Geneva

A new feature called MINI Connected will debut at the Geneva auto show next week on the new Countryman, and the automaker is calling it the "world's-first in-car entertainment technology" to fully integrate Apple's iPhone. While this statement seems a bit brash but fitting with the brand's style, it's what's hinted at in the automaker's press release that sounds most promising.

The press release (below) is long on intriguing features but short on specifics. It states that the iPhone's data connection will be used to provide "a range of infotainment, navigation and communication functions" and MINI Connected will allow "functions to be enhanced or personalized."

The technology will also be "future-adaptable" and customizable, allowing applications to be added and deleted. An Internet-radio feature offering a selection of streaming stations is also included.

MINI Connected will be controlled through the automaker's existing in-dash interface. And when combined with the optional MINI Visual Boost radio, functions can be viewed on a high-res color display integrated in the car's Center Speedo, with a console mounted joystick providing inputs.

MINI Connected will also incorporate the new Mission Control module, which can be used to evaluate vehicle systems, driving situations and the environment to give a driver information in MINI's trademark cheeky style. Messages will range from seat belt prompts to fuel level.

If MINI decides to follow Ford's lead and allows third-party developers to create apps, MINI Connected could really get interesting. Just imagine having Ricky Gervais telling you to fasten your seat belts, the outside temperature or the location of the nearest loo.

All-new Connectivity Solution, MINI Connected, Offers More Motoring Enjoyment.

22.02.2010

• World-first in-car entertainment technology integrates the Apple iPhone.

• Safe, convenient, intuitive control of all functions via the MINI operating system.

• World debut of in-car web radio.

• MINI Connected brings enhanced user functionality and customization to the MINI-exclusive, Mission Control.

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey - February 22, 2010... MINI Connected, a new technology unique to MINI, opens up a new dimension of in-car entertainment. The new system will make its debut at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show next week.

MINI Connected.

MINI Connected offers new options to further enhance the driving fun associated with the brand by intelligently connecting the driver, his MINI and the outside world. The new MINI Connected system will be launched simultaneously with the MINI Countryman, as an option on the newest member of the MINI brand lineup.

With MINI Connected, MINI is the first carmaker to offer a newly developed USB interface with functionality that enables such a high level of integration of the iPhone into the in-car audio and infotainment system. This MINI-exclusive technology provides the basis for unprecedented integration of Smartphone functions, and takes the in-car integration of modern Smartphone telecommunications, entertainment and online functions to a whole new level.

The innovative iPhone interface provides robust data exchange capabilities, allowing a range of infotainment, navigation and communication functions to be used on board the vehicle. MINI Connected also allows functions to be enhanced or personalized to the driver's individual preferences.

MINI Connected offers diversity and flexibility across a host of different functions, something new to the auto industry. The technology is future-adaptable, and will guarantee customers instant access to future innovations in the fields of entertainment, communication, navigation and information.

All of the functions integrated through MINI Connected, courtesy of the Apple iPhone, are activated and controlled using the vehicle's existing operating system. When the system is fitted with the optional MINI Visual Boost radio, the full range of MINI Connected functions can be used. The radio's high-resolution color display is integrated in the Center Speedo, and the center console-mounted MINI joystick provides convenient, simple and intuitive operation.

The existing MINI operating structure allows drivers to select and activate any function with minimal distraction from the road, so the MINI Connected information and instructions follow the MINI's familiar display logic. The system can easily be customized; applications can be selected or deselected quickly and conveniently using the vehicle controls.

World-first: the MINI Connected web radio function.

As an example of the new possibilities opened up by MINI Connected, the new web radio function will be demonstrated during the Geneva Auto Show. Once a MINI is linked to the outside world via MINI Connected, the driver has a choice of radio stations streamed to the vehicle from anywhere in the world, provided the station is available in the extensive station database. MINI is the world's first carmaker to offer this type of function as a manufacturer-installed option on a production vehicle.

Exclusive to MINI: Mission Control.

MINI Connected also incorporates the Mission Control module, which made its debut in the MINI 50 Camden anniversary model. Mission Control evaluates a vast range of vehicle information, driving situations and vehicle environment-related signals to supply the driver with relevant commentary and instructions in customary MINI style. Mission Control gives the driver an even stronger sense of interacting directly with the vehicle, reinforcing the whole concept of the MINI as a car with character and personality.

The vehicle-related signals are used to generate constantly changing, situation-dependent messages. The dialogue may take the form of safety and comfort-related advice, such as prompts to fasten a seatbelt or guidance on the air conditioning system; or it may provide information relating to the current driving situation and operating status (for example, outside temperatures or fuel tank level). The wide repertoire of messages, which marks a significant advance over previous systems, makes for a continually varied dialogue between the MINI and its driver, even in familiar and frequently recurring everyday driving situations. And thanks to MINI Connected, Mission Control now offers extensive functional enhancement and personalization options, such as a choice of language versions and driving modes.

