Google To Take On Apple's CarPlay

cartechboy (2660665) writes with news that Google is working on software to complete with Apple's CarPlay car dashboard software: Google is set to unveil its own automotive operating system known internally as Google Auto Link. The search giant plans to unveil its system at a software developer conference this month. Interestingly, Auto Link is the first production developed in conjunction with the Open Automotive Alliance, a group of companies including Audi, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, NVIDIA, and Google itself. Like CarPlay, Auto Link won't be an "embedded" system, rather, a "projected" one--an operating system that uses a driver's own smartphone operating system. We'll obviously learn details soon enough, but for now, we are left to wonder whether it'll be Apple or Google that ends up owning the automotive market.

Comments

Answer: Both

[Que_Ball]

Why would it have to be exclusive?

Car makers can simply support both protocols in their built in systems and whatever device you bring just pairs up with it.

Why would an automaker want to exclude potential customers by only supporting one method or the other is the question you need to ask.  Unless Apple or Google is subsidising the cost of the car they just want to make the most attractive package possible and sell more cars.

Re:Answer: Both

[Alan Shutko]

It's a protocol, not an OS. Vendors won't be running Android or iOS inside their cars. They'll just be able to talk to the device you plug in or pair.

Re:Answer: Both

[Lumpy]

Reality is that Android is fragmented to hell and back. Even now a great example. The HTC ONE M8 HTC's Flagship has a very shitty Android that most people are flashing the phone back to the google Play edition to regain functionality of Android.

Unless Google tells all phone makers "FUCK YOU" and demands they can not call it android in any way if they modify it in any way like how apple tells AT&T and Verizon that they can not put their bloated garbage all over the phone... Then it will have crap integration.

My AT&T M8 came with so much AT&T garbage baked into the rom that I was ready to smash the phone after 48 hours. Then the HTC Sense crap coupled with the AT&T crap pushed me to the point that I risked bricking the phone and went to Cyanogenmod dailies until someone released a GPE recovery image.

Re:Answer: Both

[LWATCDR]

" costs money to license, and you have to agree to forcing Google's shit by default (like the Play store)."
1. No it does not http://9to5google.com/2014/01/...
And the things that Google "forces" android handset makers is frankly what customers want.
Google started making handset makers to do make GMS and all or nothing service when a handset maker put on all sorts of Google apps but made the search BING and locked it down!
Some companies choose not to use GMS but still use Android like Amazon.
AOSP plus GMS == the Android must consumers want.

Compared to IOS, BlackberryOS, and WP Android is as free as can be. If you want source to everything but the GMS apps just run Cyanogen. You can even add in the GMS apps if you want them or just run Outlook, YahooMail, or a FOSS mailclient for mail, and the mapping software of your choice.

Re:Answer: Both

[spire3661]

Apple has fragmentation too, but they hide it MUCH better.

car play more than just for cars

[zr]

iphone is a keyboard and a tv-set away from being a full-fledged computer for 99% of the population.

Mirrorlink

[AmiMoJo]

Do we really need another standard when we already have MirrorLink? It works fine, allows the phone to display a special "car mode" homescreen, charges... What more do we need?

apple and google are missing the point.

[nimbius]

I dont know about other slashdotters, but Millenials like myself cant afford a brand new car, end of discussion. Years of college loans have ruined our credit score and what little we are saving is going directly toward maintaining the vehicle we already unfortunately own. For a bit less than a hundred dollars though, I can get a used car stereo and a wiring kit that lets me play music from a USB stick and over BlueTooth from my phone. If i cant afford that, I can just put my ear buds in.

I dont value a car. not like the Gen X or Y or baby boomers did. To me its nothing but oil changes, tire changes, and a lifetime of direct mail spam about my "warranty" running out or the latest bullshit deal from herpo derpersons car and truck supercenter. Its having to strap myself to an insurance company that will subrogate everything. A car just means I put up with expensive parking, gridlock traffic, tickets, and ridiculous gas prices until it dies on a hot day alongside the freeway.
what i do value is public transit. affordable busses that run every 20 minutes and light rail systems that give me time to do shit I actually care about, like browse slashdot and work. I already have a device that lets me use google or apple or whatever I need, but to strap it to a 2000 pound haggared burro doesnt help.