
Apple CarPlay - lele0108
http://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/
======
GuiA
Yay, more touch screen in cars. More ways to distract, frustrate and confuse
users who are operating a big box of steel weighing 3 tons and going at speeds
the human brain has never evolved to appropriately deal with.

1) Not only are touch screens a very poor interactor in the first place [0],
but why do you think planes and other complex machinery have stuck with
physical controls? For operating complex vehicles/apparatus, you just cannot
do better than tangible controls. Knobs, switches, sliders can be operated
without looking at them while giving rich tactile feedback, they have no modes
= 0 risk for confusion, you know where they're going to be located on your
dashboard regardless of what you're doing, etc.

2) Self-driving cars cannot come fast enough, and every single innovation in
the car industry that does not go towards electric self driving cars is just
useless fluff at this point. Seriously- then you'll be able to fiddle all you
want with your phone, drink, travel while sleepy, arguing your spouse,
whatever you want- we'll be saving tens of thousands of lives every year [1],
and the secondary social benefits will be fantastic (less cars produced since
they don't have to sit on a parking lot 99% of the time, people won't have to
spend a year's worth of wages just to buy a car (and then a significant chunk
to maintain it), etc.). If society were a game of Civilization, I'd be putting
all of my resource points towards the "Self driving cars" achievement.

Of course the insurance companies, car manufacturers, oil companies, etc.
don't want that to happen- but seriously, fuck those guys. The benefits on
human society at large here are so significant that there is no room for
caring about the feelings of greedy old white men.

[0]
[http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesi...](http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesign/)

[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in_U.S._by_year)

(the views in this post are a bit on the extreme side- but that's how
interesting conversations get started :-)

~~~
archagon
Do you seriously think we'll have widespread self-driving cars — and not just
the bare bones technology, but ones that we can ride in without any control at
all, _even while intoxicated_ — within a timespan short enough for every other
advancement in car technology to not matter?

I am almost 100% certain that we won't see that kind of thing even within the
next few decades, if ever. Self-driving cars have _way_ too many hurdles to
overcome before they reach that point. I mean, Europe hasn't even moved over
to automatic transmission yet.

~~~
ekianjo
> I mean, Europe hasn't even moved over to automatic transmission yet.

Haha. 1) Driving automatic cars is so boring. 2) it makes your body unbalanced
constantly since you use a single foot, therefore your back will ache over
long periods of driving. 3) You cannot adjust your speed as fast with an
automatic car, we are stuck with binary controls while manual cars provide all
the flexibility you need in real, and critical driving situations. All serious
cars (like sports cars) are by far usually manual.

~~~
declan
All but one of the cars I've owned have had a manual transmission, and I
bought a 2013 GTS with a stick (even though the PDK-equipped model is faster
0-60, and certainly more fuel efficient).

But I reluctantly disagree with you. Almost all serious sports cars -- hardly
"boring" \-- now come with automatic transmissions: * All Ferraris are now
automatic * All McLarens are now automatic * Porsche's top street car, the 911
Turbo S, is PDK-only * Porsche's top track-ready car, the 911 GT3, is PDK-only
* The fastest hypercars, the LaFerrari, the McLaren P1, and the Porsche 918,
are all automatic (I recall all 7-speed dual clutch)

Even Lotus, the one company you'd expect to keep the manual faith, on
lightness grounds if nothing else, made the Evora available a few years ago
with an automatic transmission. And Porsche has been quoted as saying the
manual transmission may no longer be available after the 991 is phased out:
[http://www.autoguide.com/auto-
news/2012/02/porsche-911-manua...](http://www.autoguide.com/auto-
news/2012/02/porsche-911-manual-transmission-phased-out-maybe.html)

Unfortunately manual transmissions now make the car slower. A stick is
becoming an enthusiast's conceit, C&D's campaign notwithstanding, and I hope
they're still offered, but I'm now considering a dual clutch automatic for my
next car.

~~~
_archon_
It should be noted that there's a difference between the old-tech viscous
coupling approach and the cutting edge dual-clutch sequential transmission.

The old-tech viscous coupling was lossy and difficult to control. Even when
you can manually tell the trans to shift (as on a 2009 Mazda5), there is a
time delay in the shifting, then you wait for the hydraulic system to confer
torque and finally drive the wheels/engine brake.

The modern DCT that high-end cars are using is a direct mechanical connection
and uses robotic shifting to do so instantaneously. Shifting is faster than a
human can shift an H-gate, and the PID controls on gear selection have better
programming etc. due to both the high end nature of the cars and the better
systems they're being integrated into.

