Your Car Is Reading Your Email

Shakespeare? by AKAImBatman · 2004-09-09 01:36 · Score: 5, Funny

On the dashboard-mounted touch screen, a push of the Play button produced a reading of the new e-mail, a test message sent that morning with text from "Macbeth."

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow," the voice said.

I'm not sure I could take a Shakespeare quoting car! Next thing you know, you'll be hearing:

To be, or not to be!

Whether 'tis nobler in the engine to suffer
The grinding and torture of outrageous driving,
Or to take wheels against a sea of backfires,
And by opposing end them?

To putter out: to run out of gas;
No more; and by running out of gas to say we end
The engine-grinding and the thousand natural shocks
That metal is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To putter out, to run out of gas

--
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade

Re:Shakespeare? by BlackHorse · 2004-09-09 04:13 · Score: 2, Insightful

You must have been waiting quite some time to find a post to use that one in.

Come on by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-09 01:38 · Score: 5, Interesting

Can't we just get by without having the need to read email. Atleast while fucking driving. As if we didn't have enough people not paying attention during driving already.

Re:Come on by Sc00ter · 2004-09-09 01:55 · Score: 4, Funny

My understanding is that it reads the email to you. That way you don't have to look at the screen. I don't see how this would be any different then having a conversation with somebody. Porn popups on the other hand...

--
Free Mac Mini
Re:Come on by jmcmunn · 2004-09-09 02:20 · Score: 3, Interesting

Yes, but I wonder if this is the same as talking on the phone? I read a study (can't remember where) that basically said that talking on the phone casuses more accidents than simply listening to the radio, or even singing along with the radio. It's because, evidently, the human mind tries to paint a picture of the person you are talking to in your head. If that person is in the car with you, talking to you, it takes less brain power because you don't have to think about the person subconciously. This was done as a study to see how different behaviors in the car affected driving ability. Amd talking on the phone was worse by far than others...

So would your brain try to see the person sending the email? Or better yet, would your brain try to see the naked women, or try to imagine the effects of Viagra from the spam you are getting?

Wardriving mod? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-09 01:39 · Score: 4, Interesting

It'd be cool to set up the car (or even a laptop in a car) to wardrive and automatically synchronize email though other people's deliberately shared 802.11 connections -- at least until more cities support such citywide hotspots themselves.

Re:Wardriving mod? by awing0 · 2004-09-09 02:36 · Score: 2, Insightful

I wouldn't check my email through other people's wireless networks, even over SSL. Checking slashdot and the news, sure, but you don't know what kind of traps are set on wireless networks - man in the middle attacks, dns spoofing, etc. Not to mention if the connection you happen to pick up isn't deliberately shared, you might be committing "theft of service" and your e-mail account is a nice pointer to who you were.

--
Cthulhu Saves.

Oh great .... by methangel · 2004-09-09 01:39 · Score: 4, Funny

....Kit Car Voice:

Hello Michael, you have mail ...

"Size does matter!"
NATURAL PENIS ENLARGEMENT!

GAIN 3 Inches to your Penis, with VPRX penis pills!

CURE IMPOTENCE! GAIN STAMINA! HARDEN ERECTIONS!
100% GUARANTEED RESULTS!

SPECIAL DEAL TODAY!! ORDER 3 AND GET 3 FREE!!!

That is all the mail you have at this time Michael.

/end Kit voice

Pronunciation by lukewarmfusion · 2004-09-09 01:40 · Score: 3, Funny

V14GR4? All the other 'adult' spam? The Nigerian scam emails?

I'm pretty sure it will sound like Quagmire from The Family Guy.

Re:Pronunciation by Zorilla · 2004-09-09 01:44 · Score: 2, Funny

When I press the "check email" button, I better not hear "Hey, does this look like a 'Q' to you?"

--

It would be cool if it didn't suck.

Or... by CommanderData · 2004-09-09 01:40 · Score: 4, Informative

You go buy an M100 with an ITPS for ignition control. Then you go download MediaEngine or another interface of your choice at MP3car.com. Finally, go buy your Lilliput 7" TFT touchscreen on eBay.

