2002 Bmw Z3 M Roadster Convertible 2-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

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BMW teases Airtouch gesture-based infotainment ahead of CES

At the last Consumer Electronics Show BMW revealed a gesture control system that employed a 3D sensor in the roof of a car to read hand movements made in front of the dashboard. That appearance in Las Vegas was a tease for the system we'd get in the brand new 7 Series. At next month's CES BMW will showcase a "Vision Car" with a concept interior of the future that incorporates the evolution of the current gesture system. It is called Airtouch. Permitting a wider variety of iDrive control, 3D sensors on the instrument panel read movements made with a flat hand so that driver or passenger can work their way through entertainment, navigation, and communication menus. Users can confirm actions with hand gestures, or with a button on the steering wheel or another in the passenger's door. We'll find out next month what the rest of the Vision Car includes. If this year's template is a guide, we'll also keep an eye on the coming 7 Series flagships to see if they include production versions of Airtouch. There's a press release below for more information. Related Video: BMW Group at the CES 2016 in Las Vegas. BMW presents the principle of the contactless touchscreen with AirTouch.28.12.2015, Munich/Las Vegas. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES, 6 to 9 January 2016) in Las Vegas, the BMW Group is presenting a Vision Car to demonstrate what the interior and the user interface of the future might look like. The rapid advance of networking between driver, vehicle and environment is becoming increasingly intensive and is facilitating new services. One example of new technologies in seamlessly networked vehicles is provided by AirTouch. This feature empowers intuitive control of entertainment, navigation and communication functions using simple gestures made with a flat hand. AirTouch allows the display in a vehicle to be operated like a touchscreen without actually having to make contact with the surface. Sensors record the hand movements in the area between the central console and the interior mirror. This enables drivers or passengers to change the focus on the surface of the large panorama display. Simple confirmation selects the relevant menu item or activates an icon.Sensors on the instrument dashboard permit 3D control.One year ago, BMW already presented the new gesture control at the CES. This enables simple movements of a finger to carry out actions such as adjusting the loudness or accepting phone calls.

Check out 90 years of BMW Motorrad in 90 seconds

After ninety years in business and first-to-market motorcycle innovations like the one-piece 'tunnel' crankcase, hydraulically dampened front forks and full fairings, as well as that trademark boxer engine, BMW Motorrad is celebrating its nonagenarian status with a video: You can follow the ride on BMW motorcycles from 1923 to now in just 90 seconds.
Okay, so there's more than a video - some anniversary-themed bikes and a new retro boxer model celebrating the R 32 "airhead' from 1923 also commemorate the occasion. But you can start with the video, and that's below.

Audi, BMW, Daimler buy Nokia's Here digital mapping business

The fight for control of Nokia's Here digital mapping service appears to have drawn to a close as a consortium of German automakers has announced a deal to jointly acquire the business from the Finnish telecom giant. As anticipated, ownership in Here will now be taken over jointly by Audi, BMW, and Daimler, beating out reported rivals bids from the likes of Apple and Uber. Here is one of the largest and most advanced digital mapping and location systems. It started out in Chicago in 1986 as Navteq before Nokia acquired it in 2007, and is now slated to change ownership again. The cloud-based service maintains high-definition digital maps for nearly 200 countries and supports over 50 languages, gathering data from users to update the data continuously. Rather than transition the service into their own proprietary technology, however, the automakers insist that it will remain open "to all customers from the automotive industry and other sectors." Ownership will be shared equally between the three companies, with "none of them seek[ing] to acquire a majority interest" in Here. For another, Here's management is promised to remain independent, and "the consortium will not interfere into operational business." Though the purchase price has not been disclosed, it is rumored to be worth in the neighborhood of $2.7 billion. Assuming it passes regulatory approval, the acquisition is slated to be completed in the first quarter of next year. The German automakers anticipate implementing the service to provide connected vehicles with accurate, up-to-date information on road and other conditions. Examples it outlines include warning other drivers of icy conditions based on outside temperature and ABS activation. It could also warn drivers of impending traffic jams, or even guide traffic through green lights in an urban environment. In the future, the highly detailed maps are envisioned to enable fully automated driving as well. Related Video: AUDI AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG agree with Nokia Corporation on joint acquisition of HERE digital mapping business Ingolstadt, Munich, Stuttgart, Aug 03, 2015 - Acquisition will secure and strengthen HERE as an independent company serving customers from all industries - Real-time maps and location based services will be the basis for the mobility of tomorrow - Transaction expected to close in first quarter 2016 Ingolstadt, Munich, Stuttgart – August 3rd, 2015.