“Cashmere” aka Windows CE 6.0 R3 has been announced!

Hi folks,

lately there had been a lot of fuss about what “Cashmere” is. And no, it is NOT Windows Embedded CE 7.0 and neither does it have dual-core support nor is it a plug-in for Visual Studio 2008 as some people have suggested in the past.

I could go on and on with this list…but let’s talk about what “Cashmere” really is: well it’s a city in Chelan County, Washington, USA some 140 miles east of Redmond with a population of about 3,000 inhabitants.

Seriously, “Cashmere” has now been announced to RTM on September 28th as Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3! Therefore it is an update package for Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2, still running as a plug-in for Visual Studio 2005. After playing around with the beta version, as CTP (Community Technology Preview) participant, for about a month and a half, I am at long last allowed to talk about “Cashmere”.

So what’s new in Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3:

• Silverlight for Windows Embedded: a native user interface development framework based on both C++ and Microsoft Silverlight 2


• Connection Manager: which has already proven it's abilities under Windows Mobile and establishes and manages network connections such as wireless Internet and Bluetooth connections.


• Touch Gestures: single-touch gestures only at this point.


• Internet Explorer Embedded: improvements such as Silverlight for Windows Embedded UI development, better zoom functionality and Touch Gesture support.


• Silverlight for Windows Embedded Sample Application (XamlPerf): demonstrates a simple Silverlight for Windows Embedded application that displays an animation on the screen and provides some basic performance information.


• Third party applications: Adobe Flash Lite 3.0, MS Office (which have been part of Windows CE 5 but disappeared in Windows Embedded CE 6.0) and PDF viewers, Tencent Mobile QQ instant messenger.

I will be talking about these exciting new features in detail in the next posts; so stay tuned and watch out for my next posts!

Btw: there is a good German post here and you can find the official Press Release here a well as more information around Silverlight for Windows Embedded.

Other additional news from Kevin's Keynote at ESC today:

• In Q4 this year MSFT will be delivering Windows Embedded Server and Windows Embedded Enterprise
• Around that time a point version of Microsoft Auto will be released
• Windows Embedded Standard and the next version of Windows Embedded Compact (Chelan) to be delivered in Q2 2010
• A Management Solution to help manage devices to be offered in Q3 2010
• Embedded Spark 2010 to be kicked off this year - the theme is fun and games

Have fun!
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SD (street director) with bing integration

Hi folks,

ok, I realize that just showing a couple of screen shots is not the best way of showing off and I should of added the same comment you see on iPhone advertisements ;-)

Anyway, to let you know how the real system works here is a video. Have fun.

SD bing Integration

The hardware by the way is the MARPFII reference platform running Microsoft Auto 4.0.

So long and thanks for all the fish!
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Microsoft Auto 4.0 “Train The Trainer”

Hi everybody,

you might have wondered why I didn’t post in the past 3 weeks. Well I was in the USA; first on vacation and then on the Microsoft Auto 4.0 “Train The Trainer” event.

I found out that the EB Street Director navigation software which I have installed on my HTC Diamond smart phone works very well in the US as well.

If you have read Damian’s post you already know that I am now one of five Microsoft certified Trainers for MS Auto 4.0 – world wide. But it gets better: EB has yet another official MS Auto 4.0 Trainer – Michael Forkey from the Bothell, WA branch office (which makes two out of five!), so congratulations to him as well! I would also like to thank the folks from Microsoft for the great MS Auto 4.0 Training; you have done a great job! Following are a couple of pictures I took at the MS Auto 4.0 “Train The Trainer” Event:




Have fun!
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Hot news from Nuremberg (Part II)

Hi folks,

1) Harald wasn't quite exact with his temperature information as we are located in Erlangen and not in Nuremberg ;-)

2) I think I have a slightly more geeky way of finding out what the weather is like (in Erlangen or anywhere as a matter of fact ;-):

By using EBs street director on the Microsoft Auto Platform and using bing!

