Database Users

Looking for some clarification/experience

Hello all,
I'm looking to purchase a Tablet to satisfy a couple of my needs and would like to find out if some of my ideas are possible.
I spend a fair amount of my time in and out of my car so I'm looking to use a Galaxy tab for Satnav, music, phone access and emails. I spotted a Samsung dock that looks promising the "EDD-D1B1BEGSTD" (cannot link as a new user)
It charges it and has audio out which is perfect so I don't have to mess about with plugging in different cables everytime im in and out of the car just drop in and go with an aux in car stereo ready. My concern is it doesn't looks like it could take breaking/acceleration forces very well. Do any other docking stations have both charging and audio that are more car specific?
I don't want 2 contracts for 3G connection so can i confirm i can bluetooth my HTC desire to my tablet to access the internet?
As far as satnav goes, is it possible to have google maps offline?
Is it possible to bluetooth my HTC desire to the tablet to make and receive calls? As if the Tablet is plugged into my car stereo it would be a nice to have hands free calls. Would this be able to pull up my contacts from my phone too?
Out of interest would it be able to use a torrent manager and save directly to a network device/nasbox
Hope some people can answer my questions as im almost certain im going to make a purchase
Cheers
Alex

Any dock you purchase will struggle in the car as it is quite large in size - I see the tab as more of a co-pilot/navigator's unit which can be handheld or on a lap. I would recommend looking at reviews carefully and looking for any videos of the mount in action before purchasing. I do find the gps reception excellent and Google Navigation is fairly good though not quite TomTom quality.
For car audio, I'd recommend a bluetooth car stereo as this makes connection and playback much simpler.
Google Maps can be downloaded offline up to about 10-15 "squares" of information but this doesn't work for the Google navigation app. Google Navigation requires an internet connection to create a route and any wrong turns will also require the internet as a re-route is made. Probably best navigation is Sygic which is free to try for a month and then is about €20 to keep the maps and it works all offline.
There are a few apps that link the phone and tablet for messaging but not sure about calls if your car would be connected to tablet then the phone couldn't connect to car stereo if a call comes in I think.
There are loads of apps for getting nzbs/torrents and sending them to your NAS remotely, e.g. Synodroid is the one I use for Synology NAS.

So I'm really after an in car mount with just the one connector... But has audio out and charging... any ideas?
If I'm bluetoothing my HTC Desire to the tablet my understanding is I then cannot pair with a car stereo so would rather the in car month had audio out.

If your Desire has a 3g connection, you can create a wifi hotspot for the Tab... that way you can use Google maps for navigation on the tab (I've tried it with my Tab + Arc, works great!) Ofcourse, it does use quite a bit of data.. so unless you have around 2gb a month this would not be a viable option
Also if your car has bluetooth you can pair it with the phone/tablet to get audio over bluetooth ( no cables required)

I use my Tab for navigation. Google cached maps are useless without a wireless connection if you go off route. You need something like CoPilot (what I use) or Sygic which stores all map data locally on the device. There's no "official" car dock so you'll have to use the single port and a car charger to keep it charged. You can either use the audio out port to connect physically to the car's audio via a 3.5mm jack or some type of BT adapter connected to the car's audio to connect wirelessly.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F8Z492-P-Bluetooth-Music-Receiver/dp/B0047T79VS

The idea of the docking situation is to make it as simple/lazy as possible. I find if I've got to mess about before a journey i just wont use the tech so wont buy it.
Ideal situation is, I walk up to my car with the tablet in bag and desire in my pocket. I step inside the car, drop the tablet in the docking station (no messing about with cables or adjusting cradles) turn tablet bluetooth on via widget on desktop and have everything ready to go. Data connection + phone ready to use when I want it and music/handfree kit through the car speakers via the aux in connection on the docking station.
The idea behind using bluetooth for Data is I could leave bluetooth on my Desire 24/7 (I already do) leave the phone in my pocket (not setup my phone for tethering each journey) push one button on my tablet and I'm ready to go. This could hopefully keep my data plan down to a minimal usage.
I know it sounds petty but in real life I want to get in and go.
Do people kind of understand what I mean? Or am i being too lazy/picky

cr33ch said:
Or am i being too lazy/picky
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^^^
This.
At least as far as tablets go. You could probably fabricate something yourself using the Tab media dock and a third party mount yourself, but nothing like what you're looking for currently exists.