There is a world of difference between what we colloquially term an
"automatic" (slushbox torque converter) and the modern DCT.

~~~
declan
Well said! And a good explanation. Though I'm not sure if the DCT can properly
be termed "cutting edge" anymore; Porsche's PDK started appearing in 911s that
went on sale six years ago (2009 model year, on sale in 2008).

------
aggie
Not that it's any surprise, but it's nice to see an emphasis on Siri. Voice
control is very well suited to car interfaces: the car is a relatively-quiet,
private space where you can be heard by the interface but not bother a
stranger, and voice is as hands-and-eyes-free as it gets (not that this is the
only challenge with car interfaces – divided attention from the road will only
be solved with full autopilot).

What I would love to see going forward is real consideration for the optimal
mix of buttons, touch-gestures, and voice control. A promising design [1,2] is
the combination of mode-selection buttons and a thumb touch pad on the
steering wheel. Left thumb holds down one of several modes, right thumb makes
a simple gesture (no visual attention needed) and boom, you've got a lot of
options for controlling things without taking your eyes of the road.

[1] graphic representation:
[http://i.imgur.com/sHhDLKZ.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/sHhDLKZ.jpg)

[2] pilot study:
[http://pro.sagepub.com/content/57/1/1643.short](http://pro.sagepub.com/content/57/1/1643.short)

~~~
frik
Voice control works fine in Windows Automotive since at least 2008 [1].

Remember both Microsoft and Apple are using the same voice technology and
sound libraries from Nuance Communication [2]. You can change the radio,
mp3-playlist, do phone calls, listen the SMS, etc., though the internet
enabled services are missing in older editions.

[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Embedded_Automotive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Embedded_Automotive)

[2]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuance_Communications#Partnersh...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuance_Communications#Partnership_with_Siri_and_Apple_Inc).

~~~
furyofantares
Are you sure it's the same tech? It very well could be, but scroll down on
that page to mergers and acquisitions, Nuance seemingly buys every company it
can in that space. So they actually have a wide variety of tech and perhaps
deals associated with them that predate acquisitions.

~~~
frik
Yes, it's based on former DragonDictate:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DragonDictate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DragonDictate)

The following product:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NaturallySpeaking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NaturallySpeaking)

Microsoft Auto uses it [http://www.nuance.com/company/news-room/press-
releases/ND_00...](http://www.nuance.com/company/news-room/press-
releases/ND_006329) and
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Sync](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Sync)

And Apple's Siri is Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking cloud service.

------
beloch
If I were an auto manufacturer, I'd be pushing Apple to open up the standard
for interfacing this with phones. iOS and iPhones are great, but are still
only used by a fraction of potential customers. Why limit your market so Apple
can score some lock-in?

~~~
mbel
I believe car manufacturers already have a cross platform standard:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MirrorLink](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MirrorLink)

Carplay seems to be just Apple reinventing the wheel.

~~~
josteink
_Carplay seems to be just Apple reinventing the wheel._

To be fair, that's basically Apple's business models. Just add some
proprietary standards and some software patents and you are good to go.

~~~
annnnd
This comment is a bit dismissive. Can you really claim that for iPod, iPhone
and iPad?

Sure, every invention is based on work of others, but Apple has still made
huge improvements on multiple areas.

~~~
josteink
_This comment is a bit dismissive. Can you really claim that for iPod, iPhone
and iPad?_

MP3 players were already pretty mainstream when the iPod came around and it
didn't really add much. And the iPad was merely an iteration on the iPhone.

But every rule has an exception. I'll grant that Apple definitely redefined
what a smartphone was with the iPhone.

~~~
SeanLuke
> MP3 players were already pretty mainstream when the iPod came around and it
> didn't really add much.

That's like saying that cell phones with color screens were already pretty
mainstream when the iPhone came around and it didn't really add much.

I think you have forgotten just how different the iPod was.

Let's add the Mac to this party. Do you think that the Mac was just
reinventing earlier standards on the market?

~~~
hahainternet
> That's like saying that cell phones with color screens were already pretty
> mainstream when the iPhone came around and it didn't really add much.

> I think you have forgotten just how different the iPod was.

It wasn't very different. Jesus Apple fans talk a lot of shit. The first
iPhone couldn't even install apps, stop this ridiculous rose tinted view.

~~~
SeanLuke
I don't know who this Jesus Apple guy is, but I don't own an iPod, iPhone, or
iPad.

------
morganvachon
Wait, so this works with the iPhone 5, yet you have to plug in your phone to
make it work? What is this, 2003? I get in my car, the radio syncs up to my
WP8 phone via Bluetooth, and if I get a text message I can have the car read
it to me. I can dictate the response, or choose to ignore it, or call back the
person, all with my voice. It can play music from my phone, including internet
radio. I can call up an address search, and the Maps app will give me voice
guided turn by turn directions.

All of this on a Windows Phone device that stays in my pocket, connected to a
single-DIN aftermarket stereo without a fancy LCD, in a 2000 model Toyota.
Recent cars with advanced navigation head units can do much, much more than
mine. I think Apple is a bit behind the curve here.

