GM Brings IT Dev Back In House; Self-Driving Caddy In the Works 171
dstates writes "Want a good job in IT? Detroit of all places may be the place to be. GM is bringing IT development back in house to speed innovation. Among other initiatives, a self driving Cadillac is planned by mid decade. Ford is also actively developing driver assist technology and is betting big on voice recognition. Ann Arbor has thousands of smart cars wirelessly connected on the road. Think about all those aging baby boomers with houses in the burbs and no desire to move as their vision and reflexes decline. The smart car is a huge market. Seriously, Detroit and SE Michigan have good jobs, great universities, cheap housing and easy access to great sports and outdoors activities."
Free dystopia (Score:5, Funny)
I'm fond of Detroit, but it's worth mentioning that it could be a set from Blade Runner.
Oh boy... (Score:5, Funny)
Ford ... is betting big on voice recognition.
A driver gets cut off, yells "fucking asshole!"
Car: "Now fucking your asshole"
Self driving Caddys for old people (Score:3, Funny)
With turn signals that are always on? And will they remind the "driver" where he is going and why?
Re:Free dystopia (Score:5, Funny)
In part because due to the high crime rate the real place has become too dangerous to film a movie there about a dystopian crime-ridden Detroit.
Re:Target Market (Score:5, Funny)
Price, and marketing. Cadillac has always been sold as up-market luxury. Hell, the name is almost synonymous with luxury in America ... "this is the Cadillac of (item)" conveys quality and luxury.
So the slightly older and affluent folks are the obvious choices because they have the money to buy one, and because older affluent folks have always bought Cadillacs. That's how they know they're affluent. :-P
I think that carried over into the nouveau riche because of the same cachet ... in some circles, if you've made it, you drive a Cadillac. And, since they tend to make larger cars, people who need a little room (like pro athletes) go for them.
I largely think of them as for old men, wise guys (think Sopranos), people who want to put 21" rims, and mommy-tanks (the Escalade).
For me though, it's one of the last vehicles I'd want to own, but that's just personal taste. They're mostly massive cars.
Though, it is always amusing to see a Cadillac or a Hummer that someone has pimped out with huge rims and massive amounts of chrome -- there's a Hummer H3 in my area which has the most gigantic chrome spinners I've ever seen, and every piece that could be chromed has been. Seen the same thing applied to Caddies as well.
Re:Target Market (Score:5, Funny)
That would be especially awesome on a stock car track, with the left turn signal left on.
Re:Seriously... (Score:5, Funny)
A caddy is a car carrying golf clubs.
FTFY