AutoLinQ, car infotainment su Android

Cominciano ad arrivare nelle caselle di posta dei giornalisti informatici i comunicati delle aziende che partecipano al CeBIT di Hannover. La manifestazione, un po' malata di gigantismo, rimane pur sempre l'ultimo (insieme al CES di Las Vegas), grande evento fieristico in grado di chiamare a raccolta un pubblico internazionale intorno ai prodotti dell''industria del bit, del computer, delle telecomunicazioni. L'annuncio che pubblico qui in calce riguarda una collaborazione tra T-Systems, azienda del gruppo Deutsche Telekom e Continental AG, per la diffusione in Europa di AutoLinQ, una piattaforma di car infotainment basata su sistema operativo Android, le cui demo saranno presenti ad Hannover in forma di un'automobile Volkswagen attrezzata. La piattaforma Continental integra diverse funzioni di navigazione, controllo dell'autovettura, interazione sms-auto (il sistema di bordo dialoga con l'utente attraverso il telefonino), gestione di contenuti audiovisivi, comunicazione con l'esterno e con l'abitazione del guidatore. Si compone di quattro diversi pezzi, chiamati "viste" incastonati in una interfaccia comune: Car View, Mobile View, Home View e Partner View. Trattandosi a tutti gli effetti di un ambiente Google Android, prevede anche la possibilitò di utilizzare vere e proprie applicazioni di terze parti. Il tutto comporta un uso massivo di canali di connettività, di tipo 3G-satellitare-telefonico verso l'esterno dell'auto, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth verso l'interno. Va da sé che la parte di intrattenimento inserita nel contesto di Car View è quella che ci interessa di più come esploratori del futuro della radiofonia e dell'intrattenimento sonoro. Per l'ennesima volta va sottolineato l'arrivo di un prodotto "nuovo" ma basato su standard (Internet Protocol) di mercato e su infrastrutture altrettanto standard, una combinazione in grado di raggiungere obiettivi di qualità sonora, varietà di scelta, integrazione con servizi e informazioni extra che fino a questo momento le varie proposte di digitalizzazione della radio non sono riusciti neanche lontanamente a centrare. Continuo a leggere che DAB, HD Radio, DRM rendono possibile una radio "diversa" e più al passo coi tempi. Ebbene, tutto quello che ho visto finora è solo un modo un po' diverso di modulare un segnale in radiofrequenza. All'atto pratico per chi ascolta non cambia assolutamente nulla, a parte, quando va bene, un po' di qualità in più (e per molti non è neanche così). Se devo pensare a qualcosa di diverso, mi pare che soluzioni come AutoLinQ siano sicuramente più idonee a rispondere a tale definizione.

“Car infotainment” alla portata di tutti

Deutsche Telekom e Continental danno vita ad un’alleanza tecnologica: in mostra al CeBIT il prototipo AutoLinQ

Deutsche Telekom e Continental si alleano e danno vita ad un prototipo in cui la tecnologia e i servizi di infotainment sono alla portata di tutti. Si tratta di un modello – denominato AutoLinQ – che sarà installato su una Volkswagen Passat CC, in mostra allo stand di Deutsche Telekom al CeBIT in programma ad Hannover dal 2 al 6 Marzo.
Servizi standard di infotainment, che fino ad oggi erano prerogativa esclusiva delle auto di lusso, verranno installati anche sui veicoli compatti e di media grandezza. L’obiettivo è di rendere Internet e le applicazioni specifiche per gli automobilisti parte integrante della dotazione in tutte le categorie di veicoli.
La soluzione è basata sullo stesso principio del cellulare iPhone che, grazie alle semplici operazioni e ampia varietà di mini-programmi e applicazioni, ha definito gli standard che hanno preso piede anche nel settore automotive.
Continental ha sviluppato il computer dell’abitacolo per i mini-programmi, che utilizza il sistema operativo Android sviluppato da Google. Le applicazioni “girano” su questo computer come programmi installati in via permanente o con un browser speciale, che recupera dati da una piattaforma Internet.
T‑Systems, la divisione corporate customer di Deutsche Telekom, mette in campo soluzioni ICT per rendere Internet e i mini-programmi disponibili anche durante il viaggio. La soluzione comprende, inoltre, le ultime scoperte dei T‑Labs, l’istituto di ricerca e sviluppo di Deutsche Telekom.
Al CeBIT, i due partner presenteranno le applicazioni per cercare e scaricare file musicali utilizzando il servizio Musicload di Deutsche Telekom e l’offerta news di T‑Online. In auto è anche possibile ricevere e leggere le e-mail e rispondere utilizzando la tecnologia di registrazione vocale – senza che gli automobilisti debbano distogliere lo sguardo dalla strada o spostare le mani dal volante. La funzione principale di AutoLinQ include anche una rubrica online collegata al sistema di navigazione. Gli automobilisti possono digitare le destinazioni del proprio viaggio sul computer prima di salire in auto, dal proprio cellulare, da casa, dall’ufficio o mentre sono in giro. Ma c’è di più. Quando un veicolo si connette alla rete mobile di Deutsche Telekom, è possibile attivare alcune funzioni con il telecomando. Ad esempio, gli automobilisti possono accedere alle informazioni che indicano il parcheggio dell’auto o controllare se il tettuccio è aperto e chiuderlo utilizzando il cellulare.

