Maybe it has something to do with the rough-and-ready, take-on-all-comers personality of the Jeep brand. Or maybe it has to do with the inherent flexibility of the Jeep design. Or maybe it's simply because the brand attracts self-reliant do-it-yourselfers. Whatever the explanation, the history of Jeep modding is almost as old as the Jeep itself.
Jivin' then...
For instance, here are some examples of "jivin' up the Jeep" from a 1947 issue of Mechanix Illustrated magazine. (I found these on blog.modernmechanix.com , you have got to check this site out.)
And jivin' now...
With a history like this, is it any wonder the QNX concept team also chose to mod a Jeep, albeit with 21st-century tech? For instance, they added their own digital instrument cluster:
and some apps:
not to mention a virtual mechanic:
And is it any wonder they had so much fun doing this?
Hey, do you plan on attending SAE Convergence in October? If so, come by the QNX booth (815) for an even closer look at how the QNX concept team jived up this Wrangler with the connectivity and personalization features of the QNX CAR application platform.
Highlights (er, mods) of the Wrangler include:
- Customizable HMI for reskinning and personalization
- Ability to download apps
- Multimedia: streaming radio, mobile connectivity, album art, etc
- One-touch Bluetooth pairing with NFC
- HD hands-free communication with conversational voice recognition
- Reconfigurable digital instrument cluster
- Tablet-based rear-seat entertainment
- HTML5 framework for leveraging mobile ecosystem
Recently I’ve been fascinated with one of the many facets of the jeep, hardtops and modifications. The jeep started out as simply a basic working vehicle, no frills and no extras were included. It was after all, required through the weight restrictions that the jeep needed to be designed and built under. But ever since the beginning of the jeep, men were impressed by its capabilities and design with a few exceptions. One of the biggest was the very fact that it was an open topped vehicle. Having just a canvas top without even doors or a heater available was great fun and acceptable if you were a GI stationed in the Pacific theater, but not so much fun if you were shivering through the winters in Europe. And so it isn’t surprising that from the jeep’s origins that men were modifying them with solid tops and custom bodywork. It seemed fitting that I show off some examples of Jeep hardtops and other attempts at ‘civilianizing’ the jeep a week after we were hit with a blizzard that dropped 32 inches of snow along with high winds. The MB gained a poor, but deserving rep of being cold, so much so that one its nicknames was the “Pneumonia Wagon.” In some cases the home brew hardtops were absolutely necessary, such as on Attu Island in the Aleutian Island chain.
DETROIT, SAE Convergence 2012 (booth 815), October 16, 2012 — Mobile app developers see car infotainment as a potentially lucrative new market, and automakers want to leverage the talents of the mobile community — but until now, the two sides have had little way of working together. Today, QNX Software Systems Limited announced a new solution designed to tear down these barriers and to enable new partnerships between the mobile and automotive worlds: the HTML5 SDK for the QNX CAR™ 2 application platform.
The new HTML5 SDK is an extension of the open source BlackBerry® WebWorks™ framework, specially optimized for automotive environments. It allows developers to write, test, and package feature-rich automotive apps based on HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and other open standards. Just as important, it provides the missing glue between high-level apps and the car, through specialized APIs that provide access to automotive devices and hardware. These APIs include JavaScript classes that can access the HVAC, GPS, multimedia, and other services offered by the QNX CAR 2 application platform.
To accelerate development, the HTML5 SDK provides an emulator that lets developers quickly see how their apps would look and function in a car. Developers can use the emulator to perform JavaScript debugging, HTML DOM inspection, automated testing, and screen-resolution emulation, all from the convenience of a web browser. Simply put, mobile app developers can test their programs without access to an actual car or infotainment system. Better yet, they can make changes to their apps and view the results without having to recompile. They simply have to edit their source code and press refresh in the browser. The simulator is based on the open source BlackBerry® Ripple emulator, used by thousands of mobile developers.
QNX Software Systems also plans to create a virtual marketplace that will allow developers to make their QNX CAR 2 applications available to automakers. The marketplace will provide common ground for app developers and automakers to work together, and will allow automakers to preview the applications that best fit their brands and satisfy their customers. The marketplace is expected to go live when the HTML5 SDK is released.
“HTML5 has become a lingua franca, allowing app developers to target all the major mobile platforms. But until now, automakers have been unable to tap into this rich vein of apps, content, and developer talent. The HTML5 SDK for the QNX CAR 2 application platform changes all that,” said Andy Gryc, automotive product marketing manager, QNX Software Systems. “Now, mobile developers and automakers can begin engaging with one another in a meaningful way, through a common platform and through the same open standards that have done so much to accelerate the rapid development and rich user experiences of mobile platforms.”
