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http://appradioforums.com/Thread-KillNanny-Video
It is very cool, even though it is still in an early state.
From a hardware perspective such a system is simple - I have a nano-ITX board, a 12V DC-DC power supply, and an SSD. You can package this into a double-DIN opening without issue. OBD-II connection is via Bluetooth to an adapter plugged into the diagnostic port under my dash. GPS comes from a USB receiver. Currently I use wifi to connect to my home/work network and load content, but a 3G/4G dongle is an easy mobile solution.
However, by far the best solution suitable for commercial, rather than hobbyist, use is from QNX. Check it out: http://www.qnx.com/products/qnxcar/ It's what powers most OEM systems, such as BMW's awesome iDrive system.
Here is the idea, please vote if you like it: Most cars already have a big LCD in the center console for navigation or entertainment, but each manufacturer writes their own software for it. My idea is to have it run Android, which would allow anyone to make apps specifically for cars, entertainment or information-based, taking advantage of special API like vehicle speed, fuel, error codes, etc (from OBD2 or ECU). Thi…
Any more details?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
For what it's worth, a lot of manufacturers use .NET actually. Microsoft started pushing for integration into those systems back in the WINCE days, and has made significant headway. The "SYNC" based players are just the latest iteration. Figure the car development cycle is about 3 years, and realize Andriod was just starting to exist in the minds of car designers when this year's models were being designed. It'll be…
This is definitely already happening - I tangentially work on a number of projects embedding Android into transport, and it's really just a matter of time before manufacturers adopt Android as a matter of course. For example, the top two manufacturers of in-flight entertainment systems are already transitioning to Android (Thales and Panasonic). There are a number of benefits using Android like this, least of all you…
Hmmm, on a flight a couple of years ago my IFE screen (Panasonic I believe) crashed, and I was treated to linux kernel boot messages and then a bunch of SDL (the hoary old linux graphics/game library) error messages as it messily failed to restart properly...
It definitely had a bandaid-and-chewing-gum feel, so using something like Android would probably be a good thing.