~~~
cmelbye
There is not a phone on the market that will project an interface over
Bluetooth to a display in the car. What curve are they behind exactly?

~~~
morganvachon
Do you really think it's mirroring the phone's display onto the car's screen?
That would be pointless, as you don't want dozens of irrelevant app icons
cluttering your car's display. You want the basic controls that are useful in
a car, with large targets that can be hit with a glance and later with muscle
memory.

If you really think they are just mirroring the display, then you didn't even
look at the linked Apple page.

~~~
shimfish
My guess is that the iOS SDK has been expanded to allow for a second screen
that is output over lightning. So no, it's not mirroring the phone screen, but
displaying another screen powered by the phone. This would seem to fit with it
being iPhone5 and above only as lightning is designed to have these sorts of
custom digital output.

~~~
eddieroger
Correct. At a minimum, it's a secondary display. But it's also deep
integration into both ends over the Lightning cable (hence the iPhone 5
requirement).

------
li-ch
Apple map is still scarily inaccurate [1,2,3]. Why should I or anyone risk
this in the car?

[1] [http://bgr.com/2013/09/25/apple-maps-disaster-
runway/](http://bgr.com/2013/09/25/apple-maps-disaster-runway/)

[2] [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-
tech/new...](http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-
tech/news/apple-maps-app-bug-directs-drivers-on-to-airport-
runway-8839335.html)

[3] [http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/11/new-
clas...](http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/11/new-class-action-
filed-against-apple-regarding-ios-maps.html)

~~~
furyofantares
To be blunt I am pretty capable of driving without any maps in the car, or at
ignoring instructions that appear incorrect or dangerous. And while Apple Maps
might still get it wrong more than other maps, I've never used a mapping
service that hasn't gotten some things wrong.

I do hope it supports other mapping apps though, or if not I hope Apple gets
pressured to support that. And I don't really see why they wouldn't, it makes
their product better.

~~~
gutnor
The GPS get it wrong very often too. There is an enormous amount of magic
going on behind the scene to put a car on an actual road on the map.

When I'm driving on the highway with spotty coverage, I very often hear "Turn
Left in 50 m" when the magic fails and the GPS (mobile phone running TomTom in
this case) now thinks I teleported on a side road.

Similarly, you could get yourself lost for hours if you follow your GPS
blindly in a small European city. Actually, you would probably get into a
traffic accident before that.

When I see people comment on GPS, I can only imagine that in 20 years, you
will see headline like "Family had to be rescued after their autonomous car
failed to exit Walmart Parking lot for 5 hours and ran out of gas. Google made
no comment."

~~~
dubya
[http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/12/australian-travelers-
st...](http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/12/australian-travelers-stranded-in-
wilderness-because-of-ios-6-maps/)

------
epaga
What puzzles me is that there has been extremely little improvement to Siri
since the first introduction 2.5 (!) years ago - at least, none that I have
noticed. That is a long time for there to not be major updates or to release
her from beta.

I would have expected/hoped that it would be possible to simply silently
improve the server-side algorithms because of all the data being sent in and
analysed. But so far it's been a big disappointment. Google Now is far better
and more useful.

~~~
theswan
Do you mind providing examples of use cases re Google Now vs Siri? Not
disagreeing with you - just haven't owned an Android device in the last year
to know.

~~~
greggman
You can use Google Now on your iOS device (I guess I'm assuming you have an
iOS device). Just download the Google App for iOS.

[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id284815942?mt=8](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id284815942?mt=8)

At least I think that's Google Now. It looks similar though maybe it's missing
some features?

Of course with it not being integrated into the experience it's not quite the
same. (can't appear on your home screen etc...)

------
madsushi
I think that making it an extension of an existing phone was a good choice.
When I heard that Apple was planning some sort of device for cars, I was
imagining how much of a pain it would be to update apps and keep things in
sync with a device in the car. Sounds like it's essentially a second-screen
for the iPhone (plus some built-in controls).

------
coffeemug
Ah finally, no more atrocious pressure-sensitive touch screens. I wouldn't be
surprised if this feature alone is sufficient to increase demand for supported
brands in large enough quantities to make other manufacturers take notice.

~~~
theswan
Am curious who is in charge on manufacturing the device.. Both car
manufacturers and Apple have history of wanting build the "whole widget."