I don't think I'm asking too much and I'll still prob go ahead with one but it would be nice to have all the features...
I'm kinda going on this video (though its not in english) that you can tether your data via Bluetooth w.youtube.com/watch?v=5hglunqoZLo&feature=related (I can't post videos as a new user)
But I don't know if the phone's calls\sms\contacts can be tethered to the tablet. Plus it will need to do all the above while sending data...
Navigation im not too bothered about, ill prob just either use data like I've been doing with my Desire or download tomtom
Then all I need to find is either a docking station that's more car friendly with same functions or modify the samsung one some how to make it more secure

cr33ch said:
Hello all,
I'm looking to purchase a Tablet to satisfy a couple of my needs and would like to find out if some of my ideas are possible.
I spend a fair amount of my time in and out of my car so I'm looking to use a Galaxy tab for Satnav, music, phone access and emails. I spotted a Samsung dock that looks promising the "EDD-D1B1BEGSTD" (cannot link as a new user)
It charges it and has audio out which is perfect so I don't have to mess about with plugging in different cables everytime im in and out of the car just drop in and go with an aux in car stereo ready. My concern is it doesn't looks like it could take breaking/acceleration forces very well. Do any other docking stations have both charging and audio that are more car specific?
I don't want 2 contracts for 3G connection so can i confirm i can bluetooth my HTC desire to my tablet to access the internet?
As far as satnav goes, is it possible to have google maps offline?
Is it possible to bluetooth my HTC desire to the tablet to make and receive calls? As if the Tablet is plugged into my car stereo it would be a nice to have hands free calls. Would this be able to pull up my contacts from my phone too?
Out of interest would it be able to use a torrent manager and save directly to a network device/nasbox
Hope some people can answer my questions as im almost certain im going to make a purchase
Cheers
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google maps WILL cache for offline navigation, BUT you have to enable it in the Labs options, and predefine each area you want pre-cached making it pretty worthless. Your best option is to get wireless tethering working on your phone so you have a live internet connection on your tablet.

Docking your tab in the car will be a DIY project. I am sure it can be done but I have not run across any car docks that would work with this device. Charging can be tricky as well. The Tab requires 2 amps in its stock configuration. Very few car chargers put out that power. There are some rooted options that you can learn about.
As far as navigation goes, your best bet is a nav app such as Copilot. I have this app and find that it is as good or better than a stand alone GPS and the cost is very reasonable. My version does not offer voice control but there may be something newer out there that does.
The Tab can be tethered to a phone, (after rooting), but I have no experience with this so I cannot provide any advice. If it were me, I would use the phone for the stuff it does best and the Tab for what it does best. Phones are great for making and receiving calls as well as sending music to your car stereo. With a bit of effort you can do those things with the Tab but why reinvent the wheel. The Tab is best for things that require a larger screen. In the car, that would be Internet, assuming you have 3G access or are tethered along with navigation. The two devices compliment each other but IMO, cannot totally replace the other.
Hopefully this helps.
Bob

I'm fairly confident I can achieve what I'm looking for with a little modification. My Desire is already rooted with MIUI ill prob end up rooting the tab shortly after I purchase one too.
I think its just going to be a case of getting one and playing with it...
Just to confirm theres nothing really between the samsung and the Motorola xoom from a rooting/modification point of view?

No, no difference as far as rooting afaik.
I'd be interested into how you get on with your tinkering
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Well ive done it, ive put an order in for one with a Samsung docking station. Once it arrives ill report back with what i can and can't do

Iconia A500 In Dash install help.

Im getting ready to buy a new car. In my current car I have a kenwood single din slide out DVD/NAV unit. Frankly im sick of it.
In the new car (Mazda RX-8) im planning on doing a tablet on the dash. I already have all the technical stuff for that part of the install sussed out.
A cannabalized dock for the power and the audio, after market double din dash kit, Custom built (already sorted) swivel mount in the top din, head unit in the lower din for the audio pass through with an adapter for the steering wheel controls.
What Im stuck on, after much searching, is the software. What im looking for specifically is software to let me link my phone over BT so the when I get a call the tablet displays the info and can be used as a handsfree jobby. would be nice if it could also pass data as well but im not greedy.
It may be easier to use a BT adapter for the head unit itself if such software doesn't exist or isnt possible, and then just use the wifi tether for the data on the tablet for nav and such.
Any help or ideas would be SUPER appreciated.

Tablet Talk... works perfect, u can connect over BT

serviciosmoviles1 said:
Tablet Talk... works perfect, u can connect over BT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This looks pretty good for SMS and it says it has caller id. Can you confirm that I can answer the call from the tablet and use it as a hands free?

I use textab same as tablet talk has Cid but u can't answer the call. I also have a flip out indash I use bt to connect it and I can answer calls from the dash touch screen Audio comes trough the 9 speaker system in my car

GRIMLOCKE said:
This looks pretty good for SMS and it says it has caller id. Can you confirm that I can answer the call from the tablet and use it as a hands free?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The caller ID works very good but you can not answer the call from your tablet. If you want full phone service in your tablet ( answer and place calls) u can use groove ip assuming that u can give data connection to your tablet from your phone and u have a google number after that u just need forwarding your primary number at your google number and u are ready... sounds difficult but believe me, its very easy... I use this every single day and do not take more of 30 sec

Man I lucked out with sprint, google voice and groove IP, is all I need since my my phone is integrated.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

Can you take a picture of the tablet on your dash? Would love to see how it look in the car.

10507 said:
Can you take a picture of the tablet on your dash? Would love to see how it look in the car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I havent actually started any install as of yet. Still waiting on the car.
Funny story. I went to test drive the RX-8 today. It went LESS than stellar.
The car broke down three times in traffic. I got it back to the lot and the salesman still tried to sell it to me. I said get it working and Ill test drive it again...and MAYBE I might think about it. best salesman quote: "Its an automatic, it cant stall.
When I do get the new car next couple weeks/month I will keep you guys updated on the install. Im pretty sure im going to go with the headunit BT.

