2014 will be the year when we can officially talk about applications for the machine. Technically, it has been talked about for years and companies such as Ford have already started to equip their cars with operating systems such as Ford Sync.
But now it is getting serious with Apple that announced the entry of iOS in the cars in 2014 and, more concretely, Google which in agreement with Audi should already show how Android can become the operating system of the In-car on-board computer.
Google has also opened a page called the Open Auto Alliance which is somewhat of the Android manifest in the car to provide a management platform for anyone who wants to join.
Going beyond the news, however, it is interesting to understand what it means, in fact, to have Android or iOS on the on-board computer of the machine and what this can be able to do.
We all use the smartphone in the car, hung on the dashboard or attached to the windshield, to see maps or notifications of new messages.
We have seen, in another article, the best Android applications to use in the car and in traffic .
The ideal solution would now be to have a system in the car that connects to the mobile phone in order to show us the important information for the trip and adapting the various applications (mainly those of GPS navigation and audio).
You can therefore, for example, have a GPS navigator like Google Maps always at hand, with the maps visible on the touchscreen, which update themselves through the internet connection of the mobile phone.
The phone must automatically transfer the data to the on-board computer app so that the map, prepared even before getting into the car, is immediately displayed next to the steering wheel or on the front display.
Several companies are looking for this path, simple and obvious as an idea, but difficult to implement concretely.
Ideally there should be an immediate connection between the car and the owner's smartphone, so that as you get into the car the systems recognize and communicate with each other.
The Bluetooth connection is only the first step and this type of next generation systems should have all the necessary applications in a version optimized for the machine.
For security reasons, you will need to have full voice control in the car, with voice commands that iOS with Siri and Android with Google Now should be able to provide without problems.
The on-board computer thus always listens without pressing anything.
All applications related to videos must be deactivated while the car is moving, for safety reasons and the same applies to non-emergency notifications.
The car becomes like a closed and protected place with the ability to show the driver an augmented reality, which does not distract him, which includes only the strictly necessary information.
The smartphone in your pocket provides data to the vehicle's on-board computer which integrates with the phone and exchanges data with it in a synchronized way.
The most difficult problems to overcome are those of system updates and that of the ability to adapt applications for hundreds of models of different machines and systems, so as to harmonize the sector by agreeing on new standardized standards.
As demanding as this is, the automaker that will be able to integrate Android or iOS into its machines without involving higher costs than normal, will have a distinct competitive advantage and will be able to make a truly smarter and smart car.
