Cadillac claims its newest car entertainment system, unveiled this week, will be the most powerful car radio to date and the first from a car company to include a pinch and zoom capacitive, multi-touch screen similar to those found on cellphones, it said.
(Pioneer’s AppRadio is the first aftermarket car radio with a capacitive touch screen).
The roomy, 8-inch screen lets you swipe and scroll easily, unlike some factory radios which use click wheels or joysticks or anything but the quick responding touch screen that we spoiled smartphone owners, now demand.
The touch controls are also “haptic” so when you press the screen you “feel” a confirmation response in your finger, so there’s no need to glance at the screen to double check.
The system, called CUE will also be the most powerful factory radio, says GM, as it includes a 3-core processor with 3.5 times more processing power than its competitors, it said.
CUE supports Pandora and Stitcher, HD radio and XM radio and its has 2 USB ports and an SD card slot. It also had natural speech recognition via Nuance.
It works with any type of phone via Bluetooth for audio streaming and hands free calling. It’s also iPod or iPhone compatible.
Another unusual feature is CUE’s entire faceplate is motorized and behind it is a 1.8L storage area.
It also has a proximity sensor so as your hand approaches the radio, command icons appear on the screen.
The system is Linux based so developers may write apps for it. GM says in the future, the radio “will do things in the car for you and solve problems for you that your in-vehicle infotainment systems today can’t do,” a spokesman told Engadget.
“It’s processing speed and power that make CUE so capable,” said GM’s Mickey Bly, head of global infotainment and electrical systems.
The system will debut in 2012 on the Cadillac XTS first, moving to the ATS, before spreading to Cadillac’s full line. It was unveiled at the cellular industry’s CTIA show this week.
Source: Engadget, CNET, Cadillac
Photo via Engadget
Whatever happened to aftermarket innovation….