Can't wait to see it, I like the idea I might opt for kindle fire to mine in my car depending on how stable those devs get it.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

you know, I never really considered replacing my radio with a tablet, though I thought of several different ways to mount it separately. I wasn't satisfied with any of my ideas so I'll be checking to see how this one goes. Good luck and take lots of notes and pics.

what is a good way to mount this in a car??

post pics when you get it finished I'd love to see how it came out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

Nexus 7 as hands free bluetooth device?

I know that at the moment this isn't possible, but does anyone know if there is work being done on the Android bluetooth stack to enable a tablet to be used as a bluetooth hands-free device? A bit of searching shows that it is a regularly requested feature but I can't seem to find any info on any developers who are definitively working on this (except for one little questionable nugget that stated that the CM developers were playing with Bluetooth. Hardly enough to go on.).
I want to incorporate a Nexus 7 into my 370Z as a carpc but the lack of being able to integrate phone features is holding me back. Using data apps like grooveip are a no go for me as data connections around here aren't reliable enough for consistent daily use. Thanks in advance for any info.

I'm not to sure of what your asking, but if you wanna make calls from your tablet using BT this app allows you to do that as well as send SMS and MMS from it https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apdroid.tabtalk hope that helps and is what you mean
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I appreciate the suggestion but I don't think this will work. What I would like to do is mount my tablet in my car and use it as a front end for my phone to make/take calls the way an OEM bluetooth car system would normally work. My understanding is that your tablet must be paired as a hands free device, which android tablets currently don't do. I looked at Tablet Talk but when using that app from what I can gather when you accept a call on the tablet it actually activates the call on your handset. Ultimately I want to use the tablet as a hands free solution as I drive stick and holding my phone to my ear while driving is a no-no.
In the past I've used bt headsets but I lose them constantly and frankly I'm tired of replacing them. Oh well.

Well, good luck in your search! And you hit tablet talk spot on BTW lol. Oh and if you do find a solution, plz post it! This sounds like something I would love to use.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

SpungeWorthy said:
Well, good luck in your search! And you hit tablet talk spot on BTW lol. Oh and if you do find a solution, plz post it! This sounds like something I would love to use.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll thinking I'll probably go the route of a more traditional carpc for now, but if and when this becomes a feature you can take advantage of with android tablets I'll have to reevaluate the situation.

Nillaz said:
I know that at the moment this isn't possible, but does anyone know if there is work being done on the Android bluetooth stack to enable a tablet to be used as a bluetooth hands-free device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This would be a great extension or compliment to the various apps that let you send/receive SMSs from your tablet via your phone. If I could at least receive/answer calls too, I could leave the phone elsewhere at home.

Just to let you know I've contacted parrot and garmin with regards to something like this.
I want a solution where I can make my nexus 7 a full media center with DAB radio and a good sat nav without needing a cellular link and hands free for my phone which includes the voice commands available through the tablet.
So hopefully they will get back to me and I'll post up here what they say.
Something I haven't solved yet either is getting all the antennae feeds into the nexus, I was thinking of getting a sharks fin antennae and wiring them into a raspberry pi to then blue toothing them into the nexus, I could also then attach a HDD to the pi to use it as a server to.
I want to do it this way so I can take the 7 otu and with me if I wish, rather than having it hard wired in. also if would allow for device upgrade.
Theres a nice thread on install and with references to the tasker app to get the tablet to work with the ignition and other functionality like that;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1819175
b

BT app
There is an app under development for this I think. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.funkyandroid.phonelink
I'm thinking of dropping a Nexus 7 in my car but the lack of hands free bluetooth is kind of a deal breaker.

Did anybody ever get this working? I have my Nexus installed in the car, and would love to be able to use it as a speakerphone. I don't need to actually be able to make the calls via the tablet, just need to be able to use it as a basic bluetooth speakerphone / headset type of thing.
It sounds like it should be something fairly simple, but I cannot seem to find much.

I have been wanting this for a long time, I'd love to be able to take my older Android phone and re-purpose it as a car GPS/Internet Radio/Handfree, etc.
I know the Samsung Galaxy player has this functionality, I wonder if any of their devs could help out.

