Disaster Google Adding Games, Videos, Browsers, And More To Android Auto - Get your child run over by an idiot playing Angry Birds

https://www.carscoops.com/2024/05/videos-games-and-browsers-coming-to-android-auto/

Google I/O was largely focused on artificial intelligence, but the company has announced a few automotive-related updates. First and foremost, Google built-in continues to spread as it can be found in the new Acura ZDX, Honda Prologue, and Ford Explorer.

Nearly 40 vehicles now have Google built-in, while over 200 million support Android Auto. Those numbers will continue to grow and the tech giant is improving their capabilities. In particular, the Uber Driver app is now available on Android Auto and this enables drivers to “accept rides and deliveries, and get turn-by-turn directions on a bigger screen.”

Google also announced Android Auto will soon support games, videos, and even internet browsers. This promises to deliver a more immersive experience, similar to what’s found on vehicles with Google built-in. The company also noted communication and weather apps are currently in beta.

On the Google built-in side, users can expect new apps and games including Angry Birds, Max, and Peacock. Vehicles are also slated to get Google Cast, which will enable people to cast videos from their smartphones or tablets onto in-car displays while parked. This feature will debut on Rivian vehicles in the coming months and will eventually spread to other models.

While games, browsers and weather apps are currently in beta for cars with Google built-in, the company noted communication features are coming soon. They didn’t elaborate, but mentioned messaging and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).

Speaking of apps, Google is working to “accelerate bringing mobile apps to cars with no additional work for developers.” As part of this effort, Google will “proactively review mobile apps that are already adaptive and large screen compatible to ensure safety and compatibility in cars” and they’ll automatically be opted in for distribution, if applicable. All of this can be done without changes or updates, so we can expect to find more apps in cars shortly.

Lastly, in an unusual automotive twist, Google launched a series of mini games to promote upcoming Android features. That isn’t unheard of, but the company partnered with the McLaren F1 Team to promote the games and even went as far as having Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri appear in a video for them.

 

[The Last Stand]

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAY GAMES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING??!!!

 

[Irrational Exuberance]

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAY GAMES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING??!!!

Well, obviously it's meant to go hand-in-hand with the AI-powered smart car that runs people over on your behalf.

 

[Angry Alt Right Nerd]

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAY GAMES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING??!!!

Passenger seat?

 

[The Last Stand]

Passenger seat?

Hell no. I don't want to see somebody messing with my controls. You know how distracting that can be having Angry Birds in front of you when you're trying to concentrate on the road?

 

[Pixy]

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAY GAMES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING??!!!

They've implemented games into the car spyware before in at least 2021 with the caveat that the vehicle had to be parked before being able to do so. I wouldn't expect them to lift that lest they get hit by lawsuits from regulators.

https://mashable.com/article/android-auto-games-update

 

[Celebrate Nite]

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAY GAMES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING??!!!

I blame Pokemon Go

 

[Peaches the Wonder Cat]

Passenger seat?

Those screens are the main control panel for the auto now. I don't want to be able to not adjust the AC because someone is playing Flappy Bird.

 

[BobbyBriggs69420]

scanner radio is a fun one and it's always worked on android auto, turn it to a police channel crack the windows and scare joggers

 

[WonderWino]

Passenger seat?

I doubt it. If google is that stupid they're asking for inevitable lawsuits. Most places have a legal requirement that there can't be anything running in sight of the driver that could be reasonably expected to be a distraction. Any game being played by the front passenger on car hardware will definitely violate that. At best this would be acceptable for passengers in the back seat

They've implemented games into the car spyware before in at least 2021 with the caveat that the vehicle had to be parked before being able to do so. I wouldn't expect them to lift that lest they get hit by lawsuits from regulators.

Which makes it odd that they'd even consider adding something like this at all. After all everybody has a phone at this point and would be more likely to use that than fucking around on some built in car games

 

[augment]

If there's one company on Earth I would trust to have their hands on my gauge cluster, it's fucking google. Those pajeets know just as much about driving as they do coding.

 

[Pee Cola]

No wonder people can't drive for shit these days.
CONCENTRATE ON THE FUCKING ROAD

 

[AnotherPleb]

What the fuck happened to an analog dash? Oh wait. Obama happened and put in mandatory rearview cameras.

 

[The Last Stand]

What the fuck happened to an analog dash? Oh wait. Obama happened and put in mandatory rearview cameras.

Citation please.

If there's one company on Earth I would trust to have their hands on my gauge cluster, it's fucking google. Those pajeets know just as much about driving as they do coding.

Good luck getting in touch with Google about anything. They still don't have a number.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAY GAMES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING??!!!

I'm going to assume the intended audience is the person in the passenger seat. If this is even possible to use while driving, that is. Still dumb. Just bring your own phone or a Gameboy or something.

 

[Fascist Frederick]

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAY GAMES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING??!!!

So you can get distracted and crash, adding to the annual car crash statistics that will be eventually used to outlaw manually driving a car.

 

[Pixy]

What the fuck happened to an analog dash? Oh wait. Obama happened and put in mandatory rearview cameras.

Obama didn't force the rest of the world's automobile markets, especially China, to turn the dashboard into glass slabs. Automakers thought going full-retard with tablets would appeal to consumers (as well as being cheaper for them to produce), they've only now acknowledged that people do not want to navigate a menu just to adjust air conditioning settings and are now reverting back to more dials.

Hyundai’s head of design Sang Yup Lee spoke at the introduction of the new Kona and revealed something surprising: Hyundai purposely puts physical controls in its vehicles as a safety measure against digital controls. There are physical controls even in its most luxurious models over at the Genesis brand.

“We have used the physical buttons quite significantly the last few years. For me, the safety-related buttons have to be a hard key,” Lee said. Hyundai specially chooses to focus on physical controls for climate controls and the radio.

The company’s reasoning is simple. Lee said that Hyundai chooses to keep physical controls simply because digital screens can be a distraction for the driver. Having to look away from the wheel to dig into some menu just to change the satellite radio station is dangerous. Lee spoke to the point of using one’s senses with physical controls.

“When you’re driving, it’s hard to control it. This is why when it’s a hard key it’s easy to sense and feel it,” he said.

EU safety ratings are now mandating that dashboards need to have physical controls in order for vehicles to achieve a 5-star rating from 2026.

 

[N Space]

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PLAY GAMES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING??!!!

The more crashes the more cars sold.

 

[The Last Stand]

Passenger seat?

Tell you what, if you're a passenger and you're fiddling with my tablet dashboard, I'm going to pass your ass out my seat into a bus stop.