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Sailfish car mode UI or future Sailfish/Jolla IVI

asked 2013-12-30 13:54:01 +0200

fk_lx gravatar image

updated 2013-12-30 13:56:25 +0200

It would be great if Sailfish had a car mode. I used to travel a lot by car with my N9 and I really liked navigation app there. But sometimes you are stuck in a trafic jam, waiting on red lights or driving on straight highway with no or very low traffic and would like to do other things than navigation - for example check e-mail or send SMS (with predefined message "I'm driving do not disturb"). Hitting small icons when your phone is laying safely in holder is a difficult action to do. Moreover even VKB should be larger and possibly take even the whole screen to make typing easy. What about simple voice commands for most frequently used functions? I can imagine such car mode UI could be also a beginning for future Sailfish IVI (yeah it might sound like a very distant in time idea to happen, but why not to think about it - there are already Android based IVIs in cars like for example Renault R-Link and as we all probably know Sailfish runs on Android hardware).

So I would like to hear your ideas on the topic:

  • How Sailfish UI should look like in car mode.?
  • What parts of current UI wouldn't be much useful in such conditions and what kind of solutions could be introduced ?
  • What options would you expect to be easily accessible?
  • What kind of additional functions of your Jolla in car enviroment you can imagine?
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6

Answering automatically with messages whilst driving is I think a much better idea, you shouldn't touch your phone when speeding on the motorway especially not typing messages, I certainly hope that you're not checking your emails whilst driving. Voice commands are definitely the way to go if you have to use your phone.

fasza2mobile ( 2013-12-30 14:24:09 +0200 )edit

@fasza2mobile I don't see anything wrong in checking e-mails while stuck in a traffic jam. Especially if you are waiting for an e-mail that might change your journey plans. I never typed an e-mail while on highway and yeah it's hard to imagine that.

fk_lx ( 2013-12-30 14:34:30 +0200 )edit

@fk_lx I only opposed to check your emails when driving at a speed, I have nothing against you or anyone using their phone waiting at a traffic light or in traffic. I've seen cab driver texting whilst driving on a major/busy road.

fasza2mobile ( 2013-12-30 15:01:06 +0200 )edit
9

Currently the display is shutdown after a delay, even while you are using Maps-app and trying to navigate. So at least that should be changed.

Milo ( 2013-12-30 17:54:55 +0200 )edit

@fasza2mobile it all depends on conditions, I had situations when I was driving through completely empty highway and read subjects and senders of e-mails occasionally and then if if it was something really expected and urgent I just stopped at nearest parking area to read it.

fk_lx ( 2013-12-30 18:15:29 +0200 )edit

15 Answers

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1

answered 2014-02-14 17:58:58 +0200

wickwire gravatar image

How about enabling a screen mirror/flip option? Mobile device screens can reflect off of windscreens especially at night/low light, and it is possible to have the device project its UI to an area on the windscreen. This idea would only work though if the phone UI can be mirrored, to compensate for the reflection effect. Voice commands with it and it would be possible to have a HUD working on a discrete part of the windscreen - and then use any desired app - GPS navigation tools, messages, etc.

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Should be a matter of a shader effect I'd presume

Stskeeps ( 2014-02-15 21:53:12 +0200 )edit
1

answered 2015-02-09 16:22:38 +0200

rgrnetalk gravatar image

updated 2015-07-02 12:27:47 +0200

A very very very basic HuD is now available via openrepos: HuD, (update 2-7-2015:) no longer via openrepos, but in official jolla store (update in the pipeline).

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1

answered 2016-10-16 20:51:33 +0200

hwicha gravatar image

Any news on this subjest?

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Indeed already 2018

Car navigation system can not pair with Xperia X and the UI is not car friendly - it is dangerous to select favorite music or similar. Accepting/Rejecting calls works perfect.

Bigger icons or lower resolution could be acceptable.

Does someone know how to lower the resolution on Xperia X?

deloptes ( 2018-10-12 01:46:57 +0200 )edit
0

answered 2014-02-23 14:47:40 +0200

aironeousb gravatar image

updated 2014-02-23 14:49:21 +0200

Unfortunately any technology solution you come up with can be simply vetoed by the government in your country. See, you may be great at taking and making email and voice calls using google glass or just a voice interaction UI but grandma may not and if any accidents happen because grandma or grandpa was distracted by your voice UI then here comes your lawmakers to label the whole thing unsafe.

The ultimate answer here is for tech companies and car companies to come up with several levels of tech competence tests while driving and these should be incorporated into your governments driving test.

A 3 tier test of tech competence while driving you would need to add as an option to your DMV test. It would be something like:

level 1 legacy/classic car interface) Person is not competent at using tech while driving or has opted out of this portion of the test. Phone must be turned off or go into "driving mode." Any DUI in your history defaults you to this level.

level 2) Competent at interacting with a voice UI only. Not competent at using a HUD while driving.

level 3) Competent at using both a HUD and voice UI.

There should be standards for all of these car/phone interface solutions. Something that doesn't mistakenly turn pedestrians phones into "driving mode." This test added to the driving test should be carefully made with the close cooperation of governments so as to not be easily cheated.

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Please don't be offended but... This could well be turned into a sci-fi story. ...and a funny one at that. :)

vattuvarg ( 2014-02-23 14:53:49 +0200 )edit
1

I hate all kind of restrictions like that put on technology just because some people use it irresponsibly. I want to control my devices. I don't think that sailfish should go in the direction you outlined here.

p.a ( 2014-02-23 15:56:17 +0200 )edit
1

Some restrictions are good. What about this one? How do we make it so easy to use a Jolla in a car that it isn't illegal?

vattuvarg ( 2014-02-23 16:12:07 +0200 )edit

A software company should offer a concept and implementation and it is up to the government to decide it is acceptable or not.

deloptes ( 2018-10-13 21:37:04 +0200 )edit

Governments accept anything for the right sum of currency. ...but I think it is better to create things with safety in mind anyway.

vattuvarg ( 2018-10-13 22:39:19 +0200 )edit
0

answered 2019-06-28 02:14:47 +0200

TW1920 gravatar image

Does anybody know a working App to use MirrorLink or Android Car App ? Any way to connect the phone with the car on this easy way?

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Asked: 2013-12-30 13:54:01 +0200

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Last updated: Jun 28 '19