If you're into self installs and whatnot this gives you a lot more flexibility at less cost.

--
Urge to post... fading... fading... RISING!... fading... fading... gone.

Re:Or... by BLKMGK · 2004-09-09 02:31 · Score: 4, Informative

The Xenarc screens are supposed to be better than the Lilliput screens FWIW. I've purchased a 7inch version with vid capability as well as VGA for under $400 off of EBAY.

I've been looking into this in order to monitor what's going on with my car's standalone EFI system. Since that EFI system's software allows me to build "dashboards" I can do LOTS of interesting displays. I have been collecting URLs and you can see pics of other's progress and discussion here -> http://forum.aempower.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=9604

Some URLs I've collected in no distinct order or organization:

http://www.logisysus.com/catalog/product_info.php? cPath=74&products_id=189
http://logisysus.com/catalog/product_info.php?prod ucts_id=334
http://www.kingyoung.com.tw/s620.htm
http://littlepc.com/
http://www.diamondsystems.com/
http://www.viaarena.com/
http://www.media-car.fr.st/
http://www.everythingusb.com/hardware/index/Griffi n_RadioSHARK_AM-FM_Radio.htm
http://www.xmradio.com/xmpcr/ (I bought one, have added optical output, and have purchased TimeTrax!)
http://www.hauppauge.com/html/wintvpvr usb_datashee t.htm> (have one on the way, thanks EBAY!)
http://store.karpc.com/cat-LCD-Touch-Screen--lcdmo nitor.htm
http://www.mp3car.com/
http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2NX/
http://www.carbotpc.com/products/
http://www.powerstream.com/DC_PC.htm
http://www.powerstream.com/mini-itx.htm
http://www.media-car.fr.st/
http://drivesoft.net/
http://www.gnetcanada.com/
http://www.lighttek.com/talisman.htm
http://skylab.org/~chugga/mpegbox/MPBS1/
http://www.compucar.be.tf/
http://www.autonode.com/ig710specs.html?
http://www.trc12volt.com/
http://www.intraplexcorp.com/tx3.asp
http://www.sfftech.com/
http://www.mini-itx.com/store/
http://www.dashmatics.com/forum/faq.php

Hopefully some of those will be of help to others considering this sort of thing, I'd be interested in working with others to research this! My plans are to mock up something with the touchscreen and front-end software working with the WINTV, XM PCR, my MP3 collection, GPS mapping, the RLTC software, and my AEM datalogging software. IF it works well (or even halfway well) THEN I'll buy hardware to put IN the car. No sense spending the money if the interface turns out to suck or be too distracting while driving. I'll likely be able to play DVDs too but honestly that's pretty se

--
Build it, Drive it, Improve it! Hybridz.org

When can I get away? by remin8 · 2004-09-09 01:42 · Score: 2, Funny

Alright, when can we disconnect ourselves from the matrix?

--

"Initial success, or total failure!"
remin8.com

Re:Only 60GB? by akeyes · 2004-09-09 01:43 · Score: 4, Informative

One of the two models includes a firewire port.

Disconnect! by calypso15 · 2004-09-09 01:45 · Score: 5, Insightful

For the love of god people, disconnect once in a while. I'm all about tech, I do it for a living, but I'm still able to stand being away from my email, cell-phone, and CS long enough to drive from work to home. Heck, I've even been known to enjoy a vacation now and then.

I mean, I know something like this might be more for show than anything. "Oh yeah? Well I can check my email in my CAR sucka!" But, it's just a tad ridiculous.

Re:Disconnect! by penguinoid · 2004-09-09 02:27 · Score: 2, Insightful

Yes, yes, disconnect! Go to a dark, quiet room. Light some candles and sit crosslegged saying "Ommm" and disconnect from the world for at least an hour each day. You know you will feel better for it.</overkill>

Seriously, quit being a karma whore. As you might be aware, most slashdotters don't have a frigging huge computer integrated into their car, and even if they did, they wouldn't need to use it.

