Apple Launches CarPlay At Geneva Show

An anonymous reader writes "Apple announced today a system called CarPlay, which integrates your iPhone with your car, with Siri voice control. CarPlay will be offered in Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo vehicles this year, and others 'down the road.' From the press release: 'CarPlay makes driving directions more intuitive by working with Maps to anticipate destinations based on recent trips via contacts, emails or texts, and provides routing instructions, traffic conditions and ETA. You can also simply ask Siri and receive spoken turn-by-turn directions, along with Maps, which will appear on your car’s built-in display.'

Innovation?

[AmiMoJo]

Apple seems to have invented what a lot of people have been using for years - a head unit with MirrorLink capability. How come it is suddenly wonderful?

Re:So will it be patchable through your phone?

[UnknowingFool]

If by "once more" you mean every 12 years or so, then yes. How many different USB ports have we seen in that time? Second, you are aware that there are these things called "adapters" which means that you don't have to throw away your car but rather get a new cable. Oh, the humanity.

Re:Innovation?

[Black.Shuck]

Innovation != Invention

innovate |nvet|
verb [ no obj. ]
make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products: the company's failure to diversify and innovate competitively.
  [ with obj. ] introduce (something new, especially a product). we continue to innovate new products.

So yes, Apple innovates. They innovate on the execution of ideas, rather than invent new ones.

Re:Innovation?

[Ralph Wiggam]

For the past decade, Apple has been showing off 2 year old technology wrapped in a fancy new package and declaring it cutting edge innovation. Steve Jobs had enough charisma to make people believe it. Tim Cook does not.

Re:Here are 2 reasons this is crap

[ColdWetDog]

First off all, most of the people who hate Apple are right here on your favorite website. Not exactly Ferrari / Volvo / Mercedes big customers.

Second of all, lots of people like (or at least tolerate) the Apple brand. Makes more sense than Ford attaching themselves to Microsoft.....

I think it's a dumb idea (and I have a lot of Apple hardware and software). I like my cars like I like my women - simple, easy to fix and not associated with a lot of proprietary add on junk that will out date in a couple of years. Upgrades are hell.

But that's just me.

Re:Innovation?

[UnknowingFool]

Fancy new package to you has at times meant UI that consumers will accept to others. Take for example the first MP3 players. You could only get high capacity and bulky or portable but low capacity when the iPod came out. The interfaces sucked and getting music onto them was a pain in the ass. What Apple did with the iPod, anyone could have done; they just didn't. But as a geek, you may not care about ease of use as a feature. Consumers care.

Re:Innovation?

[HornWumpus]

Ironic, considering what a pain in the ass it is to get music onto an iPod.