Test out Google’s digital car key feature. With the decades you’ve undoubtedly spent with the dependable device at your disposal, you’ve probably realised your smartphone can do almost everything.

Taking Instagram images, phoning and messaging friends, online shopping, paying for coffee dates, and playing games—your smartphone can do it all.
But did you know your Android phone can also unlock your car? You do know!
You can completely replace your key fob with Google’s ‘Digital Car Key’ feature.
Better more, as long as your phone runs Android 12 or higher, you may take advantage of this useful, time-saving function.
The digital car key feature was first launched in 2021 as part of the Android 12 operating system. The feature uses NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, which is widespread on modern smartphones, to verify your identification and unlock your automobile.
If you want to test drive the digital car key yourself, we have all the information you need.

What You Need to Set Up a Digital Car Key

Not every car and phone can take advantage of Google’s digital car key capability. With that in mind, you’ll need the following things before you get started:

• Pixel 6 and later (Includes the Pixel Fold and Pixel 8 Pro)
• Samsung Galaxy S21 and later
• Android 12 and up
• Stable internet connection
• Google Wallet app
• Compatible car

For a complete list of compatible automobiles, see the Android compatibility list. You may check your own make and model to confirm it is compatible with the digital car key feature.

How To Set Up Your Digital Car Key on Android

To begin utilising your digital auto key, complete these simple steps:

• Open car manufacturer website
• Find ‘digital car key’ and follow on screen instructions
• Sign in with Google account
• Agree to TOS
• Tap ‘Start pairing’ to pair your phone to your car
• Add digital key to Google Wallet

With the digital car key enabled on your phone, you can lock, unlock, and start your car without having to seek for your car key fob. Holding the back of your device (where the NFC technology is placed) close to the door will open it.

The feature also enables ‘passive entry.’ According to Google, passive entry eliminates the need to hold your phone near your car’s door.
Instead, your gadget will ‘automatically open your car doors’ if you’re nearby, start your cat when you get inside, and even lock your doors when you leave.
Despite this useful function, it is essential to maintain a spare key fob nearby in case of an emergency. Because the digital car key functionality requires an internet connection to function, you don’t want to end up locked out of your vehicle after travelling to a location with a poor connection.

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1. Mobile Dominance
   Mobile internet usage has been steadily increasing, and 2024 is no exception. With smartphones becoming more accessible and affordable, more people are connecting to the internet via mobile devices than ever before. Key statistics include:

Global Mobile Internet Users:
As of 2024, more than 6.3 billion people worldwide utilise mobile internet, accounting for approximately 80% of the global population.

Mobile Data Consumption:
Mobile data traffic is predicted to climb by 30% this year, owing to high-definition video streaming and social media activity.

Mobile-First Indexing:
Google’s transition to mobile-first indexing implies that a site’s mobile performance has a substantial impact on its search rankings.

Implications:
Businesses must prioritise mobile-friendly website design and functionality in order to capture and maintain their target audience. Optimising for mobile is no longer optional; it is required for success in today’s industry.

2. 5G Technology
5G technology is rapidly developing around the world, offering better internet speeds and more reliable connections. This technological innovation is expected to revolutionise a variety of sectors:

Faster Speeds:
5G networks offer speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G, allowing for rapid downloads and flawless streaming.
Enhanced Connectivity: 5G’s decreased latency and increased bandwidth assist the expanding number of connected devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem.

Impact on Industries:
Healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing industries are using 5G to improve automation, telemedicine, and smart infrastructure.

Implications:
Companies should look into how 5G may improve their operations and consumer experience. From real-time analytics to augmented reality applications, the possibilities are endless.

3. Increased AI and Automation Adoptions
AI and automation are changing the way we interact with the internet and digital services. In 2024, we expect these technologies to become more widespread:

AI-Powered Personalization:
AI is increasingly being used on websites and apps to provide personalised content, suggestions, and user experiences.

Chatbots and Virtual Assistants:
Chatbots and other automation techniques improve customer service by delivering rapid, 24/7 support.

Content Generation and Curation:
AI is being used to develop and curate content ranging from news articles to product descriptions, hence increasing productivity and engagement.

Implications:
Businesses should invest in AI to improve personalisation and streamline operations. Leveraging AI can result in increased customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

4. Streaming Services and Content Consumption increase
Streaming services have become an essential component of digital entertainment. In 2024, the demand for streaming content continues to rise.

