Database Users

Remote Car Starter in the Future?

Alright well i just saw a remote car starter specifically made for the iphone, you could start, adjust the tempurature, lock and unlock the doors, very interesting to say the least....
I'm sure this has been out for quite sometime, but i just thought it was interesting.
Do you think there will ever be hope for this on android? Unless someone is willing to shell out 500 dollars and try some investigating!

Mmm, Skynet

Looks like it's an app by Viper, the car alarm manufacturer, and it works on the Blackberry too, so an app for Android should be possible, but probably only if Viper decides to support it.
The part that is in the car apparently receives the signal over the cellular lines but the system works through ipods with wifi too. It also requires a yearly subscription. So, the app probably connects over the internet to Viper's servers which send the signal to the car over the cell network.
There is nothing iPhone specific about it. If you knew how it worked, you could probably do it from any device with an internet connection, but it would probably depend on Viper making an Android app or, less likely, opening up the system so someone else could.

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

MirrorLink on US SGS3

During the official Samsung announcement for the SGS3 on May 3, they talked about integrating MirrorLink support into the phone. This is actually why I purchased this phone. I recently purchased a MirrorLink compatible car stereo, the Sony XAV-601BT. After several frustrating hours, a Samsung rep told me that only the Korean version supports MirrorLink. He suggested downloading an app from the Play Store called "Sh.air" by a company called M&SERVICE. It's the only thing that he knows about that would make the SGS3 compatible with MirrorLink at this time.
The problem is that the entire thing is in Korean (I think...I can't read it). It doesn't do me any good to have a Korean interface on my car dashboard. However, this means that the MirrorLink standard is software based and (probably) only requires the MHL connection in a cell phone.
Does anyone know if there are any MirrorLink compatibility apps in development? I would really like to get this working in my car. Any help or information is appreciated.

I'm using MHL with a Pioneer AppRadio 2. It's an option for you if Samsung doesn't implement MirrorLink for you.

How do you like your AppRadio 2? I was actually looking at that radio some time ago because I've generally had good luck with Pioneer. I couldn't find a lot of reviews about using it with Android, but what I found made it look like it's not very Android friendly. I've also read that it has a delay in the user interface. Can you give me some feedback about that stuff?
I'm mostly just interested in syncing my phone for navigation, phone calls, and Pandora. How does it work for that stuff with Android? Have you used Inrix Traffic with it?
I like the Sony XAV601BT because it's a solid head unit with MirrorLink capabilities. The AppRadio seems to try to be a phone interface first and head unit second.

Well, some things about the AppRadio 2.
It's definitely a phone interface first, car audio system second. Without the phone plugged in and operating it's a basic AM/FM receiver.
Android support isn't as good as iPhone support. There's less apps available and generally speaking it seems like Pioneer added the Android support as an afterthought.
Every time you connect your phone, the phone will prompt you to accept the PIN number that the radio sends it. Every time. It's highly annoying, but someone on avic411 has a tasker script that apparently has the phone auto-accept the prompt. I haven't tried it yet as my phone isn't rooted (I'm swapping it later today for the Pebble Blue that a buddy got and he doesn't want it rooted).
Inrix doesn't work on Android over the AppRadio. They haven't added support yet and Pioneer has a lockout so that you can only use apps that have been approved.
Google Navigation is another app that doesn't work, although Google Maps does. If you want full voice navigation the only app that they have available is Waze at the moment. Waze isn't bad, but I dislike the cartoonish appearance of it.
AppRadio supports Pandora Radio. If you have it, it can natively control it through the deck. Pandora's not available in Canada, so I haven't tried it.
AppRadio also has an ipod interface on the main screen. You can't get rid of it either, which is highly annoying if you're like me and don't have an iphone/ipod.
There is a very small lag in response when you use the touch screen. I believe this is because it uses Bluetooth to communicate with the phone. It's there, but not really that annoying unless you're trying to scroll using CarMediaPlayer. That said, CarMediaPlayer is a half decent app for playing media on the AppRadio. I find it's a lot faster and doesn't lag like the stock Music app on the phone.
Edit: I implied above that you need Pioneer approved apps for it to work. You can use other apps, but they won't have the ability to control them through the deck.

For my use, it sounds like the Sony unit is the better way to go. Hopefully MirrorLink gets some support, either third party or otherwise.
Thanks for the honest feedback about the AppRadio 2.

spumington,
Samsung will release its MirrorLink app in the next weeks.
The solution is software only, but just an APK. You need to modify your system in order to make it work.
And it's not related to MHL, just USB.

olluz said:
spumington,
Samsung will release its MirrorLink app in the next weeks.
The solution is software only, but just an APK. You need to modify your system in order to make it work.
And it's not related to MHL, just USB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi can i ask where you got this info from?

olluz said:
spumington,
Samsung will release its MirrorLink app in the next weeks.
The solution is software only, but just an APK. You need to modify your system in order to make it work.
And it's not related to MHL, just USB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you get this information? I also purchased the Galaxy S3 partly because it was the only Android phone announced to support Mirrorlink.

