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Sep 12

Motorcycle Vibrations Can Damage iPhone cameras as per Apple

By General Posts

by Kim Lyons from https://www.theverge.com

by Edward Moyer from https://www.cnet.com

From Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803

Motorcycle vibrations can degrade iPhone camera performance, Apple says

High amplitude vibrations can cause problems for the cameras’ gyroscopes

A new post on Apple’s Support forum https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803 says exposing iPhones to high-amplitude vibrations, “specifically those generated by high-power motorcycle engines” could degrade the devices’ camera system. The company recommends against mounting an iPhone on a motorcycle, as the vibrations may be transmitted via the bike’s handlebars and chassis.

Here’s the technical explanation from Apple:

If you accidentally move a camera when you take a picture, the resulting image can be blurry. To prevent this, some iPhone models have optical image stabilization (OIS).1 OIS lets you take sharp photos even if you accidentally move the camera. With OIS, a gyroscope senses that the camera moved. To reduce image motion, and the resulting blur, the lens moves according to the angle of the gyroscope.

Additionally, some iPhone models have closed-loop autofocus (AF).2 Closed-loop AF resists the effects of gravity and vibration to preserve sharp focus in stills, videos, and panoramas. With closed-loop AF, on-board magnetic sensors measure gravity and vibration effects and determine the lens position so that the compensating motion can be set accurately.

The OIS and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone are designed for durability. However, as is the case with many consumer electronics that include systems like OIS, long-term direct exposure to high-amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges may degrade the performance of these systems and lead to reduced image quality for photos and videos. It is recommended to avoid exposing your iPhone to extended high-amplitude vibrations.

The iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and all iPhones since the iPhone 7 have both optical image stabilization and closed-loop autofocus (as noted by MacRumors, the first outlet to spot the Apple support post). Both features are also vulnerable to magnetic interference from some iPhone accessories, Apple warned earlier this year, but removing the accessories should take care of that issue.

Additionally in the new post, Apple says if you’re planning to mount your iPhone to a scooter or a moped, it recommends using a vibration-dampening mount to lessen the risk to the phone and its camera system. And avoiding prolonged regular use of an iPhone mounted to a vehicle that produces lower-amplitude vibrations is also a good idea.

Apple says iPhone cameras can be hurt by motorcycle vibrations

High-power or high-volume motorcycle engines produce potentially damaging high-amplitude vibrations, so the company says don’t attach your phone to your hawg.

If you’ve been rockin’ down the highway with an iPhone mounted on your motorcycle, you might want to think again. On Friday, Apple said certain motorcycle engines can give your iPhone’s camera bad vibes.

“Exposing your iPhone to high amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges, specifically those generated by high-power motorcycle engines, can degrade the performance of the camera system,” the company said in a post on its support site.

The vibes are channeled through the chassis and handlebars, so you shouldn’t attach your phone to motorcycles with high-power or high-volume engines, the company said. It said mopeds and scooters, which tend to have small-volume or electric engines, are less of a concern but that you should use a vibration dampening mount and “avoid regular use for prolonged periods.”

The problem has to do with high-tech gyroscope- and magnet-based camera systems designed to compensate for shaky shots. Such systems, like optical image stabilization and closed-loop autofocus, make automatic adjustments if you accidentally move while taking a picture.

“The OIS and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone are designed for durability,” Apple said. But “long-term direct exposure to high-amplitude vibrations … may degrade the performance of these systems and lead to reduced image quality for photos and videos.”

For details on which iPhone models feature these camera systems, you can check out Apple’s post.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803

 

Jul 30

Indian Motorcycles Now Have Apple CarPlay, Command System Gets Upgraded

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

In a very short period of time, navigation and smartphone integration systems have become very important for the auto industry. It is very hard today to find a car that doesn’t come with at least one built-in such system. In the case of motorcycles though, things are a bit more complicated.

It is only now, years after the first smartphone was successfully integrated with a car, that motorcycle makers are including such amenities on their products. Harley-Davidson, for instance, only recently announced the availability of Android Auto to its 2021 bikes, a tad later after providing CarPlay support for its two-wheelers.

In a bid to keep being relevent in this respect, one of Harley’s biggest rivals, Indian, announced this week it too would include Apple’s solution on some of its models starting this year.

More specifically, the 2020 Chieftain, Roadmaster and Challenger models will get the system, but only when fitted with the 7-inch Ride Command system with navigation. As usual, CarPlay would allow access to features such as Apple Music, Maps, or Siri directly from the integrated screen.

Together with this announcement the bike maker also said the Ride Command is getting upgraded a bit, with the integration of improved navigation location management, improved boot time, audio muting and control improvements.

Also, widget fixes, a new fuel economy widget, and improved search functionality within navigation have also been included in the update.

“Continuing its mission to further enhance the riding experience, this latest update continues to deliver industry-leading technology which provides riders with a way to stay connected while out on the road,” the bike maker said in a statement. “This integration also increases global accessibility to navigation.”

For now, Indian did not ay whether the introduction of CarPlay would translate into an increased price for the bikes. More details on this can be found by hitting this link.

Jul 25

Honda Gold Wing is the first motorcycle to get Android Auto integration

By General Posts

by Kyle Hyatt from https://www.cnet.com

Now it’s not just the Apple fans having all the fun.

Honda was among the first motorcycle manufacturers in the world to offer Apple CarPlay on its bikes. While that may not sound like a big deal to someone who’s used to seeing it everywhere in cars, CarPlay on the Honda Gold Wing was pretty monumental. After the Gold Wing, it went to the Africa Twin, and it’s likely to continue rolling out to other models.

