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Google Android Interface For the Chevy Volt
jerryjamesstone writes "Earlier this month, General Motors hinted at a partnership with a major tech company to fully overhaul its telematics system, OnStar. While OnStar CEO Chris Preuss was tight-lipped about who that partner was, Motor Trend recently reported that it's Google. If the rumor's true, GM will make the Chevy Volt the first Android-based vehicle to hit the road. The Motor Trend article suggests 'Google would sell its Android operating system for in-car use,' while the Wall Street Journal has a slightly different take: 'The pairing would likely involve a way for users of Android-based smartphones to use OnStar features from their phone while not in their car. ... For instance, a person could find out information about their vehicle's maintenance needs through the Android phone. In the case of the Volt, GM's coming electric car, an owner may be able to keep track of the car's battery charge without being in the car.'"
That's exactly what I want, beta software on my car while I'm driving at 100mph! I will make sure to submit bug reports!
Wow, those 'features' all sound very useless. What use does it have to check all those stuff when you're not in your car? It's not as if you plan to do maintenance on your vehicle when you're 1000 miles away, or that there is a use to track your car's battery charge when you're not in it. Anyhows, good to see some other uses of the Android OS, though I could have thought of better ones.
When you shoot a mime, do you use a silencer?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
For instance, a person could find out information about their vehicle's maintenance needs through the Android phone.
Is that really the best use-case you can come up with? The only time I care about my car's maintenance needs are when I'm actually driving it. The 'check engine' light is annoying enough, I certainly don't want it to push notifications to my phone!
This author takes full ownership and responsibility for the unpopular opinions outlined above.
I want the Windows Vista interface, where it forcibly installs updates and flips the car upside down and back again every week or two, for no good reason.
Since this is GM I suddenly have a complete loss of interest in Android. Thanks GM, you should have just gone under like you were supposed to do but nooooo, you have to befoul Android by being featured in your shitty cars.
Brings a whole new meaning to "my car crashed"...
Take it from us. This could end badly...
The fact of the matter is they could have some really cool stuff in cars but they chose not to because they want to sell you crap. Every car should have a USB port in the dash. I should be able to get all my cars info on a laptop or upload songs to the audio system. Or even plug in a cellular modem or wifi card. All of this would be cheap and easy for any automaker to implement and the fact that it doesn't exist just shows how they continue to be out of touch with what their consumers want. Onstar is what's stopping real automotive computing systems from coming forward because GM sees it as a way to milk more money from you rather than an included feature that simply makes the car more desirable. Imagine if they charged a monthly fee for using the heated seats. It's just that stupid.
I bet EDS is pissed, they claimed they invented OnStar.
when the first chip-tuning app hits the android app store.
Hope that Google includes the "stealing wi-fi feature" with the Chevy OS for some free internet on the ride!!
I was quite interested in the car as initial impressions and details looked rather positive, It's enough I have Google tracking my every move online, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere.
This would be great for people who have to manage a large number of vehicles. Not only do you know where all of your fleet is at any one time but you know who and how the miles are being put on them. Could save millions.
.... Whatcouldpossiblygowrong.
Have gnu, will travel.
For instance, a person could find out information about their vehicle's maintenance needs through the Android phone. In the case of the Volt, GM's coming electric car, an owner may be able to keep track of the car's battery charge without being in the car.
This sounds like a built-in driving auditing system that Big Brother can quietly use to track our comings and goings. And, considering Google's cozy relationship with the Feds, I suspect that's exactly what it is.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
where your Chevy is.
Lars T.
To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck
There is an app for that.
Your car - Android - Google - maps - street view - "accidental" data harvesting...
I'll take two!
Sorry, only one per customer
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
When I look at all of OnStar's "Features", it's just about the worst option you can have on a car. I would never own a car that had a remote disabling system built in. OnStar is not unhackable. Once it's hacked, you just became an easy carjacking victim, they can follow you without needing to see you and stop you whenever they want.
If you're in a car crash and the airbags deploy in a remote area, the car sends a signal to OnStar, and they can send help. Unless you didn't pay your $19.95/month, then they ignore the signal that they recieved and you can die, for all they care. Sell all the other OnStar services, charge whatever a month for then, shut them off when no payment is recieved, that's fine. The crash notification system should never be shut off. Yes, I know there's an expense involved, but it's not that expensive to pass on the information since the entire system is in place, it's just hiring a few more employees to deal with the slight increase in volume of OnStar calls. You could even automate it to send emails to whichever local jurisdiction is closest to the accident. Doing nothing should be criminal, in my opinion.
Their advertisements are horrible, especially the one with a woman imitating a child's voice who's Mom's heart medicine's not working. Scaremongering assholes.
This sentence no verb.
"Android-based vehicle"? That's too much of a statement.
No, you are not alone. Any form of remote access to a vehicle is an absolute deal-breaker for me - I don't want OnStar (am I the only one who finds their ads creepy? Especially the "stolen car" ad?), I don't want remote diagnostics, and I WILL NOT buy a car with them. They can get all the diagnostics information they need from the OBD-II connector in the car, which requires them to be IN the car, and presumably with my permission.
