From Reuters and the FWIW department... Toyota uses open-source software in new approach to in-car tech| Reuters
does this affect consumers in any way? the headline seems deceiving. i'm not smart enough to understand the tech, but it sounds like we're getting screwed again.
Not sure why you think that. To me, it sounds like a step in the right direction to enable smartphone integration into the car and that's no bad thing considering T's feeble efforts to keep up with IT fashion. One thing I notice is the remark at the end, manufacturers like to keep control of the hardware and this, allegedly, proves difficult when using other's proprietary software. Not sure when, if ever it will arrive on the forecourt.
Instead of giving up control to Apple and Alphabet (Google), this allows Toyota to use Linux-based software (which is open-sourced) and customise it to their own liking. This allows the user (owner) of the vehicle to have something that's familiar and Toyota still retains control over the type of GUI and applications it wants. Note that Android is based on Linux and essentially it's similar in the sense that HTC and Samsung customise the Android OS to their ecosystem.
Linux is very UNIX-like. I used to work as a UNIX systems administrator. I remember one OS bug that got a lot of administrators mad. After nearly a year, the server would run out of memory and needed to be rebooted. This killed the uptime numbers for those reliable servers. I believe Microsoft pushing their early beta quality software everywhere has cause a majority of IT and other computer issues. Unfortunately, they have bought their way into the top market position, much like some other vendors. IMHO Microsoft software is nowhere near the quality and reliability needed by enterprises,
If the industry properly licenses the open source software they use, their expenses would be reduced and we would benefit from any modifications they make to the open source software. Unfortunately, what usually happens is they pirate the open source software and do not release the changes to others, violating the license agreements.
It could reduce the cost of the systems in the cars. Multiple car companies are involved in this. Sharing one source makes it easier for them and their part suppliers to build systems to their liking. UNIX underpins the phone operating systems, so compatiability should be better. But, "Toyota aims to have the flexibility to customise its software, while it would also keep user data that could otherwise be captured by CarPlay from Apple Inc or Android Auto from Alphabet Inc's Google." This means its more about what is good for the car company than what is good for the customer. edit: I have no power over the cost of these systems. Full disclosure, I don't even own a car with such a system. My friends were shocked when I got a smart phone. Which was after I got the newest car.
