Android Auto explored: Taking Google on the road

Android Auto has been around for a number of years. Announced in 2014, Android Auto first made its appearance in third-party head units, such as some from Pioneer, with a number of car manufacturers confirming they would be offering it in the future.

The car market moves a lot slower than the smartphone market and since Android Auto’s inception, you’ve probably got through several phones, without ever seeing Android Auto in action. But those cars are starting to hit the road and as the old cliché goes, the future is now.

We spent some time diving a little deeper into Android Auto on the new Audi A3 to see how it all fits together.

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What is Android Auto?

Audi has updated the A3, its best-selling model in the UK, bringing with it Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support through its MMI infotainment system.

Android Auto (and Apple CarPlay) on the A3 means it’s going to be available to a lot of people – as will be the case when Ford Sync 3.0 lands in the UK later in 2016 – when these services are really going to hit the big time. 

The idea behind Android Auto is to seamlessly bring Android into the infotainment system of your car with minimal hassle. It’s basically a bespoke mirrored experience, drawing from your phone an interface that’s suitable for driving. This is different from some Android-based in-car systems, as Android Auto is actually running on your phone, just displayed and controlled using your car’s hardware.

In most cases, you simply have to connect via USB and you’re done. For the Audi A3, we connected the HTC 10 to the USB port hidden in the (optional) “phone box” hiding under the central armrest. The phone box also offers Qi wireless charging, so if you dump your Samsung Galaxy S7 in it, for example, it will charge, but if you’re hooking up to USB to use Android Auto, you’ll be charging anyway.

Android Auto: The app

You can download the Android Auto app for your device from Google Play. If you don’t have the app and you connect to a compatible car, you’ll be prompted to download it, but there’s nothing to stop you installing it in advance.

Once you have it installed and you connect to the car, there’s a whole range of things to agree too, the normal legal disclaimers and so on, as well as granting the app permission to access a range of things on your phone. 

The app will handle establishing a Bluetooth connection to the car and for the Audi A3, that means you’ll then have all your contacts available to use with the car’s phone support, becoming completely integrated with both Android Auto and Audi’s existing MMI system without having to pair Bluetooth devices via the traditional method.

One feature of the app that we really like is that it remembers its last location when it was connected. That means that when you park, you can see at a glance where you left your car. Although Google Now has offered the feature for some time, it doesn’t always seem to know when you’re parked and when you’re not.

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Android Auto: User interface and features

Android Auto has the capacity to make your dumb car smarter, or bring familiarity to your already smart car.

It’s simple, it offers basic functions and it’s designed to stop you fiddling with your phone when driving. In some ways it replicates “car mode” that some phones offer, but without having to dock your phone as an additional display. With a central main home page, you then have the option of moving between a number of major functions: navigation, calling and music.

In the Audi A3, Android Auto sits as a layer on top of the existing system as soon as you plug it in, so as we’ve said, you still get access to both systems. The final option from Android Auto’s home screen is to return to the native Audi MMI interface. One can’t replace the other, because things like car controls or the radio will still live in the car’s systems and you’re not sacrificing one because of the other.

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Android Auto: Audi controls

For the Audi A3, which doesn’t have a touchscreen, control is through MMI’s existing controls, namely that four-way click wheel on the transmission tunnel. It only takes a few minutes to become familiar, essentially clicking left to open side menus, rotating the dial to move through options, clicking up and down to move around, and so on.

On car systems that offer touch, you’ll be able to hit the display to control Android Auto instead. For those familiar with the Audi MMI controls, it feels logical and seamless, with no need to look down at the controller, so it’s easy to use on the road with minimal distraction.

There’s very little cross-over to steering wheel controls in the Audi, as many of these are used to control the driver’s display. Things like skipping tracks and voice control does work through the same controls however, but more on that later. 

It’s also worth noting that at the same time, your phone is essentially disabled. It shows “Android Auto” on the display, you can swipe to see notifications, but the idea is that when you’re in the car, you leave it alone.

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Android Auto: Notifications

The central home screen of Android Auto gives you card-style notifications, in major categories, very much like a Google Now experience. It gives you the time it will take to drive home – a Google Now favourite – with the option to click through and start that navigation.

You can sit on that home screen with an overview of navigation instructions or playing music, without being in that specific section. 

It will also serve up messaging notifications, with the offer to read them out to you, which is really handy. You then get the option to speak the reply, which is a little like the Android Wear voice experience, i.e., sometimes a bit hit and miss, but as it’s Google, you probably already know what works.