L'ITU promuove i nuovi standard per l'auto "connessa"

Per il prossimo salone dell'auto di Ginevra l'ITU bandisce ancora una volta il seminario The Fully Networked Car, dedicato alla discussione delle priorità in materia di standardizzazione delle tecnologie ICT per i veicoli del futuro. L'arrivo delle infrastrutture terrestri a larga banda, la navigazione avanzata, i nuovi sistemi di propulsione e le loro fonti energetiche alternative al petrolio, l'esplodere della multimedialità a bordo inducono l'organismo mondiale delle telecomunicazioni, l'ISO e l'IEC a convocare tutte le parti in gioco per stabilire i futuri standard per applicazioni e servizi avveniristici: guida automatica, sistemi anticollisioni, gestione di flotte, sicurezza, risparmio energetico, infomobilità, telelavoro.
Appuntamento dal 3 al 4 marzo prossimi.

The Fully Networked Car @ Geneva International Motor Show
Workshop 3 - 4 March 2010 New challenges for the car industry

Although deeply affected by the financial crisis, the automotive industry still has a thirst for innovation. New services and applications may provide the unique selling points necessary to give advantage in a depressed market. Development in areas like safety and security, navigation, car maintenance, fleet management, mobile office and entertainment has continued apace. In parallel, a new market imperative is the push for new propulsion technologies.
These changes represent significant opportunities… and some challenges. A key issue is the move from the development stage to actual implementation and many see standardization as a major part of the solution.
With the Geneva International Motor Show on its doorstep The Fully Networked Car is in a unique position to engage with that part of industry all too often missing from the ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) discussion – the motor industry itself.
For the fifth year running, ITU, ISO and IEC will bring together key players involved in the development of technologies and standards, as well as other major industry figures.
Held during the 2nd Press Day and the first public day of the motor show, the event represents a matchless opportunity for experts and executives from the car industry, ICT community, governments, research and development institutes, academia to share their vision and strategies.
A particular focus in 2010 will be the latest developments in technology and network requirements for electric vehicles.
Collaboration and coordination at an international level is – all parties agree – essential for the industry to move into a deployment phase.

Car industry’s perspective

Today’s communications capabilities give the potential for cars to foresee and avoid collisions, navigate the quickest route to their destination, make use of up-to-the-minute traffic reports, identify the nearest available parking slot, minimize their carbon emissions and provide multimedia communications. Furthermore, environmental concerns have led to the development of new forms of propulsion, such as hybrid, plug-in, electric and fuel cell. Large amounts of resources have been invested in research and development, but global standards are still missing to allow deployment on a large scale.
The development and deployment of electric vehicles is an important issue today. ICTs have a significant role to play in areas such as the careful management of battery status, warranty concerns and driver behaviour. Given the potential of these new technologies for both the automotive and the ICT communities, it is essential for the different parties to understand the requirements for fully networked cars and agree on the solutions to be provided by the network platforms.

ICT industry perspective

The ICT community, for its part, is moving towards Internet protocol (IP) based managed converged broadband networks with the implementation of next generation networks (NGNs).
From the NGN viewpoint, networked vehicles are similar to other types of mobile terminals, and therefore support is provided by standards for so-called fixed mobile convergence (FMC).
Managed broadband IP capabilities, including QoS security and mobility aspects, are under consideration to support new applications and services in the various modes of communication:

• vehicle-to-vehicle
• vehicle-to-infrastructure
• vehicle-to-home
• vehicle-to-power-grid
• in-vehicle.

• 
  

Dalla autobahn alla infobahn, Ford trasforma l'auto in un hot-spot

La casa automobilistica americana Ford annuncia ambiziosi piani che trasformeranno l'abitacolo dell'auto in un hot-spot Wi-Fi ambulante. E non è il solo brand a pensarci. Il nuovo sistema Ford Sync, evoluzione della piattaforma di controllo e navigazione a riconoscimento vocale, affianca analoghi progetti di BMW, iDrive, di Chrysler, Uconnect e di General Motors in partnership con Autonet Mobile che evolveranno verso la real time Internet. Anche   Il 2010 segnerà l'inizio alla larga banda semovente su quattro ruote. Dentro l'auto - e non è certo un problema, basta un modem USB - un segnale Wi-Fi (con buona pace di chi ne teme le nefaste conseguenze sulla salute - e io non sono tra questi). Ma la connettività vera e propria? Ovviamente verrà dalle infrastrutture 3g e prossimamente 4g della telefonia cellulare.
A far riflettere sulla proposta Ford è l'intenzione della casa di coprire lei i costi di connessione. Chi acquista i nuovi modelli equipaggiati con Wi-Fi non dovrà preoccuparsi di ulteriori costi di abbonamento. La rivista Wired parla di passaggio dalla autobahn (autostrada) alla infobahn (autostrada dell'informazione). Grazie a Wi-Fi sarà possibile navigare su Web, parlare in Voip, guardare la IPTV e magari ascoltare la radio su Web?

Ford Brings Wi-Fi to the Highway
By Chuck Squatriglia   

December 21, 2009 

Ford is making its cars into mobile Wi-Fi hot spots.

