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The power cycling the car to get the stereo to work isn't limited to Fords unfortunately. I have a "dumb" smart radio and the BT is so bad between my Google pho

The power cycling the car to get the stereo to work isn't limited to Fords unfortunately. I have a "dumb" smart radio and the BT is so bad between my Google phone and the car that I've had numerous glitches some that require power cycling the car, which is insane. I honestly cannot believe something that works flawlessly in nearly every other situation is so screwing in the car, what I wouldn't give to have my aux connector in again.

ahartmetz 9y ago
I work in embedded software, and Bluetooth is the worst. Hardware and software are crawling with bugs. I like to say it's the most unreliable technology in wide use. What you see is after all the workarounds that some poor application developers had to implement.
- reificator 9y ago
  That's what happens when you try to design a unifying interface for everything. Frankly I'm amazed Bluetooth works as well as it does.
  - ahartmetz 9y ago
    WiFi is an example of an almost everything interface that mostly works, though. But it's a different approach because it leaves application interfaces variable, so less big design up front. Its main functionality gap is, of course, low power and very low cost hardware. That said, I still don't understand why Bluetooth is still flaky after over 20 years of opportunity to improve it.
    - reificator 9y ago
      > WiFi is an example of an almost everything interface And the gap between almost everything and everything is huge. I like the phrase I heard a few years ago from friends that played MMOs: “92 is halfway to 100”. Diminishing returns is a painful thing.
sedachv 9y ago
> what I wouldn't give to have my aux connector in again. Your head unit probably has an aux connector in the back, either 1/8" or RCA input as part of video input. You can run a long 1/8" male-male wire from there out to the bottom of the dashboard (what I did on my most recent swap, can't lose the cable this way), or run a 1/8" male-female to an accessory knock-out cover or cut out part of the dashboard. I paid for a higher-quality Kenwood unit, and the Bluetooth, while actually managing to connect (not always the case in my experience, even for factory units), does have problems with interference that sometimes cause sound to drop out for 1-2 seconds. This is as bad as the worst CD-skip-on-hitting-pothole. Bluetooth IMO is complete garbage for car audio.
- freedomben 9y ago
  > Bluetooth IMO is complete garbage for car audio. Amen. I get a lot of stuttering and random disconnections that drive me insane. Also that's a terrific tip regarding the aux input. Definitely gonna check that out.
- MrMember 9y ago
  The Bluetooth in my car worked reasonable well for a couple of years until one day it stopped working entirely. Thankfully it has an aux connector (and I'll never buy a phone without a 3.5mm jack).

ahartmetz 9y ago

I work in embedded software, and Bluetooth is the worst. Hardware and software are crawling with bugs. I like to say it's the most unreliable technology in wide use. What you see is after all the workarounds that some poor application developers had to implement.

reificator 9y ago
That's what happens when you try to design a unifying interface for everything. Frankly I'm amazed Bluetooth works as well as it does.
- ahartmetz 9y ago
  WiFi is an example of an almost everything interface that mostly works, though. But it's a different approach because it leaves application interfaces variable, so less big design up front. Its main functionality gap is, of course, low power and very low cost hardware. That said, I still don't understand why Bluetooth is still flaky after over 20 years of opportunity to improve it.
  - reificator 9y ago
    > WiFi is an example of an almost everything interface And the gap between almost everything and everything is huge. I like the phrase I heard a few years ago from friends that played MMOs: “92 is halfway to 100”. Diminishing returns is a painful thing.

sedachv 9y ago

> what I wouldn't give to have my aux connector in again. Your head unit probably has an aux connector in the back, either 1/8" or RCA input as part of video input. You can run a long 1/8" male-male wire from there out to the bottom of the dashboard (what I did on my most recent swap, can't lose the cable this way), or run a 1/8" male-female to an accessory knock-out cover or cut out part of the dashboard. I paid for a higher-quality Kenwood unit, and the Bluetooth, while actually managing to connect (not always the case in my experience, even for factory units), does have problems with interference that sometimes cause sound to drop out for 1-2 seconds. This is as bad as the worst CD-skip-on-hitting-pothole. Bluetooth IMO is complete garbage for car audio.

freedomben 9y ago
> Bluetooth IMO is complete garbage for car audio. Amen. I get a lot of stuttering and random disconnections that drive me insane. Also that's a terrific tip regarding the aux input. Definitely gonna check that out.
MrMember 9y ago
The Bluetooth in my car worked reasonable well for a couple of years until one day it stopped working entirely. Thankfully it has an aux connector (and I'll never buy a phone without a 3.5mm jack).