There are plently of people who love tech. And there are lots of people who love cars, though maybe not as many who love tech. And, of course, there are people who love tech and cars, and some who love using them both at the same time, which are the ones the MirrorLink (formerly known as Terminal Mode) standard being supported by automakers, suppliers, device makers and developers is designed for.
But MirrorLink, which seeks to seamlessly and universally integrate smartphones into vehicles and is the focus at a meeting of the Car Connected Consortium today in Chicago -- is probably more for the Average Joes and Janes. People who could give a damn about tech or cars and only want to check friends' Facebook status or their Twitter feed while stuck in traffic. Or listen to Internet radio without pecking at the tiny controls on their smartphone. Or use cloud-based navigation and location services like Google Maps. Or just search the address book on their phone and make a call without risking life and limb.
Smartphones and their apps have quickly changed the way people access information and interact with each other. And it's also changing the way people drive, for better or worse. What MirrorLink promises, among other things, is a way to solve a huge problem for the auto industry: closing the wide gap in product cycles between consumer electronics and the auto industry.
But the MirrorLink solution, which is being supported by many but not all big players, has its own set of issues.
One of the biggest will be getting everyone onboard. Noticeably absent from the meeting in Chicago is the 800-pound portable-device gorilla known as Apple, as well as automakers such as Ford and BMW that have forged ahead with their own integration strategies.
Another is implementing the MirrorLink standard across such a wide range of vehicles and user interfaces. As evidence of that challenge, just look at the problems with automotive Bluetooth and iPod integration. Plus, luxury automakers aren't likely to easily give up their branded user interfaces in order to level the playing field. Of course, there are also the significant safety and regulatory issues, especially with Ray "Just Say No" LaHood at the helm of the U.S. DOT.
Meanwhile, technology charges ahead. And, despite recent stumbles, Ford has proven that a winning device-integration strategy helps sell cars to Average Joes and Janes who may care more about accessing smartphone features behind the wheel than horsepower or torque curves.
And while MirrorLink and other integration schemes have their drawbacks, they're all better than people staring at their smartphones while driving.
btrdayz says:
06:40 AM, 11/ 1/11
If I use my Internet enabled smartphone to search for a business and their address, I want to be able to highlight the info and Bluetoooth it over to my car's navigation system. Why have to type it, when I already have the info? The car's navigation system should also query my phone's contact's via Bluetooth, for address information so it can plot a course.