Toyota Teams With Microsoft On Connected Cars (usatoday.com) 116
An anonymous reader quotes a report from USA TODAY: Toyota announced an enhanced relationship with Microsoft on Monday aimed at delivering "connected car" services to drivers in ways they probably never could have imagined. Already, drivers ask the infotainment system in their cars for restaurant recommendations, but many locations often would require that a driver turn around. But with Toyota Connected, the system might be modified to only recommend restaurants on the highway ahead -- and then only the kinds of food that the driver usually prefers. Road information can be delivered to drivers based on driving patterns -- knowing the routes they usually take. Auto insurance could be priced more accurately because the system could report on a driver's actual miles and routes traveled. Medical-related sensors could also be built into the car, like heartbeat monitors or sensors on the steering wheel. Some of the services could be offered to customers wirelessly by being beamed directly into their cars, but Lobenstein said that customer privacy considerations will be paramount. Toyota Connected hopes to have its first products within a year. Toyota Connected, as it's called, is built on Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform. Toyota plans to invest $5.5 million in the new venture, even though much of the technology will be based on their current research and development for smart automobiles.
Unfortunate (Score:5, Funny)
I wonder if the car will automatically order a new version of itself for you when MSFT decides the one you've got is too old, and you need the latest and greatest.
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the car automatically orders new tires every 6mos whether you need them or not.
and every other order, they don't fit.
and dealer only service even oil changes (Score:2)
and dealer only service even oil changes and they can bill $30-$40 + labor for that.
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Maybe $30-$40 for it but not $50+ and with labor $100.
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Apple would sue for stealing their business model.
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That was the old Microsoft, with the new Microsoft you're always on the latest ad/spyware platform it just takes a 30% cut when it drives you to McDonald's.
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Sorry officer.. I don't mean to be blocking traffic... but I am just waiting for my car to reboot..
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Re:Unfortunate (Score:5, Funny)
You have successfully changed your radio station.
You must restart your car for the new changes to take effect.
Would you like to restart your car now?
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The combination of unintended acceleration with unintended reboots should be, at minimum, exciting.
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A animated cartoon tire pops up in your heads up display:
"Hi I'm Spokes! You appear to be trying to change the radio station. Would you like some help with that?"
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Which will be after 1 year, after that, the hardware will be obsolete, MS/Toyota won't be able to get drivers for the old bits, you will either need to drive the old car with the constant risk of being hacked with known exploitable bugs or buy a new one that Microsoft "promises" to support for at least one release cycle.
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Re:How do I turn it off? (Score:4, Funny)
Dear Toyota, don't you realize that distracted driving is illegal in most countries? Please remove your "infotainment" systems from all vehicles.
To turn it off you need only wait a year until the car is no longer supported and nothing but the tracking device works.
Re:Oh good (Score:5, Insightful)
Auto insurance could be priced more accurately because the system could report on a driver's actual miles and routes traveled.
Does this sound like Pandora's box opening to anyone but me? This would be enough to cause me to buy another brand / model of car just to get away from it...
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Yes, really the only thing you can do is try to locate all the computers with cellular functions and either remove their antennae or disable the chips. Of course, you are still boned because the vehicle keeps track of all the data in its "black box" to be used to incriminate you.
Old screen new meaning (Score:1)
Blue screen of death anyone?
OK, no more Toyota (Score:1)
No more Toyota cars for me henceforth.
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I don't get it. Toyota is considered the gold standard for reliability in cars. Why would they want to hook up with the maker of notoriously unreliable software?
Did they learn nothing from the Ford Sync debacle?
Ford SYNC (Score:5, Informative)
I love the Microsoft's MyFord Touch. It is the greatest thing ever. /sarcasm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Re:Ford SYNC (Score:5, Informative)
To be fair, Ford made some fairly boneheaded mistakes and still CONTINUES to make some of those same mistakes. For instance, removing tactile knobs for key functions like heater control and placing them on a touch screen is horrible for both ergonomics and safety.
