OT: Internet connect cars

[Kenneth Brody]

On 8/13/2015 5:25 PM, Fairlight via Filepro-list wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 13, 2015 at 08:18:10PM +0000, Richard Kreiss via Filepro-list
> thus spoke:
>>
>> I think to auto companies have rushed the technology without thinking
>> through how it will be used, especially in a moving car.  Drivers would
>> need another set of eyes located at the top of their heads so that they
>> can see the road while looking down at the screen.  One of these days,
>> voice technology will be much improved and the drive might be able to
>> say"

One of our cars has the usual knobs and buttons on the radio, and I can make 
basic adjustments (volume, change station, etc.) without taking my eyes off 
the road.

Our other car has all "mostly-flat" buttons for the same thing, and you 
can't even change the volume without (a) taking your eyes off the road, or 
(b) fumbling around until you find the little "dimpled/raised" buttons for 
"volume down/up".  Good luck quickly changing stations, however.

> My car stereo has BT connectivity, and it refuses to let you access the
> contact list or manual dialing on the screen unless the car is stopped.
> Well, it says stopped, but you can have it inching forward at like 0.25 m/h
> and get it to relent.  But it's actually fairly strict about the phone
> functionality.
[...]

Which means that the passenger can't use them, either.

Our GPS came with a default setting of "can't change settings while the car 
is moving", but allowed that feature to be turned off (after clicking 
through various warning disclaimers), so that the passenger can change 
things while the car is moving.  (Yes, the driver can, too.  But until the 
hardware can distinguish between the two, that will have to be the case.)

-- 
Kenneth Brody