Video Streaming Dominance:
Video services such as YouTube, Netflix, and TikTok drive more than 80% of all internet traffic.

Live Streaming Popularity:
Live streaming on social media and gaming platforms is becoming more popular, as consumers engage with real-time content.

Subscription Fatigue:
While the industry is overcrowded with streaming services, there is a growing tendency towards bundle packages and consolidated subscriptions to fight subscriber fatigue.

Implications:
Content creators and marketers should focus on video and live streaming to engage audiences. Diversifying content distribution across multiple platforms can maximize reach and impact.

5. E-Commerce and Digital Payments Surge
E-commerce continues to grow globally, and digital payment methods are growing more prevalent.

E-Commerce Growth:
Global e-commerce sales are predicted to exceed $5 trillion by 2024, driven by the convenience and variety of online purchasing.

Digital Wallets and Contactless Payments:
Consumers like fast and safe transactions, thus digital wallets and contactless payments are becoming increasingly popular.

Cross-Border Shopping:
Improved logistics and cross-border e-commerce platforms have led to an increase in international shopping.

Implications:
To appeal to a worldwide audience, businesses should improve their online buying experience and include numerous payment alternatives. Embracing e-commerce trends can increase revenue and client loyalty.

6. Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Concerns
Concerns about cybersecurity and data privacy are growing in tandem with increased internet usage. In 2024, these topics are more important than ever:

Cyber Threats:
Cyberattacks are increasingly sophisticated and target both corporations and individuals. Protecting data and systems is critical.

New data privacy legislation, like GDPR and CCPA, impact how firms gather, keep, and manage user data.

Consumer Awareness: Users are becoming more conscious of their data rights, demanding greater transparency and control over their personal information.

Companies must prioritise cybersecurity measures and follow data privacy standards in order to develop confidence and secure their operations. Clear disclosure regarding data policies can boost client confidence.

Conclusion
The internet landscape in 2024 is characterised by significant technical breakthroughs and shifting user behaviour. Understanding these worldwide trends is critical for being competitive and satisfying the changing expectations of customers. Whether you’re optimising for mobile, researching AI, or improving cybersecurity, staying ahead of these trends will help business succeed in the digital age.

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Smart phones are present in 85% of American households, according to the 2018 U.S. Census. They are said to be viewed 14 million times per day, making them potential reservoirs for environmental hazards like allergens. On simulated phone models, a new study presented at this year’s American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Louisville, KY, found elevated levels of cat and dog allergens, as well as -D glucans (BDG) and endotoxin.

“Smartphones showed elevated and variable levels of BDG and endotoxin, and cat and dog allergens were found on pet owners’ smartphones,” says Hana Ruran, the study’s lead author. “BDGs are found in fungal cell walls and have been found in a variety of environments and surfaces, causing chronic airway and irritant symptoms, making BDGs a reliable marker for studying problematic mould.” Endotoxin is a potent inflammatory agent and a marker of Gram negative bacteria exposure.”

The researchers built phone models that were the same size and shape as real phones, and the front surface of the phone model was wiped as part of the test. Electrostatic wipes (ESW) were used to sample 15 volunteers’ simulated phone models, and the “phones” were then tested for allergens, BDG, and endotoxin levels.

The chemicals used in the cleaning mixture solutions (chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, tannic acid, and benzyl benzoate) can be obtained from laboratory or chemical suppliers, but not in the concentrations used in the study. Cleaning properties of isopropyl alcohol wipes were also tested.

“The combination chlorhexidine/cetylpyridinium was most effective in reducing BDG and endotoxin, and the combination benzyl benzoate/tannic acid was most effective in reducing cat and dog allergens on smartphones,” says Peter Thorne, PhD, professor and co-author of the study. “The study demonstrates exposure to inhalant allergens and molecules that trigger innate immune reactions from an unexpected source.” If you have allergies or asthma, you should consider cleaning your smartphone more frequently to reduce your exposure to allergens and asthma triggers.”

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Asthma and COVID-19 make it difficult for the body to absorb oxygen from the lungs. As a result, oxygen saturation percentages drop to 90% or lower, indicating that medical attention is required.

Doctors use pulse oximeters in clinics to monitor oxygen saturation. Pulse oximeters are the clips that go around your fingertip or ear. However, monitoring oxygen saturation at home several times per day has the potential to be beneficial. It could, for example, assist patients in monitoring COVID symptoms.