Next, something nearly every actual engineer knows working on a manufacturing floor - you don't don't make a fucking button a TOGGLE. One button turns something on, another turns it off. Otherwise, the switch better be a rocker or flip switch where the state is obvious. This is impossible using a touch-screen system - so any critical controls need to be moved OFF the touch screen.
There is never a reason I should need to reboot my touchscreen. Never. And yet, Microsoft has managed it. I particularly like when the voice control gets confused, and just 'dings' repeatedly like it wants a command. Or when it starts randomly forgetting playlists and voice commands. Or when it tells me phone numbers aren't available when they are.
I love deleting my phone out of the system and having to put it back in so it re-downloads the phonebook and un-corrupts it. I also love having to pull my USB storage and reinitialize the whole system so it can clear it's memory.
I love how Ford, in their infinite wisdom, created a way for the early versions of sync to use google maps then REMOVED that ability again. All because they want us to use a pay service that they created that isn't even close to good. I love how simply apps like Pandora can't interface - again because Ford wanted to develop all their own systems in house because they want to be able to SELL that user data to make a profit.
I just got in a buddy's Ram. Pandora that is interfaced with the touchscreen. Made me want to cry. Better yet, he had actual buttons on the dash for most important functions - like turning off the backup warnings and other things that can be annoying at times.
Jesus Christu Ford, get out of your own way. You brought out Sync to be first, but managed to fuck yourself 7 ways from Sunday in trying to make the system itself profitable, and now your system is a laughingstock, still isn't half as capable as the competitions, and the overall interface design sucks giant donkey balls!
You don't CHANGE the fucking menu tree structure based on what menu I'm in. I should be able to go forward and backward through all the menu and system settings, but if I enter through the phone menu I can't go up a level to get to systems - I have to exit the menu entirely, change the... ARGH. Fuckit.
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
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My new Mazda3 has a touch screen, and I love it. But it doesn't have these problems. See my reply to the OP. Don't confuse crappy Microsoft-based systems with all systems; they're not the same.
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Why'd you get that car?
I got the 2015 Mazda3, and I love it. Sorry if this sounds like an advertisement, but most everything on it is well thought-out and works.
HVAC: on this car, it's an entirely separate unit, not connected to the infotainment system at all. It's a dual-zone automatic climate control system, but the temperatures are set with knobs, and everything else with regular buttons. Mostly I just set it to 70 and forget it.
Rebooting: there is a way to do it, but I've never had to.
Pandora: this s
Dear Toyota and Microsoft (Score:1)
Dear Toyota and Microsoft,
No thank you.
Sincerely,
Everybody.
BSOD! Clippy! Bob! Developers! Embrace/extend! (Score:2, Insightful)
Hate to tell you guys, but AI could replace your jobs as /. posters.
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I hope AI would help to analyse the ./ comments.
Still long long way before some AI will make me buy a car loaded with Microsoft OS, even if I owned Toyota cars until now.
Too many questions (Score:1)
So now there are cars with Windows as an option?
What happens in the event of a crash? Is there a blue screen of actual death?
What happens when you push the start button?
Does it come with chrome, or you have to install it yourself?
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What happens when you push the start button?
I wouldn't try it. You're much better off taking the metro.
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What happens in the event of a crash? Is there a blue screen of actual death?
Not entirely. There are probably some red splashes on it.
Only correct response (Score:2)
"I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit"
Inevitable usage (Score:1)
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I think that's the new plan to stop ISIS
No more infotainment please. (Score:3)
No more touchscreens in cars please. Seriously stop it.
Give me good knobs with detents, not too many of them, and let me get back to driving.
Also, please give me an analog speed display, I greatly prefer them. I loathe the digital display in my Nissan.
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I like the Toyota concept of having touch screen with buttons on the steering wheel. Most used functions is just a button push.
I personally prefer the digital display, especially the head up version.
But more and more cars will let you take the choice of the display by configuration in the futur.
