Audi, Mazda, Jeep, Chrysler and Alfa Romeo rally behind Apple's CarPlay connected platform

The connected car platform wars are heating up. Audi, Mazda, Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat and Alfa Romeo have joined the growing list of Apple CarPlay partners whose upcoming models will offer the ability for users to plug in their iPhones and control various functions and apps right from their car's touchscreen or via Siri.

Many of these manufacturers and sub-brands are also part of Google's Open Automotive Alliance which means the type of smartphone you own may be a big determining factor on the next car you buy. CarPlay has 31 partners so far and companies like Pioneer and Alpine are creating CarPlay head units for those of us with older cars but who want the latest tech. Check out our video demo of Apple's CarPlay on the sexy $300,000 Ferrari FF.

Source: Apple

Google feels sting of Apple's Beats acquisition, buys Songza

Not one to sit around and wait what Apple and Beats have in store for streaming music fans, Google's gone off and pulled the trigger on Songza. The music streaming and reccomendation service uses playlists created by 'music experts'  such as DJ's and music critics and tries to suit playlists to user's moods. Songza charges a US $ 0.99 weekly fee for ad free version of its service.

A post on Songza's blog states, "Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re becoming part of Google. We can’t think of a better company to join in our quest to provide the perfect soundtrack for everything you do. No immediate changes to Songza are planned, other than making it faster, smarter, and even more fun to use." It will be interesting to see what plans Google has of monetizing Songza as well as how they will position it against other popular streaming music services and its own Google Play Music service.

Source: Songza

RFID-Blocking Vest introduced by SCOTTeVEST to stop identity theft

SCOTTeVEST (www.SCOTTeVEST.com) has been developing tech-enabled clothing since 2000, but they recently launched a new series of products intended to protect their customers from people using technology to exploit weaknesses in cell phones, credit cards and passports.  Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) security is a growing concern in an increasingly-connected world, and SeV’s new flagship product - the SCOTTeVEST RFID Travel Vest - is engineered with a high-tech pocket to protect the traveler’s most sensitive information.

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Lenovo files patent for a Google Glass-like wearable concept

Lenovo looks like it wants to enter the wearable technology market with a new US patent they applied for. They are trying to patent a headset design that features dual screens, voice recognition, and touch-based navigation. It has a bone-conducting microphone about your nose bridge to make it easier to catch your voice. We’re not sure what Lenovo will do with this patent but it gives us an idea of what we might get in the future.

Source: Engadget