if this work in linux so i think can work on android
Hi to all,
i been looking for this "bluetooth role" for long time. I have read a lot of forum and the entire XDA posts about this..
it seems that this is the definitive question like "what is the answer to life the universe and everything" simple 42
and it seems that is the paradise for all want to make a carputer/droid/tablet/**** car radio replacement... so... i'm one of you
this post is for some devs (i'm a dev too) i'm asking for help ....
the problem is: which android version do you want to use?
why this question? simple: from the android 4.2 google has decided to trash the bluetooth bluez stack and reimplement the wheel with bluedroid...
i read the documentation about bluedroid at this site:
https://source.android.com/devices/bluetooth.html
and there was written that there are some profiles actualy implemented but not the Bluetooth Hands-Free Profile server.
Ok it's not a problem, taking a look to the template of other profile i can implement it.
now the question is HOW DOES IT WORKS?
so i searched and bum this is how:
version 1.5
version 1.6
ok and now? and now i tried to find some similar implementations and...
after another night of search i found this....
HFP For Linux
where there is the downloadable source code.
now I think we have all the necessary to make this possible...
BUT there are some problem that i haven't resolved yet for a lack of knowledge of course.
it seems that the hfp override any other profiles on that example, it's not bad, in a system that i want to use i need only a HFP profile and AD2P togheter all the rest is useless
i think that this at the end is a fork of the standard android project and how I/we can put it into a rom or a patch and who want to add to a rom/kernel? how it can be done? is a patch better ? a new kernel like franco's or better to submit to google?
I hope to have intrigued someone with this post and I hope that somebody can link me to some documentation to understand how to put all the information I have together.
ps. i have tried to reply into this thread:
[Q] Android phone as bluetooth headset?
but of course i have to few posts to make my suggestion there

I may be out of line here but try reading about the gmate+ device.
I got one paired with my Nexus 7 32gb right now and currently using it as a phone. I believe there are other similar gadgets out there, as I've done some researches before I actually got mine to work. I have yet to try it with a bluetooth headset paired because I lost mine just on the day when I was about to try it out.
Anyway, one problem here is, the app for the device is currently not updated so there are a lot of things that need tweaking and one major issue for me is the ringtone. As I have posted here before, sine N7 does not have native ringtone, there's no alert tone for incoming calls. As for text messages, the notification alert tone works. I know there's also GPRS for it but haven't tried it out yet.

Try these options...
As far as an option for a Nexus 7 you may want to try a sip dialer like 3cx or linphone or zoiper and establish a free sip account at iptel.org or something. As long as you have wifi or a 3g connection which some tablet have you should be able to make and receive calls, or try ""Blue Fi" from the play store. it may work.
naiku said:
Did anybody ever get this working? I have my Nexus installed in the car, and would love to be able to use it as a speakerphone. I don't need to actually be able to make the calls via the tablet, just need to be able to use it as a basic bluetooth speakerphone / headset type of thing.
It sounds like it should be something fairly simple, but I cannot seem to find much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

golfnz34me said:
I have been wanting this for a long time, I'd love to be able to take my older Android phone and re-purpose it as a car GPS/Internet Radio/Handfree, etc.
I know the Samsung Galaxy player has this functionality, I wonder if any of their devs could help out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got a new Nexus 7 for the same purpose of replacing my vehicles head unit with a tablet.
I am digging into the BT stack since I believe that I should be able to implement (or port) the profile on top of Android 4.3 assuming that the SCO data is available through the raw BT connection. There is an open source HFP implementation on sourceforge for Linux that migh be close enough to do the trick and save a bunch of coding time. It's going to take a while for me to get the time to dive too deeply into this one, but if I succeed or come to the conclusion it can't be done, I will let folks know.

Hello guys.
I am going to buy Nexus 7 for my car for the same purposes, - navigating, internet.
But mainly is for the Hands Free function.
Unfortunately, people saying nexus can't use it. But it's lol...I don't believe nexus7 doesn't support hands free.
Gentelman, tell me any way to make nexus 7 works hands free.
Thank you in advance.
P.S. if you ask wham am I mean when saying "hands free", so there is an example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEFjDKtlao8

Use some Motorola MotoActiv Bt code?
I have a Motorola MotoActiv running watch... Features gps tracking for running and biking, MP3 player and Bluetooth... The Bluetooth is mainly used for wireless headphones, but if you have a Motorola Phone, the watch can display text msgs from the phone and you can use the headphones/mic through the watch to take calls. (the idea being that you can leave the phone in a pocket or backpack while you're bike riding, I guess, and still take calls.)
The device runs Android (I'm sure someone's rooted it on here). Maybe that code can be dissected and repurposed for what were all looking for??
J

more on Motorola Watch
SmartNexus said:
I have a Motorola MotoActiv running watch... Features gps tracking for running and biking, MP3 player and Bluetooth... The Bluetooth is mainly used for wireless headphones, but if you have a Motorola Phone, the watch can display text msgs from the phone and you can use the headphones/mic through the watch to take calls. (the idea being that you can leave the phone in a pocket or backpack while you're bike riding, I guess, and still take calls.)
The device runs Android (I'm sure someone's rooted it on here). Maybe that code can be dissected and repurposed for what were all looking for??
J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just an update on something I said in my previous post... I was looking at my MotoActiv watch today and it says you have to have an "Android phone" not a Motorola phone as I said in my previous post. So I'm wondering if the phone audio over Bt can be reverse engineered from the Motoactive watch for other android devices.
I actually decided to root my watch today just for the fun of it... it would really make the perfect "Car Head Unit" as it has Android OS, MP3 capabilities, FM Tuner, Bluetooth and Phone audio over Bluetooth built in... if only the screen was larger than 1.5".