~~~
ZeroGravitas
The home, menu and volume controls on the left don't look like something Apple
would make.

~~~
rpcc
Those main images are from a 2013/4 honda Civic.

------
lancewiggs
Great.

While this feels years overdue the iPad was first released in 2010 and auto
companies are terribly slow at change.

And cars take years to cycle through the global economy - mine is 15 years
old. So perhaps velcro or a stand, an iPad, and bluetooth or wire to the radio
is a cheap alternative. Or perhaps we will se an aftermarket service as with
car radios.

The initial launch partners (Ferrari, Hyundai, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz
and Volvo) are all "foreign", which speaks volumes about the adeptness of the
US domestic manufacturers.

<edit - and yes, electric self-autonomous cars are the endgame. So will this
be the control interface?>

~~~
dba7dba
You can't blame car companies for resisting change. They can't send out
patches. Their product life cycle is a few years, maybe even a decade, not a
year...

Funny to see Hyundai called a great marquee by apple... In S Korea, Samsung is
considered THE marquee company and Hyundai Motor is a few steps below it...

~~~
chipotle_coyote
Going to go out on a limb here and say that Samsung will not be one of Apple's
partners on this project.

I'm over in the States, but are you _sure_ that's really true about Samsung
Motors, by the way? After about ten minutes of searching just now, the story
looks very different -- Samsung may be a marquee brand in most other markets,
but it looks like they're a complete disaster as an auto company. Renault took
majority ownership of Samsung Motors in 2000. And their sales have been
plummeting since 2010; they're behind both Hyundai and Kia in South Korea, and
slashed a rather staggering 80% of their workforce in 2012. One report from
that time period said that Samsung wanted to take their name off "Renault
Samsung Motors" but Renault wouldn't let them.

~~~
dba7dba
Sorry I wasn't clear about my statement. I meant in S Korea in general Samsung
as a brand is considered a notch above Hyundai brand.

I wasn't talking about car business. Just in general Samsung is considered
more sophisticated and a brand notch above Hyundai.

------
habosa
Why do most car manufacturers insist on having a custom software suite for
their cars? Every one I have tried is shittier than the last. Wouldn't they be
better served installing a custom version of a well-known operating system?
Windows 8, iOS, or Android in the car would be great. They could each have
their own app store so that developers who do UX/UI for a living could make
great apps for cars. It would have to be an improvement over what we have now.

CarPlay is a start, but I want something that doesn't require me to buy an
iPhone and plug it in.

~~~
MBCook
> Why do most car manufacturers insist on having a custom software suite for
> their cars?

Value add. Only Ford has Sync.

Just like only Sony TVs have _blah_ and only Fujitsu alarm clocks have _foo_.

Sure, no one _buys_ the cars for that. You want a Honda so you buy one and are
forced to get _BazCarfoTainment 13_.

But it's the most popular software among small cars (based on models sold) so
it must be good, right? Surely that gas mothing to do with the other aspects
of the car (except VTEC(r), VSP(r), Fold-o-seats(r), propell-o-toroids, etc.)

~~~
habosa
They should value add with apps designed on a useful base. Everyone gets a
good OS with mapping, etc. and they build the interesting apps they want to
build. Like Samsung does for Android.

~~~
MBCook
The truth is they're like the phone companies circa 2002.

They control the platform, and people buy the objects for reasons that have
nothing to do with the software they run. Until the software is so bad it
hurts sales they don't have to do any better.

They _are_ incentivized to keep things in their own little world. Why let
Apple sell apps when GM can sell apps? Remember when Tetris on your phone was
$5 a month? Yeah, that's just a step away from where we are.

The car companies are probably only doing this for two reasons. First they
might get put in an Apple ad, and second they want recent iPhone buyers (who,
relative to people taking free phones, are likely to have more disposable
income to spend on a car).

Let's just hope this is more iPhone than Motorola ROKR. I think Apple is
powerful enough at this point to avoid another mistake of that magnitude.

------
kjjw
Yet another piece of technology locked down.

I can use any iPhone, Android or feature phone with bluetooth with my Mercedes
right now. It will sync with the phone using bluetooth standards to display
call history, place calls, receive calls, play and list music on the device,
display and edit my contact book.

But I recently switched from an iPhone to an android phone - so the next Merc
I buy presumably will be a huge step back for me in terms of connectivity with
my device.

------
rickdale
Just bought a 2013 Ford Taurus. My car does all of this and more. I can ask
Siri any question, she will respond and its quite nice. I can command phone
calls, sports scores, directions, etc. Yes the overall system is a little
buggy, but I get it done.

This is really just a makeover for a problem thats already been solved. I
can't help to think that some of the decisions Apple has been making lately
(different colored backs on the iphones) were concepts that Jobs was totally
against, and then now that he is gone those that were for it are in charge.
Apple is going rotten in my opinion.

~~~
madeofpalk
> (different colored backs on the iphones)

Don't forget the iMac which came in thirteen different colours, or the iBook
G3 with the 5 coloured shells, or the iPod mini, nano and shuffle.