--
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways

Just great. by DarkHand · 2004-09-09 01:47 · Score: 4, Funny

Wonderful. Now my car will be calling me Dave.

'Your wife is looking for you, Dave...
You're 6 miles an hour over the speed limit, Dave'
Open the car door, HAL!

Mail carriers & AOL by Himring · 2004-09-09 01:47 · Score: 3, Funny

This could be a bad thing for the postal system if it makes it into USPS vehicles. Imagine a postal worker who uses AOL, driving around hearing, "you got mail!" all day. Talk about "going postal...."

--
"All great things are simple & expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." --Churchill

/.'ed by tuxter · 2004-09-09 01:48 · Score: 2, Funny

Car - would you like me to browse the web? Me - Shut up Car - Opening favourites Me - shut up! Car - Opening link to /. article Me - Noooooo! Car grinds to halt with "404" displaying on dash

Atlanta Traffic... by Glove+d'OJ · 2004-09-09 01:53 · Score: 2

My guess is that you don't live in a large metro area... some people where I work drive for over an hour each way in traffic, to get to their job. Being able to check email and hit hotspots to actually be a little productive along the way would make their lives much easier.

Now, I am not saying that the driver would be typing out emails on 285W, but getting up to date on what happened over the evening and so far this morning could definitely give someone the edge.

And think of the MP3 Library a 60GB HDD could hold!

Oh great ... by NattyDread · 2004-09-09 01:53 · Score: 2, Funny

Now I will have to listen to my car telling me my life needs viagra ...

--
Maybe the rain Isn't really to blame. So I'll remove the cause, But not the symptom!

Email is not meant to be real-time by FunWithHeadlines · 2004-09-09 01:53 · Score: 5, Insightful

There has been a disconnect occurring with regard to email in recent years. With the proliferation of Blackberry type devices, and the ever-present need of middle managers to feel important, email has been turned into a real-time form of communication. "Hey, I just sent you an email, didya get it?" "Hey, why haven't you answered my email yet?"

This is all wrong. Email is designed specifically to be the form of communication that lets you control when you read it. It's designed around you, not you around it. If you need to reach somebody immediately, use the phone -- that's what it's for.

So having your car read you email is really only useful for a tiny subset of the population. For the rest it's just another way to distract yourself from your own thoughts while driving, or a way to make yourself feel important, or a way to harass your underlings at work ("Jenkins, I just got your email, and that's not at all the way I wanted you to proceed on that project!").

Re:Email is not meant to be real-time by direwolf+puppy · 2004-09-09 02:12 · Score: 3, Interesting

There is another way I've noticed email being used, though, and that is when you want a "written" record of a conversation that you couldn't get with a phone conversation. Those same middle managers that you talk about are the ones most interested in having the ability to pull up an old email (out of their 5 GB mailbox) and say "see, the vendor told me this, it's not my fault". It is the classic "no one ever got fired for buying Microsoft" argument, and that is why they think it should be realtime; because in their mind it is replacing the phone, not memos.

--

You rush a Miracle Man, you get rotten miracles - Miracle Max, TPB

OnStar does this already by sjf · 2004-09-09 01:54 · Score: 4, Insightful

It's fine if you don't get much email, but for real world use, speech synthesis and voice recognition are an useless interface for email.

-S

Damn paperclip by Zorilla · 2004-09-09 01:54 · Score: 3, Funny

Next thing you know, you'll be driving around with your wife and kids in the car (I know, I know, what's a "wife") in broad daylight when suddenly the car blurts out, "Looks like you're trying to drive to the porno shop! Would you like me to provide directions to The Nipple Factory?"

--

It would be cool if it didn't suck.

Vitals Missing from the Spec Sheet? by xxxJonBoyxxx · 2004-09-09 02:01 · Score: 2, Interesting

Vitals Missing from the Spec Sheet? What are the approved heat/cold and humidity ranges for the "CarBot"? I didn't see those on the "Spec Sheet"...

