Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Android Auto uses video streaming to avoid obsolescence


Google wants to make Android safer to use while driving, and it's answer is Android Auto. But, are the slow evolving cars and the rapidly changing mobile market really compatible? If you won't dare imagining using a 4 year old smartphone, how will a car system keep up after 6 or 7 years? The answer is quite simple, and Google seems to have nailed it: video streaming.

Some people might have looked at Android Auto and thought it was great; I looked at it and though: "Oh no, one more device that will require daily updates, bug fixes, security patches, and so forth." Fortunately, it seems it won't be that way. You see, Android auto will basically act just as a secondary display showing streaming video generated by your smartphone- not unlike what you get using a Chromecast.

This means that, a couple years from now, when you get a much improved smartphone, you'll be able to enjoy that faster processor in your "old car" - making it truly upgradable.

I just wonder if we'll start seeing a similar approach for more and more devices, as we strive to detach longer lasting devices from the fast pace of quickly improving internal electronics. Maybe our next tablets will end up being just wireless screen receivers, with the actual processor being in a block hidden somewhere in our house, or even in the cloud?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Amazon Store