Selling High Fidelity using Elton John

[-B-]

Ive often envisioned a system where the user drops his phone in a slot in dash or center console and the car's display would just be an extension of the phone. The phone would handle navigation with whatever app youre used to, the phone would handle handfree calls and messaging with whateve interface your used to, the phone would handle any music/entertainment via tha apps that you are used to. For such a seemless sytem to work the automakers and cell phone makers would need to agree on standards to make it possible for the owner to change devices without loosing integration functiobality.

I don't see that level of standardization happening any time soon... If ever.

Pioneer makes an app radio specifically for the iPhone, and without an iPhone it's almost useless. I have considered this for my Saabaru but it's a $400 fm tuner if I switch to windows..".and I've heard it's interface is slow.

Flint is right, a Bluetooth enabled radio is pretty much all you need now. The Sync in Kate's ford almost instantly attaches to my iPhone. The Kenwood in my car takes around a minute to recognize the device. I'm tempted to put a a mount for a 7" tablet in front of my radio and use it as a carputer of sorts.

Bing maps are as good as a gps minus the speech, I find bing maps superior to google.

 

[Towen7]

Pioneer makes an app radio specifically for the iPhone, and without an iPhone it's almost useless. I have considered this for my Saabaru but it's a $400 fm tuner if I switch to windows..".and I've heard it's interface is slow.

That's the problem. I don't want an app that works with my phone. I dont want duplicate functionality in my car and my phone. I want my car to be a terminal for my phone. I want a display and and interface that works with whatever phone I have today or tomorrow.

 

[Batman]

Pioneer makes an app radio specifically for the iPhone, and without an iPhone it's almost useless. I have considered this for my Saabaru but it's a $400 fm tuner if I switch to windows..".and I've heard it's interface is slow.

That's the problem. I don't want an app that works with my phone. I dont want duplicate functionality in my car and my phone. I want my car to be a terminal for my phone. I want a display and and interface that works with whatever phone I have today or tomorrow.

The appradio is the closest interface so far. It literally is an interface for the iPhone or iPod touch, without one it is a useless fm tuner as B said. I dont think it even has a disc drive...they're working out some bugs and it doesn't work with other phones...:text-link:

 

[Yesfan70]

Does it work for the other phones that aren't Apple? I think that's what T7 was meaning.

 

[Batman]

No

 

[Towen7]

Does it work for the other phones that aren't Apple? I think that's what T7 was meaning.

Actually what I mean is this...

An app like this let's me operate the head-unit from my phone. I want the opposite; to control my phone from the head-unit. Not just an iPhone but any phone. The phone has the navigation, apps, , content and interface. All that needs to happen is a standard be developed and agreed to that turns the car's head-unit into a big phone touch screen and output the phone's audio through the car speakers. Add a mic and your done.

It'll never happen though. Too simple.

 

[mzpro5]

Ive often envisioned a system where the user drops his phone in a slot in dash or center console and the car's display would just be an extension of the phone. The phone would handle navigation with whatever app youre used to, the phone would handle handfree calls and messaging with whateve interface your used to, the phone would handle any music/entertainment via tha apps that you are used to. For such a seemless sytem to work the automakers and cell phone makers would need to agree on standards to make it possible for the owner to change devices without loosing integration functiobality.

I don't see that level of standardization happening any time soon... If ever.

In a way I can do the with the Sync system in the Edge. Via Bluetooth it accesses the phone. I can play music from the phone, make hands free phone calls, the navigation system goes thru the phone though the interface on the screen is via the Sync system.

It is not seamless and does not use the phone display on the car screen but from what I can see it is moving in that direction.

 

[mzpro5]

Pioneer makes an app radio specifically for the iPhone, and without an iPhone it's almost useless. I have considered this for my Saabaru but it's a $400 fm tuner if I switch to windows..".and I've heard it's interface is slow.

That's the problem. I don't want an app that works with my phone. I dont want duplicate functionality in my car and my phone. I want my car to be a terminal for my phone. I want a display and and interface that works with whatever phone I have today or tomorrow.

Once you have made the pairup with a phone via the Sync system you can use that phone and you can have multiple models/brands in the menu as long as you have previously paired the phone.

 

[Batman]

Does it work for the other phones that aren't Apple? I think that's what T7 was meaning.

Actually what I mean is this...

An app like this let's me operate the head-unit from my phone. I want the opposite; to control my phone from the head-unit. Not just an iPhone but any phone. The phone has the navigation, apps, , content and interface. All that needs to happen is a standard be developed and agreed to that turns the car's head-unit into a big phone touch screen and output the phone's audio through the car speakers. Add a mic and your done.

It'll never happen though. Too simple.

Other than working with other phones that is what this unit is intended to evolve into. Tuck the phone away and access the phone and all it's content (apps, contacts, etc) from the touchscreen.

