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CarDroid: Android built into cars. Please vote so we can get funding

nissaninnovationgarage.com

31–40 of 55 posts

Re: CarDroid: Android built into cars. Please vote so we can get funding

#31
There are already android devices that fit where a car stereo does: http://www.parrot.com/usa/products/bluetooth-hands-free-car-...

The only difference would be the integration of key data points from the car itself. But then we stray from navigation and entertainment into core functionality of the vehicle. And at that point I'd want the device to be proven to still be fine for the operating parameters of a car, which requires a different level of engineering/quality than an entertainment and navigation system.

Re: CarDroid: Android built into cars. Please vote so we can get funding

#32

Can already do some of this, though not as integrated - an OBD2 to bluetooth adapter plugged into the OBD2 port and Torque running on an Android phone. I don't like the idea of tying something that will obsolete so quickly (an Android device) to a car, though - look how badly supported 2 or 3 year old Android devices are. Are ones in cars going to be supported any better? I'd rather a standard dock so that a smart ph…

Aren't we currently in a situation where your car software / hardware just doesn't update - ever? Apart from very recent models, I don't know of many systems that are even possible to upgrade. And if they do, they often require payment.

I don't think Android situation is much worse here, even if you were stuck on only one major release.

Re: CarDroid: Android built into cars. Please vote so we can get funding

#35
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Flight entertainment systems are moving to Android, but a number of factors (primarily the A380 and 787s both being severely delayed) mean this roll-out is taking a lot longer than originally planned. Both Thales ( http://www.thales-ifs.com/topseries.aspx ) and Panasonic ( http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/panasonic-testing-an... ) will be moving to Android IFE systems.

The A380 has been available for a while and I've flown on them with Qantas a few times. They use a Linux based system not an Android one.

Was probably meant to be the A350 - which is the Airbus competitor for the 787 Dreamliner:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A350

Re: CarDroid: Android built into cars. Please vote so we can get funding

#37
Don't forget to add NFC. I want to tap a location through to the onboard Nav app from maps, contact, or an appointment on my phone.

Everytime I want to go somewhere new I have to type with that damn on-screen resistive nav screen keyboard. When 80% of the time I've already got the info in a contact, meeting, or search result on my phone.

Re: CarDroid: Android built into cars. Please vote so we can get funding

#40
I'm somewhat surprised (or perhaps I shouldn't be) at the generally negative tone of the replies here so far. Maybe this specific project isn't the winner or the exact right idea, but I am _extremely_ bullish on the basic idea of getting car nav / "infotainment" systems all running a common OS (be it Android or iOS).

I think it is an absurd inefficiency and possibly one of the most anti-DRY things out there that nearly every manufacturer has its own totally-different way of doing things on the HUD. Every radio operates differently, nav systems have varying degrees of quality, and overall the UX is about 50 shades of crap :) Reminds me of the days when every phone manufacturer had a different os -- and we see how well that worked out for everyone.

I think the future of automotive UI rests on the adoption of a standard os. Though I'm partial to iOS on my own phone, I'm happy to see either iOS or Android in our cars (or both).

Imagine this: You get in your car -- the UI is familiar and comfortable (though adapted for automotive use). You have access to your music library (sync'd from iCloud) instantly, you get your choice of GPS apps (Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps -- lol, sorry just kidding), you can use radio services like Pandora or Spotify, etc. And yes, the manufacturer will have to make a custom app for the "manual stuff" like air conditioning controls, etc., but that's still a lot better than essentially having to reinvent the whole os.

Anyway, you get the idea. I'm very excited about this stuff and am fairly confident it's the way things are going. Whether or not this specific project is a winner is somewhat irrelevant - its a step in the right direction.

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