------
brudgers
The big winners are insurance companies and reinsurance syndicates. When a car
wrecks, there will be digital records of where the drivers were and what
distractions they had leading up to the incident. Likewise when product
liability is alleged against automakers.

This is the black box with access to your contacts and browsing history plus
the ability to push Taco Bell ads directly to drivers. How much are your
iMessage history and watering hole checkins and groundspeed worth to your
insurer? Did you consider your insurer passing the cost of their access back
to you with markup?

------
lstamour
FYI: CarPlay only works in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong,
Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA.
[http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-
availability/#applecarplay-...](http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-
availability/#applecarplay-applecarplay)

Of the countries supported by Dictation/Siri for most functions, that leaves
out China and Hong Kong. Traffic in Maps, however, is supported in additional
countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland,
Netherlands, New Zealand (wait, why don't they get Dictation/Siri?), Norway,
Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden. Strangely enough, this means Hong
Kong, Japan, Mexico, and Korea all have CarPlay but no Traffic information.
Huh. Funny way to sell a car navigation system, I'm sure they'll add it soon.
:)

As for me, a Canadian, I'm surprised to note that Siri is actually that global
now. Even restaurant reservations works in Canada and Mexico now (but not
outside North America yet). I shouldn't complain, though. I didn't realise
movie reviews and showtimes were limited to basically Canada, UK and USA.
(Australia gets reviews, but no showtimes.)

Notably absent from the Facebook and Twitter integration with Siri (say what?)
is China, of course.

------
sloanesturz
But when do I get to see the video with Jony Ive describing "Carplay as the
most revolutionary product Apple has made. Ever."

------
hrktb
I was hoping for some kind of airplay for the car. The main use case would be
a third-party navigation or music app seamlessly integrating with this, with
some kind of two-way communication with the phone to send back use input.

This feels strange and needlessly wall-garden, exactly like the apple TV
before airplay.

------
abruzzi
I hope they make this available for aftermarket manufacturers. No way I'm
going to spend $80k to replace my '97 Landcruiser with a 2014. Maybe in 15
years, but by then I'd probably need to be running a 15 year old iPhone.

------
rdl
Tesla and Audi are missing :(

~~~
theswan
I think this suggests either talks between Tesla and Apple didn't go well, or
something even bigger (integration wise) could be coming up.

------
pedalpete
It looks as though this is running your your iPhone, virtualized in your cars
built-in display.

I'm happily surprised to see Apple go this route, as I suspect/hope I don't
have to have an iPhone in order to make use of the cars built-in display.

Also, if auto manufacturers are going the virtualized route, their is very
little preventing Android/WP/Ubuntu/Firefox/etc. to work just as easily.

~~~
emeidi
"virtualized"? I'd rather call it "mirroring".

~~~
pedalpete
Virtualized is the term virtualbox uses to describe how it works, though
mirroring may be a better description.

------
poub
I can't wait for the WWDC where Apple will allow all developers to submit
their app following of course meaningful guidelines that fit a car user
interface.

Then Apple can act as a gateway and the automakers cannot put a veto on which
app goes to the car dashboard or not.

I think we can learn from the fiasco of Renault trying to create a plateform
with their R-link system. In this case the car manufacturer does the filtering
of the apps but the rewards are low for the developers :

\- antique system : android already 3-4 years old!

\- no access to the car data : it's like making a smartphone app without being
able to use the camera in your app. So as the user experience designer you're
loosing very important data about the context of the user.

\- low number of users : not many cars are sold with this system. (Carplay do
not have many users yet but has much more potential of growth than R-link).

The marketing page of r-link :
[http://www.renault.co.uk/innovations/r-link/](http://www.renault.co.uk/innovations/r-link/)

I think people already showed many time they do want control, variety and
choice.

------
onedev
Ultimately what I want is an in-car media system that is as up to date as your
phone is.

I want to swap out my phone for a better in-car experiences, not switch out my
entire car (as is the current way of doing it).

If this enables that and makes it possible across brands, that's fantastic. In
a way it would be an unprecedented level of tech standardization in the car
world.

~~~
k-mcgrady
It does enable that as it's just mirroring your iPhone screen to a screen in
the car. Same thing you can do with an Apple TV.

------
valarauca1
The problem I see while this is great for consumers is IOS isn't a real-time
OS. So it won't be able to manage car sensor data.

This means it'll be a hard sell to auto-makers in the US since most want only
1 computer in the car (to do infotainment AND sensor control). This is the
holy grail currently in infotainment systems.

The only automaker moving in this direction currently is Ford by using
blackberry's platform which is Realtime. The problem then being your
downgrading from a 600MHz PPC chip to a dual core ARM. Your heat generation
decreases significantly, but so does your computational muscle.

Honestly I'll be surprised if this catches on with US automakers.