That’s all well and good if you happen to be an Apple user, but what about all the die-hard Android fans out there? Well, you were basically out of luck until now. See, Honda announced a while ago that the Gold Wing would be the first bike to get Android Auto too, and now that update is available free for Gold Wing owners.

Generally, motorcycles are — by necessity — fairly bare-bones. The danger of distracting a rider is real, but Honda found a way to integrate four-wheeled infotainment into a two-wheel package that makes sense and is relatively easy to use without pulling a rider’s eyes or attention from the task at hand.

As with the CarPlay setup, with Android Auto on the Gold Wing, you do have to have a third-party Bluetooth communication device in addition to your phone. For example, I own and love a Cardo Packtalk Bold system (with JBL speakers, natch) and found it worked well with the Gold Wing’s CarPlay system. Sena users will be just fine too, but if you don’t have a communicator at all, you’re out of luck.

The other catch is that it’s compatible only with Android 5.0 or later phones, but if you’re still living that pre-Lollipop life, then as Flava Flav once said, “I can’t do nuttin’ for ya, man.”

Mar 04

This Is One of the Best Apple CarPlay Kits for Harley-Davidson

By General Posts

It goes without saying that installing an Apple CarPlay or Android Auto kit on a Harley-Davidson isn’t as easy as it is on a car, as the system needs to have some extra features that would make it appropriate for a motorcycle.

And Sony knows this best, as its XAV-AX7000 AV receiver is one of the best choices right now for every Harley-Davidson owner, providing nearly the same experience as in a car.

With a 6.05-inch capacitive touchscreen, the new Sony kit also features an anti-glare layer, which is without a doubt a nice thing to have on a motorcycle. But additionally, Sony has also added waterproof protection for the screen, so you really shouldn’t have any problems if it starts raining and you’re using CarPlay for navigation.

And because rain is something that we can’t always predict accurately, Sony has also equipped the system with sealed buttons on the front-facing part in order to prevent water from reaching the internals.

The XAV-AX7000 can also be used in a car, as it also comes with rear-view camera support, 4x100W Max. power output, and voice control for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to use it hands-free.

The display features a 17:9 aspect ratio and a 800×480 resolution, with a 500 nits maximum brightness. This isn’t the best performance for sunny days, though, but it should get its job done most of the time.

As for the price, the Sony XAV-AX7000 is available from a series of retailers starting at $499.99, but additional accessories might be required to install it on a motorcycle. It goes without saying that you should be able to install it at home without paying for professional installation, but make sure you read the manual to connect all cables properly.

The device supports both Android Auto and CarPlay when a smartphone is connected, so you’ll also need a phone mount to use the whole thing.

Dec 17

Tesla among companies sued for complicity over child labor in Congo

By General Posts

by Matthew Lavietes from https://www.autonews.com

NEW YORK — Five of the world’s largest tech companies, including electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc., have been accused of being complicit in the death of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo forced to mine cobalt, a metal used to make telephones and computers, in a landmark lawsuit.

The legal complaint on behalf of 14 families from Congo was filed on Sunday by International Rights Advocates, a U.S.-based human rights non-profit, against Tesla, Apple Inc., Google parent Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Dell Technologies Inc..

The companies were part of a system of forced labor that the families claimed led to the death and serious injury of their children, it said.

It marked the first time the tech industry jointly has faced legal action over the source of its cobalt.

Images in the court documents, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, showed children with disfigured or missing limbs.

Six of the 14 children in the case were killed in tunnel collapses, and the others suffered life-altering injuries, including paralysis, it said.

“These companies — the richest companies in the world, these fancy gadget-making companies — have allowed children to be maimed and killed to get their cheap cobalt,” Terrence Collingsworth, an attorney representing the families, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Cobalt is essential in making rechargeable lithium batteries used in millions of products sold by the tech industry.

More than half of the world’s cobalt is produced in Congo.

Global demand for the metal is expected to increase at 7 percent to 13 percent annually over the next decade, according to a 2018 study by the European Commission.

The lawsuit said the children, some as young as 6 years old, were forced by their families’ extreme poverty to leave school and work in cobalt mining owned by the British mining company Glencore. Glencore has previously been accused of using child labor.

Some children were paid as little as $1.50 per day, working 6 days a week, it said.

In response to a request for comment, Dell said in an email that it has “never knowingly sourced operations” using child labor and has launched an investigation into the allegations.

A spokesperson for Glencore said: “Glencore notes the allegations contained in a U.S. lawsuit filed on 15th December 2019.

“Glencore’s production of cobalt in the DRC is a by-product of our industrial copper production. Glencore’s operations in the DRC do not purchase or process any artisanally mined ore.

“Glencore does not tolerate any form of child, forced, or compulsory labor.”

Tesla, Apple, Google, Microsoft did not immediately respond for comment.

The legal complaint argued that the companies all have the ability to overhaul their cobalt supply chains to ensure safer conditions.

“I’ve never encountered or documented a more severe asymmetry in the allocation of income between the top of the supply chain and the bottom,” said Siddharth Kara, a researcher on modern slavery who is an expert witness in the case.

“It’s that disconnect that makes this perhaps the worst injustice of slavery and child exploitation that I’ve seen in my two decades research,” Kara said.

More than 40 million people have been estimated to be captive in modern slavery, which includes forced labor and forced marriage, according to Walk Free and the International Labour Organization.