The next generation of the Sync in-car entertainment and information system will use a USB mobile broadband modem to establish a secure wireless connection capable of supporting several devices simultaneously. The system will be available next year on selected models — no word yet which ones — and you won’t need a subscription or hardware beyond the modem.
“While you’re driving to grandma’s house, your spouse can be finishing the holiday shopping and the kids can be chatting with friends and updating their Facebook profiles,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas. “And you’re not paying for yet another mobile subscription or piece of hardware because Ford will let you use technology you already have.”
Several automakers already offer in-car internet access — Japanese drivers have been using it since 1997 — and many others are rushing to bring it to us. Ford’s announcement follows General Motors’ promise last week to make in-car connectivity available in seven models of trucks and SUVs. They’re the latest automakers to bring the infobahn to the autobahn.
Mercedes recently announced it has successfully tested in-vehicle internet applications — including web browsing, vehicle software updates and VOIP — on a prototype 4G network. It follows BMW’s internet-connected iDrive system and Chrysler’s Uconnect Web in-vehicle mobile hotspot. With so many automakers getting in on the action, there’s a push to introduce hardware standards.
Ford is taking a decidedly different approach, opting to allow consumers to plug in their own USB modem to get connected. General Motors, on the other hand, offers a dealer-installed system called Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile. It creates a Wi-Fi hot spot 300 feet in diameter around the vehicle, and GM claims the 3G network achieves speeds of up to 1.5 mbps. The hardware costs $199 after the $200 mail-in rebate, and the service costs $29 a month.
Given how connected we are, it makes sense for automakers to put the internet in our cars. The number of iPhones and other mobile devices being used to connect to the internet jumped 75 percent in the third quarter of this year, according to JiWire Mobile Audiences Insights Report.
Letting people log on from the road will be a big selling point among 20-something buyers, the so-called Millennials who have propelled much of Sync’s success. Millennials will make up 28 percent of the driving population next year, a nine-point increase from 2004. Kids aside, Ford says interest in in-car connectivity is high among the general public, with one-third of people surveyed by the Consumer Electronics Association expressing interest in being able to check e-mail or surf the web from the car.

Radio digitale, il successo viaggia in auto

Il successo di una nuova tecnologia di distribuzione di contenuti radiofonici deve obbligatoriamente passare per il mercato dell'autoradio. DAB e IBOC sono due tecnologie di radio digitale alternative, non compatibili tra di loro, ma entrambe caratterizzate da una certa penuria di apparati di ricezione destinati agli automobilisti. Ed entrambe, guarda caso, sono relegate in nicchie geografiche (il DAB in Gran Bretagna) e di pubblico (HD Radio negli USA). Sono tecnologie che non riescono a sfondare, a convincere ampie fette di consumatori all'acquisto. Mancano offerte di contenuto e manca soprattutto la possibilità di usufruire dei servizi a bordo delle auto. Basta guardare, al di là delle sue difficoltà finanziarie, alla "terza via" rappresentata dalla radio digitale satellitare in abbonamento, che invece ha puntato fin dall'inizio sulla mobilità dei ricevitori e su un line-up di contenuti realmente alternativi all'offerta accessibile con le autoradio analogiche. Una strategia costata un occhio della testa, che tuttavia ha ripagato (almeno in parte) con un discreto numero di abbonati.
In questi giorni a proposito di HD Radio e Ibiquity ho letto due articoli di segno opposto. Una testata online del Michigan, MLive, racconta nella sua sezione economica di un forte aumento dell'interesse da parte dei costruttori di autoradio nei confronti della radio digitale terrestre free. Un interesse che spinge Ibiquity a potenziare le proprie strutture commerciali a Detroit. Una analoga testata, ma dello stato dell'Indiana, spiega invece che intorno a HD Radio si concentra soprattutto lo scetticismo: delle stazioni radio locali, incerte sull'opportunità di investire in nuovi apparati, e del pubblico, poco interessato a una novità che nessuno percepisce come realmente utile. L'offerta HD Radio, scrive il Fort Wayne Business Weekly dalla hometown della stazione WOWO (ascoltabile, in condizioni molto favorevoli, anche dalle nostre parti), si limita nello stato dell'Indiana a pochissime stazioni, che hanno creato solo una manciata di canali digitali davvero alternativi agli analogici.
Chi dei due giornali ha ragione? Probabilmente entrambi. In effetti viene descritta la stessa situazione: la radio digitale di Ibiquity finora non ha raccolto sufficienti consensi proprio perché l'interesse da parte del mercato car radio è arrivato tardi. E' un po' come una statica battaglia dell'era napoleonica. I fautori della nuova radiofonia digitale, terrestre o satellitare che sia, devono capire se le truppe inviate dai generali dell'autoradio sono ancora in tempo per sbaragliare la cavalleria (un po' disordinata ma irresistibile) dei contenuti veicolati attraverso piattaforme IP e MP3. Io, dopo i milioni di iPhones 3G venduti nelle prime settimane, comincio a nutrire qualche dubbio.

