General Motors partners with Google for Android-powered cars?
By Sean Hollister 
posted May 12th 2010 10:00AM
posted May 12th 2010 10:00AM
posted May 12th 2010 10:00AM
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This has real promise. Don't fuck it up GM.
@SaggyBalls Sure skynet controls the cars today, but it's the nukes tomorrow!
I jest.......Or do i? MWAHAHAHA!
@SaggyBalls O the Irony, GM's CEO was Microsoft's CFO just a few weeks ago...
@AngelLulu: Ford has partnered with Microsoft on their Sync technology, so that was likely going to have been a non-starter anyway, unless Sync was so awesomely good the industry would have standardized around it.
Interesting to see Apple not in the mix...
@MilesBFree Apple don't do business, they do consumer markets. i.e. if people can't go to an Apple store and buy it for a couple thousand dollars they don't want to know.
Now not only I will have to worry about my carrier letting me put the latest version of android in my phone but I will also have to worry about my car manufacturer.
That with the added benefit that you can get a kernel panic in the middle of a highway doing 65.
@SaggyBalls
It's funny how engadget thinks it's a bad idea to have Android OS in a car, but had it been Apple it would have been the best thing since your last pay check from Jobs
@SaggyBalls
No way, a carmaker using modern computer-industry technology? And GM, no less? (yeah, I guess I had forgotten about Sync for a moment there). Awesome! This has real promise.
@SaggyBalls
Yesterday I was thinking along the lines of cars powered by Android when I read the piece about the tablet but never put it to words here on engadget. Well here goes Android and it will be bigger than apple for a long time to come. Android's the future!
@SaggyBalls
Article says: "Though we thought RIM made a fine contender..."
Where is the /sarcasm tag? I wouldn't be looking forward to daily battery pulls on my car too. Don't forget memory leaks as well, cars have enough other leaks to deal with already.
@SaggyBalls
Here's my question...will we get on-windshield ads now...related to whatever place we pass...
*passes drugstore* Pop-up: Viagra half price...
I thought they said android driven cars... damn
@kapryt
Look at the title: Android-powered cars?
Is that a new Fuel name?, or another kind of Energy form?, or special motor engine?
@kapryt Were you picturing the little green dude (the actual Android) driving ;)
@Beatnik
I hope its a new fuel source!! That's better than one of my other thoughts!
For I minute there I thought it meant android software would power the OBD II computer in the car and I was worried about crashing...
Then I figured as long as the software was better written than the Toyota accelerator software we were safe!
Too soon???
@viditbhargava
Yeah and I figured a whole slew of pastries and other desserts would be riding along with him!
@Beatnik
I think it's piloted by Android will be GMC android vehicle's new moniker
Google is taking over the world!! Run and hide!
@jreed91
Your comment comes off as fear-mongering and irrational, but come to think of it, it's amazing how much powere Google will have over a person's personal life.
Google would have a lot of information about you - right from all your communications (assuming you use google services) your email, your friends, your address, your transcripted voicemails, your blog, your photos, your videos, the videos you watch like/dislike, your social life, your likes/dislikes when it comes to both commodities and services, the books you read/share like/dislike, the news feeds you read (basically the types of site you visit), your navigation history in real world, your health history/concerns (assuming you research something online), your energy usage at home, your car, your internet connection... well this list keeps on growing.
Now I don't assert that Google is evil or anything. Or that you don't have other options, or that Google will have all this info at the same time (because you may not use a lot of their services)... OR that Google is out to take over the world and stuff. That is not the point.
But considering how much resistance arises when facebook changes some privacy settings, or government taps on someone's calls... it's amazing that we hand all the information and much more so willingly and happily in exchange of some convenience and faith that "Google" equals "No Evil". Amazes me. It's a business. Since when did you hand your local florist/grocery/barbershop/bakery/gas station (all businesses) all you personal information just because they had a huge sign outside their store that said "We are not evil" and "Don't be evil" or a big poster with Evil written on it and crossed out with big red lines?!