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Touchscreens are a necessity for two reasons:
1) back-up cameras
2) navigation systems
It's entirely possible to implement them well, like in my Mazda: there's a big "commander" knob (with detents) that you can use to perform most operations while moving, plus of course a separate volume/mute knob (with detents). There's also buttons on the steering wheel for often-used functions.
Digital speed displays are better. Analog is great for the tach, but digital tells me exactly how fast I'm going, and I don't need
$5 million is NOTHING (Score:2)
This is another one of those weird "partnerships" that amounts to nothing more than an attempt to get some free press.
Toyota "investing" $5 million means that this will NEVER really be used in a production car in any real way.
And, even if it WAS something that was actually going to happen, this is exactly the kind of thing that Microsoft is truly terrible at. Have Microsoft EVER successfully partnered with a third-party? I can't think of a single time that worked. Microsoft seems to "partner" with whoever,
Toyota/Microsoft Happy Fun Car Tales (Score:4, Funny)
Driver: "Okay car, phone home."
Toyota/MS Connected Voice: "I phone home hundreds of times per second. Is that what you meant?"
Driver: "No, I need to talk to my wife. Phone home."
T/MS: "Dialing Microsoft Support..."
Driver: "No, Car, stop! NO NO NO, I mean stop calling, not stop the car in this busy lane!!!"
T/MS: "Hitler did nothing wrong."
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Silly Toyota (Score:2)
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Wait, you want a car app on your cell phone? As bad as Mickysoft is, I can't imagine a more stupid idea than having users play with their phone app while driving. If you're driving with your phone in your hand, you deserve to be Darwined....problem is, you'll likely take others with you.
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Okay, I'll step back from the edge. Guess I was lead astray by the fact that we were talking about driving, and you brought up phones, and "already in the users hand", but we can call off the rescue squad now.
Microsoft? No thanks. (Score:4, Informative)
Damn. I guess I won't be buying another Toyota then.
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Same here.
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That's because Carlin was right about "Fussy eaters"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
So glad I like driving small pickup trucks (Score:2)
Re:So glad I like driving small pickup trucks (Score:4, Informative)
Small pickups no longer exist in the USA (the smallest one now is almost as big as an F100 was) and fancy pants interior has been creeping into pickups lately, and now they look like cars inside. Since most Americans treat them like cars, they are now expected to drive like cars, which is making them shittier as trucks.
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They no longer exist because they were legislated out of existence; they were effectively made illegal.
The mileage requirements required by law are indexed based on vehicle weight and size. The only way for the manufacturers to legally continue to sell pickups was to make them heavier and larger. If you wanted a
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If you wanted a high MPG light pickup, well, your Democratic and Republican legislators fucked you.
Or you buy an F150. Or in a couple years, an Aluminum Colorado or whatever they call it. The auto industry is finally getting around to moving to Aluminum. The NSX proved it was possible. The A8 proved it was feasible. The F150 proves that it's reasonable. Aluminum is more recyclable than steel using modern techniques (e.g. laser spectroscopy for sorting) so you can expect a snowball effect.
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Did you read the other part of my post? Since the MPG requirements are indexed based on size and weight, using a less
Clearly Toyota learned nothing from Ford (Score:3)
The guys at Ford can feel comfortable knowing they are no longer the only suckers in the room.
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That's two words. And for the record, this can occur in completely mechanical designs as well. It happened to me in a '85 Hyundai Excel. Fortunately, it was simple enough to override...pushed the clutch to the floor, and watched the tach continue to climb...brake and turn off the ignition...easy peasy. Same thing when I restarted it, but after that no repeat, and the dealership couldn't find an issue.
What would this look like if was Open Source? (Score:2)
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It enough to make a lot of Toyota customer unhappy. Microsoft is a brand that carry one of the most heavy pain in the mass market. Any new linked to that name is risky.
Winfows Car 10 (Score:1)
Would you like to update to the latest version? It is FREE!
