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Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

money.cnn.com

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Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#231

Post by nomailing »

Why not buy one of the cheap aftermarket Chinese Android head units? When I was looking to buy a car I specifically looked for double DIN compatibility so that I can later easily install my own head unit. I would not want to support a car manufacturer who is abandoning the DIN standard for aftermarket head units. I want this central piece in the car to be upgradable. A car without double DIN is like a computer case without any slot to put an HDD.

There are very nice units with native Android experience. They usually have either a 7" or 10" screen. There are also some discussions of the various chinese units on xda forums in case someone is here interested...

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#232

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

danpat wrote: post #192
pkaye wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think some states have laws that restrict navigation control access when car is in motion.

Interestingly, according to this summary: http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/telematics/ there are exemptions of some kind for navigation systems in many places. I've heard "it's not allowed by law" often, but I have yet to track down the actual law. Hopefully automakers aren't doing this based on hearsay....

In Australia there's "drive without due care" which could cover anything the driver might do in a car that could distract.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#233

Post by astrodust »

ktta wrote: post #156
astrodust wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a stupid question: Why is the user interface on a $30K car so bad compared to a $99 smart phone you can buy at the drug store? What is with the garbage they call software these days? The response time on some of these in-dash systems can be measured in seconds.

You're comparing two vastly different things. Maps for Google (I assume people are referring to google maps) is a very important part of its business, up there with gmail. But maps for car companies is an afterthought, a secondary luxury feature. You can't expect car companies to drop billions on mapping and full time software devs in perfecting the navigation system. The way I see it, the best way would be for them…

Sure, but I expect Google could make a kazillion dollars with some kind of licensing deal to provide Android and a stripped down offline version of Google Maps as a backup if there's no data available to car manufacturers.

Customizing an existing Android-for-cars platform sounds like a way better plan than whatever junk these manufacturers are shipping today. I've seen better systems in the 1990s in terms of responsiveness and performance. The only thing consistently worse than the UI in cars is the UI in set-top boxes which I can only presume are designed and implemented in North Korea and intended to run on CPUs made in 1985.

Apple is probably working on this exact thing, so I'm surprised Google hasn't made any inroads here. They can take more chances than Apple can.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#235

Post by tomascot »

copperx wrote: post #230
lukaslalinsky wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cars can generally go much faster than the maximum speed limit, so it wouldn't be the first time the car allows you to do something against the law.

I'm honestly surprised they don't restrict that. Does anybody know why? I know different states have different speed limits, but I think a 85mph speed limit could cover them all. Is it because Canada and Mexico? They have lower speed limits. Is it because the car could be exported to Germany and driven on the Autobahn? or what?

There are situations when going above the speed limit could save your life, at least where I live. It could be for passing or to escape from a robbery

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#236

Post by jstandard »

seanp2k2 wrote: post #125
pwthornton wrote: post #106

Smartphone maps are so superior because they are always up to date, can provide real-time traffic data, can tell you to take an alternative route and can provide other data about places to eat, etc. While a lot of car GPSs have some of this, they are no where near what Google Maps or Apple Maps (or a targeted app like Waze) has. I bought a new car last year, and intentionally didn't get the GPS, even though my car ha…

Yeah, I'm not sure why car companies invested at all in attempting to build their own mapping software. It's a hard thing to do well, and I had been using GPS in the car since Windows 98 + Microsoft Streets + Garmin eMap + serial adapter running NEMA days. PC or smartphone navigation software has always been better than what is available in cars. Additionally, while the upgrade cycle for phones is yearly for some peo…

Automakers have wizened up that they aren't the software companies they had hoped to be, however, the alternatives on offered in Android Auto and Carplay aren't too appetizing of alternatives to them.

While I do see telematics going the "dumb terminal" route, Google and Apple's approach of becoming a major reason why you buy a car has brought automakers into an uneasy truce with big tech. Cars just become more data pipes to fuel the ad engine while becoming a primary interaction point with drivers, cutting auto guys out of the information loop.

That's partially what's been holding up adoption. You have entire divisions inside big auto being threatened. Their "new feature" pipeline also starts coming from Google and Apple, requesting deeper control and functionality in the car as consumers demand a more seamless experience.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#237

Post by jtolmar »

copperx wrote: post #230
lukaslalinsky wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cars can generally go much faster than the maximum speed limit, so it wouldn't be the first time the car allows you to do something against the law.

I'm honestly surprised they don't restrict that. Does anybody know why? I know different states have different speed limits, but I think a 85mph speed limit could cover them all. Is it because Canada and Mexico? They have lower speed limits. Is it because the car could be exported to Germany and driven on the Autobahn? or what?

Briefly going faster than the regular flow of traffic is sometimes the best way to avoid an accident.

But I think the real reason is that people would be very, very grumpy about that law and regulators need to pick their battles.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#238

Post by ryandrake »

astrodust wrote: post #146
korethr wrote: post #144

As a counterpoint to the comments here bringing up the point that the maps on one's phone are always up to date, I'll bring up the point of offline access. Yes, often the maps are bad, out of date, and require one to go the dealer and pay money to get an update. However, once out of the city, and cellular data ceases to be a thing, Google maps and similar applications built with an assumption of an always-available I…

I have a stupid question: Why is the user interface on a $30K car so bad compared to a $99 smart phone you can buy at the drug store? What is with the garbage they call software these days? The response time on some of these in-dash systems can be measured in seconds.

Software is the life blood of your smartphone. It's probably one of the reasons, if not the most important reason, that you bought the phone. If it's no good, you probably won't buy that brand of phone again. Software is a primary focus of the company that provides it, software is seen as a key differentiator, and it's taken seriously. Market researched, designed, tested, iterated on.

The software in your car is just another of the thousands of line items on the bill of materials, along with brake calipers and lug nuts. The car company sourced it from the cheapest supplier that could manage to sign a contract and barely throw something together--and did so 5 years before the car was even built, using even older technology. Whoever actually wrote the software may be several tiers down the supply chain and have no idea what the end user wants. They're implementing from a list of requirements someone from the vendor wrote, then it's off to supply the next vendor. Not to say one's software developers are any better or worse, but the mentality is totally different. Software is a cost to minimize and, if possible, mark up when selling.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#239

Post by Itsdijital »

nomailing wrote: post #231

Why not buy one of the cheap aftermarket Chinese Android head units? When I was looking to buy a car I specifically looked for double DIN compatibility so that I can later easily install my own head unit. I would not want to support a car manufacturer who is abandoning the DIN standard for aftermarket head units. I want this central piece in the car to be upgradable. A car without double DIN is like a computer case w…

Don't waste your money on a cheap Chinese unit. It's hard enough to justify buying the name brand units that cost way more and run worse than a $50 Walmart phone.

The aftermarket head unit market has been in shambles for a few years now. Demand has dropped dramatically and units have stagnanted for years, in some ways even moving backwards.

I would love to see DINs make a comeback in cars, hopefully it would breath some fresh life into the HU market.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#240

Post by ptmcc »

jtolmar wrote: post #237
copperx wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm honestly surprised they don't restrict that. Does anybody know why? I know different states have different speed limits, but I think a 85mph speed limit could cover them all. Is it because Canada and Mexico? They have lower speed limits. Is it because the car could be exported to Germany and driven on the Autobahn? or what?

Briefly going faster than the regular flow of traffic is sometimes the best way to avoid an accident. But I think the real reason is that people would be very, very grumpy about that law and regulators need to pick their battles.

It's also legal, in some states at least, to briefly exceed the speed limit while passing on a 2-lane highway.

For example, in Washington: http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.425

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