Brainstorming on Mac Mini in the car....

[piedad]

This comment I found on the web regarding the Mac mini is very interesting:
"The Mac mini is 2 x 6.5 inches. Your car stereo is 2 x 7 inches. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" .
With many cars and suvs equipped with LCD screens, this presents a very interesting environment to put a mac in!
First off: power supply. Does the Mac mini use an external power supply like the ibook and powerbook?

[scooter]

yeah i think it has external power supply

[CooLes]

Hmmm. A media center in the car: Plays DVDs, MP3s, Quicktime, etc. A bluetooth remote control is the ultimate accessory here. It would have buttons that switches to itunes, iphoto, dvd player, quicktime player, etc. Its gonna have buttons similar to a DVD player. Up, down, left, right and enter at the center. Better yet, an iPod touch wheel The kids at the back can even play games via a bluetooth control pad. And a satellite receiver for WiFi and digital radio :lol: Or do some Photoshop work while stuck in traffic. Nah. :lol:

[penmanila]

i don't have the link, but somebody in eastern (!) europe has already done this--not with the mac mini but with a powerbook, i think, controlling the music, the video, etc. in the car. the mini would be the perfect car custom accesssory, controlling all other accessories.

[opd]

Originally posted by CooLes
Hmmm. A media center in the car: Plays DVDs, MP3s, Quicktime, etc. A bluetooth remote control is the ultimate accessory here. It would have buttons that switches to itunes, iphoto, dvd player, quicktime player, etc. Its gonna have buttons similar to a DVD player. Up, down, left, right and enter at the center.

And when someone else in the car wants to override the choice of the person holding the bluetooth remote, time to whip out that bluetooth cellphone a la remote with Salling Clicker!

[manilaman2001]

Now i can download upgrade chip to my car's ECU on the fly!!!!! Most car diagnosis computers are not on board the vehicle. Now with the sheer sizes and required processing power, who knows what we can do in the future.

Given wifi on a wide area is made available, bank payments via internet being present, then we can make our cars communicate with chip manufacturers for an online diagnosis, and upgrade chip custom-made for your car's present condition. Talk about spending on the go..........:evil:

[ikenn]

but what about bumpy roads? wouldn't it be harmful for the hard disk?

[Tantantiniiin]

Write a letter to Exhibit (MTV's Pimp My Ride) Im sure his crew can find a way to put it in there.

======
But, wait, HUD (Heads-Up-Display) technology are coming in with the latest being a mini projector on the dash pointing up, and screen film embedded on the glass windshield it self (the film similar to Epson Cyberzone's glass projector film).

The problem is finding a small projector that can project a big screen at small distance from the dash, or on your car ceiling using the projector on the center console (you'll just have to lie down to use it.).

I would rather like to see do the 1st setting, and make a Konfabulator applet that will display car gauges onscreen and HUD GPS maps. That way, you can arrange the applets so as not to cloud your view of the road. It'll be way cooler.

[daxdagr8t]

Originally posted by Tantantiniiin
Write a letter to Exhibit (MTV's Pimp My Ride) Im sure his crew can find a way to put it in there.

======
But, wait, HUD (Heads-Up-Display) technology are coming in with the latest being a mini projector on the dash pointing up, and screen film embedded on the glass windshield it self (the film similar to Epson Cyberzone's glass projector film).

The problem is finding a small projector that can project a big screen at small distance from the dash, or on your car ceiling using the projector on the center console (you'll just have to lie down to use it.).

I would rather like to see do the 1st setting, and make a Konfabulator applet that will display car gauges onscreen and HUD GPS maps. That way, you can arrange the applets so as not to cloud your view of the road. It'll be way cooler.

West Coast customs is over rated, they overcharge way too much.I think it comes with a dvi to vga converter doesnt it?coz if it does theres a lot 6-7inch flat panels less than $500 that can fit almost anywhere.its also prolly relatively easy to mount it somewhere in the dash assuming its relatively larger or smaller than cd-changer.

[daxdagr8t]

Originally posted by manilaman2001
Now i can download upgrade chip to my car's ECU on the fly!!!!! Most car diagnosis computers are not on board the vehicle. Now with the sheer sizes and required processing power, who knows what we can do in the future.

Given wifi on a wide area is made available, bank payments via internet being present, then we can make our cars communicate with chip manufacturers for an online diagnosis, and upgrade chip custom-made for your car's present condition. Talk about spending on the go..........:evil:

Ha?canu elaborate more? i didnt get what are u trying to do.I maybe wrong though, but I haven't seen any diagnostics programs that works on OSX, I only seen programs for OBD I and II that works on windoze, grandfather Dos and Linux.

Wait or ur saying that hook up the diagnostic chip to the car then the mac and go to the internet?