Windows Car 10 (Score:1)
Would you like to update to the latest version? It is FREE!
Please pull over whilst your car is upgraded. This should take no more than four hours.
Windows Car 10 (Score:1)
Would you like to update to the latest version? It is FREE!
This is the best version yet. Please pull over to tell us whether you'd like to upgrade.
Windows Car 10 (Score:1)
Would you like to update to the latest version? It is FREE!
Nine tenths of the planet have already relented to our persitent nagging to upgrade.
Windows Car 10 (Score:1)
Would you like to update to the latest version? It is FREE!
Please pull over to upgrade. You can revert back if you find that steering no longer works. Only eight hours total added to your journey.
Car Wash (Score:1)
Welcome to the car wash. Please insert your token to wash your car.
-- clink --
Thank you. Upgrading your car to Windows Car 10 whilst you wait. It's FREEE!
Windows Car 10 (Score:1)
Would you like to update to the latest version? It is FREE!
You still haven't upgraded. It's FREE! Reliable steering is a small price to pay. It's FREE!
Windows Car 10 (Score:1)
Would you like to update to the latest version? It is FREE!
We'll ask again tomorrow.
Nowadays, other brands are making good hybrids too (Score:2)
Microsoft's driving assistant (Score:1)
Will be known as Cartana.
Technology works (Score:1)
No Toyota for me (Score:2)
The New...Unsafe at Any Speed (Score:2)
Some of the older crowd will remember the Ralph Nadar book "Unsafe at Any Speed" from around '65. I'll trust Microsoft with my car when pigs fly. I was just surfing on my only Windows 10 box a few hours ago when it randomly rebooted w/o warning...haven't had time to investigate, but it wasn't a SW update.
Obligatory (Score:2)
Obligatory: https://xkcd.com/612/ [xkcd.com]
Privacy considerations will be paramount??? (Score:2)
That one sentence clashes with everything else in the summary. It's not possible to track all of that information and not have privacy issues. If insurance rates will be based on driver miles and habits there's no way that it will be anonymized data.
Don't get me wrong - I think driver-less cars are probably the future and I realize that information will need to be gathered to make it successful. But I think we all disagree on how much information needs to be gathered and reported.
Microsoft is a world leader (Score:3)
There's no doubt that Toyota is partnering with a world leader.
Microsoft has shown its ability to provide the lowest common denominator in secure operating systems since 1993.
That's 23 years of being #1 at the most easily-hacked awful excuse for shitty software engineering.
Mac people love macs. Good on them.
Linux people love linux. Good on them.
There's nobody who's a "windows person and loves windows", just people forced to support poor choices made by upper management that doesn't know tech but mandated "we will buy THIS and not THAT."
Toyota appears to have joined the crowd.
- I don't intend to have my car sit for an hour every "patch Tuesday" getting updated
- I don't intend to have my car randomly stop working and reboot
- Microsoft has a 20+ year track record of NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT. All their "advances" come from stealing from the MacOS/Linux crowd.
I think I'll keep driving my Hyundai. Sorry, Toyota, you bet on the loser horse.
E
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There's nobody who's a "windows person and loves windows"
No, you're wrong. Besides moderating on Slashdot occasionally, there's a whole bunch of those guys working in all-Windows shops all across America, which are sadly more numerous than you'd like to believe. They think your Unix stuff is lame and they think all systems have as many problems as ones that say Microsoft all over them.
OMG! Now the BSOD will cause REAL deaths... (Score:1)
... If you see a blue bright light... don't walk to it!
No privacy concerns HERE! (Score:3)
Auto insurance could be priced more accurately because the system could report on a driver's actual miles and routes traveled ... Lobenstein said that customer privacy considerations will be paramount.
Anyone notice a contradiction there?
"Your privacy is our top concern! That's why we're going to give your insurance company a complete record of everywhere you drive!"
BSOD (Score:1)
Blue screen, you could be dead soon.