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!

OPO as a permanent fixture on my car

Hey all,
I wanted to use my new OPO (without an extra SIM card) as a permanent slave to my original phone, and as a permanent fixture on my car as a car-puter for my 2005 Accord. I have to say, I am pretty impressed with the phone, and where I've reached now.
Hardware required:
1) OPO (obviously)
2) Main phone (In my case, my Note 3)
3) Car with Bluetooth Head Unit (depending on usage)
4) Cheap 7$ OBD2 Bluetooth interface from eBay
5) Raspberry Pi + RasPiCam (for backup cam)​
Software:
1) Torque for getting data from OBD.
2) Navier HUD Free (For some cool HUD Effects for my car )
3) MapFactor Navigator for free Offline Maps and navigation
4) Google Voice + Spare Phone (didnt want to spend on another phone line)
5) Tablet Remote ()
6) Tasker
7) fqrouter [to be discarded and replaced with WiFi Tether router]
8) Tablet Talk
9) RTSP Player​
Modules:
1) Wireless backup camera
I used Raspberry Pi with its camera module to use as a backup camera.
The Pi fetches the video and transmits it as a live RTMP stream using nginx web server. I can then see the stream play on my phone.
I use fqrouter to create a hotspot between OPO and RPi to get the live stream without losing tethered wifi connection with my Note 3.​
2) Navigation & Car stuff
MapFactor Navigator free uses OpenStreetMaps to get free navigation to your phone. No need of a separate GPS unit.
Torque has the ability to connect to my car's OBD2 interface. It also has a HUD functionality which I thought was cool
Can also use Navier HUD Free for HUD displaying speed and navigation.​
3) Communication
Now, this one was a bit tricky. I wanted it to be connected with my phone. Since I had unlimited 4G LTE data from T-mobile, I had to leverage that somehow. I couldn't just use tethering as tethering isn't unlimited (now found a workaround for that too ). So I wanted to use Wifi Tether only for Google Voice texts and rare phone calls.
Communication involves multiple things:
a) Receive Phone and Text
For this, I used a fine but no-longer-supported app called Tablet Talk. In the future, I'll try to develop something for myself. For now, this one is good. I can send/receive msgs that I get on my main phone (connected via bluetooth) from this one. As for phone calls, Tablet Talk gives a nice notification about who is calling, with the contact's photo and name synced from your phone book.
ISSUE: Tablet talk is meant for tablets. So when used in landscape mode, the answer/reject/speaker button goes below the screen. So I created a tasker profile, which says when I get a call notification on tablet talk, disable screen rotation temporarily. Does the trick
Another issue is that the calls are attended from your phone. i.e. call audio comes from your phone. Simple solution, also connected the phone with my car's bluetooth (another hack made from a broken 20$ Sony MW600 bluetooth headset I found on eBay). So I can answer the call from OPO fixed in car, and talk via car bluetooth, and the phone always stays inside.
b) Music & audio
I have my full music collection on my main phone. I don't want to sync and have duplicates. Thank's to a discovery by @darktranquility18, I realized that the OPO can be used as a media sync when using bluetooth. i.e. It acts as a bluetooth speaker for my main phone. Now, the issue I ran into was that I couldn't change tracks or volume using it directly. So I had to use another software: Tablet Remote. Works like a charm ​
That's all I have for now. Let me know if you can think of any suggestions, additions or ideas. Open to many more tweaks and hacks. After all, the phone says: Never Settle

Sounds like a great setup, but why use a $350 phone when a $150 Nexus 7 would do just as well and have a larger screen? I recently began using an 8" LG G Pad as a permanent carputer and couldn't be happier, but I'm going to take a look at some of the options you've detailed here, so thanks for that. I leverage Tasker pretty heavily for automating tasks when the car turns on, turns off, etc.

rant said:
Sounds like a great setup, but why use a $350 phone when a $150 Nexus 7 would do just as well and have a larger screen? I recently began using an 8" LG G Pad as a permanent carputer and couldn't be happier, but I'm going to take a look at some of the options you've detailed here, so thanks for that. I leverage Tasker pretty heavily for automating tasks when the car turns on, turns off, etc.
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Simple reason:
I had a 350$ phone that I got for free just lying around as a spare phone. I don't have a spare tablet
So essentially, the only amount I spent just for this is the $7 Bluetooth ODB2 connector.
Also, I didnt want to modify the stock Head Unit. So I have a stand (I added wireless charger for my note 3. Will make OPO wireless charging capable later) on my upper dash which can hold a phone. A tablet will be too big for that and will block my view out of windshield. Once I get some more money, I will get the Metra dash kit and put in a tablet. This setup is what I have for now

