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Porsche Chooses Apple Over Google Because Google Wants Too Much Data

Posted by Soulskill on from the you-are-the-product-being-sold dept.

countach44 writes: As reported in number 5 of this list from Motor Trend, Porsche went with Apple over Google for the infotainment system in its new 911. Apparently, Android Auto wants vehicle data (throttle position, speed, coolant temp, etc.) whereas Apple Play only needs to know if the car is in motion. Naturally, people are curious what Google, as a company building its own car, wants that data for.

17 of 423 comments (clear)

  1. It's not what Google wants.... by rotaryexpress · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Information about the car is what CONSUMERS want. Google is asking for it because we are asking for it.

    1. Re:It's not what Google wants.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Information about the car is what CONSUMERS want. Google is asking for it because we are asking for it.

      Umm, no. Google is asking for it because Google's CUSTOMERS want it.

      Hint: You are NOT a Google customer. You are Google's PRODUCT.

      Google's CUSTOMERS are INTERNET ADVERTISERS looking to strip mine your life for data.

      Google's business model is to turn your privacy upside down, shake the shit out of it, and collect everything and anything that falls out.

      Then they go through your privacy's pockets looking for loose change because it's completely dead.

    2. Re:It's not what Google wants.... by macs4all · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah. This is useful for lots of automated diagnostics functions.

      Also, SOME of that data (not all of it) is highly beneficial for augmenting navigation systems (most notably, vehicle speedometer and steering position). Google even explicitly mentioned how this data would be used by Android Auto in a presentation somewhere (I don't have the link to it now...) It's hinted at a bit past one minute in to https://www.youtube.com/watch?... but I'm fairly certain I saw a presentation somewhere explicitly stating that vehicle GPS, steering position, and wheel speed would be used for location sensor fusion.

      Yeah, everyone wants minute by minute logging of their Coolant Temperature and Throttle Position.

      If that was Apple, Slashdot's Apple-Haters would be setting the Internets on fire with the hate-posts.

    3. Re:It's not what Google wants.... by Altus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's what the lovely built in computer that porche provides is for. The dashboard can show you many of these things. Porche will provide more info than almost any of its customers would care for. The rest will prefer using their custom tools to read more detailed raw data. Android is there to do gps and handle in car entertainment and communication. Nothing else

      --

      "In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women..." -H. Simpson

  2. Dashboards by hsa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Google Dashboard:

    Throttle position
    Speed
    Coolant temp
    Fuel Consumption
    etc.

    Apple Dashboard:

    The car is moving.

  3. Any sufficiently powerful corporation by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...thinks it's indistinguishable from God.

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
    1. Re:Any sufficiently powerful corporation by willworkforbeer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ...thinks it's indistinguishable from Government.

      FTFY.

      --
      Pretending this is my office full of bitter coworkers..
  4. Re:Not surprising by amRadioHed · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As of Monday they can. But on any Android version older than Marshmallow it is not possible.

    --
    We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
  5. Why do they need ANY info? by cayenne8 · · Score: 1, Insightful
    Ok, why do they even need to know if the car is in MOTION at all just to play music??

    All of my car stereos so far, have never had to have any connection to car info to play my songs as I barrel down the road. On custom installs, I've never hooked to any of the car data, etc.

    Why would an entertainment system need to know any of that information at all?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:Why do they need ANY info? by hrimhari · · Score: 5, Insightful

      To block you from doing distracting tasks while driving such as editing a playlist or browsing your contact list.

      --
      http://dilbert.com/2010-12-13
    2. Re:Why do they need ANY info? by Alascom · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A couple of years ago, your probably asked why a phone needed sensors - like gyros, compass, temperature, motion, fingerprints, cameras, etc.

      If you want to do really innovative and cool stuff, you need a way for the computer to be aware of the world around it. If you are a "car" system and you want to make really useful and cool apps for cars, then things like speed, g-forces, braking, turn signals, GPS, temperature and other sensors all become really essential.

    3. Re:Why do they need ANY info? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      To block passengers in your car from doing useful tasks while you are driving such as editing a playlist, browsing your contact list, or searching for food/gas/bathrooms on your route.

      FTFY. This nanny corp crap really needs to go away.

    4. Re:Why do they need ANY info? by Last+Warrior · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The point is that Porsche should be telling google what they want their entertainment system to do and how much information they want to send to it. Google should not be asking for this information and they should definitely not be the one dictating what information is required for an embedded audio entertanment system. the next thing you know Google will be sending all the data back to their datacenters, monitoring not only where you are but how fat you are diving, what rpms you are changing gears so they can let your insurance know if you have a lead foot, and your auto mechanic if you like to bounce off the rev limiter a little too often.

      losing out on my privacy and autonomy in the name of someone elses stupid feature is the wrong way to go. Google making demands on a car company when the car company is the one who should be making decisions about the features and functionality of the car is the wrong way to go.

      Google should STFU and be happy that someone wants to pay to license their technology and then they should work to provide the features that the licensee wants.

    5. Re:Why do they need ANY info? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      FTFY. This nanny corp crap really needs to go away.

      Car companies do this because they fear that if they don't, government will hit them with all sorts of new regulations. Judging by past government behavior, that's a reasonable fear.

    6. Re:Why do they need ANY info? by geeper · · Score: 3, Insightful

      My truck has a variable volume based on speed so that the volume lowers as the truck slows. It's a handy feature. That is the only reason I can think of.

      --
      Error reading device 'Signature'. (A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ail?
    7. Re:Why do they need ANY info? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Insightful

      To block passengers in your car from doing useful tasks

      Most modern cars have weight sensors in the front seats, so the computer will know if there is someone in the passenger seat. If the car is in motion, and there is no passenger, then it is reasonable to change the UI behavior.

      This nanny corp crap really needs to go away.

      You may feel different when some distracted driver runs over your kid. This isn't just about protecting people from themselves. Distracted drivers are a danger to other people as well.

    8. Re:Why do they need ANY info? by adolf · · Score: 3, Insightful

      All of the things listed in TFS are already available on the OBD-II port.

      --
      Kid-proof tablet..