Thread: 15 Ways QNX Is A Part Of Your Life That You May Not Know About

If you just thought QNX was the fancy OS on the PlayBook and future BlackBerry, you're right and you're wrong. QNX, the highly anticipated software by RIM has already been a part of most everyone's without them even knowing it, says RIM's founder Mike Lazaridis. Just to give you a teaser before jump into the list, did you know that OnStar uses QNX? Me either!

"RIM now owns the backbone software for many critical services we all rely on.

Here are some places that you'll encounter QNX software away from the BlackBerry:

• Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube: QNX technology provides the software's foundation for the World's highest-capacity routers, which handle the data, voice, and video traffic for hundreds of millions of Internet users every day.
• Your electricity: QNX technology also controls many power generation systems around the globe, including wind turbines, nuclear and hydroelectric power plants.
• Calling for help: 911 uses QNX technology because of its unprecedented reliability in delivering emergency assistance 24/7.
• OnStar: OnStar is based around QNX which is used in numerous car models allowing for the system to automatically call for help in a car accident and can also provide emergency responders with your exact location thanks to its powerful GPS.
• Traffic control: Stop lights use QNX-based technology which (hopefully) helps reduce traffic and waits at intersections.
• Food inspection: QNX technology is used in food inspection systems that allow a user to detect food contaminents which may be dangerous.
• Online shopping: Amazon.com and Avnet rely heavily upon QNX-based systems to move large amounts of merchandise every day in an organized fashion.
• Watching TV: QNX technology is used in controlling television stations, delivering cable signals, and even in controlling your mind. Joke.
• Special effects: QNX technology is used to power motion-control systems that help to create some of the most spectacular special effects in Hollywood.
• Travel: QNX systems control trains and aid in coordinating railway traffic as well is being at the core of pilot-training simulators and air-traffic control systems around the globe for airplanes.
• Bluetooth: QNX techonolgoy allows car systems to effortlessly connect to MP3 players, USB, etc.
• [b]Post office:[/b QNX is used in post offices in their mail-sorting machines. This technology helps to push about 40,000 envelopes an hour.
• Hospitals: QNX is used in a number of devices used in diagnosis including in ECG machines, cardiac monitors, and even bone density analyzers.
• Reduce the use of fossil fuels: Building automation systems using QNX help factories, colleges, and other large facilities cut back 50% on their use of power which in turn reduces the amount of fossil fuels that are burned for use as electricity.
• LASIK eye surgery: LASIK surgery uses a QNX-based system which allows doctors to perform bladeless surgery.
• Playing poker: QNX technology is used to power inter-casino gaming systems that can pay out multi-million-dollar winnings with zero tolerance for error.

If that's not enough, do a quick Google search for QNX's own list of 25 ways they've touched your life!

My question to you is: Can you think of other ways?

- Avonlea

What about Skype? Front facing cameras which are becoming a must in the future of cellphones will be huge for video calling via Skype. Which also shows Skype is getting ramped up for this with their recent purchase of Qik.

I might have to jump on the Skype train... sounds fun!

As long as that Skype train is controlled by QNX!

During college I took Control & Embedded Systems courses in which we wrote programmed against QNX to control devices in real-time:
1. Airplane navigation system controlling position and velocity (simulation)
2. Train controller system running multiple miniature trains on two oval parallel rail tracks with crossings and traffic lights (real miniature train models)
3. Helicopter navigation system controlling movement, altitude, direction, acceleration, you name it (real miniature models)

IMHO, although smartphones and tablets are not devices that perform real-time critical tasks (maybe one day) like the stated LASIK surgery example, the ability to multitask between heavy-load applications while still maintaining a snappy real-time responsiveness will prove vital in the ongoing war of portable devices.