Growth of high definition radio developer iBiquity Digital triggers move to Auburn Hills

Posted by sarigg August 07, 2008 06:20AM

Mark BialekJeff McGannon of iBiquity Digital Corp. in Auburn Hills.
iBiquity Digital Corp.'s Michigan automotive sales office is growing fast as it projects a surge in demand for high-definition, or HD, radio. Growth expectations triggered the company's move from its Pontiac office to a larger space in Auburn Hills.
iBiquity is the developer of HD radio technology, which it licenses to radio manufacturers such as Delphi, Visteon, Alpine, Kenwood, Yamaha and Panasonic.
The number of HD radio stations grew from 11 in 2002 to 1,500 in 2007, creating demand for receivers. Some manufacturers' HD radio receivers' prices have dipped to the $100 neighborhood, putting them in a position of being able to market to a wider range of buyers. Radiosophy began selling a receiver for less than $50 and Coby produces a tuner for less than $100. Receivers are available at retailers such as Best Buy and ABC Warehouse.
Thus, iBiquity, with 2007 sales estimated at $9.3 million by Hoovers Inc., vaults into a position to market itself to a broader audience.
Here in Michigan, the Columbia, Md., company has put a strong focus on automakers and the automotive aftermarket. Ford Motor Co. in January announced that starting in 2009 it will include HD radio technology in its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. The company now offers HD radio receivers as dealer-installed options on most of its vehicle.
BMW was the first to offer it as a factory-installed option, and was followed in 2007 by MINI USA. Scion and Mercedes have announced that HD radio technology will be included in those vehicles, and Jaguar, Hyundai and Volvo are offering or including it as standard.
Jeff McGannon, iBiquity vice president of OEM business development, calls the auto manufacturers partners, although none of them are direct customers.
"The majority of my group's job is to work with the automakers and help them deploy HD into their radios in a much quicker time frame," McGannon said. He described HD radio as CD-quality sound, while listeners who have digital radios can listen for free. There are 23 stations in Michigan that broadcast in HD radio now, and 16 of those are multicast stations.
"Multicasting simply means that a radio station can have its main station, like '98.7 Smooth Jazz,' and can also have its HD radio station, which is 98.7 HD2. On that station, they broadcast what I call true jazz. And WRIF has its main station, then WRIF HD2, which has more local content bands," McGannon said. "That gives them a real cool ability to program some real content."
HD radio skeptics say the biggest challenge facing iBiquity and digital radio is consumer awareness. Even then, consumers may be unmotivated to purchase equipment because they're generally satisfied with AM and FM.
"Digital radio is seen as a response to satellite radio," said Dick Kernen, Specs Howard School of Broadcasting vice president of Industry Relations. "When the satellite services launched in 2000, they did an extraordinary job of convincing everyone that terrestrial radio was a dead technology like the eight-track tape. So investors bailed in large numbers and radio stocks have been suffering for a long time as a result."
In response, iBiquity launched digital radio soon after, improving AM signals and allowing FM stations to broadcast up to four channels on the same frequency.
Since 2002, when the first HD radio stations began airing programming, iBiquity has had no competitors in the United States and was selected by the FCC to develop a digital system for AM and FM broadcasting, McGannon said.
"We get a lot of questions from automakers about if we compete with satellite. The answer is no. They license part of our intellectual property pool," McGannon said. "Basically digital radio is like getting basic cable, but it's free. Then if you want premium content like NASCAR ... you would opt for premium subscription services like XM or Sirius."
The National Association of Broadcasters followed iBiquity's lead and lobbied car companies and radio retailers to put digital radios in cars and on store shelves, with some success.
"The thing they've failed to do is to give consumers a reason to buy one," Kernen said. "Why would you buy one? What's the point?"
So station managers and owners are promoting digital radio.
"They have to do something to encourage people to buy the radio, and then to listen to the second station," Kernen said. "WRIF has stood out as a station that's having some success with that. WRIF 2 is spending time and money getting an audience, a small number of devotees who are youth oriented."
Others who are trying, and having varying degrees of success, are WOMC, which plays what Kernen calls "older oldies," and WYCD HD-3, which runs 24-hour psychic programming.
"That's intriguing to me. As someone who did morning talk shows in another century, I would occasionally interview psychics and the phone never stopped ringing. What I like is that it's out-of-the-box thinking. You have to do something besides music. It's harder and harder for radio stations to hang their hat on just music, because they compete with the Internet and iPods."
Kernen believes, as more stations provide special programming on the digital frequencies available to them, that it won't take long before consumers do tune in and start to buy receivers and bring the price down further.
Advertisers could follow, as they have done for specialty cable television programming, which enables them to market to target audiences who watch shows on stations such as Home and Garden Television.
"If you're Lowe's or Home Depot, you won't get the audience on HGTV that you would advertising during 'Desperate Housewives,' but those viewers watching Home and Garden are a goldmine," Kernen said.
As radio stations market digital content, McGannon said his vision is for all radio - digital and analog - to just become digital.
"My goal is for no one to have to ask to buy a digital radio. They'll just buy a radio, much the same way no one ever asks to buy a color television. They just buy a TV," McGannon said.
Though HD radio isn't at that point yet, and isn't going to reach that point in the immediate future, it is still growing fairly rapidly, particularly in the last three years.
"In 2000, we had no one in Detroit. We started with a small staff of three people, and now we're up to nine, and we'll add a couple more this year, and next year we'll add three to five people to our staff," McGannon said.
To keep up with the growth, the company is moving from its office at Centrepoint Parkway in Pontiac, where it has been for five years, to 5,000 square feet in Concorde Center at 691 N. Squirrel Rd. in Auburn Hills.
"This company could be huge," said Matt Osiecki of CB Richard Ellis, who represented iBiquity in its five-year lease. "They're not necessarily auto related so they're not as affected by the local economy as much. They don't manufacture here - it's service based. And everything is going HD so this company is going to grow."

