1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Toyota to set up social networking service for Cars

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by ggood, May 23, 2011.

  1. ggood

    ggood Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2004
    2,436
    517
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    News Headlines

    Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. and Salesforce.com, based in San Francisco, announced their alliance Monday to launch "Toyota Friend," a private social network for Toyota owners.In a demonstration at a Tokyo showroom, an owner of a plug-in Prius hybrid found out through a cell phone message from his Prius called "Pre-boy" that he should remember to recharge his car overnight.
    When the owner plugged in his car to recharge it, the car replied, "The charge will be completed by 2:15 a.m. Is that OK? See you tomorrow."
    Since many next-generation cars need to be recharged, drivers may need real-time information, such as the battery level of their cars and locations of charging stations, more than regular gas-engine cars.
     
    #1 ggood, May 23, 2011
  2. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    At first I thought "What? We already have PriusChat." But then I realised this is so we can talk to our cars. Silver can play too! :D
     
    #2 hyo silver, May 23, 2011
  3. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2006
    7,028
    1,116
    0
    Location:
    South Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    I hope the charge meter that I'm sure is going to be in every professionally built EV is going to be more accurate than the fuel gauge or properly interpreted but I doubt it.

    Case in point is the family that drove the Leaf from the airport most of the way home.

    Charging stations as a POI is a good idea. Are you really expecting better accuracy than what is being delivered now? The nav system in the 2011 is two generations behind in storage technology.
     
    #3 JimN, May 23, 2011
  4. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2010
    2,641
    264
    0
    Location:
    Western NY
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I don't see how this is different from already being able to communicate with the car like what the Leaf can do.
     
    #4 Skoorbmax, May 26, 2011
  5. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2009
    924
    123
    11
    Location:
    GA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    I told my wife about this and made the point about the car asking if 2:15am was ok...what are you going to do, yell at the car to charge faster?

    This will surely lead to the revolt.
     
    #5 billnchristy, May 26, 2011
  6. Ryanpl

    Ryanpl Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2010
    780
    158
    0
    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    When I read the title of the post I just started laughing. When ever we pass another Prius my five year old says the cars all need ti get together and have a book club.His suggestion for the first book, "Tires and their treads".
     
    #6 Ryanpl, May 26, 2011
  7. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,879
    8,175
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    +1
    That's what I was gona say . . . so . . . hey Ford, welcome to the 21st Century!
    :p
    And here's my state of charge that I just checked. The Leaf is in the parking structure's basement, and the web signal still hooks up just dandy:
     

    Attached Files:

    • SOC.jpg
      SOC.jpg
      File size:
      62.9 KB
      Views:
      364
    #7 hill, May 26, 2011
  8. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2009
    924
    123
    11
    Location:
    GA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    Ford?

    You mean Toyota?

    Ford will already contact you through Sync and they don't even have an electric out yet.
     
    #8 billnchristy, May 26, 2011
  9. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2008
    4,003
    944
    118
    Location:
    Los Angeles Foothills
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Of course if you are driving, ALL of this important data will be UNAVAILABLE while the car is in motion......:eek:
     
    #9 KK6PD, May 26, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  10. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,879
    8,175
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    Whoops . . . um yea . . . that's what I meant.
     
    #10 hill, May 26, 2011
  11. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,879
    8,175
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    Whoops . . . um yea . . . that's what I meant.
    Well, unavailable via web link. But if you're driving, the data is right there in front of you anyway ... and you ought to know you ride is not charging ... because your driving. ;)
     
    #11 hill, May 26, 2011
  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,933
    16,152
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    "There's a Prius meet tomorrow by the park, would you like to confirm your attendance?"

    That would be social networking. The car reminding you to charge is only a small step up to those of us who have navigation systems that remind us to take the car in for service or to rotate the tyres or change the 12V battery (user programmed).

    What would be cool is if Toyota's social networking program had something similar to TomTom Buddies.

    With TomTom Buddies, say you're meeting up with a friend for lunch. You send the restaurant's address to your friend's TomTom. When you're "visible", you appear as a blue dot on your friend's TomTom (and vice versa, your friend is a blue dot on your TomTom). This can be useful if you're caravanning together and a light separates you.
     
    #12 Tideland Prius, May 26, 2011
  13. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2008
    2,760
    322
    3
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Oh great. Now, when I'm driving, my car is going to be on the cell phone, talking to other cars, and posting facebook status updates. What happens when both the car and the phone are texting while driving???? :eek: :eek: :eek:

    ...and what happens when your blue Prius sees a pink Prius? Does it make a U-turn without consulting you first??? :eek:
     
    #13 Rybold, May 27, 2011
  14. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2009
    924
    123
    11
    Location:
    GA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    BluePrius says- OMG my owner stinks.
    like this, comment

    :eek:
     
    #14 billnchristy, Jun 1, 2011
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)