Also I believe the major auto manufacturers would like to work towards what you're proposing but I don't believe it's as easy as stated because it's very similar to trying to walk into an electronics store and finding accessories for anything other than an idevice...sure there out there but a majority of users use apple. I know in our Chevys the USB port runs through a PDIM (preferred device interface module) between the USB and radio... The results are mixed because of the plethora of devices and a constant stream of firmware updates for both the autos and the phones/mp3 players. Theoretically, the PDIM will control a Zune but I've never witnessed it. Or a thumb drive etc... I think for the short-term the best universal bet is a USB port (for charging) and Bluetooth. Unless of course you have an apple product :violence-torch: :happy-smileygiantred:

 

[mzpro5]

Theoretically, the PDIM will control a Zune but I've never witnessed it. Or a thumb drive etc... I think for the short-term the best universal bet is a USB port (for charging) and Bluetooth. Unless of course you have an apple product :violence-torch: :happy-smileygiantred:

I hate to keep bringing up the Sync but I can use/control a thumb drive in my car, have never tried a Zune.

But perhaps I am misunderstanding what you guys are talking about.

 

[Batman]

Theoretically, the PDIM will control a Zune but I've never witnessed it. Or a thumb drive etc... I think for the short-term the best universal bet is a USB port (for charging) and Bluetooth. Unless of course you have an apple product :violence-torch: :happy-smileygiantred:

I hate to keep bringing up the Sync but I can use/control a thumb drive in my car, have never tried a Zune.

But perhaps I am misunderstanding what you guys are talking about.

No you're good, I was explaining my experience with my two Chevys. They don't have a fancy name for it, yet, but it works similar to Sync...

 

[Randy]

Theoretically, the PDIM will control a Zune but I've never witnessed it. Or a thumb drive etc... I think for the short-term the best universal bet is a USB port (for charging) and Bluetooth. Unless of course you have an apple product :violence-torch: :happy-smileygiantred:

I hate to keep bringing up the Sync but I can use/control a thumb drive in my car, have never tried a Zune.

But perhaps I am misunderstanding what you guys are talking about.

No you're good, I was explaining my experience with my two Chevys. They don't have a fancy name for it, yet, but it works similar to Sync...

My Dodge has UConnect which is similar. It also has the upgraded Alpine system with dolby pro logic II, IPod, and USB control.

 

[Rope]

I have four fenders on my car, and a iBrown, or Brown-eye to boot.

Rope

 

[Yesfan70]

I have four fenders on my car, and a iBrown, or Brown-eye to boot.

Rope

iBrown? Is that anything like some of those fancy in dash 8track players?

 

[-B-]

Theoretically, the PDIM will control a Zune but I've never witnessed it. Or a thumb drive etc... I think for the short-term the best universal bet is a USB port (for charging) and Bluetooth. Unless of course you have an apple product :violence-torch: :happy-smileygiantred:

I hate to keep bringing up the Sync but I can use/control a thumb drive in my car, have never tried a Zune.

But perhaps I am misunderstanding what you guys are talking about.

The Zune and iPod work the same way with Sync, it basically puts it on shuffle and you can skip songs....that's pretty much it.

 

[Rope]

I have four fenders on my car, and a iBrown, or Brown-eye to boot.

Rope

iBrown? Is that anything like some of those fancy in dash 8track players?

Brown-Eye/iBrown

I'd have posted a pic, but thought it inappropriate.

Rope

 

[Batman]

I'm on my phone but when I get a chance I'm gonna post a YouTube video of Cadillac CUE. It is badass. I don't care what manufacturer you back, if this where the auto industry is headed very soon, it's exciting...

 

[mzpro5]

Theoretically, the PDIM will control a Zune but I've never witnessed it. Or a thumb drive etc... I think for the short-term the best universal bet is a USB port (for charging) and Bluetooth. Unless of course you have an apple product :violence-torch: :happy-smileygiantred:

I hate to keep bringing up the Sync but I can use/control a thumb drive in my car, have never tried a Zune.

But perhaps I am misunderstanding what you guys are talking about.

The Zune and iPod work the same way with Sync, it basically puts it on shuffle and you can skip songs....that's pretty much it.

It does quite a bit more than that.

I can do searches, command it to play specific playlists, songs, artists or albums and play them in order or shuffled all with voice command. Just about everything I can do with the iPod by hand.

 

[Botch]

I have four fenders on my car, and a iBrown, or Brown-eye to boot.

Rope

iBrown? Is that anything like some of those fancy in dash 8track players?

Brown-Eye/iBrown

I'd have posted a pic, but thought it inappropriate.

Rope

"When the brown eye winks, the whole room stinks." :laughing-rolling:

 

[-B-]

It does quite a bit more than that.

I can do searches, command it to play specific playlists, songs, artists or albums and play them in order or shuffled all with voice command. Just about everything I can do with the iPod by hand.

I forgot, I can ask it to play something, but it rarely gets the voice recognition right. I can't search manually via the controls either. Your Sync may be a little different than mine if it's the touch, but it didn't do anything to make me want to use it over the regular aux input. It's disappointing that Microsoft's Sync doesn't interact better with the Zune even though they make both. I usually just listen to Pandora via Bluetooth stream in that car.

Voice recognition with Sync does much better with phone commands. I have asked it to play a certain artist, it would repeat my command back to me correctly then play something completely random :think: It always gets the phone commands right though.