Not Impressed by hotspotbloc · 2004-09-09 02:06 · Score: 4, Insightful

I'm sorry, I'm not. For $1450.00USD you get a VIA Epia-M motherboard, 256M RAM, 20G HD, 802.11g adapter and a GPS receiver. Kinda pricey. Buy the screen from them and add $420USD. IMO it's a nice DIY project but not a very good finished product.

The other complaint is with using MS WinXP Home. While XP is fine on a system with a standard keyboard and mouse it's hardly the best interface for a car. At least go with XP Pro so you can RDP into it for updates, repairs, etc.. This really calls for a semi customized OS and GUI (GNU/Linux or *BSD and X) with a tightly integrated voice control system. I don't want mess with a trackpad while driving.

I think a well crafted "car pc" would be nice and would sell. The CarBot, while nice and on par with some other DIY car computers it's nothing special.

--
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST

Big Deal by Lumpy · 2004-09-09 02:12 · Score: 2, Informative

I had a Clarion AutoPC that did that in 1999.

it was expensive as hell as it used a special pager module to recieve the email and then you can send back canned responses (Like a 2 way pager)

the AutoPC has been discontinued for over 2 years now.

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.

Auto-Trader Quote by Prince+Vegeta+SSJ4 · 2004-09-09 02:18 · Score: 2, Funny

Car: Would you like to check your email today

Driver: Yes

car begins to read emails

Car: You have one new mail message....message one , from autotrader.com. Mr. Smith, your trade in allowance for your current car has been approved in the amount of $1200 as part of a downpayment on a new Dodge Viper, please .#$@Ewfsdfsdf^C^C^C.

Car: What, how could you, and for $1200

Driver: Let me explain...

Car: Hmmm, seems we are driving on a very high bridge.

[Splashing, and exploding sounds]

That's a hell of a case mod by magefile · 2004-09-09 02:19 · Score: 2, Funny

That'd be like calling a new BMW a "carrying case" for an iPod (with an extra pocket for an optional GPS!). Who wrote the article summary?

Hive mind by penguinoid · 2004-09-09 02:20 · Score: 2, Funny

Yes, I was also going to post something about sitting in your car with your S.O. and just as things start to get hot, your car blurts out "V1@GRA! P3N15 3NHANC3M3NT!!! 3 inches GUARANTEED!!!"

All this worrying about the Micro$oft mind-control ray, but perhaps we should be worried about Slashdot mind-control?

--
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways

G33K my r1d3!!!11!1 by Jakhel · 2004-09-09 02:21 · Score: 2, Funny

I can already smell MTV's next show already in the works. Geek my ride. Old beat up cars that get turned into l33t g33k m0bi1e35!!!1!!11

Xzibit: "So Bob, we took your old 1972 Honda Civic and fixed it up for you, now take a look and tell me what you think"

Bob: "I can't believe it!! It's got the crunk WIFI in the ceiling!! QWERTY keyboards in the headrests!!! Flat screens in the dashboards!!! And oooh shit, is that an Opteron in the trunk?!? It runs linux?!? OMGWTFBBQ!!!
I still won't be able to get a date, but at least now I can play CS while I drive! Thanks Xzibit!!

reading email while driving? by DrCash · 2004-09-09 02:25 · Score: 2, Funny

The thought of a car reading my email (er, spam?) to me while driving is rather frightening. I'm not so sure I really want to have a dry, monotonous, computer voice reading the text of a p0rn spam email to me while driving (heck, I don't think I'd want this even if I wasn't driving!!).

Re:Linux project? by Chop · 2004-09-09 02:29 · Score: 2, Informative

Yep, search the software forum on Mp3car.com for linux and you should get at least two hits. Also you can check out the following sites:
thexcar.com or DashPC

Chop
"You must be new here."

Why do we do this to ourselves? by Cartridge+P.+Grover · 2004-09-09 02:43 · Score: 2, Insightful

We MUST be connected. We must be reachable at all times, under all circumstances. Why, why why? I don't think it has anything to do with your friends or your family or your business. I think people do it because we can, mainly, and because we like gadgets. But once the honeymoon with your new gadget is over, you're a slave to it. The gadget wants attention. The gadget needs a recharge. The gadget needs a patch. The gadget is obsolete. You know what? Let the gadget die.