QNX Software Systems has licensed its software technology for use in millions of in-vehicle systems worldwide, including digital instrument clusters, hands-free systems, multimedia head units, connectivity modules, and 3D navigation systems. The QNX CAR 2 application platform is a pre-integrated software stack designed to reduce the time and effort of creating highly sophisticated and personalizeable in-car infotainment systems.
For more information on QNX Software Systems’ activities at SAE Convergence, visit qnx.com/convergence.
Availability
The QNX CAR 2 application platform is currently being evaluated by select automakers and tier one automotive suppliers for use in next-generation infotainment systems. QNX Software Systems plans to release the platform in December 2012, and plans to make the HTML5 SDK and virtual marketplace available to qualified developers in Q1 2013.
About QNX Software Systems
QNX Software Systems Limited, a subsidiary of Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM; TSX:RIM), is a leading vendor of operating systems, development tools, and professional services for connected embedded systems. Global leaders such as Audi, Cisco, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens depend on QNX technology for vehicle infotainment units, network routers, medical devices, industrial automation systems, security and defense systems, and other mission- or life-critical applications. Founded in 1980, QNX Software Systems Limited is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada; its products are distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide. Visit www.qnx.com, and facebook.com/QNXSoftwareSystems, and follow @QNX_News, on Twitter. For more information on the company's automotive work, visit qnxauto.blogspot.com and follow @QNX_Auto.
DETROIT, SAE Convergence 2012 (booth 815), October 16, 2012 — Mobile app developers see car infotainment as a potentially lucrative new market, and automakers want to leverage the talents of the mobile community — but until now, the two sides have had little way of working together. Today, QNX Software Systems Limited announced a new solution designed to tear down these barriers and to enable new partnerships between the mobile and automotive worlds: the HTML5 SDK for the QNX CAR™ 2 application platform.
The new HTML5 SDK is an extension of the open source BlackBerry® WebWorks™ framework, specially optimized for automotive environments. It allows developers to write, test, and package feature-rich automotive apps based on HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and other open standards. Just as important, it provides the missing glue between high-level apps and the car, through specialized APIs that provide access to automotive devices and hardware. These APIs include JavaScript classes that can access the HVAC, GPS, multimedia, and other services offered by the QNX CAR 2 application platform.
To accelerate development, the HTML5 SDK provides an emulator that lets developers quickly see how their apps would look and function in a car. Developers can use the emulator to perform JavaScript debugging, HTML DOM inspection, automated testing, and screen-resolution emulation, all from the convenience of a web browser. Simply put, mobile app developers can test their programs without access to an actual car or infotainment system. Better yet, they can make changes to their apps and view the results without having to recompile. They simply have to edit their source code and press refresh in the browser. The simulator is based on the open source BlackBerry® Ripple emulator, used by thousands of mobile developers.
QNX Software Systems also plans to create a virtual marketplace that will allow developers to make their QNX CAR 2 applications available to automakers. The marketplace will provide common ground for app developers and automakers to work together, and will allow automakers to preview the applications that best fit their brands and satisfy their customers. The marketplace is expected to go live when the HTML5 SDK is released.
“HTML5 has become a lingua franca, allowing app developers to target all the major mobile platforms. But until now, automakers have been unable to tap into this rich vein of apps, content, and developer talent. The HTML5 SDK for the QNX CAR 2 application platform changes all that,” said Andy Gryc, automotive product marketing manager, QNX Software Systems. “Now, mobile developers and automakers can begin engaging with one another in a meaningful way, through a common platform and through the same open standards that have done so much to accelerate the rapid development and rich user experiences of mobile platforms.”
QNX Software Systems has licensed its software technology for use in millions of in-vehicle systems worldwide, including digital instrument clusters, hands-free systems, multimedia head units, connectivity modules, and 3D navigation systems. The QNX CAR 2 application platform is a pre-integrated software stack designed to reduce the time and effort of creating highly sophisticated and personalizeable in-car infotainment systems.
For more information on QNX Software Systems’ activities at SAE Convergence, visit qnx.com/convergence.
Availability
The QNX CAR 2 application platform is currently being evaluated by select automakers and tier one automotive suppliers for use in next-generation infotainment systems. QNX Software Systems plans to release the platform in December 2012, and plans to make the HTML5 SDK and virtual marketplace available to qualified developers in Q1 2013.
About QNX Software Systems
QNX Software Systems Limited, a subsidiary of Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM; TSX:RIM), is a leading vendor of operating systems, development tools, and professional services for connected embedded systems. Global leaders such as Audi, Cisco, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens depend on QNX technology for vehicle infotainment units, network routers, medical devices, industrial automation systems, security and defense systems, and other mission- or life-critical applications. Founded in 1980, QNX Software Systems Limited is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada; its products are distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide. Visit www.qnx.com, and facebook.com/QNXSoftwareSystems, and follow @QNX_News, on Twitter. For more information on the company's automotive work, visit qnxauto.blogspot.com and follow @QNX_Auto.