Apple CarPlay

apple maps? nah i'll use google maps with my phone

Yay, more touch screen in cars. More ways to distract, frustrate and confuse users who are operating a big box of steel weighing 3 tons and going at speeds the human brain has never evolved to appropriately deal with.

1) Not only are touch screens a very poor interactor in the first place [0], but why do you think planes and other complex machinery have stuck with physical controls? For operating complex vehicles/apparatus, you just cannot do better than tangible controls. Knobs, switches, sliders can be operated without looking at them while giving rich tactile feedback, they have no modes = 0 risk for confusion, you know where they're going to be located on your dashboard regardless of what you're doing, etc.

2) Self-driving cars cannot come fast enough, and every single innovation in the car industry that does not go towards electric self driving cars is just useless fluff at this point. Seriously- then you'll be able to fiddle all you want with your phone, drink, travel while sleepy, arguing your spouse, whatever you want- we'll be saving tens of thousands of lives every year [1], and the secondary social benefits will be fantastic (less cars produced since they don't have to sit on a parking lot 99% of the time, people won't have to spend a year's worth of wages just to buy a car (and then a significant chunk to maintain it), etc.). If society were a game of Civilization, I'd be putting all of my resource points towards the "Self driving cars" achievement.

Of course the insurance companies, car manufacturers, oil companies, etc. don't want that to happen- but seriously, fuck those guys. The benefits on human society at large here are so significant that there is no room for caring about the feelings of greedy old white men.

[0] http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesi...

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in...

(the views in this post are a bit on the extreme side- but that's how interesting conversations get started :-)

You can use Google Now on your iOS device (I guess I'm assuming you have an iOS device). Just download the Google App for iOS.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id284815942?mt=8

At least I think that's Google Now. It looks similar though maybe it's missing some features?

Of course with it not being integrated into the experience it's not quite the same. (can't appear on your home screen etc...)

Looks like you forgot to scroll down.

The second thing on the page:

Control with a word. Or a touch. Or a twist.

CarPlay features Siri voice control and is specially designed for driving scenarios. It also works with your car’s controls — knobs, buttons, or touchscreen. And the apps you want to use in the car have been reimagined, so you can use them while your eyes and hands stay where they belong.

FYI: CarPlay only works in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA. http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/#applecarplay-...

Of the countries supported by Dictation/Siri for most functions, that leaves out China and Hong Kong. Traffic in Maps, however, is supported in additional countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand (wait, why don't they get Dictation/Siri?), Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden. Strangely enough, this means Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and Korea all have CarPlay but no Traffic information. Huh. Funny way to sell a car navigation system, I'm sure they'll add it soon. :)

As for me, a Canadian, I'm surprised to note that Siri is actually that global now. Even restaurant reservations works in Canada and Mexico now (but not outside North America yet). I shouldn't complain, though. I didn't realise movie reviews and showtimes were limited to basically Canada, UK and USA. (Australia gets reviews, but no showtimes.)

Notably absent from the Facebook and Twitter integration with Siri (say what?) is China, of course.