Alpine Electronics today announced that a strategic partnership with Nokia and Navteq to bring a new technology called Terminal mode to car infotainment systems. It integrates Nokia smartphones with in-car systems allowing, not only the usual call functions, but also the use of smartphone based services (e.g. Ovi Maps navigation) and content (e.g. music) via the high resolution screens and audio system embedded in the car. The integration also offers the opportunity for automotive specific widgets on the phone including fuel levels and engine status.
Read on in the full article.
Meego anyone? Didn't they say that Meego could set the way free for such applications like an incar mini computer? That would be dope! I'm not sure what Alpine can do to help Nokia in this, maybe their connections will help Nokia get their services into cars too. Otherwise I can't see what Alpine could offer Nokia in this alliance. Maybe we'll see Meego Alpine navigation systems in the future tying Ovi Services with it like Maps, Music etc.
Can an Industry analyst explain this further. Thx
The other potential benefit is that it would be able to provide real time traffic flow information back from a users handset.
Imagine this..
Nokia will create an app similar to Nokia Sport Tracker, lets say Nokia Car Tracker LOL
This app automatically shown on Alpine LCD display once you entered your car
It will track full car analysis:
- Fuel Consumption
- Car speed
- Odometer read
- Engine RPM
- Time elapsed
- Car Location
- Tracking
- Road Condition (using built in accelerometer to detect bumps and heavily paved road)
- etc etc
Those data will be collected and uploaded to your nokia account and combine them with OVI maps
The benefits is :
- Data collection for car maintenance such as oil change, and others car maintenance thingy
- You will get all data about road condition, not only traffic info, but also mapping of road which have specific condition such as bumps, curves.
To use Ewan's words, possibly another Batman moment for Nokia. Next time I'll buy a new car, one of my questions will definitely be:
"But does it have ovi maps?"
Curiously, it doesn't mention whether it's Symbian or Maemo based. Obviously there's no turn-by-turn for Maemo yet, but I don't doubt that it's in development.
At this point you can guarantee it is for Symbian, MeeGo support might come later.
And yes its fairly typical to see more than one way to the solution. MeeGo would like to be used in cars (and indeed still could be and still have this integration)... but to be honest in the short term integration with automotive infortainment systems is possibly a more likely goal... and because of the numbers Symbian is going to be your first port of call.
I'll see if I can track down some additional information.
My worry would be, given the poor quality of Nokia's recent high-end offerings, that my in-car entertainment/sat-nav would keep crashing and would only become reliable after 6 months and 3 FW updates...
@thedream
I personally think that is very likely that Maemo/Meego devices will be supported as soon as this launches - after all Nokia is using its Linux platform for prestige products and that is certainly where Alps/Alpine target their technology too.
I expect this to be something like in an car docking station for [Nokia] smartphones. So the in-car audio system can be used for hands-free calls & music playing software in the phone. The phone could use an existing in-car display for the Alps audio system to show navigation and traffic & weather bulletin information.
I would like to see this in action, but meanwhile I found these concept pictures from the Geneva Motor Show:
http://noknok.tv/2010/03/05/nokia-terminal-mode-in-car-infotainment/