Linux Based CarPC

Uber-Review writes "If you have been looking for a Linux based car PC. One man has made this a reality and documented putting together a Linux based car PC. Some of the features of this on board car PC is it can automatically sniff and record locations of wireless access points and plot them with GPS. You can watch a movie, browse the internet, get weather forecasts and stream Direct TV from your house right to your car. For an added bonus, you can remote start the car, and connect to it from inside the house and use SSH in, and transfer files without even getting off the couch."

Divided Attention

[Tiberius_Fel]

Whatever happened to focusing on the road when driving? I would be curious to know what statistics are like for collisions in vehicles with lots of advanced toys. If you're playing with the GPS / WiFi sniffer / $random_electronic_car_toy your attention is off the road, which is dangerous...

It seems we're putting more and more neat features and displays into the vehicles, but how carefully are we considering how it affects the behaviour of the drivers?

Re:OK, this might work

[MustardMan]

Yeah because I really want a wifi enabled computer able to start my car... because we all know wifi is SO secure. And we all know SSH is IMPOSSIBLE to penetrate, right?

I'm sorry, but I don't want to have to worry if my car has the latest patches.

This is dangerous, stupid, and illegal (in CA)

[Anonymous Coward]

In California, it's illegal to have any kind of video display visible to the driver except for navigation.

Hang up, log off, and fucking DRIVE!

graeat hardware crappy interface

[Lumpy]

Ive been watching this stuff for over 4 years now and everyone can install the hardware nice but their interface sucks eggs. the closest thing I have seen is the 1/2 finished pycar project. a CAR Pc needs a real easy to use and simplified user interface to make it easy and SAFE to use on the road. most of the functions need to be able to run in the background while you do other things and someone needs to get off their arse and make a REAL vector based mapping/ navigation system. Linux has some psudeo gps moving map displays but absolutely NO navigation apps. (sorry but unless it gives me turn by turn showing the road route like the $49.00 windows delorme apps or the super old AutoPC car stereo from 1998 then its not navigation.

honestly installing the hardware and fabricating the faceplates in the car is the easy part. getting a bunch of people together to make a useable and safe UI for a car system is not.

dashwerks dashpc is close (although still 1/2 way as the interface is really klunky and not safe to operate at 80mph in 4 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic.... my pioneer double din navigation/dvd/cd/mp3 player is...

Re:Love the idea but...

[AchilleTalon]

You can do this with this CarPC. Knowing MythTV, you just have to copy all your DVD on the HD and you have a movie/music jukebox. And if you have a MythTV at home, you can even transfer other shows you recorded.

Re:Divided Attention

[ErikZ]

Seriously, you need to focus?

I lean back and let my awareness spread out. My eyes actually *unfocus* and I take in the general shapes and movements of everything around me.

I focus on things that I need to focus on. But the rest of the time is like being in a daydream.

You have a point.

[Stoutlimb]

That was funny, but it also points out something all too true. Computers in cars are at best useless unless they provide something to help you to drive. I can see this system being good for the passenger, but what about the killer app for the DRIVER? I mean so far the best this thing can do is keep the kids in the back seat quiet, and a few other things that can often distract as much as they assist.

I think about the only killer app in a car would be something voice activated, and provide roughly the same services as a computer abord one of those Star Trek shuttles. I mean, how hard would it be in this day and age to make something that could respond verbally to "Computer: Where is the nearest grocery store?"

Until it gets to the point where a computer can actually help me drive effectively, I do NOT want one in my car.

Bork!

Re:You have a point.

[nospam007]

>> ...My summer car and my wife's car are in the garage- so my truck sits out. Being able to start it and have it warm and have the ice defrosted when I go outside is great. ...

There are heating systems available for this situation which don't need the motor running and waking your neighbours, polluting the air etc.

http://www.webasto.us/am/en/am_auto_heaters.html [webasto.us]

Not to mention that running the motor without a driver inside is against the law in many countries.