Researchers from the University of Washington (UW) and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) demonstrated in a proof-of-concept study that smartphones can detect blood oxygen saturation levels as low as 70%. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, this is the lowest value that pulse oximeters should be able to measure (FDA).

Participants use the technique by placing their finger over the camera and flash of a smartphone, which uses a deep-learning algorithm to determine blood oxygen levels. During the testing, the team administered a controlled mixture of nitrogen and oxygen to six subjects in order to artificially lower their blood oxygen levels. The smartphone correctly predicted whether the subject had low blood oxygen levels 80% of the time.

The findings will be published today (September 19) in the journal npj Digital Medicine.

Measure Blood Oxygen

“Other smartphone apps that do this require users to hold their breath.” However, after a minute or so, people become very uncomfortable and need to breathe, and this is before their blood-oxygen levels have dropped far enough to represent the full range of clinically relevant data,” said Jason Hoffman. He is the co-lead author and a doctoral student at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. “With our test, we can collect 15 minutes of data from each subject.” Our data suggests that smartphones could perform well right at the critical threshold.”

Another advantage of measuring blood oxygen levels on a smartphone is that almost everyone nowadays owns one.

“This way, you could have multiple measurements with your own device at no or low cost,” said co-author Dr. Matthew Thompson, a family medicine professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “In an ideal world, this information could be transmitted seamlessly to a doctor’s office.” This would be extremely useful for telemedicine appointments or for triage nurses to quickly determine whether patients need to go to the emergency department or if they can rest at home and schedule an appointment with their primary care provider later.”

Six participants ranging in age from 20 to 34 were recruited by the researchers. Three were identified as female and three as male. One participant identified as African American, while the remaining participants identified as Caucasian.

The team had each participant wear a standard pulse oximeter on one finger and then place another finger on the same hand over a smartphone’s camera and flash to collect data for training and testing the algorithm. Each participant had the same setup on both hands at the same time.

“Every time your heart beats, fresh blood flows through the part illuminated by the flash,” said senior author Edward Wang, who began this project as a UW doctoral student studying electrical and computer engineering and is now an assistant professor at UC San Diego’s Design Lab and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“The camera records how much blood absorbs the light from the flash in each of the three color channels it measures: red, green, and blue,” Wang, who also directs the UC San Diego DigiHealth Lab, explained. “Those intensity measurements can then be fed into our deep-learning model.”

To gradually reduce oxygen levels, each participant breathed in a controlled mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. It took about 15 minutes to complete the process. The team collected over 10,000 blood oxygen level readings ranging from 61% to 100% for all six participants.

The scientists trained a deep learning algorithm on data from four of the participants to determine blood oxygen levels. They used the remaining data to validate the method before testing it on new subjects to see how well it performed.

“Smartphone light can be scattered by all these other components in your finger,” said co-lead author Varun Viswanath, a UW alumnus who is now a doctoral student advised by Wang at UC San Diego. “Deep learning is a really useful technique here because it can see these really complex and nuanced features and helps you find patterns that you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.”

The team plans to expand their research by running the algorithm on more people.

“One of our subjects had thick calluses on their fingers, which made it difficult for our algorithm to determine their blood oxygen levels accurately,” Hoffman explained. “If we were to expand this study to include more subjects, we would most likely see more calluses and people with different skin tones.” Then we might have an algorithm with enough complexity to better model all of these differences.”

However, the scientists believe that this is a good first step toward developing machine learning-aided biomedical devices.

“It’s critical to conduct a study like this,” Wang said. “Traditional medical devices are subjected to rigorous testing.” However, computer science research is only now beginning to delve into the use of machine learning for biomedical device development, and we are all still learning. We force ourselves to be rigorous in order to learn how to do things correctly.”

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According to the company, the future of communications will be hybrid, with satellites extending and augmenting terrestrial mobile networks.

5G Connect

Another company, AST SpaceMobile, is already working on something similar, constructing a space-based cellular network that will be directly accessible by standard mobile phones. In March 2019, AST SpaceMobile, based in Midland, Texas, launched its first satellite. It has also transported its second satellite, BlueWalker 3, to Cape Canaveral in Florida, with plans to launch it at the end of the summer.

However, Omnispace’s Chief Commercial Officer Brian Pemberton stated that what distinguishes Omnispace is that it has always taken a standards-based approach. The company has been collaborating with the 3GPP to operate its future satellite constellation in accordance with the 3GPP’s non-terrestrial network (NTN) specifications as defined in Release 17 for 5G.