First I enter my destination or look for a point of interest via bing search (formerly known as Live Search 4 Devices), for example a hotel:





So bing search has found a hotel for me and I would now like to know the weather forecast.



I hope you're haveing the same sunny weather we are having at the moment :-)

This demo was also shown during the 13. International Advances in Automotive Electronics Conference in Ludwigsburg from 15. to 16. July.

So long and thanks for all the fish!
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EB shows integrated Internet-connected navigation system

EB (Elektrobit) will be showing their navigation solution (EB street director) running on the Microsoft Auto Platform at the 9th annual Telematics Detroit 2009 Conference & Exhibition.

EB street director utilizes Microsoft's Live Search for Devices technology to show the user's search results on the map and also to turn these into routable destinations (POI) giving the user access to a comprehensive and uptodate list of POIs (Point of Interest).

So, if you're in the Detroit area from June 2nd - June 3rd, drop by to find out how you can use EB street director to integrate your own applications and services and take your solution one step further. You will find EB in Area 51 ... I mean at Booth 51.

So long and thanks for all the fish!
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Ford Sync 911 Assist and how useful such services can be.

I guess alot of people have been asking themselves whether or not a Microsoft Embedded Operating System such as Microsoft Auto can compete with other Operating Systems in the automotive area.

I mean, how often did/do we hear jokes like: "... close all of the windows ... and restart!

And how useful are the connected services which come hand-in-hand with the Microsoft Auto Software Platform? Will they really work when we depend on them?

Well, back in the US somebody, unfortunately, has been able to try one of these services running on Ford's sync platform - 911 Assist. Fortunately with nobody harmed:

"These email is to commend Ford for their safety features because if it weren't for them I would have probably been hurt a lot worse.

On February 18th of 2009 I was in a major accident in Rockville, MD that totaled my brand new, less than 2 day old Ford Escape. :( ... While driving to a doctors appointment, I was broadsided by a Ford minivan which smashed into the passenger side door and bent the door and frame in. ... After shaking my head and realizing what had happened I heard a voice say "I sense you were in an accident, calling 911" The Microsoft sync system that I had setup the day before with my cell phone had called 911 for me. ... I thought this stuff was only in commercials on TV/Radio. It really does work!!! The police arrived within minutes of the accident and 2 fire trucks also arrived a few minutes later. ... When I bought the truck I didn't even look at the safety features the truck had. I am very impressed! ..."

No, this does not mean, go crash your Ford and try it out - especially if you're in Europe, as the Sync Platform is not available there yet - but it does give you a better feeling, knowing it works!

By the way, the 911 Assist application was written and integrated into the Sync platform by the guys from EB.

You can read the whole story here.

So long and thanks for all the fish!
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Microsoft Auto 4.0 RTM released

Hi folks,

Microsoft released its next-generation in-vehicle platform Microsoft Auto 4.0 RTM (codename Bristol). As Microsoft Auto 3.0 and 3.1, Microsoft Auto 4.0 is again a PDK that installs on top of Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2. New features include:

• Added support for Intel Architecture Processors including Atom Z5xx series which offer an industrial temperature range (ARM- and SH-based processors were already supported in MS Auto 3.1).


• Common head unit functionality such as standard interfaces for broadcast radio tuners and standard for CD playback and ripping

These new features enable developers to create integrated multifunction systems with reduced complexity, lower cost and faster time to market.

Microsoft also launched a new worldwide partner program. If you read our previous posts on Microsoft Auto you already know that EB is among the first certified training partners for MS Auto to provide technical education to help automakers and suppliers deliver the next innovations in vehicle

• Infotainment


• Navigation


• Communication

Devices.

If you want more information, check out www.microsoft.com/auto.

Have fun!
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Who is going to win the race?

In the wake of the embedded world and CeBIT Microsoft announced details of the next version of Microsoft Auto last week.

