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Apple looks to bolster its iOS vehicle integration

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woof

Fluffy Member
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Apr 30, 2009
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Apple looks to bolster its iOS vehicle integration team as its automotive push grows

As someone with more than one foot in the "Apple camp", I'd love to see Tesla and Apple do some serious collaboration here.

At a minimum, how about the ability to mirror an iOS screen on the 17" display INCLUDING touch input. Then ALL iOS apps would be available, including all the video players (Netflix et. al.), audio apps (Pandora, Stitcher, etc.), Navigation (Waze!!!) and, of course (my favorite) Games! (For the passenger only, of course!)
 
Think we're going to see Tesla look for integration opportunities with Google before Apple based on Elon's collegial relationship with Sergey - notwithstanding Sergey's pink Tesla April Fool's Day makeover, lol. Even though Tesla tends to hire Apple execs like George B. - feels as if they'll lean towards Google for in-car integration opportunities first...

i've heard Elon mention self-driving cars a few times in interviews and Google seems to be getting closer - although this recent article presents some real obstacles ahead before Tesla can go-to-market with something like this:
Google Self-Driving Car Problems - Business Insider
 
I've gone back and forth between android and iOS three times. As much as I like the flexibility of android, iOS wins for stability and integration.

Support for both platforms would be great.
 
I hope NOT. No offence, but I really hate Apple.

I used to be in that camp too. I was a big Windows Mobile fan. Had quite a few of those phones (and Pocket PCs before that). When Microsoft discontinued that OS in favor of Windows Phone, I just bit the bullet and went with Apple. I do have an Android tablet, but I think iOS offers the most stable experience and variety of apps right now. I think the best solution would be some sort of universal car interface protocol that all mobile OSs could support.
 
If you hate Apple, then just don't use the option. Apple essentially making an API available doesn't mean you have to use it.
But it also doesn't mean that Tesla shouldn't improve integration with Android or Apple.

Not to mention that the current Tesla touchscreen iteration is as close to "Apple-like" as it can get. Right down to the brushed metal background when you reset the 17" screen.
 
I am definitively not a fan of the Apple echosystem (or "walled garden" if you will), but some kind of sandboxed environment where you could plug in your iOS or Android device could be a good idea. What if it switched to this "mirror screen" when the car is in park mode? Maybe it should be limited to a HDMI-in and an external touch sensor. Are there there any physical inputs to the 17" screen today that can be used?
 
I am definitively not a fan of the Apple echosystem (or "walled garden" if you will), but some kind of sandboxed environment where you could plug in your iOS or Android device could be a good idea. What if it switched to this "mirror screen" when the car is in park mode? Maybe it should be limited to a HDMI-in and an external touch sensor. Are there there any physical inputs to the 17" screen today that can be used?

Plug in? This is all meant to work over Bluetooth, not force people to physically connect their phone to the car again... Its also meant to be used when the car is in motion -- not just in park. The car's display provides a place to display output from the phone -- but not a mirror, the screen output is in a car-friendly factor. Extends the phone's capability to the car -- playing music, displaying navigation, making calls, and all accessed through voice controls and the car's input.

I'm really hoping Tesla adds this to the Model S. If you're not an iPhone user, you don't have to use it. Tesla's standard Bluetooth capability is very good. This would take it to a whole other level. And Tesla could also add an Android version of this (assuming Google competes with Apple on this...) -- so even more phones are available...
 
Ehh, no thanks. The thought that a buggy, trojan-infested smartphone could actually access stuff in my car is an absolute no-no.

But then, Apple software or not, you should not use Bluetooth at all.

The computer for the driving functions of the car and for the geeky gadgets are two different things. I hope and assume that on the MS these are completely separate, as they are on other cars, afaik. So the worst that could happen is issues with the geeky-stuff software.
This said (I am an IT security guy), if it is well done, there should be no way of transfering executable files to the car, or to somehow trigger execution of software on the car side, simply because the car listens only to specific functions that can be executed over Bluetooth. So even if your phone has malware, it would not go over to the car, and even less so to affect its driving functions.

Should. Because in this matter, you never know how creative some guys can be. Still, many people use Bluetooth in their cars today, but I've never heard of issues like this so far.
 
But then, Apple software or not, you should not use Bluetooth at all.

The computer for the driving functions of the car and for the geeky gadgets are two different things. I hope and assume that on the MS these are completely separate, as they are on other cars, afaik. So the worst that could happen is issues with the geeky-stuff software.
This said (I am an IT security guy), if it is well done, there should be no way of transfering executable files to the car, or to somehow trigger execution of software on the car side, simply because the car listens only to specific functions that can be executed over Bluetooth. So even if your phone has malware, it would not go over to the car, and even less so to affect its driving functions.

Should. Because in this matter, you never know how creative some guys can be. Still, many people use Bluetooth in their cars today, but I've never heard of issues like this so far.

Yes, I agree with most of your assumptions. And yes, people are creative. It doesn't have to be malware, but more likely a leaky app that eats all available memory and freezes the phone (and the car).
 
Not to mention that the current Tesla touchscreen iteration is as close to "Apple-like" as it can get. Right down to the brushed metal background when you reset the 17" screen.
On that note re: the metal background, iOS 7 is moving away from the Skeuomorph - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -ism that's been present in iOS 6 and prior. The removal of all that has been referred to as "deforestation" (in reference to Scott Forstall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, who supposedly liked skeumorphism).