Thread: Android

Originally Posted by cyan

Kev,

Thanks, I also replied on the other thread but you make some points here that I think are really important. You are correct that standardization is important. Actually, so far, it's the best argument I've heard for why Android is NOT a good choice. If you design something exclusively for the Droid and it won't work on anything else (or, worse yet, won't integrate some standard formats, apps or components), you are correct that this would be a problem.

How ironic. I am excited because Verizon just shipped my Android Eris, which by the way, I found a site online that has an OEM video-out cable. In addition I also found an Android SDK that exports your Android phone display to your PC and you can control it with a mouse similar to MyMobiler. You can also video record your screen with it. So...to answer your question..why yes!...I would say now that the Android community is evolving more each day and you can use your Android as a CarPC.

The SDK is called Android Screencast. You best believe I will be testing this out when I get my phone. I utilize so many Google apps and services it only made since for me to make the switch from Windows mobile to Android and with the Android screencast, that just put the icing (what yummy icing it is..) on the cake.

This blog talks about it: http://www.sizzledcore.com/2009/12/2...phone-from-pc/

Project Home:http://code.google.com/p/androidscreencast/

I know this may not exactly answer your question because you still technically need a PC for this app but I still say that with such an open development community, you could probably create your own app or search if your phone has a hack for video-out, which would enable you to connect directly to an external display similar to what was done with iPhone or Samsung Omnia.

Originally Posted by hexxamillion

How ironic. I am excited because Verizon just shipped my Android Eris, which by the way, I found a site online that has an OEM video-out cable. In addition I also found an Android SDK that exports your Android phone display to your PC and you can control it with a mouse similar to MyMobiler. You can also video record your screen with it. So...to answer your question..why yes!...I would say now that the Android community is evolving more each day and you can use your Android as a CarPC.

The SDK is called Android Screencast. You best believe I will be testing this out when I get my phone. I utilize so many Google apps and services it only made since for me to make the switch from Windows mobile to Android and with the Android screencast, that just put the icing (what yummy icing it is..) on the cake.

This blog talks about it: http://www.sizzledcore.com/2009/12/2...phone-from-pc/

Project Home:http://code.google.com/p/androidscreencast/

I know this may not exactly answer your question because you still technically need a PC for this app but I still say that with such an open development community, you could probably create your own app or search if your phone has a hack for video-out, which would enable you to connect directly to an external display similar to what was done with iPhone or Samsung Omnia.

I forgot to mention that unlike MyMobiler this app also works on LINUX and MAC...not just Windows.

I dunno, I keep searching for any new android info thinking that since Verizon has picked up android, more people would play around with it and realize the potential.

What I am imagining is basically having what luxury cars had before there were navigation units and what not; a portable handset in the glove box that was integrated to the audio system. It would go a step further than that though. Either have a phone that can be hooked up to an external touch display (through USB or whatever, this device IS still a computer) or have the ability to have a computer running android so the two devices can link/network. The way it would work in either scenario is that once plugged into the car, the device goes into the glove box. Your external screen becomes the main focus. Have it open a car mode that allows you to do voice search, navigation, media control, messaging and phone control. Find a way to integrate it with current steering wheel controls. If the separate computer was used, you would have car mode all of the time, with media control and voice search for the media (Microsoft SYNC competitor). When you plugged the android phone in, you'd regain messaging, phone and navigation.

The way I look at it, android is open development. There should be a way to do anything. You would have all you could eat data, because technically the phone is pulling the data and it wouldn't be tethered. If you could find a way to network two android systems together where they could share cache or streams or whatever, you could pull data from the active handset and not have to worry about a 5gb limit. You could do the android setup built in, have it multi seat so there would be three screens (each their own console), the first one being the main console with phone access, but then the other two in the back seat so the kiddies have data access etc. I think that the possibilities would be endless.

Since this basically is a computer, can't the usb be redone to act as a host? Allowing you to plug a hub in and use lots of other devices on it? So if there were a way to have video out, you could use a usb driven touch screen? Or allow you to plug the phone in to another computer and basically have it become a cluster so that you could share the data/voice connection on the phone, but have the integrated system do the grunt work and the video display?

Believe me or not, Android on an Archos 5 inch screen can be very well used in a car environment. Of course screens can always be bigger but the main problem is not Android or the OS or App but more the touch interface itself. Real buttons and/or joysticks are always better during maneuver of course, no doubt.

Kev is just in love with his app, what I understand, but I have a decent UI with Widgets and large buttons which allows me to change music, navigate, etc. with Android - every day for two months now during driving on highways - and this in a bumpy jeep.

Have a look at Archos 5 IMT Install to see my install.

P.S. if somebody knows a bluetooth trackball or joystick we have the perfect input device for Android

Android is excellent for a Car PC setup. I've got one running now that I am trying to get some Android changes done before I try and install it. I am running Android-X86 on a linux platform. it works AWESOME with a lilliput touchscreen. (I am using mouse right now, Touchscreen driver is in the works...)

It also has HUGE advantages over any other car pc setup. Instant apps store available. I can download a ton of navigation apps that are already designed for mobile use. the UI is already set up for touchscreen use. and it uses 1/60th the hosepower that a windows install needs. so it boots 30X faster (12 seconds from power on to ready to use) and is far less distracting than a desktop PC os.

the two things I am ripping out of android... the sleep screen lock. when I recover from a S3 sleep the screen is locked, that sucks on a car stereo. on screen permanent keys. Volume and mode keys need to be there on screen no matter what.

Outside of that I already have navigation and media playback working as well most everything else.

I would love to get a group together that can start digging into the android source to make the modifications we need for Auto use. I'm only able to do it in my spare time every other weekend.

let me know when you have those "always-on screen" widgets for volume, mode, playlist, next/prev done.

I wont do any for playlist or prev next. It would be silly to have those on screen for the other apps that will not use them. Only "permanent" buttons are volume up/dn/mute/menu/exit If you want Prev-Next you have to go to the media player app. Just like most double din car stereos do now.

So yes, the big "PITA" will be if you are in the navigation screen and a song pops up you dont like you have to press exit, mediaplayer, next.

The easiest way is to put them on the top bar, as all apps respect the top bar space as unusable. I found in the Android PDK where the GPS is supposed to interface to the android subsystem and will get that working along with setting the time every night at midnight from the GPS.

I just wish we could get a single DIN and double din screen setup that had some hard buttons. I'd be done right now if I had hard buttons to use. and no adding my own is not an option. If it dont look stock it's not an option.

Or, if a song pops up, have it pop up in an area that really won't be blocking much of anything, and have it stay for a few seconds, and have next or previous buttons on the pop up with the song. When the info goes away, the buttons go as well.

If I could just get google navigation on my carpc I would be happy!