This white paper prepared by 5G Americas details the 3GPP standardization work related to NTNs.

“We’ve been instrumental in developing the standards that we’ll be building into our satellite communications, along with Apple, Qualcomm, Nokia, Ericsson, and others,” Pemberton said.

In contrast, AST SpaceMobile is developing proprietary and patented technology for its mobile satellite network, according to him.

Omnispace, for its part, completed the launch of two satellites earlier this year through its Omnispace Spark program.

Omnispace has so far raised $140 million. It employs approximately 40 full-time employees and approximately 40 contract workers.

Omnispace and AST SpaceMobile both intend to combine their satellite networks with terrestrial mobile networks to provide ubiquitous mobile device connectivity.

Intelligent Communication

In fact, Omnispace today announced a collaboration with the Philippine wireless company Smart Communications.

The Philippine operator is interested in use cases such as 5G connectivity in remote areas, incorporating IoT and sensors for monitoring weather disturbances and natural disasters, and expanding network coverage for disaster relief.

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The Value of a Digital Customer Experience in the Automotive Industry

In recent years, the internet has made it easier than ever to research, compare, and purchase a new vehicle. Whether you’re looking for a luxury vehicle or something more affordable, innovative companies like TAQ Automotive Intelligence, which provides specialized selling platforms to car dealerships, have made the process much easier. These platforms assist car dealerships in providing more information to consumers about car models, features, and price points, allowing them to make better decisions when purchasing a new car.

Furthermore, with the rise of social media and mobile technology, consumers’ expectations for their car-buying experience have shifted. They no longer want to be passed from one salesperson to the next or wait for hours for financing paperwork. They want transparency, convenience, and speed, all delivered digitally, so they can make informed decisions about which vehicles best suit their needs and budgets.

How Connected Car Technology Can Assist

The car-buying process can be difficult, especially when looking for a new vehicle. You want to buy a car that fits your needs and lifestyle, but finding the right one can be difficult. There are numerous options available, ranging from various makes and models to varying prices and features.
We can now research our purchase options at home thanks to connected car technology, but we still need assistance from the dealership to make a final decision. We’ll also require them for ongoing vehicle maintenance once we’ve purchased our new vehicle. Here are four ways that connected car technology is altering the way we buy and own automobiles:

It expedites and streamlines the process.
When looking for a new vehicle, you want quick access to information about its features, safety ratings, and consumer reviews. You can easily find all of this information in one place thanks to connected car technology. You can also use your smartphone as a hotspot to connect your laptop or tablet to Wi-Fi, allowing you to make calls from the dealer while they work hard to close the deal on your new vehicle.

Increasing Sales Process Efficiency
Another important step in the car-buying process is the sales process. While some people prefer to negotiate their price ahead of time through online research or phone calls before even setting foot on the lot, others prefer to see what kind of deal they can get from the dealer once they arrive.
Whatever approach you take, connected car technology can make your next transaction easier and more efficient than ever before by connecting you directly to your preferred dealer’s inventory system, allowing you to find exactly what you’re looking for in seconds!

The Driving Experience
Even when purchasing a vehicle online, a test drive is essential. It allows buyers to get a sense of how it feels behind the wheel, how well it handles, and how comfortable all passengers are.
Dealerships can use connected car technology to provide customers with custom routes that highlight key features in different environments, such as city streets or highways, so they can get a complete picture of how well their new car will perform in various situations.

The test drive also gives dealerships real-time feedback on what customers like about certain features, allowing them to share those insights with other customers who may be interested in similar vehicles from other manufacturers.

Ongoing Vehicle Maintenance
The days of dealerships only providing service after you purchased your vehicle are over. Customers today want to know that they will receive the same level of service from their dealer after they drive off the lot, which is why many dealerships offer ongoing vehicle service plans. If you sign up for an ongoing service plan with your dealership, you may be able to get your oil changed or tires rotated for free.

Furthermore, many dealerships offer discounts on parts and labor for parts purchased through them, which is another reason why it pays to return to the same location for all of your car’s needs.

Last Thoughts
Technology is redefining car purchases, and it’s not going to stop there. There’s so much more that can be done, and we’re just getting started. These few examples of shopping technology each put their own spin on the purchasing process, but they’re all successful approaches that have made an impact in some way. It’s very likely that as time goes on, we’ll see even more widespread use of technology in the industry, as well as a lot more excited about these developments. Driving’s future is now.

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