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Ultimate Automotive Computer Installation
ErnstKompressor writes "I came across a story detailing an awesome car mod out of the Czech Republic. The author undertook what must be the most impressive exercise in computer integration I have ever seen, installing an extensive Mac system with custom Cocoa software controlling nearly every aspect of a 1993 Tatra 613. On-board systems monitoring, navigation, entertainment, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus much more, are all rolled into a tight, extensible, package. Check it out."
Sure, the Aqua interface is beautiful, but when mounted in a walnut panel?
What is the problem? Why can't they let us pick green, or pink, or what this car owner would probably like: some shade of brown.
(p.s. I love the picture of the four programmers entering Apple's Cupertino headquarters. Notice how the front door is even Aqua blue?)
Is this truly the only Earth I can live on?
I mean, if he's a Mac user, why didn't he just stick it in the trunk of a Mazda MX-5 Miata or a Volkswagen Cabriolet?
Because where the guy lives he probably can't afford a car like that even if he saves for the next 10 years ?
Learn about pinball machines on www.flippers.be
There's a taxi in Aspin Colorado called The Ultimate Taxi. He's been around for years and just keeps getting better.
"Can there be a Klein bottle that is an efficient and effective beer pitcher?"
this kind of thing really frightens me. I play a game with my friends when we're driving down the local freeway... If a car is going slower than 100 km/h or is weaving a little bit, we bet on whether or not the driver is on a cell phone. The result? More often that not.
Do we need more distractions? Cars are for getting from A - B, and having the option to check email, the news, stock reports and hockey scores is just adding more distractions. Don't tell me that it's fine as long as the driver doesn't have access while the vehicle is in motion; the same dangers apply if a driver is distracted at a stop light. And kids watching SpongeBob in the back seat with the volume up, that's not distracting?
I just fear for my safety on the road is all. I can check my email when I get to work. Why is everyone in so much of a hurry?
My highschool buddy has been doing this for a while now to a couple different cars - check out http://ashleypowers.com/
Now, the first thing I thought of when I heard this was Racing Simulation. If he could find an open field and put in his favorite racing sim he could actually drive his car around and use his steering wheel as the controller. That would be sweet. Of course you'd want to have a stationary mode as well. It'd probably be better than most of the force feedback wheels.
The guitars sound good, now give me about 10db more on the cow bell.
It sounds like a brilliant idea. I'm almost surprised I'd never thought of that before. I'm always hearing discussion of which OS to use for "embedded" projects (in that I mean things outside the standard ordinary PC computer.)
Ever since coming out as the basis for the NeXT computer over 15 years ago, the objective-c based NeXTSTEP/OpenSTEP/Cocoa framework has been touted as one of the most amazingly powerful that a person can develop in. In the old NeXT days I remember hearing the [informal] statement that one programmer up to speed with NeXTSTEP could do the work of about 10 normal programmers. I took that with a grain of salt until I started trying to write some simple apps for the first time in OS X's cocoa.
It is so easy and refreshing in ways I couldn't express with worlds! Writing anything in C++ anymore makes me want to pull my hair out. Sadly, it [objective-c & Cocoa] is still rather obscure. But it would be such a wonderful world if we got to see a renaissance? FINALLY the GNUStep project is beginning to approach a level of usability. If embedded applications started to become a reality...
Oh, that's about as silly a pipe dream as hoping Howard Dean becomes President!
Murray Todd Williams
I don't care about all this stuff.. I just want a real audio deck that you can plug your ipod into. (Sorta like inserting a cartridge, just slam the ipod into the device and have it 'dock' with the stereo)..
Now THAT is the ultimate car audio solution. Ahh
Any computer installed in a car that doesn't access the cars onboard diagnostic computer seems like a waste. Realtime data from the car should be available to the operator.
Speaking of hacking automobile computers, my lowly 2003 GMC SLE pickup has an "entertainment center" that has some Driver Information Center functions that I can't display, because I didn't pay extra for the deluxe SLT package (which has the control buttons). I think it would be cool if someone fixed up a "hardware hack" that would let me add a keypad so I could call up all the additional data on the dashboard display...
