Isn’t this just QNX?
TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Hijacking this somewhat related topic:
There needs to be a standardised set of APIs that automakers comply to for smartphone-powered infotainment.
Right now you have zero choice. iPhone: you can use carplay and nothing else. Android: you can use Android Auto and nothing else.
There can’t be any competition because it’s locked down.
Can infotainment needs an open protocol for display, sending touch/control knob information back to the phone, sending other info back from the car, like mic audio for voice assistants/calls, whether the headlights are on to switch between light/dark mode, etc.
FoxBJK@midwest.social 7 months ago
friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 7 months ago
QNX is a real-time operating system, and it is not open. QNX is not a network accessible API.
TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 7 months ago
I don’t know what you’re referring to.
But no, I don’t see an open protocol for car infotainment that any 3rd party dev can utilise to make an alternative to Android Auto/CarPlay
just_another_person@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Friend…I don’t think you know exactly what you’re talking about here, because you’d want a standardized API running ON THE CAR as an interface for what you describe. Client -> API -> Control.
Also, QNX is a real-time OS bought by Blackberry back in the day. It literally runs the car (most models on the road), so would probably interface with whatever to control things at some point.
TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Yes I do.
because you’d want a standardized API running ON THE CAR
Yes, I know. That’s what I said.
Also, QNX is a real-time OS bought by Blackberry back in the day. It literally runs the car (most models on the road), so would probably interface with whatever to control things at some point.
Yes, which is a completely different thing to Android Auto or CarPlay.
FoxBJK@midwest.social 7 months ago
I’m not sure I follow. Are you looking to add any app to your phone that would fulfill the CarPlay features like maps/music/phone on the car’s display? I’m only using Apple’s OS these days so I can’t speak to Android, but presently you can use any music app, any maps app, and any communications app that supports Apple’s API. Are you saying you want other apps to be able to send that experience to the car, and/or are you looking for a FLOSS system to run on the car itself?
TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Right now, Apple and Google each have their own proprietary system for communicating with cars and showing their system.
If a new smartphone OS came out, or, say, Samsung wanted an Android Auto alternative, it wouldn’t work on any existing cars, and even for new cars, they’d perhaps struggle to get automakers on board in supporting them.
I want that back end that exists on cars to be replaced with an open, standardised system that Apple, Google and anybody else that wants to can use to provide a CarPlay/Android Auto-like experience.
Corngood@lemmy.ml 7 months ago
That would be awesome, but who’s going to push for it?
It’s easy for the opponents to use safety as a case for why users shouldn’t have control of the software in their car.
The manufacturers already want to get rid of ODB because they’d rather control that data themselves.
At least android auto has been reverse engineered, and doesn’t currently require any sort of difficult-to-bypass hardware attestation.
TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Honestly, it’s probably not happening unless the EU forces it :/
TrickDacy@lemmy.world 7 months ago
And if the EU forces it apple will find the shittiest way to “comply” just to be dicks. Then the fanboys will still defend them and buy their insanely overpriced bullshit.
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Exactly.
The path forward with this kind of thing is for a defacto standard to emerge from out of left field, which is ever more challenging today, since auto manufacturers began integrating the head unit 2 decades ago (they saw what was coming, and took the opportunity to lock out third party stereo systems by integrating everything). Basically a push for vertical integration.
I don’t know how to accomplish this given the vertical integration the manufacturers have developed. I do know regulation is the worst possible way, and should only be used as a last-ditch effort, because that’s when you get malicious compliance and basically garbage results.
Seems CANBUS and OBDII provide an opening to these systems - for years I’ve wanted to utilize this connection to modify some car behaviour. Like the remote start on one car will only run for 7 minutes. That’s a joke, it takes 30 minutes to get the half inch of ice off, and that’s with me out there chipping at it too. Or how the heat/ac controls are fixed on remote start, and I’d like it to go max defrost/max fan immediately, and turn on the rear defroster. If we knew the signaling of this vehicle’s CANBUS for these things, seems we could build a plugin module with wifi/Bluetooth and control it from a phone.
cryptix@discuss.tchncs.de 7 months ago
Yep , auto manufacturers needs incentive to develop a open protocol such as this. Its not a easy task as this would need to be complaint with many regulations and safety standards. I have some hope for the SDV (software defined vehicle) future like COVESA where the industry is moving towards an opensource architecture but for user softwares you’re right its totally with the manufacturer to allow such open api to users.