Users can see, command iOS devices in-vehicle

RealVNC, the original developers of VNC technology, have added iOS 4's "iPod Out" display functionality to their own VNC Mobile Solution for Automotive, which allows a single common head-unit HMI design to detect and control virtually any mobile device through a touchscreen -- and opens up the possibility of future abilities to control home or work computers through that same in-built car touchscreen.

Products using iOS 4 -- such as the iPhone 4/3GS/3 or iPod Touch -- can now output and display the iPod video interface through an in-vehicle head unit that uses either their own custom embedded OS or VNC's Mobile Solution for Automotive, an OEM package that adds on to a embedded in-vehicle OS such as CE, QNX, Android, T-Kernel, or even Linux and Windows XP. The VNC product supports non-iOS devices as well, such as Blackberries, WebOS, Symbian and Windows Mobile devices among others, including the recently-proposed Terminal Standard. BMW added iPod Out to their vehicles in-dash screens this summer using a custom solution.

The support of VNC Mobile Solution for Automotive for iPod Out should allow more vehicles to be able to display the iPod interface as it would appear on the iPod, iPhone or Touch, and have full control on the larger vehicle touchscreen just as would happen with the iOS device itself.

A video demonstrating the technology, including safety features that can be added by the car manufacturer to prevent unsafe use, is posted on the company's web site.

by MacNN Staff