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Google Announces "Open Auto Alliance"

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Google announced a partnership with Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Nvidia to bring more Android integration into cars.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/google-plans-to-introduce-android-to-cars-with-open-auto-alliance


Tesla is not currently a part of this, and I wonder if some of the automakers will be trying to mimic the large touchscreen a la Model S/X (which is powered by an Nvidia Tegra chipset).
I am rather certain that Elon Musk mentioned Chrome would be coming to the screen in the cars by the end of 2014.
 
I am rather certain that Elon Musk mentioned Chrome would be coming to the screen in the cars by the end of 2014.

Actually now that you mention it, I do recall something like that. Wasn't there something about Android app compatibility at some point as well? (I could be mixed up about him discussing the Tesla system being built on Linux)
 
That would be one way to do a Tesla App Store: go Android, and just use Android's store, and let any Android app run in the car.

Me, I don't favor this approach at all, due to security concerns w/ Android, but from a business perspective, it's the lowest hanging fruit way to go.

Also . . .

Google is an advertising business at its heart. All the tech stuff is nice but at the end of the day, Google is the 80,000lb gorilla of ads. So when the news comes out of Google wanting to get into autos, what I see is a gigantic advertising company wanting to get ads into your car. Oh, they'd be beneficial, and smart (you're driving and approaching a Starbucks and suddenly an ad appears on your 17" screen saying if you stop here, we'll give a free Venti upgrade to your latte), but strip all that away and there'll be ads in the car. I don't want any part of that. I realize I am in the minority, but so be it.
 
That would be one way to do a Tesla App Store: go Android, and just use Android's store, and let any Android app run in the car.

Me, I don't favor this approach at all, due to security concerns w/ Android, but from a business perspective, it's the lowest hanging fruit way to go.

Also . . .

Google is an advertising business at its heart. All the tech stuff is nice but at the end of the day, Google is the 80,000lb gorilla of ads. So when the news comes out of Google wanting to get into autos, what I see is a gigantic advertising company wanting to get ads into your car. Oh, they'd be beneficial, and smart (you're driving and approaching a Starbucks and suddenly an ad appears on your 17" screen saying if you stop here, we'll give a free Venti upgrade to your latte), but strip all that away and there'll be ads in the car. I don't want any part of that. I realize I am in the minority, but so be it.


Didn't Musk specifically say sandboxed Android emulator? it is unlikely Musk had no clue what he meant. Now Tesla might use Android for apps only but the core will most likely remain a non-Android Linux distro. As far as security concerns with Android is unwarranted. Android is fairly secure. Most of the rumors that you hear about security of Android revolve around Chinese app stores which sideload apps. Tesla is obviously not going to allow sideloading. They probably won't even allow google play access and use their own app store where apps are screened by Tesla.

As far as Google is concerned, while Google is into ads. On the corporate side, they offer standard paid options with no ads. Google makes most of their profit on ads, but they are not married to any single business model.
 
Can confirm that at the Munich Event Oct 21st, Musk mentioned an "embedded environment to run android apps" and chrome as a replacement for the in-car browser. Any sane system designer would sandbox these things. Model S is a high profile target for hackers.