Source: Close friends who could possibly lose their jobs if I give names. Or
suppliers, some of the outfits who know about this are small.

~~~
mzs
That's not holy grail at all, only one car manufacturer was pushing for that,
and they have essentially given-up.

~~~
valarauca1
From what I understand the Microsoft contract is cancelled, the new company
stepping in has a real time OS, and they are testing once again to enable
single CPU configurations.

~~~
mzs
Interesting, thanks. Pretty sure I know the two companies, my take would be
one has a lot more riding on this and to take that with a grain of salt.

~~~
valarauca1
Actually re-spoke to my friend. The Apple and QNX actually use the same board
(as QNX is core OS for appleIOS). Apple's been in development of this for over
a year.

Which Ford shifting to a QNX platform (public knowledge), means we'll likely
see this sooner then I predicted.

------
raghuHack
Interesting.. should be quite interesting for app developers. Will apple work
with partners or is it open for the app developer community? In the case of
the latter, any news on a CarPlay SDK?

On another note, I was actually expecting Android to do this first.
Interesting times ahead!

~~~
thedudemabry
Haha, the first in-car app that came to mind was an illegal street racing lap
timer. Perhaps it's a positive that the App Store censors will be approving
apps, at least initially.

------
pioul
It looks definitely better than most proprietary car manufacturer software out
there, but now that we're talking about extending smartphones' screens and
features inside cars, something more interoperable would have been
appreciated. It'll probably come later, just not from Apple.

    
    
        Also, putting the emphasis on voice control is great, but I'm really not sure Siri is up to the task.
    
        If I had to express my first opinion on Carplay, it'd be "new and shiny but probably not functional enough for it to *really* work as advertised".

------
giarc
I'm actually happy to see this. I own a new Chevy vehicle and the integration
between my phone and their proprietary system is awful. It seems like the two
systems struggle for control. For example, if I am playing music over
bluetooth and plug my phone into the USB to charge, it automatically switches
to play over USB.

The other day I loaded a youtube video on my phone and played it over
bluetooth. The in car system didn't understand play and pause and thought I
was trying to control my music playlist. It kept switching between YT video
and iphone playlist. It was awful.

------
nroose
Looks like they don't have any aftermarket plans... I have a belkin hands free
unit, and a home made bracket for my phone. Works pretty well. Is quite
versatile. And I still have use of my regular old radio, which will play NPR
or various music at the touch of a button, without using my data or having to
tell anyone what I am listening to. My daughters can hook their phones and
other devices up by aux cable or the belkin, and they each have a favorite
station on the radio. Sure, this system looks pretty slick, but I have a more
functional setup for free.

------
beedogs
Am I alone in thinking Apple should be worrying more about _fixing iOS 7_
rather than _porting_ it to a lot of new devices? It is easily the buggiest
version of iOS I've used (4 through 7.)

~~~
Goopplesoft
Anecdotally I can tell you that I'm not worrying about that because I haven't
experienced these bugs you speak of. Maybe I'm not doing something?

------
eurleif
What's the deal with third-party apps? I see music apps mentioned, but it
looks like there isn't general support. I bet a lot of people will be
interested in Google Maps in particular...

~~~
lstamour
Wait for WWDC this summer. Or next. Apple will want to improve this to
encourage lock-in to their ecosystem. I'd expect this to expand in
functionality in tandem with that of their watch. Both could serve as
secondary screens for information you'd normally get on your phone.

~~~
m_mueller
All that can be said about AppleTV which as been out for years and has
gathered quite a large userbase lately.

------
jpalomaki
I was not aware that there is also standard that is aiming to do the same
thing, called MirrorLink. The concortium seems to have quite many members and
this has existed for several years. Apparently it was demonstrated some years
ago but I could not find any cars actually supporting it.

On mobile phone side it is supported by number of Nokia Symbian phones and
quite many Sony Ericsson smartphones.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MirrorLink](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MirrorLink)

------
d135_1r43
Product Lifecycle of the big brands are between 6 and 10 years, at least for
Daimler and BMW. I do not expect this to appear before 2018. This is nothing
you can put in a MOPF.

------
jamesjguthrie
I'd like to see this available in a double-DIN sized unit that could be fitted
in any car. Instead of it only being available in 2014+ cars.

~~~
frik
Sadly, this standard that was once common, is going away.

Inbuilt car audio, navigation and entertainment systems age very badly. Seeing
a car with a CD or even a cassette drive feels very dated. (the iOS Carplay
photos feature a slot CD drive, very old-school for Apple the re-inventor of
the mp3 player - the iPod)

~~~
jamesjguthrie
It's only 'going away' in regards to new car models. There's many millions of
second hand cars on the roads all over the world that could facitate an
aftermarket double-DIN unit.