Looks like the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2013 are getting some love in this area with a new custom stack:
http://www.bluez.org/bluez-for-android-status-update/
Looks like you need some compiling skills, but I think this is what you are looking for.

It must be work... Or not?
Hello guys!
I'm thinking on a same project for a while. It doesn't matter if not work for me, but would be great if yes.
I found something 2 days ago:
Parrot Asteroid Smart
This is an android base head unit/navigation, and the bluetooth handsfree is working on it. How it's possible? Any chance to port it into the Nexus 7?

solution
So i had an idea today and decided to call my carrier (Cricket). They told me it is possible to purchase an extra sim card and they will program the imei# to match my phone. This will enable me to make and receive calls on my tablet as well as my phone using the same number. Also i will have full access to my data.....problem solved with only 15 dollars. I hope this helps somebody.

Best Car Stereo for most functionality with android phone

I am in the search for the best, well best for a descent price that is probably double din card stereo with the best Android integration.
By that I mean mainly blue tooth and usb.
I know based on some of the bluetooth protocols there are quite a range of things that can be integrated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth#Bluetooth_protocol_stack)
For example pluging into USB and the deck seeing the internal memory as well as SD Card to be able to play files from it, bluetooth being able to push music to the deck as well as the deck being able to communicate with apps such as pandora to skip tracks and such from the deck.
My searches thus far have lead to me this model http://www.crutchfield.com/p_105KWHR81B/JVC-KW-HDR81BT.html?showAll=N&search=KW-HDR81BT&skipvs=T
But I know there is one more bluetooth feature I would like and that is (MAP) Message Access Profile, which allows for text related messages to the deck for text to speech functions an such. (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_...tooth-do-besides-make-calls-abcs-of-car-tech/)
So anyone have ideas, I think there are new models announced close to this time of year right?
Anyone have good suggestions for a review site?

maxpower2078 said:
I am in the search for the best, well best for a descent price that is probably double din card stereo with the best Android integration.
By that I mean mainly blue tooth and usb.
I know based on some of the bluetooth protocols there are quite a range of things that can be integrated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth#Bluetooth_protocol_stack)
For example pluging into USB and the deck seeing the internal memory as well as SD Card to be able to play files from it, bluetooth being able to push music to the deck as well as the deck being able to communicate with apps such as pandora to skip tracks and such from the deck.
My searches thus far have lead to me this model http://www.crutchfield.com/p_105KWHR81B/JVC-KW-HDR81BT.html?showAll=N&search=KW-HDR81BT&skipvs=T
But I know there is one more bluetooth feature I would like and that is (MAP) Message Access Profile, which allows for text related messages to the deck for text to speech functions an such. (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_...tooth-do-besides-make-calls-abcs-of-car-tech/)
So anyone have ideas, I think there are new models announced close to this time of year right?
Anyone have good suggestions for a review site?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I'm looking into. Somebody sent me a screen shot of the app radio hooked up to their HTC and it even had the sense 4 lock ring displayed
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio/AppRadio+2+(SPH-DA100)

CharliesTheMan said:
This is what I'm looking into. Somebody sent me a screen shot of the app radio hooked up to their HTC and it even had the sense 4 lock ring displayed
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio/AppRadio+2+(SPH-DA100)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That looks very cool but my phone is not on the list plus it seems like something that is in its infancy still. I think a broader technology like bluetooth that could be compatible with many more devices may be a better way of connecting. I think that kind of thing will be awesome in a few years when they nail down a standard for communicating audio/video to the head unit, almost like the head unit is just a monitor to the phone and a touchscreen monitor at that.

I'm actually looking for the same thing right now. I don't want to spend $500+ dollars on a head unit when I could buy a nexus tablet to do everything for half that. But I do want a stand alone radio that I can use with a phone or streaming data, plus a built in amp with preamp outs would be perfect.

App Radio 2 has many issues.
sureshot007 said:
I'm actually looking for the same thing right now. I don't want to spend $500+ dollars on a head unit when I could buy a nexus tablet to do everything for half that. But I do want a stand alone radio that I can use with a phone or streaming data, plus a built in amp with preamp outs would be perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just purchased the App Radio 2, and am returning it to Crutchfield. The screen is nice looking, but otherwise it is the single most disappointing electronic device I have ever purchased. I won't go into the long list of complaints about the device, as the hatred I now have for it could destroy a small city. Suffice to say that the unit functions as designed, but was likely designed by a team of engineers who had never seen a car, radio, phone or normal human being. There are a few threads here for people who are still trying to make the device worthwhile, with a particular success in the ARLiberator App.
I'm tempted to try that out, but the reality is the radio software itself is the problem in my opinion. It would be great to use the ARLiberator phone functions, but I don't like the firmware of the radio.
I'm looking at other options and right now the Parrot Asteroid Smart is a front-runner. I'm conflicted as it has runs Android 2.3 and I was hoping for something more current. Search around on the forum for more details on both before you purchase, there are many potential show stoppers.

hey guys,
I've been searching for a Android Head unit for a while now. I too hate the fact that most of them are 2.3, but check this unit out.
ebay.com/itm/Hot-2-Din-Car-Radio-DVD-Player-Fast-Cpu-Android-4-0-WIFI-3G-GPS-Ipod-Bluetooth-/170939816360
recently stumbled over it. Wondering if any has seen one or has one, worry about the quality. Currently, I'm also considering Parrot's new unit.
Hope this helps.