CravingMender9 said:
Simple reason:
I had a 350$ phone that I got for free just lying around as a spare phone. I don't have a spare tablet
So essentially, the only amount I spent just for this is the $7 Bluetooth ODB2 connector.
Also, I didnt want to modify the stock Head Unit. So I have a stand (I added wireless charger for my note 3. Will make OPO wireless charging capable later) on my upper dash which can hold a phone. A tablet will be too big for that and will block my view out of windshield. Once I get some more money, I will get the Metra dash kit and put in a tablet. This setup is what I have for now
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Click to collapse
Gotcha, certainly makes sense. Good luck with your setup. Having run mine for a few weeks now, can't imagine going back to a stock head unit. Waze, Spotify, Pandora, having my full music library, etc. can't be beat.

i stopped by, hoping for pics.... (nice setup btw)

muzhik said:
i stopped by, hoping for pics.... (nice setup btw)
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Ha, Thanks
Well, its just the OPO on a phone stand on my dash. Mostly it is the use of various software to make it do what I want.
But I guess I CAN put up pics of HUD and a video about the Raspberry Pi Backup module.
I'll try to make it this week and upload.

Yes please, that'd be cool
I'm also curious about that OBD2 thing you bought. Does it mean I can get that too? I have a Toyota Yaris
If you could post some pics and share some quick instructions, would be great!
Cheers m8!

LarsPT said:
Yes please, that'd be cool
I'm also curious about that OBD2 thing you bought. Does it mean I can get that too? I have a Toyota Yaris
If you could post some pics and share some quick instructions, would be great!
Cheers m8!
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This is what I got from eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131033435850?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
It was $2 off when I purchased it. So I got for $6.94
The construction is FLIMSY and the covering breaks easily. But it can be easily fixed with super glue or something. I kept mine open as the LEDs inside give a nice glow-at-night effect to my underdash. I'll show that in video that I'll mostly try to make before this weekend.
What year is your Yaris? All cars after 98 year models (i think) need to have OBD2 compulsorily. It'll mostly be near your steering wheel side underdash, on the left near the fuse box.

It's recent, it's the '10 model. I'll look into it when I go back home after work
Cheers!

Pics pics we want pics !

rant said:
Sounds like a great setup, but why use a $350 phone when a $150 Nexus 7 would do just as well and have a larger screen? I recently began using an 8" LG G Pad as a permanent carputer and couldn't be happier, but I'm going to take a look at some of the options you've detailed here, so thanks for that. I leverage Tasker pretty heavily for automating tasks when the car turns on, turns off, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you couldn't sell the phone and get the tablet pocketing the extra $200. I understand if it was a condition of getting it free. Also, you can do most of this with your primary phone and a nice car mount. That lets you use the device when you aren't in the car...

lugose said:
So you couldn't sell the phone and get the tablet pocketing the extra $200. I understand if it was a condition of getting it free. Also, you can do most of this with your primary phone and a nice car mount. That lets you use the device when you aren't in the car...
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Click to collapse
The phone was a gift. So no, wouldn't sell it. Primary phone is used by other people in the car to play music/games etc.
Not a good idea to continuously mount and remove that while I am using navigation and there are people in the car for whom nothing else matters other than playing Candy Crush or facebook .
I do use the device when I am not in the car. As I had mentioned before, it is just hooked to a phone stand/holder.
Also, let me clarify, the main reason for posting it here is since I used the OPO. You can use anything, any phone / tablet. I am not saying you have to use this phone only. I just happen to have a spare one, that's all. I wanted to show one more thing that we can use any phone/any tablet for. It was just an experiment.

Cholerabob said:
Pics pics we want pics !
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Click to collapse
I'll try to get the video today once I get home

CravingMender9 said:
The phone was a gift. So no, wouldn't sell it. Primary phone is used by other people in the car to play music/games etc.
Not a good idea to continuously mount and remove that while I am using navigation and there are people in the car for whom nothing else matters other than playing Candy Crush or facebook .
I do use the device when I am not in the car. As I had mentioned before, it is just hooked to a phone stand/holder.
Also, let me clarify, the main reason for posting it here is since I used the OPO. You can use anything, any phone / tablet. I am not saying you have to use this phone only. I just happen to have a spare one, that's all. I wanted to show one more thing that we can use any phone/any tablet for. It was just an experiment.
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Click to collapse
Sorry, didn't mean to dump. It is cool, but expensive for most. I look forward to seeing the pictures.

Apologies for the shaky video. Never done a video before, so was a bit nervous.
Raspberry Pi Wifi Camera Project Demo:
HUD Display (Upload in progress):
Images attached. I can write a tutorial about the raspberry pi module sometime later if anyone is interested.

Sorry, I know this post is old but this is the only reference I could find with someone seemingly having used an OPO (OnePlus One - I hope you mean) successfully with an ELM327 OBD2 Bluetooth adapter. I am having connection issues with my OBD2 adapter and was wondering if you had found a way around these issues...
Here's another thread I started describing my OBD2 adapter issues:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-one/help/oneplus-one-cm11-wont-obd2-elm327-t3152703

I have used a couple of OBD2 adapters. The successful one was from OBDlink MX. The hit and mid ones were the cheap ones from China that did not have an auto shut off features.
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