Voice is fully integrated across the experience as you’d expect. Audi also offers voice control in its cars and you can still get to both systems. A short press on the steering wheel voice button uses Audi’s own system. A long press gets you to Ok Google. 

The Google offering extends far beyond what you can see, because you can ask questions of Google and get a useful response – such as asking what’s in your calendar – at which point you’ll be told just how busy you are. Just like Android Wear, you can issue voice instructions that your phone will attempt to respond to and action. We suspect that with the advent of Google Assistant, the voice options will become increasingly sophisticated.

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Android Auto: Google Maps Navigation

One of the attractive things for those using Android Auto, is that you can use Google’s navigations and maps. Depending on what car you have and how the options are arranged, there’s the potential to save yourself money, using Android Auto rather than an expensive satnav upgrade from your car manufacturer – certainly something to weigh-up on the options list when buying a new car.

The Google Maps driving experience is very much as you get when you have your Android phone in navigation mode. There are things like traffic, all the information you need, but the real strength is finding locations through search. Although Google’s route planning and guidance isn’t as sophisticated as that of TomTom’s dedicated devices, it is very convenient and in many cases it performs better than some car’s expensive satnav options.

However, for the Audi A3 with the virtual cockpit – offering full widescreen mapping right in front of your eyes – it’s unlikely you’ll better the experience. With the virtual cockpit letting you shrink the dials for a bigger view, and nice clear instructions, Audi’s system is one of our favourites. However, you can’t use both at the same time, it’s either or – and there’s no Android Auto mapping on the driver’s display, only on the central display. 

In that sense, Audi’s own system has plenty of appeal particularly for those speccing the virtual cockpit. However, if you’re sticking to traditional dials, then Android Auto’s offering holds more appeal.

One final thing to note is that if you’re navigating on one system and you start planning a route on the other, the existing guidance will stop.

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Android Auto: Music

Entertainment is obviously one of the big things that Android Auto offers. Although this isn’t a huge step over using Bluetooth audio – and Audi and others have offered this for years – it does mean that you have a nice clear interface in Android Auto, as well as the choice of the music service you use. 

The default or preferred option is Play Music as you’d expect. If you have lots of music in Google’s music service, or a subscription, then you’ll be well served. 

But as a Spotify subscriber, we were drawn to support for that service. It works really well, with full playlist support, so you can just fire up Spotify and listen as you would anywhere else. There’s a wide range of supported apps on Google Play, from radio apps to podcasts. Just remember that unless you have something saved locally on your device, you might be using up a lot of data playing all that music as you drive.

Never at any point do you have to touch your phone, as all the volume and track skipping works with the Audi’s existing controls.

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Android Auto: Calling

Calling is perhaps the least revolutionary aspect of Android Auto, because it’s so well established through existing Bluetooth connections in cars. If you have nothing in your car, then great, you’re now connected; but with Bluetooth phone connections coming as standard on most new cars, you might find you never need Android Auto’s option. 

Except, of course, that everything is displayed in an Androidy way, so it feels closer to your phone than your car’s interpretation of it.

In the Audi A3, calling is well handled by the default systems. Once you’re hooked up to Bluetooth, the car has full access to your contacts and they are accessible from the steering wheel controls, and viewed in the central display. In this case, it’s very easy to scroll to a contact and hit the call button, with very little effort.

Whichever you choose, it works well enough, but we suspect it will be of most interest to upgraders, rather than those with a brand new car.

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Final thoughts

One of the most attractive things about Android Auto is that it’s run by your phone, not the car. Sure, in this case there’s a lot of integration and cross-over with Audi’s existing offering, but taking the normal environment of your phone – the phone that knows what you’re doing and everything about you – has its advantages. For those who use multiple cars, it’s good to know that your phone is keeping track of everything, so you can plug in and go.

The Audi A3 is a well connected car, offering a wide-range of options and in some cases, Android Auto might seem unnecessary, especially as Audi’s existing offering is very strong. With that in mind, it might have more appeal in cars with weaker systems, or give you the option to save money, by letting Google do the work rather than your car.

As it’s drawing on apps from your phone, you’ll have the latest features, without having to wait for your car to be updated, which is another immediate advantage.

If you’re an Android user, then speccing your car with Android Auto certainly makes sense, with the potential to make your car smarter, more personalised and more familiar, and all with very little effort.

Bluetooth Star Trek Communicator now available to pre-order

The company behind remote controls shaped like Harry Potter’s wand, The Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver and a Star Trek Phaser has again turned its attention to the latter, but this time for an extension to your mobile phone rather than a TV controller.