According to Microsoft, the new automotive infotainment software platform, will support x86 processors like Intel's Atom Z5xx in addition to ARM and SH processors. This "most comprehensive release ever" will also offer a standard interface for broadcast radio tuners as well as CD playback and ripping support and is to be available during this spring.

But, this was not the only announcement made last week: An open source alliance, codename GENIVI, was also announced with the aim to build an open source In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) reference platform and planning to have its first fully tested reference model available this summer. This platform will also support Intel's Atom Z5xx and will be running Wind River Linux.

So now, we have seen what is "under the hood" let's have a look at the "wheels":

For Microsoft we have Fiat's Blue & Me running in Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat brands as well as Ford's Sync and Ford Work Solutions already on the road and OEM's such as Hyundai and Kia who have also announced plans to offer Microsoft technology. And the soft- and hardware partners are EB, Continental, Magnetti Marelli, Nuance, MPC Data, K2L and more.

GENIVI has just been founded so there is nothing on the road at the moment, but with big OEM's like the BMW Group, General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroën this is surely only going to be a matter of time. Other members of the alliance are Visteon, Wind River, Delphi, Intel and Magneti Marelli.

So the bets are on! Who do you think will win the race?
As for me, I will do the same as I did some years ago and put my money on Microsoft.

So long and thanks for all the fish!
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Come and find out more about MS Auto

Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit will be presenting the latest version of the Microsoft Auto platform together with a variety of partner solutions at two events next year.

1. Embedded World from March 3rd to 5th 2009, in Nürnberg
2. CeBIT from March 3rd to 8th 2009 in Hannover
   

@ Embedded World you will be able to find out everything you always wanted to know about MS Auto 3.1 and also get some insight into what is coming next with MS Auto 4.0.
Additionally they will be showing several different partner solutions based on the platform, like EB's street director and EB's Guide suite.

If you are more interested in seeing a prototype of a next-generation Infotainment system then, in this case, CeBit is the place to be.

So long and thanks for all the fish!

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What is new in MS Auto 3.1?

Hello guys,

here some news about MS Auto 3.1:
Microsoft Auto 3.1 is the latest release in Microsoft’s leading automotive focused software platform. It is built on top of Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2.
The improvements made for MS Auto 3.1 include:

• Availability of a new Board Support Package (BSP) for the Renesas SDK-7785 system development kit enabling a new class of processor support for Microsoft Auto
• Significantly improved BSP for Texas Instruments’ TMS320DRA446 (Jacinto) EVM board
• Improved media device support
• Improved Bluetooth support

If you need more information, then just take a look here.

Thanks

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Microsoft Auto 3.1 Feature Pack released

Just a short post to let you know Microsoft has just released its Microsoft Auto 3.1 Feature Pack. Together with the Live Services for Devices Toolkit, companies can create new in-car solutions based on Windows Embedded and offer dynamic, connected services.

In the near future we will post some more news around this feature pack - so stick around.

So long and thanks for all the fish!
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MS Auto vs. Windows Automotive

As Microsoft has now also added Live Search for Devices (LS4D - one of the key features of Windows Embedded NavReady - which we will talk about in one of our next posts) to MS Auto and Windows Automotive I thought this would be a good opportunity to answer the question "What's the difference between MS Auto and Windows Automotive?" and to get rid of some of the confusion around these two platforms - oh yes and then there is Windows Mobile for Automotive and ...

Fortunately Microsoft offers a Platform Guidance Datasheet showing the main differences between the two platforms.


As you can see Windows Automotive 5.0 is based on Windows Embedded CE 5.0 ( same as NavReady 2009 ) and offers the same full flexibility whereas Microsoft Auto 3.0 is based on Windows Embedded CE 6.0 and provides a standard hard- and software platform enabling OEMs and Tier1s to build solutions a lot faster.

Fiat's Blue&Me, by the way, which features Elektrobit's Navigation solution is based on Windows Mobile for Automotive which is the predecessor of MS Auto.

So long and thanks for all the fish!
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