This notice is to remind Wireless and Mobile News readers that voting ends for the Tech CARS Awards tonight January 15 at 11:45 pm PST, sponsored by our sister publication AUTO Connected Car News that is also published by Aproprose.
We learned from AUTO Connected Car News editor, Lynn Walford that the voting has been great and there are several categories where there are only a few votes between the winners and the losers.
The Tech CARS (Technology of Connected Autos Rated Superior) Awards for connected cars and related products or services with voting live online.
Walford acknowledged and thanked Electric Car Insider for co-sponsoring the category of Best Electric Car Technology and helping to select the nominees: BMW i3, AWD Tesla S, Nissan Leaf, Fiat and TransPower. She reported that the latest Electric Car Insider magazine will be on news stands February 3. She hopes readers will be sure to buy one at your local magazine retailer. In case of a tie in this category Electric Car Insider staff will help determine the winner.
Nominated for the “Overall Best Implementation of Any New Car Tech to Make Lives Better or Easier” are BMW, GM, Hyundai and Ford for new neat technology launched in 2014.
There are several nominations for the “Best Implementation of Connected Car Tech with Smartphones” including, Volkswagen Car-Net, Nissan Connect, justDrive Jaguar Land Rover, GM OnStar RemoteLink and Ford SYNC AppLink developer apps.
Not everything went right with car tech in 2014. In fact many iPhone owners with iOS 8-8.1.2 are bamboozled that their Bluetooth no longer works with in-car infotainment systems. There were recalls, cyber scares and apps that turned out to be vaporware. There are four nominees for the ”Edsel Yugo Award for Biggest Snafu in Connected Car Technology 2014” Debacles causing frustration nominated, are Apple’s Bluetooth Bungle (for Bluetooth issues with iOS Updates 8-8.1 and iPhone 6/6+ - for wreaking havoc on in-car systems), GM Chevy App Shop Chopped (closed for remodeling and misquoted), Takata air bags recall and the media darling scare hacksters duo (Chirs Valesek and Charlie Miller).
Voters can vote for the Best Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) Feature of 2014 with choices of Hyundai Sonata, Volvo Safe City, GM Safety Alert Seat and Tesla S. This category was reported to have votes that are very close.
2014 is the first year, consumers could use CarPlay and can vote for their either Pioneer NEX, Ferrari FF or Alpine iLX-007 as the best CarPlay provider. Currently AUTO Connected Car News notes that Pioneer holds a very small lead over Ferrari.
OBDII port connected car devices nominated are Mojio, Zubie, Automatic and Dash. Mojio has done an excellent job of getting its app developers to vote, noted Walford, while other makers may make an effort to get the vote out.
Parents and teens may vote for Best Distracted Driver Anti Texting App such as OTTER App, SafeCell 360 or AT&T DriveMode. This is another very close category.
Connected car enthusiasts love trade shows, exhibitions and symposium. Nominations for best connected car show include CES International, the Connected Car Expo, Telematics Detroit, Michigan, Telematics West Coast and C3 Connected Car Conference at CE Week as the best. Los Angeles currently appears to be the capital of car tech reported AUTO Connected Car News.
"The race to win the Tech CARS award is in the last lap" said editor Lynn Walford, "It exciting to see, how fast the votes are coming in. We may have to have photo finish because the votes are very close."