***

Low awareness of high-definition radio

By Derrick Gingery

Northeast Indiana consumers will have no choice but to adopt high-definition television in February, but high-definition radio is still waiting to be embraced, even by local radio stations.
Two stations in Fort Wayne, WOWO, 1190 AM, and one of the Northeast Indiana Public Radio stations, WBOI, 89.1 FM, have created separate, HD radio channels. They are the only two stations among the 17 Arbitron-rated analog stations serving Fort Wayne and surrounding areas to do so.
Local radio executives said the technology to broadcast in HD is available, but they are not sure the investment is wise at this point. Consumer use is nowhere near widespread.
“I don’t see us doing it until someone comes up with a really good reason why we should,” said J.J. Fabini, general operations manager at Summit City Radio Group.
HD radio technology allows stations to broadcast digitally with better sound quality. As with HDTV, stations can add more channels to their lineup with different formats and offerings. Users must purchase an HD radio receiver to be able to listen.
NIPR received a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help purchase and install its digital broadcasting equipment. The entire project cost about $250,000 and when completed in 2005, helped NIPR boost the power of its classical music service, which at the time was hampered by a weak signal that did not reach the entire region.
NIPR since has purchased another conventional FM station, 94.1 FM, to improve the classical music service signal strength in the Fort Wayne area.
Classical music is one of three digital formats NIPR offers. Edward Didier, NIPR’s director of engineering, said he doesn’t know how many HD listeners there are in the region, but he knows they are out there.
“There are (listeners), and they’re loyal,” Didier said, “because they call when it’s down.”
NIPR also simulcasts programming from the 89.1 FM analog signal on an HD channel and jazz music on a third HD channel. Didier said at first he was reluctant to move to HD radio, but now he loves it.
“The biggest benefit is the multiple streams,” he said.
WOWO was the first radio station in the region to broadcast in HD. Plans call for the eventual move of more of WOWO’s sister stations into the HD realm, said Mark DePrez, general manager of WOWO owner Federated Media’s south office in an e-mail message. He would not provide more specific details.
DePrez said in his message that HD radio, Internet access in cars and FM tuners in cell phones all are affecting the direction of the radio business. He said it’s hard to tell which technology will resonate with consumers, but for the time being his group is “betting on all of them.”
A national publicity campaign currently is boosting awareness of HD radio. It includes a cell-phone text message campaign allowing participants to obtain rebates and other promotions, according to material from the HD Digital Radio Alliance.
In spite of publicity efforts, less than one-third of Americans surveyed by Arbitron this year said they were interested in HD radio. Forty-one percent said they were not interested at all, and another 25 percent said they were not very interested, according to the Arbitron 2008 Radio Listening Report.
That’s a small improvement from last year’s survey, when Arbitron found 44 percent said they were not interested at all and 24 percent said they were not very interested. The same percentage in 2007 as in 2008 said they were interested in HD radio.
Prospects could improve, however. Several car makers already have indicated that new models will include HD radio receivers, and many retail stores are selling HD radio receivers, according to the HD Digital Radio Alliance. As with conventional radio, the HD service is free once the consumer has the equipment.
Prices for HD receivers vary. The Circuit City Web site advertises an HD radio alarm clock for $130, a tabletop HD radio for $199 and an HD-ready car stereo for $140, as well as more expensive HD components and systems.
Fabini said he thinks Internet radio will catch on rather than HD radio because it’s become a lot easier to gain Internet access, and cars will have Internet access soon. He said friends in the business working for companies with HD channels are using them more like a jukebox. They have expanded music playlists and, in one case he mentioned, there are no commercials.
“A lot of people are using HD channels to do what they really want,” Fabini said. “For the most part, it is really stuff they wouldn’t put on the air.”
Roger Diehm, vice president and station manager at Oasis Radio Group in Fort Wayne, said HD broadcasting is under consideration, but he is waiting for the product to see more widespread consumer use. He said, percentage-wise, the number of people with HD radio receivers in the area is insignificant.
“… It’s not as big an investment as the TV stations made, but it is a big enough investment that you want to make sure you’re ready to do it, and it will do you some good to do it,” Diehm said. “If 50 percent of people in northeast Indiana had HD receivers, you can bet all of us would be broadcasting in HD.”

Wi-Fi in auto, tramonto della radio?

