2007 FX35 Carputer

**RipplingHurst** · 11-07-2010, 10:44 PM

Okay, maybe I'm just stupid, but here's an idea. The carputer is working very well, but since I'm busy planning/building/modding the Sequoia, wife is driving the FX non stop. Thing is, she is not using it, because it's a pain to update the playlists/podcasts, etc.

She buys new things to listen every week, it's is then sync'ed to the BB/iPhone and then carputer, but I haven't find a way to do it automatically.

So the carputer is on a hybrid sleep/hibernate cycle for 3 months! The only thing it does it the webcam recording. Muted.

It's working perfectly, maybe that's all that I need to start multizone on the Sequoia. Just add another graphic card...

Then I would put a tablet in it's place, maybe even connected to the Xenarc, or I would remove the screen and put a Samsung Galaxy tab instead...

Stupid ideas maybe, will see what happens. One thing is certain, multizone with tablets on the Sequoia won't work. I plan to add four headrest screens and I would like at least 3 zones for the 3 rows...but the iPad/Tablet PC can't handle that, only if they're both in, but then even the roomy cabin feels crowded...

**PiDD** · 11-08-2010, 08:36 AM

She buys new things to listen every week, it's is then sync'ed to the BB/iPhone and then carputer, but I haven't find a way to do it automatically.

You could put a wireless NIC in the carputer and sync a directory on the home PC with the car pc.

**RipplingHurst** · 11-08-2010, 09:53 AM

I have that, I also have the music directory synced with sync toy 2.1. But how does that help me?

Suppose she bought 3 songs on iTunes and 2 on Amazon Sunday night. Sheimmediately syncs it with her mobile. Carputer is off in the garage. She won't go downstairs and turn it on. In the morning when the carputer turns on when she goes to work it has like 40sec time on the home network, it won't sync anything, eve if I set up a task for it. The computer where the songs are is off anyway...

If the carputer syncs it from the mobile, or from the 3G network. But i don't know a way to copy songs from the iPhone, maybe from the blackberry? How? Or maybe I should setup an iTunes and amazon account/authorization in the car too,but how automated that would be?

Btw it would have to create the right playlists too, and I fear this whole process would mess up my "giant" db (50k songs) and it would create duplicates easily...

**prodigalsun** · 11-08-2010, 05:27 PM

Just a suggestion for your syncing issue....

Assuming you have an internet connection in the car over 3G, you could look at something like Dropbox or even Microsoft Mesh which provides cloud storage syncing. At one point I was looking into using a service called Gladinet to tie into Skydrive (to utilize its 25G capacity), but in the end I bought a premium 100G Dropbox account. That way my media is sync across all my PCs.

BTW.. you really should do away with SyncToy. It's really a garbage software that induces file corruption. SyncBack does a much beter job managing large amounts of files. Sorry just my 2 cents.

**RipplingHurst** · 11-09-2010, 01:20 AM

Thank you for your suggestions, I'm using the free dropbox version already. 100GB is not enough for everything, but maybe I could split the DB into two folders, one being updated more frequently (say last couple of years songs...LOL)

The thing is not only about being there, is to teach the FE where to find it: the wife is no slouch with computers at all (she is the one with a job that comes with an MSDN account), but the FE as we know them do not integrate well with WMP and other mainstream music players/DB. So she once correctly synced four cds she got as a gift, didn't know the album name, and there was no way to retrieve them among 10K other albums...

Never had a real problem with sync toy, but it does have issues. I'll gladly look for an alternative, thanks, I check this syncback.

**xylidine99** · 11-21-2010, 06:46 PM

hey im not sure if you can do it anymore but with the old nanos i used to search the files on a pc and then rename them as mp3s and it worked but that was the old school nanos might be worth a shot also theres was no way from the file name to tell which song the file is until you rename it..it was a pain but it worked...

**RipplingHurst** · 02-15-2011, 01:32 PM

Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm afraid my Xenarc is going kaput...started flickering for no reason. If it is a cable problem, its going to be a pain to replace it (remove part of the headline) but I'll never know unless I buy a new cable and test it.

Does not look to be a cable problem, the flickering goes away if I turn it off and back on again after a few seconds.

I have updated the DG45FC bios (to 131) and updated video drivers to no available. Intel now gives me the option to set resolution to 800x480, but Xenarc still displays 800x600. And after a while (after it heats up?) the flickering starts again until I can't see anything. The TS works fine. Bummer.

**tibimakai** · 02-15-2011, 02:03 PM

maybe some capacitor it's going out

**RipplingHurst** · 02-15-2011, 02:50 PM

Oh, thanks for the input. So I would have to test it and possibly solder a new one...not cool.

**matt11601** · 09-18-2011, 08:47 PM

Hey RH, been reading your thread and very impressed with your install. Might be getting a used FX35 (still shopping around) and had some questions about your install:

1) Why not move the stock screen to the overheard console?

2) How did you interface the carPC audio with the stock sound system? And the pre-amp?

2) Besides the Xenarc screen flickering, have you had any other problems with the install?

3) Would you have done anything differently?

Sorry for the loads of questions, but I'm very interested in your install.

BTW, don't know if you remember me earlier when we were discussing the many shortcomings of the CF skinning system, but I like your newest skin Metro Sex on the beach.

Would greatly appreciate a reply. Thanks a lot.