And I *won't* tolerate having anybody GPS track my car "for road taxation" purposes, either: you can do the same thing more simply, more effectively, and with more privacy by just raising the fuel taxes.
www.eFax.com are spammers
Well, do you want to pay 50% more up front for your car instead? The car industry currently sells new cars at break even or at a loss, and instead attempt to make money on the after market. Right now, it's business suicide to use open and accessible standards and interfaces. And it's business suicide to outprice your competitors on new cars. Your move: they're stuck.
The last thing I want to do while I'm driving down the highway lost is to flip open my laptop and try to get directions. And yes, I have done exactly that with onstar, gotten directions and was on my way in about 60 seconds. The not lame thing about onstar is you connect to a real person that speaks real english and can answer real questions. Sync & google are going to be voice recognition. Which is great. "I'm sorry I don't understand your question, please try again" Onstar is expensive for 2 reasons. 1, real operators. 2. cellphone connection. Try calling 411 and see what they charge for a number. You can call onstar all month every day and get directions. Same price. I'm sure they negotiated a volume discount, but still, to connect to their operator, it is a cellphone connection. Last time I checked, a base cellphone plan with few minutes is about the same price as onstar. The weird thing is I used to think why the hell do I want onstar, I'll never use it. After having them save my butt a couple of times, now I've come to the reverse position, why would I get a built in Nav system, I'll get onstar instead. My nav system just doesn't do well with "I'm looking for that restaurant near I-40 and stevenson..." Until VR gets some AI that works, I'll stick with people. And finally, what does uploading songs have to do with onstar. My car has a USB port and can play music thru the port from mp3 or ipod. There are quite a few pretty cheap OBD-II interface products to let you snoop your car's data. See http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=10/05/15/2210212 for details. The article was today. You might as well have asked why don't computers have OBD ports? After all OBD predates USB.
Seeing as how most Android apps are just glorified Java applets you'll probably be late for a meeting and once you're past the garage doors the car will simply power down again, displaying something about "GC overhead limit exceeded".
Car networks need a firewall between the entertainment and display systems and the vehicle control systems. You shouldn't be able to send anything from the entertainment bus and ports to brake, engine, and steering control.
This is going to get worse before it gets better. Vehicles with active roll control (a big win on top-heavy SUVs) have accelerometers and rate gyros tied into a complex algorithm with inputs into the engine and braking systems. Advanced cruise control systems have a radar tied in. Automatic parking systems have cameras. There's a lot going on in there, and it probably shouldn't be accessible from a cell phone.
Personally, I think vehicle control software should be stored in read-only memories. Real read-only, not flash. To change it, someone should have to go under the hood, break a seal, unbolt a ROM cartridge, and bolt in a new one. (That's how it worked in the 1980s.) And it should be possible to read out the MD5 of the ROM cartridge easily, and compare it with published lists in the maintenance documentation.
It will be fantastic! Imagine the curves you can do just with your fingertip in the windshield... And the moutitouch feature will allow you to zoom in and out the view of the road!
I can't wait!
--- Illogical Spock
The Volt has a gas engine generator in it. If you forget, or are unable, to recharge the onboard batteries, that just means the gas engine starts immediately, and you won't get the 40 mile battery-only range.
Just don't try to watch a flash video in the car or you may crash and die (as displayed on Youtube with Androids tablet).
They stick those rfid chips in tires now, some anyway.
http://www.google.com/search?q=tires+rfid
I'd rather not use gas to drive home if by waiting 30 minutes I could do it on electricity alone.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
It's bad OnStar exists. But then when they won't want to give it to you for free, that's even worse!
Things do cost money you know? If you think you shouldn't have to pay for the monitoring separately, then lobby your government to take it over. You'll still pay for it, but then you won't have to worry about it being taken away.
I dunno about OnStar being hackable and neither do you. I'm sure you could socially engineer it. Valet has its risks too, they can steal your car or even copy your key and come steal it later. They can dupe your garage door opener button so they can do a home invasion!
You're getting excited over a lot of nothing.
I agree the ads are scaremongering. Unfortunately this is common with car companies. Check out the Subaru "my Subaru saved my life" ad that airs right now.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
Yes, I know things cost money. That's why I mentioned it in my post, and why what I proposed is of negligible expense.
I won't have OnStar in my vehicle, that doesn't change the fact they're still assholes for ignoring the crash signal in those that do have it.
The only assumption I've made is that GM did not build the world's first totally secure completely unhackable wireless connection created and maintained by perfectly trustworthy employees who can neither be bribed nor blackmailed. I would say that, yes, I do know with certainty that it is hackable.
A valet, who you knowingly give your keys to and you can identify, copying your keys and stealing your car is a lot different than having it, along with your wallet, phone, and other valuables, stolen at gunpoint by someone you've no clue where to find then leaving you stranded in a shitty neighborhood.
This sentence no verb.
It's great, I get emails on my car status when it needs servicing, etc... In terms of your rant, how about you go fuck yourself.
is a botnet !
Thanks in advance.
Yours In Astrakhan,
Kilgore Trout
You didn't even read my post.
They can copy your car key. They can clone your garage door opener. And they have your address from your NAV system.
They could perform a home invasion on you, which is at least as bad as being carjacked.
And you're going to identify them? In order to do that you'd have to see them again, which isn't possible if the person just showed up to rip you off and was only impersonating a valet.
You can identify one type of unlikely situation where you can get in trouble but ignore another. Another which is more likely (although realistically both are unlikely).
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
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