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Microsoft Wants To Power Self-Driving Cars With Software, Not Build One (theverge.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft's Peggy Johnson said at the Converge conference (Warning: WSJ source paywalled) in Hong Kong this week that the company is not interested in manufacturing its own self-driving cars, but instead is interested in building software for cars. "We won't be building our own autonomous vehicle but we would like to enable autonomous vehicles and assisted driving as well," said Johnson, head of business development at Microsoft. "We in different ways enabled a variety of different partners and you'll see us continuing to do that." Microsoft is open to partners requesting an operating system for cars. The company has partnered with Harman to integrate Microsoft Office 365 into its infotainment systems, bringing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to cars for the first time. "You're sitting in the car for many, many minutes a day. Can that be part of your new office, can it be your new desk, a place where you actually get work done?" asked Johnson. "We believe it can." Two years ago, Microsoft unveiled their "Windows in the car" initiative to compete against Apple's CarPlay.
brakes.sys has caused a system error.
Hold down start to reboot.
Well, they do have experience, just look at the absolutely wonderful piece of work they did on Ford Sync.
...to blue screen of death! :: CRASH ::
I am Clippy, I noticed that you have been involved in an accident , please select from the following options. ..> Cues a selection of lawyer adds.
1) Call police --> Cues pay for service detective agencies.
2) Call Ambulance --> Cues a selection of pay for service adds.
3) Call a lawyer
4) Call towing service --> Cues pay for towing service adds.
I notice you have not answered within the required five minutes, are you dead? Please answer "yes" or "no".
I am sorry but I don't understand "Hhhhhh.. " please speak clearly.
If you don't answer within 60 seconds I will call the nearest morgue, in the interim for your edification please peruse our list of funeral services.
There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
"One moment, upgrading your car to Windows 10..."
*steering wheel stops working*
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
An oldie from many years ago, copied from http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/pnw...
For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on. At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue.
For some reason you would simply accept this.
4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.
7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.
8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off."
"We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
"Cortana, take me home."
"Okay. Relax and enjoy these sponsored messages from our selected partners."
"Cortana, skip ads"
"Skip ads is not available on Microsoft Drive Home Edition. Upgrade to Drive Professional Edition? $6000 USD will be deducted from your savings account at... Wells Fargo Bank"
"NO! Do not upgrade!"
"Okay. We are passing by Applebee's San Bruno. Would you like to travel to Applebee's San Bruno for their new hearty Chicken Ravioli Pot Pie?"
"NO!"
"Say 'no' again to confirm travel to Applebee's San Bruno."
"Argh. Uh. Yes?"
"Okay. Traveling to Applebee's San Bruno."
"NO! Cortana! Take me home!"
"This is hacker group carhakz.ru. We now control your car. Transfer $1000 to our account or car will drive into oncoming traffic in 10... 9..."
"Shit! Shit! Cortana! Transfer $1000 to carhakz.ru!"
"Okay. Updating to Microsoft Drive Enterprise Edition. $10000 USD being transferred from... Wells Fargo Bank."
The manufacturers originally wanted to use Linux but were unable to overcome the issue of bad drivers.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
A shame there will be no Microsoft Zoom car, but we welcome their DrivesForSure certification program.