The Star Trek: Original Series Bluetooth Communicator from The Wand Company has been crafted by 3D scanning the only remaining Communicator prop from the TV show. It has exactly the same dimensions, therefore, as the ones used by William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and the rest of the original cast.

However, it isn’t just a replica dummy. It can also be used to make and receive phone calls wirelessly, by pairing it with a smartphone.

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It also has a whole raft of authentic sound effects and voices from Star Trek, to make you feel like you really are on board the Enterprise or part of an away team – just don’t wear a red shirt.

In spec terms, as well as Bluetooth, there is a MEMS microphone on board for clear voice calls. The speaker can also be used to listen to music.

A foam-lined transit case is included.

You can now pre-order the Star Trek: Original Series Bluetooth Communicator from Firebox in the UK. It costs £119.95 and would go down a treat while you’re watching the entire run of Star Trek, from the first episodes through to Enterprise on Netflix.

London police consider using drones to pursue motorbike thieves

In its bid to curb the rise of drive-by snatches on the streets of London, the Metropolitan Police may turn to drones to track motorbike-riding suspects. At a recent meeting of the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee, Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey said that UAVs could be a safer alternative to officers pursuing so-called moped gangs across the capital.

The Evening Standard reports that police are struggling to come to terms with an increase in motorbike raids, specifically in Camden and Islington. In the past 12 months, more than 3,000 phone thefts were recorded, many of them linked to drive-by crooks on two wheels.

The Met has launched a review of its pursuit tactics after an inquest found that 18-year-old Henry Hicks died in a crash during a high-speed chase. The teen, who wasn’t suspected of a crime, was trying to evade two unmarked police cars and a helicopter in Islington in 2014. In order to reduce the chances of a similar incident happening again, Mackey said the force is now considering its options and available tactics, which may involve the use of drones.

“The possibilities of unmanned aerial vehicles to tackle suspects using two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles to commit crime are currently being discussed at a national level by the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s steering group and the Centre for Applied Science and Technology,” the Metropolitan Police said.

Drones have already proven effective in day-to-day police operations, helping operators control protests and investigate intrusions. However, their use in pursuits could also save money by reducing the need for helicopter support. UAVs will be able to track and monitor the movements of potential suspects, directing ground forces to wherever they are hiding.

Source: Evening Standard

Apple Sued in China Over Showing of Propaganda War Film From 1990s

Apple is being sued by a subsidiary of China’s broadcasting regulator over the showing of a propaganda film more than 20 years old, according to the Associated Press.

A Beijing court told AP on Saturday that the case had been brought by a state-run production center which alleges Apple has infringed on its exclusive online rights to broadcast Xuebo dixiao. The title loosely translates as “Bloody Fight with the Fierce Enemy”, with the film depicting the Chinese army battling Japanese soldiers in northern China in the early 1930s.

The plaintiff is also suing Heyi Information and Technology, the company behind the Youku HD app that reportedly enabled users to watch the film, causing it “huge economic losses”, according to the Beijing Haidian District People’s Court.

The case was brought by Movie Satellite Channel Program Production Center, which comes under the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).

The plaintiff wants the two companies to immediately stop broadcasting the film and is seeking compensation of 50,000 yuan ($7,500), plus 20,158 ($3,000) to cover the litigation costs.

This isn’t the first time Apple has been targeted by China’s media administrative wing. In April, the iTunes Movies and iBooks stores were reportedly forced down by SARFT. The store closures were linked to the release of controversial independent movie Ten Years, which imagines Hong Kong in 2025 with language police, radical protest, and social alienation rife.

The latest case also joins a line of legal spats for Apple in China in recent months. In June, the Beijing Intellectual Property Office ruled that Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus infringed on the patent rights of another smartphone sold within China, although the company that filed the patent infringement claim was said to “barely exist” following its victory.

In March, Apple lost its exclusive rights to the “iPhone” trademark in China when a Beijing court ruled that a leather goods manufacturer could continue to sell bags and cases under the same name without fear of legal repercussions.

Apple and other tech companies are also reportedly subject to security reviews in the country, to determine whether products “pose potential security threats” to China and Chinese consumers.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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Solar road technology comes to Route 66

Solar Roadways’ dreams of sunlight-gathering paths are one step closer to taking shape. Missouri’s Department of Transportation is aiming to install a test version of the startup’s solar road tiles in a sidewalk at the Historic Route 66 Welcome Center in Conway. Okay, it won’t be on Route 66 just yet, but that’s not the point — the goal is to see whether or not the technology is viable enough that it could safely be used on regular streets. You should see it in action toward the end of the year.