"Obviously, I'm not an IBM computer any more than I'm an ashtray" (Bob Dylan)
only -1 for the position of the reset buttons (upper left towards the open space in the trunk). They need to be on the dash, or enclosed in the trunk.
-brady
But to the vast, vast majority of Americans, it IS irrelevant. They aren't interested and they don't regret missing out on those things. Then when one of us does say, "WTF is a tatra?" (complete with implied arrogance/apathy toward the rest of the world) people act like you have to be a really dumb American to not know. No, you have to be a really interested American to know.
I happened to discover that my favorite food in the entire world is Shanghai dumplings, and my first experience with that style was in Shanghai. I'm always an advocate of exploring the world, but the fact remains that for most Americans, the rest of the world couldn't have a smaller direct impact on their lives.
Chris Bergeron did very much the same thing in his VW Jetta. He lives in Georgia, US. He's shown it at several southeast-area cons.
http://www.dashpc.com/
All of the components are just way too big. If you use similar hardware, you'll waste all your cargo space.
Instead, use the following PC components:
1. mini pc, based on VIA's epia mini-itx motherboard. The best one to use is from http://www.mini-box.com - m-100 comes with a text LCD display and buttons that can be programmed. It runs on 12V DC and can be mounted in-dash or in the trunk where your cd changer would normally go.
2. Xenarc or Lilliput touch-screen 7" lcd monitor with SVGA and composite inputs. This is more important than big HD or faster pc. If you can't see text and maps clearly while you drive, what's the point of building one of these car pcs? Get all-in-one package from Alpine instead.
3. 20 or 40 HD 2.5" laptop hard drive. (#1 doesn't come with anything, not even a cf card)
4. 2.5" to 3.5" IDE adapter - #1 above won't let you connect a laptop hard drive to it w/o an adapter. compusa.com has them for $7.
5. Bluetooth usb adapter. I bought Belkin.
6. Bluetooth GPS receiver - no messy wires and you can take it with you (and use it with your PDA if it supports bt) I bought Belkin GPS receiver, you can get something else.
7. Blitzsafe adapter to connect #1 to your OEM HU (head unit/stereo) You didn't really think you could just plug your line out to your car's extra AUX IN port, did you? Mounts in the trunk right into where the changer plug went or behind your HU
Elfig.com is one of the resellers, esp for VW.
8. Wires to connect it all - RatShack
9. Windows XP, Winamp 5, one of front-end GUI for easy navigation. Look at carpc.com forums.
10. Linux (Gentoo, or another fine distro) put it on a separate partition. It's fast for playing movies, music, etc. However, it lacks bluetooth support and GPS navigation packages for it suck.
11. USB hub for other gadgets, like portable HDs, scanners, webcams, etc.
12. RAM - pc doesn't come with any.
How much does it cost???
#1 minibox m-100 - $400.
#2 Xenarc $500
#3 HD $100 to $300
#4 adapter $7
#5 bluetooth adapter $30 to $60
#6 gps receiver $300 to $400
#7 audio adapter $65
#8 varies
#9 $0 to $250
#10 FREE FREE FREE (+ many hours of linux guru's help)
#11 gadgets $20 to sky is the limit
#12 RAM $50 to $100
If you really hate M$ and don't want Windows on your car pc, look at dashpc.com
If you are going to get off your lazy ass and actually build and install this in a VW Passat, let me know.
What really got me was my Triumph GT6, a hard top, and yes, the top leaked.
And yes, when I turned on the windshield wipers the headlights liked to turn off.
Despite all of that I shall light a candle and hold vigil if Ford ever carries through with their threat to put Jaguar badges on a Taurus and make them in Dearborn.
KFG
Yeah, the engine is quite weird, but I really like it and the strange placement (gearbox stretches under the middle rear seat) actually results in very good handling charcteristics of the car. Here are few pictures of T613 engine (not mine)
J PG . JP GJ PG
http://aek4470.finalnet.cz/pics/jjopr/P1010066.
http://aek4470.finalnet.cz/pics/oprava/P1010006
http://aek4470.finalnet.cz/pics/bylo/P1010025.