------
benst
I really like the sound of this feature, but until it becomes more widely
available I'll continue using "Harken For iPhone" in the car. It's much easier
to use than Apple's music player (bigger text, large buttons/touch areas).
There's also "Harken" on the iPad but I need a new cradle for my iPad so I
can't use it at the moment.

------
whistlerbrk
>> (the views in this post are a bit on the extreme side- but that's how
interesting conversations get started :-)

says it all. No it doesn't make this conversation interesting. It makes it
divisive. It makes people fight each other for no reason. It confuses and
disillusions. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM, not greedy old white men, you racist.

------
jobu
Hopefully it works with mapping apps other than Apple's. Not only are the
directions often questionable, the app has a terrible user experience. I don't
need to be told five times that I should be turning left while I'm waiting at
a long stoplight. It's also a pain to see what's coming up in the route.

~~~
testrecord
They say that it supports other apps. I'm sure that one of the many other GPS
app makers will release a carplay app like they did for iPhone.

------
return0
I was looking for a 2DIN car unit running android the other day and could only
find some generic Chinese models. I m wondering why it takes so long for car
computers to catch up with the world, it looks like a largely unexploited
market. Glad to see Apple stirring the waters, although they ll probably keep
their platform closed.

------
lazydon
Oh God! Please no. For someone, who lost his dad in an accident due to a
distracted scumbag, this is heart breaking.

Just say no to phones (in any form) while you drive.

Multitasking is a myth. Try driving on a new road while chitchatting to
someone siting next to you; or, even try walking fast while thinking something
hard or even recollecting something.

------
jandy
The thing which excites me the most about this is the little LTE symbol in the
corner. Why? So your navigation app can update itself. We had a Range Rover a
few years ago which had some crazy proprietary satnav in which was stuck with
five year old maps and a buggy interface. Software Update, mmm.

------
bsaul
Anyone here things that combining siri and apple maps to get advices while
driving is a recipe for disaster ?

~~~
xutopia
First time I used Apple Maps was for directions to a hospital. It added 30
minutes to my drive. Thankfully it was _only_ a dislocated elbow we were
dealing with and not someone choking to death.

I have no trust in Apple Maps.

~~~
taiki
For emergencies, I don't think I'd trust consumer grade anything.

My first time using Apple Maps was for driving directions from NY to
Baltimore. It was mostly pleasant and the voice directions worked.

Mildly annoying though was that when I took a side road to grab lunch, it kept
pestering me to get back on the road.

Granted, Google maps does the same thing, or did at the time. I switched it up
for a short leg of the trip and when I stopped for gas, I nearly lost my mind
when Google Maps did it too. How hard could it be to have a side trip mode or
to understand the driver is hungry?

------
frik

      CarPlay is compatible with these iPhone models
    

No word about Bluetooth!? Will this be incompatible with Android & co devices?

CD drive on the marketing photo, very retro for a company that reinvented the
mp3 player with iPod. USB-port is very common, but will CarPlay support it?

------
beaker52
As a consumer, that is an expensive way to find yourself locked in to
increasing Apple device prices.

~~~
lostlogin
Why do you say they are increasing? I paid the same for my 5s as I paid for my
4. Thats a decrease after inflation. Macs are much cheaper than they used to
be.

~~~
MaintainPrice
Depends on the country. In the USA the launch price has held steady since the
iPhone 4, but everywhere else the off-contract price has been steadily
increasing. It's now $720 in Canada. Same with some of the Macs (e.g. Mac mini
jumps around during the rare refresh)

~~~
lostlogin
I'm in New Zealand and it isn't increasing. Neither are Mac prices. Our dollar
is increasing in value and the US dollar is falling. Maybe relevant.

------
hemaljshah
This feels like a use case to get rid of any of the iPad mini screens so they
can come in with a bigger iPhone. The UI looks really boring and how would
this connect with different versions of the iPhone?

Definitely not onboard with providing drivers another distraction in the car.

------
colinprince
Couldn't help noticing this is a significant foray into responsive screen
layout for Apple.

A good responsive/adaptive layout will give Apple options for more diverse
screen sizes and proportions from cars to watches to other phone and tablet
aspect ratios.

Can't wait.

------
frade33
I am not against the CarPlay itself, which I think would make a great fit in
the car dashboard, I am just unconvinced about the phone and message apps? As
both are the Number 1 reason for car crashes., so why would they want it in a
car dashboard?

------
josephschmoe
Why can't these touch screens work like the Razer Blade mouse pad? i.e. it's a
touch screen, but you couldn't tell because it has metal plates/buttons on top
of it. Essentially, it's just a programmable mousepad + keys.

------
supermatt
This is a truly killer move by apple. No longer will you be bound by the 24
month term of your carrier to an apple handset, but you will be tied to using
an apple device for the duration of your vehicle ownership.