The tiles will be familiar if you’ve followed Solar Roadways before. Each one combines a solar cell with LED lighting, a heating element and tempered glass that’s strong enough to support the weight of a semi-trailer truck. If successful, the panels will feed the electrical grid (ideally paying for themselves) and make the roads safer by both lighting the way as well as keeping the roads free of rain and snow. They should be easier to repair than asphalt, too, since you don’t need to take out whole patches of road to fix small cracks.

Of course, “if successful” is the operative term here. The real litmus test comes if and when Solar Roadways subjects the tiles to the legions of cars traveling on Route 66 and beyond. Missouri has a strong incentive to make that happen, though. As the Transportation Department’s Tom Blair observes, it would be odd to push self-driving cars in the state’s Road to Tomorrow initiative when the streets aren’t as smart as the vehicles using them.

Via: Inhabitat, CleanTechnica, The Verge

Source: Kansas City Star, News Tribune

Xiaomi’s teaser hints at successor to the Mi Note

Xiaomi has started rolling out teasers for the successor to the 2015 Mi Note, with the company suggesting that its upcoming phone will be more powerful than the Mi 5. The teaser features a football pitch with 2 > 5 in the foreground, and early rumors regarding the phone hint at a possible QHD display, which will be a first for the manufacturer.

At the Mi Max launch event last week in India, Xiaomi global VP Hugo Barra hinted at the possibility of the manufacturer unveiling another handset before the end of the year. Given the timeline and the fact that Xiaomi unveiled the Mi 5 at Mobile World Congress, it is not unfeasible for the brand to launch the Mi Note 2 at IFA in Germany.

We’ll have more to share regarding the Mi Note 2 in the coming weeks and months. What do you guys make of the teaser?

Panasonic unveils the Eluga Note in India for ₹13,290

Panasonic’s latest phone in the Indian market is the Eluga Note. The phone will retail for ₹13,290, and will be available via offline retailers. Aimed at a younger audience, the phone sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display, octa-core CPU clocked at 1.3GHz, 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage along with a microSD card slot.

Other specs include a 16MP camera with f/1.9 lens, 5MP front shooter, IR blaster, LTE (Bands 3/5/40) with VoLTE support, and a 3000mAh battery. On the software side of things, the phone runs Panasonic’s FitHome UI atop Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The Eluga Note sounds like a decent option for the price, but with the budget segment featuring a lot of great alternatives, it remains to be seen if Panasonic can attract enough attention from buyers.

Full Samsung Galaxy Note 7 picture leak shows all colours, both sides

Remarkably, there’s only a month to go before Samsung is set to unveil its latest flagship phablet, the Galaxy Note 7.

Many reports have a launch event pegged for 2 August – a departure from the pre-IFA Unpacked press conference Samsung usually hosts. And that means you can expect the rumour mill to be even more fervent in the next four to five weeks.

For starters, we now have a very good idea of what the phone looks like, front and back.

Not only was an alleged front panel of the Note 7 snapped in the wild last week, but serial rumour meister @evleaks has posted claimed press images of the front and rear of the device – in three separate colours to boot.

Samsung Galaxy Note7 in (from l to r) Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, and Blue Coral pic.twitter.com/QiePUEG9GP

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 1, 2016

If genuine, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will come in at least silver, black and blue initially – or Silver Titanium, Black Onyx and Blue Coral, in Samsung-style naming convention. It has the dual-edge screen many other leaks have similarly suggested. And it looks similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge, as widely believed.

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Strangely, the images do not match the leaked front panel from before, with fewer top-ranged holes. There is one additional sensor hole, which could be the much discussed iris scanner, but these pictures do not match other leaks in that regard.

Considering @evleaks’ track history in these matters, it does throw into doubt former leaks, but then that is the nature of these things. We won’t find out for sure until 2 August… er… probably.

Google Play Music may finally be coming to India

It looks like Google is finally about to bring Play Music to India. Several users on Reddit are able to access selected songs from the Play Music catalog, with prices listed in INR (₹).

Pricing suggests that individual songs will be available for as low as ₹15 (22 cents), with entire albums for ₹95 ($1.5). YouTube Red may also make its way to India shortly, based on notifications going out to users. There’s no confirmation from Google regarding Play Music in India, but with Apple Music debuting last year in the country and local services like Saavn and Hungama going strong, the timing is right for Google to enter the fray.

Who’s excited about Play Music coming to India?

Thanks Samarth!