Dan.S said:
I just purchased the App Radio 2, and am returning it to Crutchfield. The screen is nice looking, but otherwise it is the single most disappointing electronic device I have ever purchased. I won't go into the long list of complaints about the device, as the hatred I now have for it could destroy a small city. Suffice to say that the unit functions as designed, but was likely designed by a team of engineers who had never seen a car, radio, phone or normal human being. There are a few threads here for people who are still trying to make the device worthwhile, with a particular success in the ARLiberator App.
I'm tempted to try that out, but the reality is the radio software itself is the problem in my opinion. It would be great to use the ARLiberator phone functions, but I don't like the firmware of the radio.
I'm looking at other options and right now the Parrot Asteroid Smart is a front-runner. I'm conflicted as it has runs Android 2.3 and I was hoping for something more current. Search around on the forum for more details on both before you purchase, there are many potential show stoppers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it WITH ARLiberator and I still hate it. I'm looking at the Chinese Double Din HU's now that run only Android (not wince and android).

RSO86 said:
hey guys,
I've been searching for a Android Head unit for a while now. I too hate the fact that most of them are 2.3, but check this unit out.
ebay.com/itm/Hot-2-Din-Car-Radio-DVD-Player-Fast-Cpu-Android-4-0-WIFI-3G-GPS-Ipod-Bluetooth-/170939816360
recently stumbled over it. Wondering if any has seen one or has one, worry about the quality. Currently, I'm also considering Parrot's new unit.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy one? I'm looking at getting one like this or something similar...

I'm currently looking for a replacement for my Clarion CX501, any updates from anyone? Seems like the APT-X support has yet to hit the headunit market.

Has no one found a good unit yet? Please update!

copekyle said:
Has no one found a good unit yet? Please update!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get an android based double din radio, make sure its dual core, 1G Ram, DAB+ supported, 6.2-7" TFT capacitive touch screen, steering wheel controls supported and accepts WiFi dongle. you will have the mighty Google Play store to satisfy your imagination.
obviously such a unit would support most of the Bluetooth profiles.
I noticed few units on ebay but not from any known manufacturer. best i found was from some German supplier icar-tech
Alpha V800 and Alpha S600 are the ones, I haven't confirmed all the above requirements that I would wanna see in my next head unit.
Good Luck

maxpower2078 said:
I am in the search for the best, well best for a descent price that is probably double din card stereo with the best Android integration.
By that I mean mainly blue tooth and usb.
I know based on some of the bluetooth protocols there are quite a range of things that can be integrated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth#Bluetooth_protocol_stack)
For example pluging into USB and the deck seeing the internal memory as well as SD Card to be able to play files from it, bluetooth being able to push music to the deck as well as the deck being able to communicate with apps such as pandora to skip tracks and such from the deck.
My searches thus far have lead to me this model http://www.crutchfield.com/p_105KWHR81B/JVC-KW-HDR81BT.html?showAll=N&search=KW-HDR81BT&skipvs=T
But I know there is one more bluetooth feature I would like and that is (MAP) Message Access Profile, which allows for text related messages to the deck for text to speech functions an such. (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_...tooth-do-besides-make-calls-abcs-of-car-tech/)
So anyone have ideas, I think there are new models announced close to this time of year right?
Anyone have good suggestions for a review site?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You want Android in your car...install a tablet in the dash. That's the best option, or you could go with the Parrot. But from the reviews I've seen I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

Car Stereo
Hi,
Did you end up getting this head unit?
Does it work well?
RSO86 said:
hey guys,
I've been searching for a Android Head unit for a while now. I too hate the fact that most of them are 2.3, but check this unit out.
ebay.com/itm/Hot-2-Din-Car-Radio-DVD-Player-Fast-Cpu-Android-4-0-WIFI-3G-GPS-Ipod-Bluetooth-/170939816360
recently stumbled over it. Wondering if any has seen one or has one, worry about the quality. Currently, I'm also considering Parrot's new unit.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I wanted to get in on this thread to see if anyone has actually pulled the trigger and bought something yet.
I share the same mentality -- the phone/tablet can handle most of the "smart" functions. All that's needed is rock-solid bluetooth support. If it does great USB, that's a huge bonus.
I have one of the older Pioneer stereos that first did Bluetooth. I got it around 2007. The market has matured a lot since then and I'm itching for an upgrade.

WuddaWaste said:
I wanted to get in on this thread to see if anyone has actually pulled the trigger and bought something yet.
I share the same mentality -- the phone/tablet can handle most of the "smart" functions. All that's needed is rock-solid bluetooth support. If it does great USB, that's a huge bonus.
I have one of the older Pioneer stereos that first did Bluetooth. I got it around 2007. The market has matured a lot since then and I'm itching for an upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had a look around many different forums and stores, and I'm still at square one. I totally agree that all that's needed is rock-solid bluetooth support.

