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Android Auto: Google’s head unit for cars explained

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Comments (9)
  1. Ryan O'Keefe says:

    I have to say that I'm very happily 'stuck' with Apple Maps.

    As for Google Maps on Car Play not sure why you believe that's unlikely given there are 3rd party music, podcasting, and news apps. Maybe you meant Google wouldn't be interested in making a Car Play version?

    BTW, do you have any insight into what data (PII or Non-PII) Google is collecting? If so what that data is used for? Is it combined with any other data including syndicated data from third parties? Who is this data shared with? How long is the data retained? Can someone point me to a definitive policy and description that answers the above?

    Does Google store my GPS locations? Do they match those with city and location data? Is that data combined with business and personal data of others? Will Google know where I shop, the cubs and organizations I belong to, the friends I have? Where will their data collection end? Does anyone really know? Let's not forget that Google is a data and analytics company that's where it makes the majority of its money not from Android but through Android and I fear shenanigans like this.

  2. Newton Jenkins says:

    can this be installed on existing Sync units?

  3. Prof. Alvena Donnelly says:

    The new A4 2017 also has Android Auto integrated.

  4. Prof. Weldon Carroll DDS says:

    I have a 2016 Tiguan SE. I went from Apple CarPlay (iPhone 5) to Android Auto (Galaxy S7).

    My thoughts: I hate Google Now on Android Auto. I cannot delete cards on the home screen like I would notifications on my S7. If I look at a place on google maps once, it constantly shows up on my home screen, with no way of deleting it. IT GIVES ME INFO I DON'T NEED. Google Maps is its saving grace. Supposed Waze is going to be available, but, since AA limits mostly voice commands, I fear Waze's utility will be hampered.

    CarPlay. IHeartRadio is buggy. Siri voice recognition is horrible. But, without the AA home screen, it's better integrated. I can access old text messages on my screen. I can access my contact list on my screen, if there's an address attached to my contact, I can use Apple Maps to navigate.

    My nav system…. I can do the similar things to CarPlay with my contact list and text list.

    on Pandora, both CarPlay and AA obscure the artist album, but AA's home screen shows it. But CarPlay's Pandora, the thumb up/down is in a submenu.

    GOing on my home computer, I can't get rid of the dropped pins on Google Now, to get rid of the card on AA home either.

  5. Pasquale Langosh says:

    Another big plus for me would be that the voice recognition on Google Now is far more accurate with British accents than Siri, even when driving with music on and background noise I find Google gets it right 99% of the time where as when I have been in cars with people using Siri it takes at least 3 asks to get it right and most end up reverting to text input.

  6. Dario Bradtke says:

    No one knows and only those with something to hide really care. I shall carry on letting Google collect all of the above information because it makes my life easier.

  7. Sonny Gutmann says:

    I would that this would be easy to install or cheap to install.

  8. Mr. Shawn Jacobson IV says:

    Now all we need is a connection continuity without having to worry if data networks are available or not. We will rely more and more on connected technology and will have to stay connected all the time. The next IoT generation devices will have to be network agnostic.

  9. Mr. Kamron Fahey IV says:

    I've saved more money using off line satnav such as sygic or OSMAnd than the cost of Google data and the aggravation of the map appearing so slowly that at one point it lagged half a mile. That is before the impossibility of getting anything like a continuous signal. Yes I know I can download maps for a small area for offline use, but navigation needs a signal. I would never buy a car that needed a connection to navigate.

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