The Future of Connected Cars

MSNBC: Are we there yet?

In the near future, the answer may come from a surprising source: Your car.

Previously the province of cheesy TV shows — ah, “Knight Rider,” we hardly knew ye — and a handful of luxury cars, the idea of intelligent automobiles is moving into the mainstream.

“There’s a lot of interest from all aspects of the community,” said Wes Sherwood, spokesperson for the Ford Motor Co. “Business leaders, politicians, the general public — people are starting to get their heads around this.”

“This” is everything from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) — in-car technology that automatically adjusts your cruise control or provides warnings when you drift out of your lane — to so-called “connected cars” that will be able to “talk” to each other and surrounding infrastructure.

“ADAS has been available for years in high-end luxury cars,” said David Alexander, principal analyst, automotive technology, for ABI Research. “All of a sudden, this year, it’s becoming available on a much wider variety of cars.”

Examples include the 2012 Ford Focus, which features active parking assistance, and 2012 Mercedes B-Class vehicles, which will boast S-Class features, including blind-spot detection and collision-prevention assistance.

As such systems become more prevalent, they’ll also play a role in the development of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), in which cars actually communicate with other vehicles, traffic lights, railroad crossings, etc.

Although practical systems are still years off, the technology is already being tested. This month, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is conducting clinics in six cities to see how drivers in specially equipped cars respond to in-car warnings regarding potential collisions, “do not pass” alerts and other hazards. The agency is also holding a public meeting/webinar on the subject in Chicago on August 2–3.

The long-term benefits could be significant. “Connected vehicle technology has the potential to address 81 percent of all unimpaired-driver-related crashes,” said Peter Appel, administrator of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, in a statement.

On the other hand, the prospect of people paying even less attention to the road than they do now carries its own risks. Just as 4WD and other technologies have given drivers unwarranted confidence in sketchy conditions, intelligent cars may also encourage more stupid behavior.

“These are assistance systems to help the driver,” said Alexander. “They’re looking around, talking to other cars, but they’re not there to allow the driver to text his friends or check his Facebook page. That’s always the danger.”

That, of course, is another issue entirely, and one that may require more intelligence than some drivers will ever be able to muster. In the meantime, somewhere between the self-driving cars currently under development and a glorious Jetsonesque future, there’s no doubt the road ahead will be an increasingly connected one.

“If your smart car is connected to smart businesses and smart infrastructure,” said Sherwood, “then you can start dreaming up almost endless scenarios of how you can make driving more efficient and more enjoyable.”

Future of NYC's Chelsea Hotel Uncertain

AFP: The famed Chelsea Hotel -- muse, home and party space to generations of New York musicians and writers -- faced an uncertain future Monday as the doors apparently closed on guests.

An employee at the legendary hotel confirmed a New York Times article reporting that rooms would no longer be available for short-term stays while renovations take place.

"We are not taking reservations," the employee said, declining to give his name.

The hotel's website was still processing reservations, however. The employee did not know how long the suspension would last and there was no immediate reply from a spokesman for the hotel.

The Chelsea has been in turmoil since going on the market, with the probable buyer expected to be developer Joseph Chetrit, according to the Times. The deal, worth $80 million, had not gone through by the end of the weekend, the report said.

Large-scale renovations are expected to take a year, during which the 100 permanent residents who live in apartments will be allowed to stay. Chetrit is reported to plan to keep the Chelsea as a hotel, although this is not confirmed.

The 12-floor building with the neon sign "Hotel Chelsea" is a landmark in Manhattan thanks to its long list of famous residents. Playwright Arthur Miller and singers Janis Joplin and Patti Smith were among those living there. Poet Dylan Thomas died there, as did Nancy, the girlfriend of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious.

Andy Warhol made a film called "Chelsea Girls", while Leonard Cohen immortalized the place in a song about his brief encounter there with Joplin, singing, "I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel."

In his classic song "Sara," Bob Dylan sang about how he was, "Staying up for days in the Chelsea Hotel, writing 'Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands' for you."

London Begins Testing Olympic Security

ESPN: Olympic security officials said Monday that testing is underway for the mammoth task of making the 2012 London Games safe -- trials that include testing body scan machines, communications equipment, response time and extra closed-circuit security cameras.

Testing events have already begun to allow security officials to gauge how well they're able to communicate between venues and Scotland Yard's headquarters, as well as how quickly they feed important data into a government system of dealing with potential crises.

The next big testing cluster of events will start Saturday and end next week. Teams will be on hand to test communications equipment and other systems during such events as sailing and beach volleyball -- events meant to test Olympic venues ahead of the games. "There is a lot to be done; a lot to be tested," said Commander Bob Broadhurst, head of Scotland Yard's Olympics safety and security operation.

Thousands of extra closed-circuit cameras will be added to Olympic venues -- Britain already has some of the most extensive surveillance powers in the world and has become a leader in what critics call "Big Brother" techniques with its more than 4.3 million CCTV cameras in operation.

Years ago, officials considered using special cameras equipped with eavesdropping microphones. Ultimately, however, the cameras were considered too intrusive and are no longer part "of our main plan," according to Ian Johnston, director of security and resilience with the Olympic Organizing Committee. Johnston wouldn't elaborate on other types of security gadgets and equipment being deployed for the games.

Authorities have identified 20 potential risks to the Olympics. The top four include terrorism, serious crime -- specifically ticket fraud -- protests and natural disasters such as floods or heat waves. British authorities will also be on alert for cybersecurity breaches. The government is investing an extra 650 million pounds (about $1 billion) in the country's electronic defenses since it was identified as one of the country's major security risks.

Lulz Security, a hacking collective, has previously claimed hacks on major entertainment companies, FBI partner organizations and the CIA. Another group also claimed it hacked into NATO's computer system.

Security at the Olympics has been a critical issue ever since the 1972 Munich massacre, even more so after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. A day after London was awarded the games in 2005, suicide bombers attacked London's transport network, killing 52 people. The British government is planning for the national terror threat to be "severe" during the Olympics, meaning an attempted attack is highly likely.

More than 300 screening points will be installed at Olympic venues. Officials hope the waiting time for spectators will be kept "within single digits," but say the time will largely depend on the venue and the crowds queuing for an event. Spectators should expect the same type of screening as they encounter at airports -- bags will be put through screening and people will need to walk past a screening point.

Two of the major security contracts have been awarded to G4S, a global security company providing everything from security personnel to monitoring systems, and Rapiscan Systems, headquartered in Torrance, California, which will be providing security equipment and other scanning systems.

About 12,000 police officers will be on duty each day of the July 27-Aug. 12 games, which have a security budget of 475 million pounds ($770 million).