5 ms·

For navigation, what would be nice if they had a standard sized blank spot on the dash where you could attach 3rd party tablets, a bit like car radios. Or even

by rb808 9y ago

For navigation, what would be nice if they had a standard sized blank spot on the dash where you could attach 3rd party tablets, a bit like car radios. Or even a blank spot where you can put a phone nicely (with usb power source).

Slansitartop 9y ago
Or even just a standard-size socket where you could securely clip-in a phone or tablet holder. They sell all kinds of flimsy things that attempt to clip onto the air vents or CD slot, it's about time there was a standard.
- tbyehl 9y ago
  ProClip is the gold standard for this stuff, they make model-specific mounting bases for most cars that wedge into dashboard / console panel gaps and are extremely secure. I've moved on to magnetic mounts with adhesive bases for any of my cars that have a good surface to stick them. Cheap and quick to install. In my girlfriend's kitchen we made a little electronics charging station out of a couple short-depth Ikea shelves and stuck 5-ish inch wide magnetic mounts to the fronts -- real handy for holding the phones and tablets while charging with the screens visible, along with keychains and various other ferrous junk.
  - sedachv 9y ago
    I recommend RAM Mounts. Their hardware is extremely durable (hundreds of miles of offroad motorcycling with zero issues), the parts are modular and interchangeable (they offer mounts for everything from bicycles to airplanes), and they have a lifetime warranty.
    - photojosh 9y ago
      Thanks for the tips, parent and grandparent. Will have a look at those. I use a Quadlock mount case on my phone so I can attach it to the bike, but the wife likes slightly more fashionable cases :), so I want something dock-ish I can just drop a phone into. I'm keen on a Qi charging dock for the car now that it's on iPhones, and am looking to get something that'll last a few years.
btgeekboy 9y ago
I was a fan of MirrorLink because it would both let you have a built in display and integration with the rest of the car, but the protocol is basically VNC++, so you can use any computing device you prefer for entertainment. Doesn’t seem to have caught on though.
- mikestew 9y ago
  Doesn’t seem to have caught on though. I was going to try and use MirrorLink on an aftermarket head unit I bought. "Step 1. Go buy a special cable" Well, now I now why no one talks about MirrorLink.
  - btgeekboy 9y ago
    It gets better: the manufacturer is likely charging for that cable because integrating with MirrorLink requires you to undergo certification, which requires you to be a member of a consortium, which is not remotely affordable for the average person. Apologies if my memory’s rusty; I may be getting some of the facts slightly off. But at one point (2012/13-ish) I wanted to build my own in-car entertainment system. ML seemed like a great way to build the part I wanted to build while still having an amp and basic FM for when that didn’t work correctly. It all came to a grinding halt when I found out only certified stuff would interoperate.
int_19h 9y ago
The problem is that the screen needs to integrate with other car features (at the minimum, backup camera). Even so, there could have been a standard hardware interface for this, if it was a requirement. But as it is, why would they bother, if they can sell you the car anyway?

by rb808 9y ago

Slansitartop 9y ago

Or even just a standard-size socket where you could securely clip-in a phone or tablet holder. They sell all kinds of flimsy things that attempt to clip onto the air vents or CD slot, it's about time there was a standard.

tbyehl 9y ago
ProClip is the gold standard for this stuff, they make model-specific mounting bases for most cars that wedge into dashboard / console panel gaps and are extremely secure. I've moved on to magnetic mounts with adhesive bases for any of my cars that have a good surface to stick them. Cheap and quick to install. In my girlfriend's kitchen we made a little electronics charging station out of a couple short-depth Ikea shelves and stuck 5-ish inch wide magnetic mounts to the fronts -- real handy for holding the phones and tablets while charging with the screens visible, along with keychains and various other ferrous junk.
- sedachv 9y ago
  I recommend RAM Mounts. Their hardware is extremely durable (hundreds of miles of offroad motorcycling with zero issues), the parts are modular and interchangeable (they offer mounts for everything from bicycles to airplanes), and they have a lifetime warranty.
  - photojosh 9y ago
    Thanks for the tips, parent and grandparent. Will have a look at those. I use a Quadlock mount case on my phone so I can attach it to the bike, but the wife likes slightly more fashionable cases :), so I want something dock-ish I can just drop a phone into. I'm keen on a Qi charging dock for the car now that it's on iPhones, and am looking to get something that'll last a few years.

btgeekboy 9y ago

I was a fan of MirrorLink because it would both let you have a built in display and integration with the rest of the car, but the protocol is basically VNC++, so you can use any computing device you prefer for entertainment. Doesn’t seem to have caught on though.

mikestew 9y ago
Doesn’t seem to have caught on though. I was going to try and use MirrorLink on an aftermarket head unit I bought. "Step 1. Go buy a special cable" Well, now I now why no one talks about MirrorLink.
- btgeekboy 9y ago
  It gets better: the manufacturer is likely charging for that cable because integrating with MirrorLink requires you to undergo certification, which requires you to be a member of a consortium, which is not remotely affordable for the average person. Apologies if my memory’s rusty; I may be getting some of the facts slightly off. But at one point (2012/13-ish) I wanted to build my own in-car entertainment system. ML seemed like a great way to build the part I wanted to build while still having an amp and basic FM for when that didn’t work correctly. It all came to a grinding halt when I found out only certified stuff would interoperate.

int_19h 9y ago

The problem is that the screen needs to integrate with other car features (at the minimum, backup camera). Even so, there could have been a standard hardware interface for this, if it was a requirement. But as it is, why would they bother, if they can sell you the car anyway?