Vediamo un po' se capisco bene. Secondo l'ultimo report Bridge Ratings, istituto di ricerche di mercato che ama focalizzarsi sulle analisi crossmedia, in particolare su rapporti tra radio e Internet, il wi-fi in auto porterà a un netto calo di interesse nei confronti della ricezione radiofonica hertziana e satellitare. Per wi-fi in auto si intende l'insieme di tecnologie che consentiranno di accedere dall'interno dell'auto in movimento a risorse wireless come la navigazione su Internet e le Web radio. Le curve di penetrazione degli "hot spot in automobile", saranno lente per i primi cinque anni e nei successivi cinque ci sarà unna esplosione. Dopo nove anni dall'inizio del fenomeno (non è detto che sia ora), il 50% degli automobilisti americani avrà il wi-fi a bordo.
C'è un "buco" in questo modello: se è vero che il wi-fi in auto può tranquillamente essere già una realtà, io l'auto come la raggiungo dal ciglio della strada? Bridge Ratings risponde: con il WiMax, citando una studio Pyramid Research secondo cui la crescita di WiMax negli USA sarà del 64% annuo tra il 2009 e il 2012. Nel giro di dieci anni, sostiene Bridge Ratings, l'ascolto wi-fi avrà eroso circa sei ore di ascolto settimanale della radio convenzionale o satellitare: un effetto prevedibile (se il wireless nell'auto prenderà davvero piede) visto che le Web radio sono gratuite e per la praticità delle playlist autoconfezionate. Ovviamente, questo dovrebbe incidere sugli introiti pubblicitari della radiofonia, a meno che, avverte Bridge Ratings, le radio non affinino la loro capacità di vendere pubblicità in sinergia con il mezzo online (un discorso molto simile a quello fatto dai tedeschi di AS&S).
Quanto è verosimile questo scenario? Beh, la previsione vale se davvero l'auto non si trasformerà in una gabbia di Faraday ambulante, se cioé il wi-fi sarà disponibile dentro l'abitacolo e fuori. Insomma, se davvero una qualsiasi tecnologia senza fili, sia essa il WiMax o magari una rete IP cellulare (o satellitare??), offrirà una connettività stabile al veicolo in movimento, anche attraverso aree non metropolitane. Perché dico che WiMax potrebbe non essere il solo protagonista di questa nuova forma di connettività? Perché negli USA ci sono già provider come AutoNet Mobile, fondata nel 2005 in California. La prossima volta che sbarcate all'aeroporto di San Francisco, Newark, al La Guardia, a Dallas, Miami, West Palm Beach e Fort Lauderdale, cercate dai noleggiatori Aivs il servizio Connect e insieme all'auto potrete noleggiare un gateway/router AutoNet. Il gateway si collega con le reti cellulari 3G/2.5G e dentro l'auto funziona da hot spot wi-fi. Potete navigare, mandare posta, ascoltare flussi multimediali a un costo di 10,95 dollari al giorno. Non potrei scommettere sulla qualità della connessione, ma AutoNet giura che la copertura è disponibile sul 90% del territorio.
Se la scommessa della connettività wireless verso le auto viene vinta, lo ripetiamo da sempre, le prospettive di mercato per la radio digitale terrestre si ridurranno, perché Internet potrebbe essere davvero vista come medium universale sostitutivo più che integrativo o complementare. Resta il fatto che vincere la scommessa a me non sembra così facile, almeno non in tempi così fulminei. Sullo sfondo c'è sempre questa straordinaria capacità della radio come mezzo diffusivo. Contenuti e flussi della coda lunga, le piccole tirature per pochi lettori, su Internet ci sguazzano. Ma i grandi successi, i canali radio con decine di milioni di ascoltatori, trovano nel broadcast, anche analogico, una modalità molto conveniente. [In nessuna parte del comunicato Bridge Ratings ho visto in effetti menzionare l'aspetto del prezzo della connettività per gli automobilisti. Mi sembra una svista madornale. Sembra quasi che grazie a queste mirabolanti tecnologie la Web radio in auto sarà gratuita... Ma quanto si faranno pagare gli operatori cellulari o WiMax? Saranno sostenibili modelli di connettività free basati su qualche forma di revenue sharing tra operatori di access point/stazioni base e content provider finanziati dalla pubblicità? Quanto inciderebbe il fattore costo della connettività sull'adozione da parte degli automobilisti? - precisazione aggiunta il 16/09/07]
Resta comunque una certezza. Sapete su quale campo la radio dovrà imparare a lottare? Su quello della qualità dei programmi e sulla capacità di sostenersi, o vendendo la qualità direttamente agli ascoltatori (quando può farlo) o facendo valere questa qualità presso gli inserzionisti, che avranno pur sempre bisogno di comunicare i loro prodotti. Sarà una bella partita, dal finale non così scontato come lo studio Bridge Ratings tenderebbe a far credere.

