Technology

Rent seeking behavior. They want subscription revenue instead of wanting to deliver what consumers want.

I am always surprised I don't hear more discussion about Automotive Grade Linux.

https://www.automotivelinux.org/

Back to the days of rip out the head unit and stick one in that does have the features you want?

2015 cars came with bluetooth support for hands free calling using your phone. This was great.

After that, it was replaced with carplay or android auto as the only means to get hands free calling. Stupid...stupid.

Plus, last 2 new cars i bought, i had to take the interior roof apart so i could access the built in cellular antennae wire and remove that spyware P.O.S. And by the way, car works fine without it.

Fucking clickbait titles jfc

I wish I could develop my own apps on my own car. I mean I own the car.. why can't I "sideload" my own created apps? Their apps are sht anyways.

Every day I get more thankful for my hand-me-down car. It has no heated seats or anything fancy, but that also means no subscriptions, no wifi tracking/stalking, no digital touch screen over physical buttons, etc. All I've ever done is use a clip holder on my AC vent for my phone, so I'm used to it. It's given me time to see how others feel about Android Auto and features in newer cars, and I can make an informed decision whenever my baby decides to kick the bucket. Hopefully I can get something not too stalkerish nor with subscriptions.

Honestly, I think consumers allowing manufacturers to start integrating screens into cars was a mistake.

Knobs and dials are way easier to nevigate blind (whilst focusing on the road like we're meant to), and none of that stops you plugging in your own third party device for other features, or replacing the headboard yourself.

Giant tablets with complex menus are dangerous to drivers, and only serve to milk the consumer for things they already had access to in their car as standard not 10 years ago.

Why I like Android Auto:

• I can plan my route on my phone at home and see the map on the big screen instead the little phone ui, or worse putting in the adress manually with the keyboard wheel in Korean instead of copy and pasting it from the Element chat
• I already have all my music on my phone, I don't want to copy and organize it again for hours in my car
• I already have integration with many apps on my phone, I don't want to set everything up again on the car, especially I can't copy and paste my long ass passwords from my KeePassXC into the car and need to painstakingly put in every password with their clunky keyboard, if they even have a keyboard.

I could go on forever. But as long as I can connect bluetooth and set up my phone somewhere so I can see the map while driving I'll be OK. The worst part, at work what I do is car infotainment system software, but it never has any of the features I would want from a car.

Because GM sucks.

People aren't asking for much. People just want their phone navigation and music controls displayed onto the infotainment. Won't consider any car that cannot afford me this tiny bit of convenience for the sake of nickel and diming me.

And if every car manufacturer starts forcing me to adopt their own stupid software I'll just buy a fucking phone holder.

And GM has shitty reliability anyways.

I won’t buy a car without CarPlay.

My current car has it and I love it. So I imagine Android users feel the same way.

If there is truly no option, then my phone is getting the window/airvent mount option.

I’ll never subscribe to their bs.

My take on Android Auto (I'm sure everyone wants to hear)

pros:

• free to choose the maps app you want (OsmAnd, Organic Maps, Google Maps or anything)
• stream music for the app you want
• decent voice control for maps and spotify
• decent integration with some EV charging apps, you can find and initiate chargers from the dashboard
• you can write your own Android Auto apps

cons:

• Android Auto app is very invasive, polluting phone with stupid notifications
• the standard is shit. Android Auto doesn't work work with Android Go phones but it's not specified anywhere in the documentation, wireless Android Auto only works with latest android but it's also not specified anywhere
• it's controlled by Google and there are no alternative implementations

My solution so far is to use cheap, secondary phone for AA (which was hard to find because of the stupid limitations). If someone would create a open AA client not controlled by Google I would put it on my primary phone. AA should now work with Graphene OS so I may try to set it up in separate profile some day.

GM are saying that their customers want a more seamless integration. Shareholders are slavering at the idea of owners collared to their subscription system. Buyers need to stop buying cars with stupid subscriptions. My 2nd hand BMW has a heated steering wheel that requires an annual fee to use. Nope, heated gloves are the solution!