I've been into a few shops in the last few days and BT paired my GS2 running CM11 and Google Play Music with some head units....for what they can do via bluetooth, they all seem to do a decent job of it......I can skip/pause songs on either the head unti or the phone, Google Play Music on the phone updates as you switch songs on the HU.
But what it doesn't seem capable of (that I've seen or read about), which apparently iPhones can do, is change albums, browse by artist/genre, search, etc.....beyond the most basic of back/next/pause functions, unless I'm mistaken, it's just not possible when BT pairing an Android phone with any head unit on the market.
Can anyone definitively confirm that this is or is not true?

Well.... Now that android auto is in the making, maybe there will be some better offerings available for those of us looking for a good stereo!

1990clb said:
Well.... Now that android auto is in the making, maybe there will be some better offerings available for those of us looking for a good stereo!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Until then what are we supposed to do ..buy an IPhone?
I have a Google Nexus 4 and went too the effort of looking into the options. I find it utterly amazing in an Android phone you can't browse albums over bluetooth its simply a joke!
The best option would be to try to maybe get a double DIN car stereo with support some kind of screen mirroring so you can change album from the touch screen maybe something like a AVIC-F60DAB but it costs a grand would be cheaper for me to buy an IPhone!!!
I belive you need the AVRCP standard if you want the track listing to display on your headset via Bluetooth.
Even if I could get a Car Stereo to support my mobile..the big problem with the Google nexus and it seems many Android devices they don't support Bluetooth very well. There is a bug in the Nexus 4 so that when you are using bluetooth in your car stereo after a while Bluetooth will just turn off Google don't seem to care about fixing this..I don't really want to get an Apple but if means I can listen to Music via Bluetooth and get access to Google Music then why not.!!

I have a Double Din car stereo. It's the Pioneer AppRadio 3 and it works well mirroring my Nexus 5. There's an app called "AppRadio Unchained" which let's you control your phone via the touch screen of the stereo. The only downside is the lack of power on the radio which makes the scrolling not as fast as any Android phone nowadays, but the Bluetooth has been working non-stop for me.
I had to buy an HDMI dapter to make it compatible though.

I've had a look at these but they are expensive! Maybe if I get a raise I'll buy one haha!
I was hoping to get something similar, but without having to use a HDMI adapter, a completely wireless solution would be kick ass!

Panapacific DEA600 head unit and smart touch screen...

Hey Guys,
I just bought a brand new Kenworth W900, and it has android auto (or something mimicing it) built in... A panapacific dea600... the major problem is it super kludge... amongst being terribly locked down, i cannot connect to an ad hoc wifi thru my windows 10 laptop (that is tethered to my S6 with easy tether)... my tablet can connect to the ad hoc no problems, and my stereo can see the network but cannot connect to it for some reason (i REALLY need to update the trucks GPS maps, and have you tried to use a truck stops wifi? (like dial up))... id really just like access to the OS or another launcher so i can add some apps that i need (no not facebook or stuff like that) and perhaps root and rom it....
its running android 4.2.2... and i can get you the entirely too long software version
Its sad really because this could be cutting edge stuff, but someone higher up had to come up with ways to neuter this damn thing... and look i get that there are things i shouldnt have access to while driving, but it DOES have android web browser built in so its not like they dont want us using it...
i dont expect the world as this unit has only been shipping with trucks for a few months... and many of you may not have come across it... but perhaps it shares hardware with another system and panapacific just stole it (it HAS happened many times)
thanks guys and look forward to replies before i finish going insane

Nobody?

DEA600 - SmartDisplay for Automotive Infotainment
Hey,
I just came across your note while search for this product - I was the software architect/tech lead for the supplier company providing the Android port and the Freescale SOM component of the display screen on this product line - although moved on shirtly after the system went to mass production. - it is awesome to see someone here discuss it!
You are very correct on a lot of you assumptions and assessments. it was a very ambitious project that really tried to leverage as much of what Android was capable of at the time it was planned, but tuned to work as a smart display for commercial vehicles.
The display is only a part of a system of components. The display runs a port of Android 4.2.2 - but highly tailored to its environment - pairs with the Delphi radio unit (as a peer, not as an accessory) and is toghtly coupled to the unit in production. as a security measure.
unfortunately for what you are looking for, though much of the upgrade and app installation capabilities have been locked down to prevent side loading or execution of "unauthorized" apps that don't have special keys fro. the OEM or manufacturer. even if installed, the system manager will kill any apps that are launched without keys.
you may be able to get a developer key from the OEM but I don't know how they chose to mange that in the final system.
thanks for the posting, though - it was a small run comparatively for android systems but it was a pretty damn cool system with what we did get working....
I would be happy to discuss more if you want. - with what I can....
- Chris

DEA600
hi there
i have same head unit in my 389 pride and class peterbilt, for the map part, that you can update by connecting it to your phones internet, either wifi hot spot if not then just connect it with bluetooth and use bluetooth tethering of phone and PAN of your DEA600, but main problem in the system is that you cant put a single thing without pulling breaks, and u cant download a single file by any means, it just displays error that unfortunately process.android. stopped or browser has stopped or settings has stopped. if any one figured out how to download anythimg in this little thing. please update

hello there. I have T-680 with DEA600. I had exactly the same problem and ended up taking my truck to a dealer. it turned out to be defected radio. After it was replaced, it would connect to a hotspot no problem ( im using htc 10).

