Your mobile, your car, and you – three become one

Software which enables the screen of your phone to pop up on the screen in your car dashboard has been ported to the (relatively) ancient systems used by automobile manufacturers. The Nucleus operating system was once popular in mobes, a dozen or so years ago, and the car industry is still using it. So, Cambridge tech company …

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the point?

80+% of the stereos capable of displaying the output on the market are already Android The remaining are either Windows CE or some other Windows variety.

This feat of engineering is useless. It is now chepaer for Sony to take its existing Walkman app with all software for it and shove it on an Android stereo instead of making a stereo from scratch. Same story with other major manufacturers. While the resource required to run Android is more, the bill of materials ends up lower because of lower licensing (you can just take stock AOSP and pay nothing to Google as the system does not connect to its services). Cost of support and development is also lower as you can use off the shelf apps. Cost of third party integration f.e. to SatNav is also lower - you can take an off the shelf SatNav app and so on.

An example of the end-result can be found on Amazon - just search for Double Din Bluetooth stereo and see how many of them are obvious Android (or Windows CE) devices. Probably > 90%.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What's the point?

Another "what's the point" question is why we want mobile displays sticking in front of drivers? Car makers are still trying to sell obscenely over-priced built in satnav, so I can't see them optimising an Android link for this purpose, in which case this seems have the sole purpose of displaying the regular phone screen as a further distraction for drivers.

I suppose it'll make like easier for tw@ts to tweet "Av cr4shed in2 ditch. Ecall as lerted emerg svcs. Hope 2 b rescued soon"

[AndrueC]

Sounds like Honda Connect. Hopefully with more polish but as the article says I don't expect that. Auto makers are nearly always somewhat behind the times when it comes to accessories.

[kmac499]

Let's see how a Tesla centre console screen renders my old 3.5" HTC. 'Do my pixels look big in this ?'

[TeeCee]

Probably as a featureless, black rectangle.

Of the Teslas I have seen to date in the wild, around half have been broken down at the side[1] of the road. Even if I won the lottery and came over all leaf-munchy for some reason, I'd be buying something else.

[1] A common saying which doesn't seem to apply to Teslas as they're more usually abandoned in the middle. Judging by the antics of those around and having watched someone try and fail to get one on a recovery truck, I guess they cannot be moved (transmission lock???) when stuffed.

[armyknife]

Another massive leap in road safety?

[Jagged.Shard]

As other comentards - really can't see the point of this other than to push up the price in-car 'infotainment'.

My 'old' Garmin satnav links seamlessy with all the 'phones I've ever used - both Android and iOS and even offers a duplicate of the phone book. Never needs re-syncing - just goes on and on.

In fact just what the customer wants!!

[Anonymous Coward]

I like knobs (big ones)

Last time I changed my car, I deliberately avoided the top-of-the-range model due to the fact everything was controlled by a large touch screen which is near-impossible to operate precisely whilst simultaneously keeping your eyes on the road.

The next model down (which I went for) had the exact same features, but controlled by a concise and simply array of buttons and knobs, meaning I can adjust the temperature, volume, and switch between FM/bluetooth etc without being distracted.

I know that self-driving cars will eventually render this a moot point, but the interim of having to dodge the plethora of already incompetent drivers who are not looking where they're going as they "need" to look at the screen just to stop Greg James or Chris Evans coming in their ears (a fair point, many might argue) does fill me with dread.

Knobs. Big ones. I love 'em.