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Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

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Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#241

Post by throw0101d »

pnw wrote: post #228
kylehotchkiss wrote: post #48

Remove the LTE chip and all functionality related to ads, support wireless CarPlay and android auto, and use physical buttons. You’ll win every award in the industry.

Removing LTE would remove key features that drivers want, including real time traffic updates, remote controls and streaming media? What's your objection to LTE?

> What's your objection to LTE?

Tracking, phoning home (with related privacy issues), etc:

* https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/09/flaw-in-kia-web-portal-...

* https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/five-...

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#242

Post by smallmancontrov »

omega3 wrote: post #235
acheron9383 wrote: post #199

As someone who works professionally on embedded software devices that update over the internet, car companies are stuck not because they can't get software talent, but because they have no ability to actually build the electronics alongside the software, which is ultimately what constrains embedded software. Without the right hardware, the constraints are just insurmountable, you can not do X feature because board A…

> But you can not just roll all your own electronics in a year. Why? A year is a long time and it's a solved problem. In any case even if you allow the "a year is not enough" argument why didn't they start 5 years ago?

It is possible to put out a fire by dumping cash on it, but there's a minimum amount that you need to dump at once for it to work. They cannot stomach the amount required, so they just feed it in one handful at a time, which of course just causes the fire to grow.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#243

Post by hedora »

PLenz wrote: post #222
DragonStrength wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Subaru require you navigating to second screen for climate modes. Simple temp adjustment has buttons, but the screen interactions for basic usage feels dangerous as a driver.

This is the feature I dislike most about my outback. Some systems just need buttons so you can operate without looking

Kia’s EV9 solved the problem of needing to look at the climate touch screen behind the steering wheel. That way, the driver cannot see it.

(Really. They did. No, you can’t adjust the steering wheel position enough to fix the problem.)

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#244

Post by ToucanLoucan »

deergomoo wrote: post #231

I want a 7-10” central display that spends 99% of its time showing CarPlay but also has a radio if I need it, the backup camera when I’m in reverse, and lets me change a couple of settings for convenience features like auto locking etc. Everything else can be dials, knobs, and buttons. My Mazda3 is perfect for this and I’m quite sad that I’m almost certainly not going to be able to find anything like it by the time I…

This is basically exactly what I have with my 2010 Chrysler 300 and 2010 F-150s with aftermarket stereos. And they didn't cost me $80,000.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#245

Post by wyager »

pnw wrote: post #228
kylehotchkiss wrote: post #48

Remove the LTE chip and all functionality related to ads, support wireless CarPlay and android auto, and use physical buttons. You’ll win every award in the industry.

Removing LTE would remove key features that drivers want, including real time traffic updates, remote controls and streaming media? What's your objection to LTE?

I have never once seen someone use the manufacturer provided traffic data, navigation, or "streaming media" over their phone when given the choice. Let's be real; it's just an excuse to try to subject customers to another subscription fee.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#246

Post by tomrod »

pnw wrote: post #237
fideloper wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the idea is your phone will do that for you via carplay (etc)

That's a huge assumption. Cars had cell connectivity long before smartphones showed up. Onstar predates the iPhone by a decade.

The moment you pick a non-techie off the street and help them see the amount of data collection occurring, you have another person who proves the assumption. It's not a huge assumption.

No one likes ads, no one likes their data being collected. The sooner insurance and car companies understand that, the sooner they get out of the maelstrom of false revenue from ad- and spy-ware programs.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#247

Post by ttoinou »

arakageeta wrote: post #177

These companies fail because vertical integration, and even a monorepo, is needed to make these efforts successful. This is completely at odds with the existing OEM/Tier 1 business model and engineering process grown up around it. Also, neither OEM nor Tier 1 have software cultures up to the challenge. This is why the Chinese OEMs, Tesla, and Rivian are able to move fast.

Why is a monorepo hugely beneficial here and what do you think they are doing right now ?

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#248

Post by hedora »

deergomoo wrote: post #231

I want a 7-10” central display that spends 99% of its time showing CarPlay but also has a radio if I need it, the backup camera when I’m in reverse, and lets me change a couple of settings for convenience features like auto locking etc. Everything else can be dials, knobs, and buttons. My Mazda3 is perfect for this and I’m quite sad that I’m almost certainly not going to be able to find anything like it by the time I…

Look at aftermarket MMI boxes. They do this for $150. (Screen and controls not included because they use the factory ones.)

Someone should tell an automobile manufacturer. It’d save them ~ $1B.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#249

Post by encrypted_bird »

teekert wrote: post #146

Just talk to Canoncal, or IBM, make a NixOS config, or just do something. How hard can it be? My father’s 5 yo Volkswagen van has an 80’s looking UI, the touchscreen is already failing. Going from the normal UI to CarPlay is just jarring, any 2024 Linux distro looks, feels and acts more modern. What are they doing over there?? I could probably whip him up something nicer if only there was just a Nuc or something in t…

While I don't dismiss your general point, I will say that anyone who says "how hard can it be" really needs to consider they are falling victim to the Dunning-Kruger Effect. In my experience, that phrase is (typically) a red flag for the latter.

Re: Car companies are in a billion-dollar software war

#250

Post by ericmay »

jeromegv wrote: post #238
ericmay wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We can - but we don’t need to clutch our pearls about infotainment screens as if they are some sort of special moral insult relative to what’s very common in today’s driving communities. Criminalization of texting and driving and such doesn’t matter unless you enforce, and we don’t enforce. So it’s de facto legal. Who cares about infotainment screens at that point?

We are talking millions of cars driving at a speed that can kill people both inside or outside the car. Anything you can do to reduce those distractions is a net positive for society. Less death. As for criminalizing texting, I’ve heard enough people getting caught and getting big fines that it works enough for me to dissuade me from doing it.

If you live in America it’s just not enforced. Even cops do it. I don’t do it because I just don’t need to but you can watch people doing it for yourself if you pay attention.

If you’re focused on less death, sure we can criticize infotainment screens, but the energy is much better spent in demanding enforcement and in whatever we need to do to reduce car usage. Otherwise you’re kind of wasting your time, unfortunately.

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