The Bridge Ratings Report - The Impact of Wireless Internet
Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Summary

• Wireless Internet growth in the U.S. to nearly 100 million users
• In-car Wi-Fi to grow slowly at first, will reach only 10% of Americans 5 years after mass market introduction
• In-car Wi-Fi will gradually erode radio time-spent-listening
• Satellite radio will take the greatest TSL hit from Wireless Internet radio
• Wireless Internet Radio should help traditional radio revenues

Much has been written about the potential of Wireless Internet and the flexibility that comes with more wireless devices and increasing Wi-Fi locations.
But what about the impact on traditional radio listening of Wi-Fi or its wide-area cousin, Wi-Max, once the technology is available in-car?
During July/August 2007, Bridge Ratings undertook a broad-based national study of this question by interviewing consumers and device and auto manufacturers to better understand the implications of wireless Internet and the availability of Wireless Internet Radio.
Today 30 million Americans use wireless Internet access and it will grow to nearly 45 million by the end of 2007. Wi-Fi locations are sprouting up across the U.S. making wireless Internet access a comfortable reality for millions of consumers.
Of the estimated 30 million users of wireless access technology in the U.S., 75% or 23 million have wireless accessed Internet radio. In fact, 48% of those accessing the Internet via wireless technology seek out Internet radio. The number of Internet radio listeners accessing wirelessly will grow to 77 million by 2010 as wireless technology penetrates the average U.S. lifestyle.
ABI Research forecasts that the total number of Wi-Fi-enabled consumer electronics devices will grow from just 40 mln shipped in 2006 to nearly 249 mln in 2011.
Mobile WiMAX customers will grow at an annual compounded rate of 64% between 2009 and 2012, when telecoms embrace WiMAX as a fixed wireless broadband service, according to Pyramid Research. Wireless Internet use in-car faces hurdles based on Wi-Max technology development, how quickly auto manufacturers are able to equip new cars and what type of early adopter consumer will want the technology. In our study of 2200 persons 16+ we asked consumers who define themselves as "innovators" or "early adopters", how likely they would be to buy a car or equip a current vehicle with a wireless Internet device.
Because manufactures remain uncommitted at press time to establish a date to introduce this technology, growth projections are shown in the chart below for year one of availability and beyond.
How will this increasing number of Internet radio listeners affect weekly listening to traditional radio? By year 5 of in-car Wi-Fi acceptance, traditional radio can expect to see the amount of time spent listening to fall below 19 hours a week and by year 8 when we project that more than 23% of the U.S. public will have adopted wireless Internet technology in-car, weekly time spent listening to traditional radio will fall below 18 hours per week.

What about satellite radio?

Satellite radio has found its greatest audience in-car but has the most to lose with wireless Internet radio reception. This study as well as previous Bridge Ratings studies conducted for the satellite radio industry, show that satellite radio subscribers consumer satellite radio at a far greater weekly rate than do listeners to traditional radio. As wireless in-car becomes more accepted, weekly time-spent-listening to satellite radio will also be impacted. According to our sample, satellite radio should experience a more severe drop-off in weekly time-spent-listening due to the wide variety of programming available on Internet Radio and the lack of comparable subscription expense.
During the focus groups that accompanied this study, monthly subscription costs was of lesser concern than the quality and variety of available content. It was generally assumed that the monthly cost of satellite radio and in-car Wi-Fi reception of Internet Radio would be comparable. Yet, those who currently subscribe to satellite radio expected to listen less if they had wireless Internet radio in their cars or they would cancel their satellite radio subscription.

Will In-car Internet Radio Hurt Traditional Radio Revenues?

Bridge Ratings expects that traditional radio revenues will be enhanced by Wi-Fi Internet Radio only if the radio industry vastly improves its advertising sales techniques and commits to dedicated Internet radio sales teams. This is the model that is working best now for traditional radio and in order to off-set other ad revenue attrition, traditional radio can recoup and exceed the amount lost if the industry is more aggressive in this area. With dedicated sales teams experienced in selling the Internet, traditional radio can expect to see a return to 3-4% revenue growth after consumer acceptance of in-car Wi-Fi surpasses 7% of the population (see chart): By the ninth year of market availability the combination of natural market growth (1-2% per year) and a more effective effort at selling its Internet radio channels, traditional radio revenues could reach over $26 billion.

Final Thoughts

The availability of wireless Internet in-car poses a signficant threat to traditional as well as satellite radio. This study projects that the growth of Wi-Fi in-car should reach more than 50% of the U.S. population after nine years of market availability. It is important to note that adoption by the masses of new technologies is often slower to penetrate the mass market. New technologies take time to be widely adopted and it is important to note that innovators and early adopters who jump on new technology often receive an inordinate amount of press which quickly raises awareness of the adopted technology. The adoption of in-car Internet service and the spread of Internet radio across all consumer types will begin to be a factor 9-10 years after market introduction.
Diffusion* of technology through to the mass market, rather than the innovation ultimately determines the pace of acceptance and this is the reason for the generally long growth pattern you see in this report's projections.

*Diffusion is the cumulative result of a process whereby varying consumer types (innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards) sample, compare and decide upon use of the new technology over long periods of time.
Nonetheless, the results of this study show that early adopting consumers are looking forward to Wireless internet in-car and current listeners of Internet radio have a very high probability of adopting the technology when it becomes available and is affordable.