------
bane
Not that I'm complaining but how did this get through the dupe filter?

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7334479](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7334479)

------
noja
Let your iPhone show you the way? The road is calling? All your music.
_Beautifully arranged_?

Who writes this crap? Do they even read the copy back to themselves? Jesus.
Lose the taglines!

------
PaulMest
Why aren't they announcing this at an event? I can't recall Apple releasing
something like this without some type of fanfare and subsequent media push.

~~~
jcheng
Might have something to do with the Geneva Auto Show that starts this week,
where their automaker partners had already announced they'd be showing this
stuff.

------
aadilrazvi
Seems strange to me that you still have to plug in your iPhone. Nowhere does
it say that you can connect via Bluetooth.

~~~
emeidi
Does Bluetooth have the necessary throughput to send 1-3 MP of graphics data
with approx. 10+ FPS to a car LCD display? Even if this was possible, it would
drain your phone's battery considerably, which means you have to plug in your
phone nevertheless to let it charge. Aside, attaching the iPhone via cable
will be straight and much less cumbersome and error prone than pairing over
Bluetooth.

~~~
mzs
No it doesn't and it would drain the battery anyway, plugging in is sensible,
plus then it can charge the device.

------
chiph
Hmm. Ford is signed on for future models. Does that mean they're abandoning
the much-maligned MyFord Touch?

------
achairapart
This website is horrible: image replacement for most of the text. It's 2014.
Seriously, Apple?

~~~
taitems
"It's 2014" and Chrome can't even render a web font that's not hideously
jagged on Windows. Even IE renders text better than Chrome these days. Why
would the pixel perfect Apple designers leave something as integral as
typography up to a browser with rendering problems?

------
Tycho
If Jobs did this, he would have insisted on killing the in-car CD-player while
he was at it.

------
umsm
Is it just me, or is anyone else suspicious about Pandora missing from the
supported apps?

------
mahyarm
Now we wait for appradio 4 with carplay integration and you can put this in
any car.

------
jqquah
Hopefully it will stand the heat in the summer or in tropical countries. >.<

------
brianbreslin
I wonder if Ford will upgrade existing microsoft sync systems to work with
this?

~~~
e15ctr0n
Ford will switch to BlackBerry's QNX Neutrino real-time operating system[0]
and the QNX CAR infotainment platform[1] for the next generation of Sync
coming out in 2016[2][3].

[0] [http://www.qnx.com/products/neutrino-rtos/neutrino-
rtos.html](http://www.qnx.com/products/neutrino-rtos/neutrino-rtos.html)

[1] [http://www.qnx.com/products/qnxcar/](http://www.qnx.com/products/qnxcar/)

[2] [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-22/ford-said-to-
swap-b...](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-22/ford-said-to-swap-
blackberry-s-qnx-for-microsoft-in-sync-system.html)

[3]
[http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000142405270230461040...](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304610404579403041411705368)

------
bane
Tbh this just is a signal to me of what cars to not buy in the future.

------
hnriot
Why are they showing an iPhone 4/4s with a lightning connector?

------
3rd3
What kind of display is it so that the finger casts a shadow on it?

------
basicallydan
Is _this_ what Tesla and Apple have been talking about?

------
djim
this would have been cool if it didn't require you to have an iOS device. like
the car should just have it built in. the entire iPhone.

------
jasonlingx
This is what they met Musk about? What a let down.

------
joyeuse6701
I'd like to see Android's response.

~~~
e15ctr0n
Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA)[0] at CES 2014[1] with car
manufacturers Audi, GM, Honda, and Hyundai, and chip manufacturer Nvidia[2].

[0] [http://www.openautoalliance.net/](http://www.openautoalliance.net/)

[1] [http://officialandroid.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/new-
partnershi...](http://officialandroid.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/new-partnership-
to-bring-android-to.html)

[2] [http://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2014/01/06/were-joining-
google-...](http://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2014/01/06/were-joining-google-audi-
gm-honda-and-hyundai-to-bring-android-to-your-next-car/)

------
guiomie
Too bad I'm 100% cycling/walking.

------
tomsiw
No US car manufacturers in 2014? Why?

------
hagope
Missing from the lineup: Tesla

------
NextUserName
I keep waiting to see a car that comes with a tables built into the dash.
There are many modders who have accomplished this already, it just seems like
the next big thing. Voice control, apps, awesome.

~~~
bruceboughton
It would have to be a pretty low-functionality tablet to be legal in most
jurisdictions... like the one Apple have just announced, for example.

------
hydralist
apple maps? nah i'll use google maps with my phone

~~~
capitalisthakr
Surely you would just load the app of your choice from the App Store.

------
Driff
Great.. more assholes social networking instead of watching the bloody road.

