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Write software to integrate Android Auto with Prius via Entune Smart Device Link

Discussion in 'Prime Audio, Electronics, and Infotainment' started by GT4Prius, Mar 12, 2017.

  1. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    Ok you Prius chat software developers out there!

    If Smartphone apps can talk to Prius via the Entune interface, is there anything to prevent someone smart enough from writing some smartphone software that would use that interface to send Android Auto or Screen Mirroring video to Prius car screens via the Entune interface?

    The article below says "Entune 3.0 uses an open-source platform called Smart Device Link for third-party applications such as Pandora radio, Slacker, Facebook and Yelp. "

    Could Smart Device Link be used as a channel for this purpose? If necessary pretending to be one of the "permitted" apps if there is gatekeeping going on in Entune?

    Seems to me it should be possible? Any road blocks I haven't thought of? Any one fancy a go at doing this???

    http://www.autonews.com/article/20170227/OEM06/302279971/can-toyota-stave-off-carplay-android-auto?&X-IgnoreUserAgent=1

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  2. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    I don't think the touch screen interface would work.
     
  3. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    Yes. I guess I wasn't expecting that to work.

    But as Google handles voice so well, I don't think it would be much of an issue. I do most things using voice when driving, especially Navigation using the superb Google Maps.

    Folk already pay nearly 300 dollars in the Prius chat shop for a bit of hardware that mirrors phone screens to the Car screen, without any touch interface. So it seems that people still find that worth having.


    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  4. abensky

    abensky Junior Member

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    I would love an Entune app that interfaced with Android Auto. Without knowing the details of the Entune SDK it's hard to say for sure, but the existing apps support the touch screen so it may be possible for other apps to.
     
  5. SteveMucc

    SteveMucc Active Member

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    prime doesn't use entune 3.0...
     
  6. abensky

    abensky Junior Member

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    But I assume they will send out updates, right?
     
  7. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    You realize the Prime does not have Entune 3.0, right? The only car I have heard that has it is the 2018 Camry.
     
  8. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    @Tideland Prius was told there are hardware differences.
    That is just like me expecting my iPhone 6 to automatically be updated to an iPhone X.
     
  9. abensky

    abensky Junior Member

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    That is not what Tideland said. As I recall he said some features that depend on newer hardware wouldn't work. There are many improvements that should work just fine with existing hardware. Very few of the features I read in the promo would require new hardware.
     
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    what entune version is in prime?
     
  11. abensky

    abensky Junior Member

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    your analogy is false. It's more like expecting to be able to install the latest IOS on your iphone6 but accepting that face recognition won't work.
     
  12. SteveMucc

    SteveMucc Active Member

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    If and When Toyota upgrades the prime to Entune 3.0, and If and When they decide to make it available to earlier versions of the Prime (really, other then Tesla, do any car manufacturers work that way? Usually they just expect you to upgrade your car) then *maybe* you would be able to do so, *IF* you get a developer license and *IF* Toyota allows you to sideload development apps.

    You can't spoof an existing app (google code signing). That would be an enormous security hole.

    I can't see Toyota allowing such an app in the general sense. They lock their systems down pretty good when in motion for safety reasons so to allow device mirroring in their vehicles would go against everything they've done so far.
     
  13. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    I now reckon that there is a FAR simpler solution to achieve what I want.

    All that it's needed is for Google to make Android Auto Mirrorlink enabled.

    Why they haven't done this and seen to ignore suggestions made to them to this effect, is a mystery to me.

    It should be fairly easy to do and would extend the reach out Android Auto to a large new group of vehicles including of course, Toyota.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  14. SteveMucc

    SteveMucc Active Member

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    ok.... so let me understand. you ask software developers if something is possible. when highly experienced developers respond you now say that you don't believe them and that there is a FAR easier way to do it.

    Honestly, if you have enough coding experience to believe you know the answer then do it. several people have told you it's not possible, so go ahead and do it. I'd love to see it happen.

    Unfortunately it's NOT possible.

    The reason they don't do this? THEY DON'T HAVE TO. I'm sure they've done their research. If putting android auto in would have resulted in sufficient sales to cover the development effort/licensing costs, then I'm sure they would have done it. Software isn't free, there is a huge cost to develop software. Toyota isn't in the business of extending the reach of android auto, they're in the business of selling cars.

    It might be important to you, but apparently since you've already bought a prime, then it's NOT important enough to sway you to a different brand, so Toyota wins... they sold the car and they didn't have to pay for the software development. Win for Toyota.
     
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  15. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    If it is that important to you, nothing is stopping you from contracting a trusted developer to develop the software for you.
    You could then market it to others.
     
  16. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    To whom is this post addressed?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  17. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    @Tideland Prius said Entune 3.0 uses different hardware. Although there may be updates to Entune 2.x, I would not expect 3.0.
     
  18. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    So let you understand . . . well I'll try!

    1. "When highly experienced developers respond you now say you don't believe them". Perhaps you would like to read my posts again - I can't see anywhere my saying I don't believe anyone. Nor do I see anyone in the thread claiming to be a "highly experienced developer".
    2. "Unfortunately it's not possible". It *may* not be possible to do this with Entune, but I am now suggesting a way of doing that is nothing to do with Entune.
    3. "The reason they don't do this ... . . . THEY DON'T HAVE TO. .... win for Toyota". As above, perhaps you might like to read my post again. I am not suggesting now that *Toyota* do anything.

    What I said was:
    "All that is needed is for *Google* to make Android Auto Mirrorlink enabled." Google, not Toyota.

    Chill man! This is PriusCHAT! "Chat: To talk in a FRIENDLY and informal way" chat | Definition of chat in English by Oxford Dictionaries
     
  19. SteveMucc

    SteveMucc Active Member

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    so let's reiterate.

    Prius is Entune *2*.0 NOT *3*.0

    there is no SmartDeviceLink available... period... totally different software which the prime doesn't have.

    and even if it was there, there's no way to spoof another application at least without access to a supercomputer and a few hundred years to crack the key (maybe if you wait long enough a good quantum computer will come along but no one really knows how to program them yet).


    And just to set the record straight... In the past I was a principal engineer at Qualcomm. Now I make my living doing computer learning based high frequency algorithmic trading for a wall street firm.

    Take it from me. it's not going to be an easy or cheap thing to do.
     
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  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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