Google and NVIDIA to Showcase Collaborative In-Car Technologies at CES 2014
The war in mobile is being fought on many different battlegrounds, even your wrist, assuming the whole smart watch movement gains any traction. However, one of the most important battlegrounds could be your car. In response to an initiative launched this past summer by Apple to integrate iPhones and other iOS devices into car dashboards, Google and NVIDIA are teaming up to put Android in automobiles.
German auto maker Audi AG is on board with Android and plans to jointly announce with Google at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that the two companies are collaborating on in-car entertainment and information systems based on Android, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The duo will also announce collaborative projects involving other tech companies, including NVIDIA, all of which will be working together to promote Android as the technology of choice in automobiles. This will entail porting over smartphone services and abilities like streaming music, navigation, and certain apps.
"The car is becoming the ultimate mobile device," Gartner told WSJ. "Apple and Google see that and they are trying to line up allies to bring their technology into the vehicle."
While it's early, Google and company already face an uphill battle. Since announcing its initiative, Apple has garnered the support of several auto makers, including BMW AG, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz division, General Motors Co., and Honda Motor Co. There are still several more up for grabs, but that's not a bad start.
Regardless of which platform comes out ahead, the bottom line is that tomorrow's cars will be smarter than today's. The challenge all these companies will face will be in integrating smart technologies without allowing them to become a distraction to drivers.
Thumbnail Image Source: Flickr (jurvetson)
German auto maker Audi AG is on board with Android and plans to jointly announce with Google at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that the two companies are collaborating on in-car entertainment and information systems based on Android, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The duo will also announce collaborative projects involving other tech companies, including NVIDIA, all of which will be working together to promote Android as the technology of choice in automobiles. This will entail porting over smartphone services and abilities like streaming music, navigation, and certain apps.
"The car is becoming the ultimate mobile device," Gartner told WSJ. "Apple and Google see that and they are trying to line up allies to bring their technology into the vehicle."
While it's early, Google and company already face an uphill battle. Since announcing its initiative, Apple has garnered the support of several auto makers, including BMW AG, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz division, General Motors Co., and Honda Motor Co. There are still several more up for grabs, but that's not a bad start.
Regardless of which platform comes out ahead, the bottom line is that tomorrow's cars will be smarter than today's. The challenge all these companies will face will be in integrating smart technologies without allowing them to become a distraction to drivers.
Thumbnail Image Source: Flickr (jurvetson)
