New-Tech Europe | March 2016 | Digital edition

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Samsung presents a new concept of safety on two wheels Smart Windshield

Samsung Italy and Yamaha have announced their collaboration to add a smartphone-connected display to the windshield of a motorcycle. The Smart Windshield concept will display notifications like calls and texts on a head-up display on the screen, with the software designed to be hands-free. This is being undertaken as nearly 25 percent of motorcycle accidents in Italy involve smartphones.

The screen is transparent and located low on the windshield so it doesn’t obscure the rider’s vision. It connects through wi-fi and has a dedicated app to relay information. This will also show directions to the user with the help of GPS.

Samsung is developing this technology as part of its global Launching People communication project and Yamaha has offered its Tricity scooter as the test vehicle. While it’s still a concept, Samsung is hopeful that the concept could be the future of safer motorcycle riding.

smartphone-connected for Yamaha motorcycle

The windshield pairs up with the smartphone wirelessly and shows call or SMS notifications, incoming emails, messages and more and this aims at reducing distractions to the rider.

Dyson developing an electric car, according to government documents

Dyson is developing an electric car at its headquarters in Wiltshire with help from public money, according to government documents. The company, which makes a range of products that utilise the sort of highly efficient motors needed for an electric car such as vacuum cleaners, hand dryers and bladeless fans, last year refused to rule out rumours it was building one. But on Wednesday, the government appeared tohave accidentally disclosed

ruling nothing out. Like our friends in Cupertino [Apple] we are also unhealthily obsessive when it comes to taking apart our products to make them better.” Dyson recently reported profits up 20% in 2015, driven by strong growth in China, and said it plans to invest £1bn in battery technology over the next five years. Last October, Dyson bought solid-state battery company, Sakti3, for $90m, which founder Sir James Dyson said had “developed a breakthrough in

Sir James Dyson at Dyson’s Malmesbury headquarters. Photograph: Adrian Sherratt/Rex

Dyson is working on one, along with other big companies outside of the automotive industry, such as Apple. “The government is funding Dyson to develop a new battery electric vehicle at their headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. This will secure £174m of investment in the area, creating over 500 jobs, mostly in engineering,” said the National Infrastructure Delivery Plan, published on Wednesday. When Dyson CEO, Max Conze, was asked last year if the company was working on an electric car, he said: “We are

battery technology.” Asked if the company was, as the government suggested, developing an electric car, a Dyson spokesman said: “We never comment on products that are in development.” The Guardian has also contacted the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles, which encourages the roll-out of electric vehicles as a way to cut air pollution and lower carbon emissions, and is awaiting details on the exact level of funding.

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