Could be worse.... by raehl · 2004-09-09 02:45 · Score: 3, Funny

"Hello Officer!"

"Free Underage Girls!"

"Sir, could you please step out of the car?"

"That was the car talking, I swear!"

--
paintball

Temperature handling... by AchilleTalon · 2004-09-09 03:23 · Score: 2, Interesting

I wonder how this thing will handle winter temperature here. It is not unusual to have some days and nights the mercury going -25 C and even -30 C.

And what about closed windows during an extra-hot summer day with the mercury going 40 C? Passive cooling is likely to not work at all.

--
Achille Talon
Hop!

Perfect by JavaRob · 2004-09-09 03:38 · Score: 3, Funny

::: whoosh whoosh :::
KIT: Michael, I couldn't help but notice...

Knight: What's that, Kit? Speak up, now -- we've got a busy day ahead of us!

KIT: Well, Michael, you seem to be getting quite a lot of unusual spam lately. Perhaps -- ::: whoosh whoosh :::

KIT: Perhaps you've been spending a little too much of the Foundation's research funding on, well, unorthodox internet research?

Knight: Oh, come on now --

KIT: Let me be completely honest with you, Michael -- I've been doing some research of my own, thanks to the new wireless module you installed last week. First of all, let me say that my infrared sensors inform me that your genitalia is within the parameters of normality for a man of your size, according to recent medical databases. Second, I happened to run across some photos of a stripped-down '79 Thunderbird that... well, raised some questions about the programming of my human emotion emulation chip. I experienced a... startling reaction to the graphical data, Michael. ::: whoosh whoosh :::

Is that a song? by mnemotronic · 2004-09-09 03:48 · Score: 2, Funny

That title "Your Car Is Reading Your Email" has a vaguely Tom-Waits-ish feel to it, and reminded me of his song "The Piano Has been drinking". (Lyrics at bottom) so I was inspired to cobble together this little diddy:

My Car Is Reading My Email
pm thompson

My car is reading my email, my washer is off sending spam. My VCR knows the washer and car, it's erasing the audit trail. My iPod is copying DVDs, and ignoring those digital rights. My toilet is tanking my bank account at on-line gambling sites. My cell phone plays Doom till the sun comes up, then dials 911. My blender's a poster of pix of the toaster doin' the freezer goats.ex. The heater's been hacked, (those Russians can't be tracked) The stove is blue screen (you know what I mean) The dryer is stuck playing Solitare. It won't get hot. It won't blow air. And my wristwatch? Well, it's downloading porn.

Lyrics from http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/tom-waits/138944.html ),

The piano has been drinking, my necktie is asleep And the combo went back to new york, the jukebox has to take a leak And the carpet needs a haircut, and the spotlight looks like a prison break And the telephone's out of cigarettes, and the balcony is on the make And the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking... And the menus are all freezing, and the light man's blind in one eye And he can't see out of the other And the piano-tuner's got a hearing aid, and he showed up with his mother And the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking As the bouncer is a sumo wrestler cream-puff casper milktoast And the owner is a mental midget with the i.q. of a fence post 'cause the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking... And you can't find your waitress with a geiger counter And she hates you and your friends and you just can't get served without her And the box-office is drooling, and the bar stools are on fire And the newspapers were fooling, and the ash-trays have retired 'cause the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking The piano has been drinking, not me, not me, not me, not me, not me

--
The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.

Illegal in some states by marco0009 · 2004-09-09 06:12 · Score: 4, Informative

Some states (such as Texas, where I live) have laws against display devices being the the drivers field of view unless they are used to display driving information (such as speed, fuel, etc.) Check your state laws before you run out and mod yoru car (or pay to have it modded) as I was hasseled by my local police, even though my 7" screen displays driving information, but I happened to be running WinAmp with MilkDrop at the time I was pulled over.

--
Physics makes the world go 'round.

Slashdot Mirror

Your Car Is Reading Your Email

40 of 143 comments (clear)