iPhone too heavy? Volkswagen brings out motorised ride-on dock Apple and Volkswagen have joined forces to produce a new version of the iconic Beetle enhanced with all sort of Cupertino-inspired bells and whistles. Teams from both firms worked together on the iBeetle, which looks pretty much like the car which used to be produced without a lower case 'i' inserted in front of its name. It …
Funnily enough, I was thinking just yesterday that the touch-screen (aftermarket) MP3-playing "radio" in my car is woefully inept compared to state-of-the-(prior)-art tablets.
Which leads me to ponder the idea of a car with, say, an iPad mini in place of the radio/satnav/"trip computer" stuff. I would have suggested a Nexus 7, but for this application (only) the Apple Lightning connector is a more elegant solution (technically; commercially, it's typical Apple scumminess, but that's another matter).
We know the Lightning interface can carry a lot of data (although quite what is a mystery, due to typical Apple scumminess) up to and including HDMI video, and it's bidirectional. So one could design a vehicle dashboard with audio interfaces, vehicle interfaces, and a feed from a GPS. The iPad mini could them handle the user interface, providing audio (from internal music), controlling audio (from an embedded radio), satnav (from an embedded GPS), etc.
Another nice feature of Lightning is that it's quite robust;; so when the device you build your car for dies and the replacement has moved the connector an inch to the right, you "just" need a new fascia insert for the new device.
Best bit is that different car users can have their own devices, and when you leave the car, you carry it with you...
Usually I dislike the idea of that sort of tech in the car, but this idea has me interested. Just have a tastefully hidden amplifier under the dash, and an outside aerial for the radio. The last may not be so important in much of the world, but I have family in remote parts, and even the half-decent car aerial has trouble getting enough signal to work. I suppose that you could even have a basic radio built into the amplifier that's fixed in the car, to be used when if you forget/break/don't have a suitable device to plug in.
It might not be necessary to have a new insert for a new device either: just an angled shelf on the dash, with a lip on the bottom that houses a connector that can move from side to side with some sort of clamp. The lip hides the connector and the mechanism, and it provides some sort of restraint so that the device doesn't fly about the cabin.
Taking it with you could be a good security idea, too: like the removable face plates some radios have nowadays, but more reliable and not so much of a hassle to remember. And it would be far better than getting a blast of what passes for music with you flatmate/partner/mechanic too.
Now we just have to get the manufacturers to agree on how to make it work, and we'd be set.
You can buy a double-din head unit that runs on android.
These have built in amplifiers and connections for external amps, steering wheel controls etc. USB for external storage or wifi/3g dongles, hardware buttons for the basics such as volume, and programmable buttons for launching navigation, radio etc.
The benefit of these are you don't need to remember to take your iphone or ipad with you, and nobody will break into your car to steal them if you forget to remove it from the dash.
As for the original article. Meh. The previous beetle was a lame attempt to cash in on the mini/500 market. It failed in every way except for provinding the rest of us drivers with an easy way to spot someone who is likely to drift out of lane, or straight-line a roundabout as they have no driving talent. I expect the new beetle to be just as pointless. As I have seen elsewhere - Nu beetle is not allowed scissors.
The thought arises: Given that Apple own your photos and license them back to you, could they also own your car in the same way? Also, given the US stance on data access for law-enforcement does that mean that the bandit-chasers (ok - only American ones, but still) can access your g-meter? Distance/Time graph?
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