I have the same unit in my W 900. It is a huge disappointment in many ways. First of all just like any factory radio I have ever seen in a commercial truck the sound quality is horrible. Second I don't like the fact that it locks so many functions when I am driving. I have a passenger that rides with me most of the time that is perfectly capable of safely operating those functions while I drive. This makes the GPS almost useless for the way I like to use a GPS. Good thing I still have my Garman. But really my biggest disappointment is the fact that I cannot get the gauges to work properly. It states that I can choose from over 30 gauges to be displayed however I have been unable to find any way to change from the six default gauges that are there. I have read the manual but it does not explain how to open the menu that lets you choose which gauges are there. I don't know if my unit is defective like one of a red one of yours was or if it just hasn't come out in an update yet. Also if I am reading this right it looks like my display and gauges function are tied to the stereo which means if I replace the head unit I'm going to lose that function. Am I reading that correctly?

Hey guys so a friend of mine has the DEA601 in his new truck and drives him nuts that the passenger cannot control things when its going faster than 5km hour (his old Peterbuilt worked fine).
I'm a software eng and would like to find out how to disable the Distracted Driver feature (like you can do in settings on many other Android Auto ROM's like Honda). What are my options here? a) Make a whole new ROM (but how to do that?) b) try to hexedit the existing ROM and find where the 5 km value is and modify it c) add an add-on app somehow to override this limit or d) other???
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Ckrobin said:
I have the same unit in my W 900. It is a huge disappointment in many ways. First of all just like any factory radio I have ever seen in a commercial truck the sound quality is horrible. Second I don't like the fact that it locks so many functions when I am driving. I have a passenger that rides with me most of the time that is perfectly capable of safely operating those functions while I drive. This makes the GPS almost useless for the way I like to use a GPS. Good thing I still have my Garman. But really my biggest disappointment is the fact that I cannot get the gauges to work properly. It states that I can choose from over 30 gauges to be displayed however I have been unable to find any way to change from the six default gauges that are there. I have read the manual but it does not explain how to open the menu that lets you choose which gauges are there. I don't know if my unit is defective like one of a red one of yours was or if it just hasn't come out in an update yet. Also if I am reading this right it looks like my display and gauges function are tied to the stereo which means if I replace the head unit I'm going to lose that function. Am I reading that correctly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I found out in order for the guages to work I need an $800 module my truck didn't come with. Now my biggest problem is the technology seems to have stagnated. The software on my phone and tablet are no longer very comparable with Android 4.2. I try my iPhone and my Android tablet and neither will play Pandora consistently. I am forced to use Bluetooth which looses sound quality on an already low quality stereo. I really wish Kenworth had spent their R &D on making their trucks compatible with idatalink like most aftermarket stereos use.
At this point I am torn between installing a hideaway marine stereo with a remote display and leaving this POS Pans Pacrapic as a display with nono sound. Or installing a line converter and amp and dealing with this clunky software. I wish someone would make a rom to upgrade this thing.

Looks like the Mfg won this round
Looks like the Mfg won this round
I'm driving one of these trucks also and I keep checking this post but I guess we havent incentivized anyone who cud help yet!

The electrical switch must be located behind the air brakes control knob. I'm sure if you pull the stereo out you will find the wires that control the disabling feature. The unit tries to "update" when connected to wifi. Maybe someone can use wireshark and grab the update packet and modify it with root installed. I'm ok with trying anything short of taking the unit apart and Jtag the firmware directly. Would love to see one taken apart.

sunny530 said:
The electrical switch must be located behind the air brakes control knob. I'm sure if you pull the stereo out you will find the wires that control the disabling feature. The unit tries to "update" when connected to wifi. Maybe someone can use wireshark and grab the update packet and modify it with root installed. I'm ok with trying anything short of taking the unit apart and Jtag the firmware directly. Would love to see one taken apart.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a 2+ year old thread being g responded to.

What is your point? 2years later and still no solution to the problem. I ran across this thread of people discussing the same problems I'm having with the radio unit. If you got something usefull to add to this discussion then please feel free otherwise you don't need to acknowledge when what was posted that helps me null with my problem.

Anyone here figure anything out?

still nothing

Hello! So I have little tech experience but I am willing to work with someone here to sort this out. Got a 17 w900 that I put a aftermarket double din in and retained smart nav for the gauges. What I did find was the screen (not the radio) gets a input from the wire harness off the ecm to give data to the screen. So I’ll attach a picture of the plug and maybe we can use this plus find it’s female counterpart then get the other end to plug into a maestro box? My Sony doesn’t have maestro. I do have a pioneer that does but can’t justify the cost being the Guinea pig. I’ve already been one of the first to get the tilt column to drop LOW and managed to fit a true 7” double din where the stupid nav was.