Infotainment and Connectivity
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Why Are Car Manufacturers Turning Their Backs on CarPlay and Android Auto?
Car manufacturers are moving away from CarPlay and Android Auto, because phone mirroring systems hand over the screen and the data to Apple and Google; manufacturers, on the other hand, want to seize three big advantages with their own software platf…
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Customizing Your Car's Displays to Your Liking: What Can Be Changed
In modern vehicles you can truly customize your digital instrument cluster and multimedia screen to your liking: theme selection, gauge layout, home screen widgets, quick access shortcuts, and settings saved with driver profiles are now standard opti…
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Do Branded Sound Systems Really Make a Difference in a Car?
Yes, branded sound systems really do make a difference - but that difference comes primarily not from the number of speakers, but from DSP-based calibration, amplifier power, and tuning done according to cabin acoustics. Under the right conditions (a…
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Why Is Phone Screen Mirroring in Cars Still So Limited
Mirroring, which directly projects your phone's screen onto the car's screen, is technically possible in most vehicles; but manufacturers either offer it only while parked or not at all. The reason is both the law and safety designs trying to prevent…
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What Data Does a Connected Car Collect About You?
Connected cars collect a very wide range of data, including your location history, acceleration and braking habits, voice commands, contact list, and final destinations. While this data can be used for innocent purposes such as improving navigation, …
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Watching Videos in the Car While Parked: How Does It Work?
Watching videos on the vehicle's screen while the car is parked is made possible by a dual-locked safety mechanism: the vehicle's multimedia system verifies that the gear is in Park, and then the phone's GPS and motion sensors also detect movement. T…
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What's Present and What's Missing in Cars' App Stores?
In-car app stores are now a reality, but they are not a copy of the store on your phone: they offer a narrower selection such as media, navigation, charging and parking apps, and behind everything there are serious safety rules. So what is actually o…
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What to Do When Your Car Screen Freezes or Stops Responding?
When your vehicle's screen freezes, the first thing to do is not to panic, but to find the source of the problem: Most freezes are resolved within minutes with a simple soft reset that restarts the multimedia unit. The order of operations is to first…
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Why Does the Wi-Fi Hotspot in Your Car Work Differently from Your Phone's?
The Wi-Fi hotspot in a car works differently from your phone's hotspot feature: it uses a modem built into the vehicle, an external antenna, and a separate paid data plan ; so it differs from a phone in terms of coverage, device capacity, and connect…
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Why Isn't the Multimedia System in Cars as Smooth as a Phone?
A car's multimedia system isn't as fluid as a phone, because car chips are designed not for speed but for a 15-20 year and 200,000 km lifespan ; they have to withstand temperatures from -40°C to 150°C, vibration, and electrical noise. Moreover, this …
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Why Did Features in Cars Start Being Sold by Subscription?
Car features have started being sold via subscription, because thanks to OTA updates, manufacturers can remotely connect to the vehicle after delivery and activate hardware that's already built in with software. The hardware sits inside the car from …
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Unlocking a Car with Your Phone: How Does the Digital Car Key Work?
Unlocking your car with a phone means your smartphone turns into a digital car key: you can unlock the door by touching your phone to the door handle, the car can recognize you via Bluetooth as you approach, and you can even start the car from your p…
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