Integrate iPod with Car or Risk Death 200
An anonymous reader writes "CNET has talked to Apple about its big plans for the car. Apple say they're keen to save the lives of anyone who risks death by "reaching into the footwell of his car to retrieve an iPod nano at around 90mph" and anyone who "considered skipping tracks on his iPod more important than the lives of multiple humans". Apple are also said to be "delighted by the efforts of Mac users who retrofit the Mac Mini into cars" and are "keeping an eye on what these hackers are up to with their Macs." The writer also pitched his own design ideas to Apple's director of global product marketing, Bob Borchers: "We suggested to Borchers that Apple should allow drivers to use their car steering wheel as a giant Clickwheel interface, so that you can change tracks by changing lanes. Borchers foresaw certain safety problems with such a device and rejected the concept.""
Never underestimate the quantity of stupid people (Score:5, Interesting)
You can kill someone by just focusing on the stereo display instead of the road, too. This guy was just more Darwinian than most.
Perhaps car stereos need to be rubber-padded to accomodate the lowest common denominator, like so many other consumer products. Something to prevent you from changing discs, tracks or stations unless the transmission is in park.
Dash mounted like an 8-Track? (Score:4, Interesting)
When my nano falls... (Score:3, Interesting)
...I just grab the wire that's attached to it and start pulling. I use a lighter plug charger which has an audio-out jack on the charger plug, and the cassette adapter plugs into that. Ergonomically, it's like using a wired remote, only the music is in the "remote" itself. It cost a bit more for this than the other cheapie brands that don't have an audio jack, but I had already been using an MP3 CD player for a few years and was never happy with two wires to the player constantly getting tangled.
And why has it taken car stereo manufacturers so long to put input jacks on the damn things anyhow? Mine is seven years old, and I'm not too aware of what the norm is now. For all I know, they still aren't including input jacks. Cassette adapters are an ugly workaround that shouldn't be necessary, and FM transmitters are usually too weak or imprecise.
If manufacturers do it, they need to do it right. (Score:5, Interesting)
The problem is, it doesn't work. They claim it works with all Dock iPods, and explicitly list all of them, but it just plain doesn't work with any 3G iPods. The radio comes up and says to update the firmware on the iPod. Of course 3G iPods haven't gotten any updates in a LONG time.
My girlfriends Mini (4G?) works with it... sort of. Only half the albums, artists or playlists show up... even if those songs play just fine in a playlist that references them.
It remains to be seen if later iPods actually work as advertised. The problem is, these products are not well supported (or supported at all). An iPod cable is a different beast from most car accessories or features. A quick search through various car support forums makes it sound like the problem is pretty common -- these non-Apple integrations sometimes work great, sometimes work some, and sometimes just don't work.
Caveat Emptor.
Re:Footwell? (Score:2, Interesting)
It could have simply been the guy wasn't thinking clearly that one time. It's happened to me dozens of times where I won't be thinking and will do something incredibly stupid that I'd never do under normal circumstances. But I like to think that this is limited to putting the organge-juice carton in the dish washer and not doing something that could lead to my death.
I have a solution (Score:3, Interesting)
There, we can all drive safer now.
Rule #1 of iPod safety: People reaching for their iPods don't cause car accidents. Idiots reaching for their iPods do.
Corrollary to rule #1: Anyone causing an accident while reaching for his iPod is an idiot.
Re:Never underestimate the quantity of stupid peop (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Never underestimate the quantity of stupid peop (Score:3, Interesting)
I rarely talk on the phone while driving. I only do so if the call can't wait and there is little to no traffic. Even then I find the extra gadget distracting. My MP3 player is conveniently located within a finger's reach when I have my hand on the gearshift, so as long as I'm in 1st, 3rd, or 5th gear I barely have to glance at it to change volume or tracks. Talking on a cell phone with a manual transmission is a bit tougher, which is partly why I don't like talking on it while driving. Headsets aren't a problem for me as long as I get the call set up while I'm stopped.
I think the key is knowing your limits. I know that trying to keep a phone on my head in the right spot to hear it while turning the wheel and shifting gears is more than I can handle, so I don't do it. I know my truck can't take corners well, so I have to slow down. I know my car can take the corners with its front wheel drive. I know I can talk easier on a cell phone in my (automatic) car, so my limit there is a little more relaxed.
Every day I see counterexamples, though. People driving big SUVs like sportscars when they can't corner and can't handle like one. Talking on cell phones in heavy traffic. Eating while driving in heavy traffic. Et al. This is a driver problem, not a gadget problem.
Just use Aux interface only, please. (Score:3, Interesting)
Just place the iPod near the steering wheel, use that as the controller for the tracks and playlists, and forget about all the horrible interfaces in the head-unit. It should only be connected with an Aux cable for audio. Actually, a bluetooth interface for audio transfer to the car would even be better, since there's no cable. Need apple to come up with a bluetooth equipped iPod, though.
Re:Never underestimate the quantity of stupid peop (Score:3, Interesting)
Driver distractions in general are the problem.
No, the problem is that cars are driven by human beings who are inherently fallible. This is very old, but poor technology. Even if every distraction/impediment is eliminated, more people still will die from traffic accidents than any other preventable form of death.
Re:Never underestimate the quantity of stupid peop (Score:3, Interesting)
It's a bit worse than talking to an adult passenger, because a passenger is usually aware of the road conditions and will shut up at the appropriate time, and will understand when your concentration needs to be fully on the road. People on the other end of the cell call usually don't recognize that I'm driving and certainly aren't aware of my traffic situation. Occasionally I have to butt in with a "Sorry, I'm driving and there's a problem, could you hang on a moment?" The other party is almost universally accepting of this -- if you bother to tell them. But I remember at least one occasion where traffic was tight, and my boss just wouldn't shut up, so I hung up on him. Yeah, that's why I hung up.