Call me paranoid, downrank me, call me a dimwit/stupid and/or all adjectives starting with "F" but once you start thinking about it, it's just an amazing observation, that you all know is true.
@who said what I don't know what you said, I just saw your post and yawned, here's a -1 fer ya!
@who said what
Minus that bit of looming down your nose at the end, you're spot on. Google does have a shitton of info on just about everyone that uses it's services, and people have this tendency to mindlessly hand over more and more info to them in exchange for the convienence of their services. Fortunately for me, outside of my search history and the 700 or so emails I have in my gmail inbox, I have no links to Google, and I steadfastly refuse to allow any app (minus Sprint Nav) know my exact location just out of my own dislike of being tracked.
The biggest question is, where does it stop?
@Drago
Good for you. Ignorance is bliss.
@who said what Lay off the pot...
@who said what
Troll
@Drago
Yeah, I now realize, in fact the rambling did come close to trolling because it didn't relate to the car. I still think the content was right and was relevant to the post but it came out on here for the lack of better place to post. After all they don't do articles like... "Is google taking over your life?"
Apologies.
@who said what
you know what's really weird.. I went to rouge.com to watch the unrated preview for MacGruber, and they have the little Age Verification thing to fill out to make sure you're old enough to watch the trailer. This one ask for your: first and last name, birthday, and zipcode. I just put some junk in there like i always do to watch it, but it wouldn't ever work until I put my correct info in the boxes. How freaky is that..
@elijahblake
What you are referring to has been in place for a while now. I remember facing the same question - "how did they know" when I tried to watch a trailer on the official movie site of "Harold & Kumar"...
Apparently there are systems in place that verify First Name/Last Name Zip against government issued records by using systems like "VeriFAC"...
Nothing to do with Google...
@who said what
Google AND OnStar real-time tracking would make a very nasty combination. The sad part is that an avoidance of GM or Google products and services will only provide a brief respite. Everyone is following the anti-privacy/ data mining trend in order to innovate, compete or just get along. In the end, shunning them would relegate you to 'tech hermit' status.
Today, Chevy. Tomorrow, the Universe.
In a world that doesn't DROID does!
@Mike Vick
there is no way nilay read this and didnt think it the best news of the day.
force close?
lucky GM hasnt partnered with Apple......else you would have to stop the car in order to use the Onstar functionality.......
@stoney1973
Thank you. I was frowning at this attempt at humor in the article as well. Well said.
@stoney1973 well done sir...lmao
@stoney1973 +1
@stoney1973 I think they'd only have to worry about force closing if they had the same programmer who coded Engadget App 1.0.3. :)
@stoney1973
Yes rather cheeky considering how much the Engadget app force closes.
Kettle and pot Enadget ?
@stoney1973 And you could only use the one gas station chain that Apple had an exclusive partnership with. That is unless of course you wanted to jailbreak your car and in the process void your warranty.
Google will now know your driving habits, and soon your car radio will broadcast commercials relative to where you are...
Sounds fun
@MattsZ Heh, and perhaps /your/ car will update Street View...
@MattsZ
I guess I don't have a problem with this. What are YOU doing, sir, that makes this a scary proposition for you?
@whySoSerious
Lol, who am I kidding, i'm one of those hippies who believes in our constitutional rights, but it's 2010, we need a new set of cooler guidelines, maybe they'll be included in the EULA for my next Android phone
can't wait to see the first android car rooted.
@flakoo
+1
Hell yea
Don't you guys see that Google is taking over the world? I mean they own pretty much everything http://cl.ly/75cb78ac9b112f233605, killing industries with their free product (just because they can) and know a lot about you. And you people are supporting a company this large? Come on.
@cherryboom You can't cut Google search from your OS. It's illegal.
@cherryboom
I hope to God that I'm missing the sarcasm somewhere in your post
government motors and google thats really scary, google maps and cars, now they will know where u go, where u been and what u ve done.
i am getting nokia,lol