crazyformytl

I was wondering if there is any paid product that would allow me to talk to Siri on my iPhone, and have the navi or the other voice system on the car to follow the instructions.

I am so used to converse with Siri that talking to the car voice system feels like being in the 90's

Is Acura allowing any support? Did anyone made any mod for the software running on the car?

Mostly I need to set gps routes and make phone call, with random SMS now and then.

parasitius

Apple won't even let Siri work with any iPhone apps yet (and it is not 100% they ever will)... your car is a whole level beyond that, I'd only keep hope up if: you can wait 5 years and buy a new TL then.

cagilber

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/06/siri-in-cars/

Apple is working with automakers to integrate Siri into 9 automakers. You'll see that Honda is listed in the graphic, so maybe someday Acura will get the integration also, will probably only be available on new models though!

greatfolded

Apple seems to think that cars are just another iPhone accessory .

parasitius

I think the crucial point in car history we are waiting for is when manufacturers switch over to some sort of standard OS (maybe per company maybe shared by a few companies, who knows) that will be continually and easily updated within the limits of any particular car model's hardware as regularly as my Roku updates itself. Once that is in place we can finally expect our cars to advance in feature set alongside our phones and other computing devices. Prior to that day I believe that if you want to have the latest and greatest -- you definitely will have to buy a new car every time -- don't expect anything to be added that wasn't there when you test drove it cause cars are still stuck in the early 2000's waterfall software style instead of today's constantly updated agile style.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

^^^ Funny but true.

crazyformytl

Heh....I guess that I've been spoiled too much

I do not think that the issue is a common OS....you don't need a common OS to drive peripherals, but you need API that talk to each other so the devices can understand each other.

As example: if Acura decide to put an API that allows Siri to give commands to the car, and the API translate the commands, then the problem is solved. But as we can imagine, Acura does not want to allow a phone to drive their car, for reasons that escape to my comprehension, and Apple is even less interested in allowing their Siri to drive anything probably, so if your cruise control goes on by mistake because of a problem on the phone, you cannot sue them

I am not looking to have KITT in my car; I would just love to keep my phone in the pocket, drive my car and when needed, if I push the button to talk and ask to execute a task, I can do it while driving, instead than stopping (tell me how many of you are able to make a phone call to a number that is not in the speed dial list, or can set a route with the GPS just using vocal commands without looking at the screen? I gotta stop the car or I can't do that).

I've seen a guy that did a whole mod just to turn the car on via Siri...I thought that maybe 10 years ago you need to be a super engineer to do stuff like this, but nowadays should not be that hard

If the new car in few years will have the system working, probably I will have to replace my car with it

parasitius

I still think an OS that is continuously updated and trivial to update is more essential -- it is prior to an API. Because right now if they make an API it will be a one-shot, if it doesn't fulfill the needs exactly (it won't, a first try NEVER does), you won't have an next iteration until the next model year... meaning EXTREMELY slow progress.

If they have an OS that keeps getting updated monthly in the existing model year, the API can get updated continuously and we can have 12 iterations in a year meaning the API can quickly become standardized and achieve everything that is needed (you need a back and forth balance with phone software also iterating)... whereas if we go by car model year it will take 12 years to achieve the same!

crazyformytl

An API is much easier to update compared to an OS....just to make the dynamics of the whole software infrastructure it will take ages; while for an API you just use what is working now, and allow the phone to interface to it and the problem is solved.

Without considering easy to get...you don't even need a cd to update it, it would be enough to use the phone (I was playing with the system yesterday and noticed that there is a feature called Acuracare, which you connect trough the phone....not sure if you gotta pay for it thou, since my connection didn't work, but the BT connection is fine) and download it directly from Acura.

If you consider in the software industry how many times you see a software update (about a year or so), I don't see how is possible to release OS versions every month. Usually the updates that you get for windows for example, is not an update to the OS but to the API, drivers and daemons (i think that in the windows world they are called services? Sorry but I write software for mac); the kernel stays mostly the same.

Anyway, besides naming and such; we both agree that we should get a system that can be updated frequently and quickly...which is not realistic at least for my 09 (not sure how is the situation for you guys with a new one).

We will get there maybe...at least I hope so

parasitius

I think we're saying the same thing using different words by "OS updates" I essentially just mean that the cars are designed to be updated, so each update could possibly just update only the API, it's just that the car's OS has to be design to easily (and probably automatically) do it.

Car companies have all failed miserably so far, I don't even think they are trying -- I hope Apple or someone gives them a kick in the pants and finally gets car technology on track and aligned with the non-stop progress we have with smartphones, web apps, set-top boxes, ...