Thursday 25 June 2015

Expressing your emotions while driving? Distracting or Mood-lifting?

Using emojis on your Hyundai i10, or Nissan Qashqai’s window to express ‘thanks’, ‘annoyance’ or ‘happy’ could be adding to the array of digital gimmicks already distracting drivers from the road and can not help to wonder if you will see more angry faces than smiles on South African roads! What do you think? Read more below.

This Startup Wants to Make Driving More 'Social' With Light-Up Emojis for Your Car

If a growing arsenal of devices has come to serve as a constant conduit for self-expression and engagement in our hyper-social era, why should cars be any different?

As the so-called Internet of Things edges towards wider adoption, that’s the conceit of two-year-old MotorMood, an Orange County-based startup that wants to make the road a happier place.

The company’s first product is a light-up smiley face that affixes to a vehicle’s rear window in order to say ‘thank you’ to -- and perhaps even flirt with -- fellow drivers on-the-go. Visibility ranges up to 30 feet, the company says.

Priced at $30, the emoticon illuminates for six seconds thanks to a remote control button that clips onto sun visors, not unlike a garage door opener. It requires less concentration to operate than a radio or air conditioner, according to MotorMood.

The company launched a Kickstarter campaign today with a lofty $130,500 goal; the team of four co-founders chalks the figure up to high manufacturing costs.

Nevertheless, they are confident it will be surpassed: A 1,050-person self-conducted survey validated a sort of delighted intrigue in the product, they say, and existing research confirmed that smiley faces not only trigger the same emotions as human smiles, but also have the power to reduce anger and aggression in teens.

The product’s chief demographic, according to the team’s survey, is females aged 18 to 29.

But a light-up ‘thank you’ is really just MotorMood’s first act, explains 28-year-old co-founder and president, Jesse Kramer. While additional happy emojis, themed collections and even licensed characters are potentially next on deck (despite requests, MotorMood won’t ever produce middle fingers or angry faces, he says,) Kramer eventually envisions a Bluetooth-connected device with a Kindle-like display that could serveas “a status bar for your car.”

In this sense, its use cases are endless, adds Alex Sewell, 22, a co-founder who serves as vice president of operations. Future iterations could track the number of smiles given and received via a corresponding app, or even identify the kind of music playing on one’s radio, Shazam-style, and display that information like a real-time bumper sticker. (If you’re wondering why anyone would ever care to share such information, just think of the glut of minutiae that currently stampedes across social media every second.)

Even further down the line, adds lead engineer Arman Bastani, 41, another co-founder, MotorMood could act as a data-collecting censor in realms like air quality and traffic alerts.

MotorMood’s fourth co-founder, Kina de Santis, met Kramer and Sewell at a startup event in Orange County, Calif. As the company’s director of marketing, she was also recently recognized by the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards.

“Everyday, you’re stuck in your car. You’re isolated by barriers of glass and steel,” says de Santis, 20. “And you’re so used to being able to share your emotions all the time.”

Once a smile is spotted, describes Kramer, MotorMood yields an element of surprise that feels almost magical for bestower and receiver alike. “You see something light up out of nowhere, and it ignites this sense of wonder, enjoyment and happiness.”

Found on : www.entrepreneur.com (Writer: Geoff Weiss)

Image credit : Motor Mood

Monday 1 June 2015

Hyundai Veloster gets a boost from a 150kW Turbo Engine

The Hyundai Veloster range in South Africa has received a shot in the arm with the addition of a turbo boosted direct petrol injection engine, along with more sporty and luxury features that makes this attractive hatchback a well rounded sports package.

At its global launch the Veloster Turbo was the first Hyundai to feature the company’s 1,6-litre GDI engine with a high-compression, twin-scroll turbocharger. This T-GDI unit, generating 150 kW maximum power and 265 Nm of torque, has now made its debut in the local Veloster range, with performance figures that are quite a step up from its non-turbocharged sibling which delivers 103 kW and 167 Nm.
“The Veloster Turbo is also pointer to where the Hyundai brand is heading: to produce vehicles with advanced engine and transmission technology that will appeal to car buyers that are looking for an exciting, yet reliable and well-designed automobile. The engine used in the Veloster Turbo forms the base for the power plant in Hyundai Motorsport’s World Rally Championship i20 car – the only difference is that the rally car delivers 200 kW .,” says Stanley Anderson, marketing director of Hyundai Automotive South Africa.
“The heart of the Veloster Turbo is its powerful engine, and the performance that it injects into this innovative sports hatchback in our range. You can watch this space, for this engine is the start of many new developments to come from Hyundai’s Namyang Research and Development Centre in South Korea,” says Anderson.
Maximizing fuel efficiency and performance, the Hyundai Veloster Turbo’s engine has an air-guided intercooler, direct fuel injection system and dual CVVT, with a bed plate and a serpentine auxiliary belt adopted for enhanced engine reliability
The Veloster Turbo is fitted with a quicker-ratio steering rack and a revised steering calibration to match, which provide for precise cornering, feedback and control.  As with the turbocharged engine, the front and rear suspension set-ups have been tuned to match the expectations of drivers that appreciate firm and surefooted road manners.
The driving experience is further enhanced by the sport-tuned engine intake and exhaust notes: the trapezoidal centre tailpipes of the normally-aspirated Veloster have been replaced with two larger free-flowing circular pipes, allowing for a more robust sound.
To handle the power enhancements, the Veloster Turbo is paired with a standard six-speed manual transmission – developed in-house by Hyundai – featuring a wider gear ratio spread to handle the additional torque output. It also comes with a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) which changes gears automatically or through driver input with steering wheel mounted paddles or the gear lever.
“The Veloster Turbo is not only about power and performance on the road – it is a well-equipped hatchback with a long list of luxury features, from the sound system with its Gracenote music management feature to leather seats, and Bluetooth sound system and cell phone integration. Furthermore, it has scored exceptionally well in the safety ratings of the Euro NCAP crash tests,” says Anderson.
The Veloster Turbo has the same practical appeal as the original model, thanks to the innovative 1+2 door design. It also now features unique front and rear bumpers and fog lights, a new rear spoiler and grille, new 18-inch alloy wheels, projection headlights with unique LED headlight accents, and unique LED taillights. These elements further accentuate the car’s eye-catching styling and add a greater emphasis on its performance.
Why not Book a Test Drive today at an approved Hyundai dealership such as Group 1 Hyundai in Midrand?
Article as published on http://www.3D-carshows.com
Written by Johann Verster (Motoring Journalist)