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It would be easy to flip a couple GitHub repos to "public" and call it a day. It would be easy to wipe proprietary IP from the latest version, shove whatever's
by ryukoposting 2y ago
It would be easy to flip a couple GitHub repos to "public" and call it a day.
It would be easy to wipe proprietary IP from the latest version, shove whatever's left in a ZIP file, and upload it somewhere online.
It would be easy to do literally nothing except publish instructions on how to wipe the flash. That alone would be enough to allow some clever people online to get a normal Android installation onto these things.
Somehow, all of these options are too much for Spotify to stomach. Shameful.
Honestly, I forgot Car Thing even existed. I hardly remembered it at all. Given how my car is over 20 years old and I make extensive use of Spotify while driving, I imagine I was probably the target audience for Car Thing. Makes me wonder if Car Thing's biggest problem was marketing.
- gs17 2y agoI had just remembered it existed recently, glad I didn't look into getting one. My assumption was that it had lost support but would work indefinitely, how naive of me.
- rickdeckard 2y agoIt's a nice well-built device, running Android and a stripped-down Chromium Engine to render the Spotify webapp. Which makes it even more puzzling that they can't keep it running...
- roland35 2y agoThis happened a few times at Meta (remember the Portal?!). I think leadership just wants a clean break and doesn't want any support calls, liability, brand relationship to the device, etc etc
- ryukoposting 2y agoIf they don't want support calls, liability, or brand association, then they shouldn't have made the fucking product in the first place! I know this is HN and I'm preaching to the choir, but it's infuriating.