5 ms·

Hope he convinces them to go back on the stupid decision that is to abandon Carplay/Android Auto.

jdelman 3y ago
I think it's probably the opposite -- they've probably hired him to help build their new entertainment+surveillance stack.
- throw9away6 3y ago
  Probably, I just don’t think executives can drive that kind of innovation. Especially those who are in sustaining roles in already large and successful companies.
  - interestica 3y ago
    But you just came up with his new slogan for their software+vehicles : "driving innovation"
    - tough 3y ago
      Maybe GM needs to hire throw9away6 for driving innovation in their software dpt
      - throw9away6 3y ago
        I’d Probably be just as ineffective but you could pay me less
        OnlineGladiator 3y ago
        > ...pay...less Get this man a raise!
        tough 3y ago
        Or replace him with ChatGPT
        throw9away6 3y ago
        [flagged]
        HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
        But they'll think you're more effective if they pay you more!
- SilasX 3y ago
  Then wouldn't the Apple mentality be "Touchpads ... for everything!" (and thus a steb back)?
  - dmonitor 3y ago
    Apple puts physical input methods where it matters, such as the wheel and buttons on their watches.
    - SilasX 3y ago
      They removed the home button on iPhones, which was a net loss, since face recognition is much less reliable and easy to use than fingerprint, and requires a visually-disruptive bar overlay to indicate you need to swipe up.
      - skyyler 3y ago
        Gestures are way more comfortable for me than a button ever was.
        ChuckNorris89 3y ago
        Until your screen is wet from the rain or you have gloves on.
        mgkimsal 3y ago
        You have to look at the device to open it. It's by nature another step of distraction. Grabbing a device and having your thumb on it opening it up so that it's ready to go by the time it reaches your eyes... it's faster. What gesture gets you back to the main/home screen as quickly? I still regret (somewhat) moving away from the SE, and might move back. I found an old one in the desk and it's making me want to move back.
    - ChuckNorris89 3y ago
      >such as the wheel and buttons on their watches But not on their phones.
- phkahler 3y ago
  My understanding of GM is that they outsource almost everything. Last time I hired an embedded software engineer from them, the guy felt he was in a very tiny niche within the company and it was a fluke his group still existed to write code. Infotainment systems may be different, but suppliers were doing most of the code several years back (I hired one of those guys too). With the desire to bring SaaS to automotive I would expect GM to bring some software development in-house, but they are a management-heavy company.
  - hospitalJail 3y ago
    >Last time I hired an embedded software engineer from them, the guy felt he was in a very tiny niche within the company and it was a fluke his group still existed to write code. I've worked there. There are two types of people: "Lifers" which are the people you described. They are content with doing their pieces and never taking a step outside the cog they are part of. This is most of the people there. Then there are temporary workers. Contract or Independent minded, these are the people who have no trouble calling out the problem and working on it, even if its outside the job scope. They didn't learn this at GM, they learned this somewhere else. They are temporary because they see that GM is a zombie company. There are too many useless cogs that you described. There are likely more people tracking the completion of work, than those doing work. These people are looking at their resume and how they can grow their skills to leave and make more money. I feel like finding good workers at large companies are like playing the lottery.
    - phkahler 3y ago
      >> There are likely more people tracking the completion of work, than those doing work. I completely agree. I interviewed there and above a certain level all they really want is the ability to bargain with others for resources if you or your own people can't get something done or done on time. It's not a bad thing, it's just the entire focus at that level, which leads to more chiefs than indians. I think it stems from interdependence of components and the huge supply chain. You can't miss or it impacts the model year changeover. IMHO they need to work on that so they can have more incremental change if needed.
  - 3y ago
hospitalJail 3y ago
I personally like having a car with these, but I'm not convinced it will be the death of GM like people predict. >GM was not affected by PRISM, so they could make claims of having a privacy oriented vehicle. That messaging does really well on HN and I imagine other communities as well. >The other thing is deeper integration. Yes it sounds like a security nightmare, but you will get additional features this way. >You also write your own future. If the tech duopoly decides to do something like forbid alternative web browser engines, you don't need to bend the knee. Not to mention, if every car has a generic infotainment screen, it makes the car less unique. Cars are all about the marketing and if you can make someone feel like they are cool for driving your car with the infotainment screen, you can sell that car.
- suction 3y ago
  [dead]
- ericmay 3y ago
  > GM was not affected by PRISM, so they could make claims of having a privacy oriented vehicle I don't this this really follows. Can't you be unaffected by PRISM and then later also sell lots of customer data or whatever? Though I agree this won't be the death of GM. The worst case is they later go back and just add Carplay and Android Auto and waste a bunch of money trying to write their own stuff. > >You also write your own future. If the tech duopoly decides to do something like forbid alternative web browser engines, you don't need to bend the knee. I just want to say that this isn't the case for any person or corporation and it never will be. You always rely on someone or something else. GM for example relies on the United States to secure oil. You, a regular person rely on (whoever) to go and mine minerals to build your laptop. It's not just a fantasy but it's a uniquely weird, and hysterical anti-social pattern that I wish would just die. It's ok to rely on someone else and in fact it's normal, acceptable, and desirable. Relying on someone else means you have to forge relationships, and not be an ass.
  - hospitalJail 3y ago
    > this isn't the case for any person or corporation and it never will be. You always rely on someone or something else. Come on now... You know what I'm talking about. We arent talking about making a car from raw materials, we are talking about in-house vs outsource.
ubermonkey 3y ago
That's just an amazingly boneheaded move, isn't it? I absolutely will not buy another car in the foreseeable future that lacks Carplay. It's too good, and too much better than any carmaker's attempts to integrate with phones or music players that came before. (I also won't pay EXTRA for it; looking at you, BMW.)
- lbussell 3y ago
  It's really not that good. On my Mazda, Apple CarPlay won't even let me change albums while I'm driving. Which encourages me to then pick up my phone, take my eyes off the road to unlock it with my face, and fumble around with the music app until I get to what I want. Mazda even disables the touch screen while driving, forcing you to use their navigation wheel, which is supposedly safer! So I don't understand why CarPlay still tries to keep me from doing the thing it was designed to do.
  - p0wn 3y ago
    Your problem isn't CarPlay, it's Mazda's integration.
    - gurumeditations 3y ago
      I frequently find myself picking up my phone in motion because their dial knob is utterly useless with navigating the music app and maps often as well.
    - ubermonkey 3y ago
      This is correct.
  - ubermonkey 3y ago
    That's a Mazda problem, then, not a Carplay problem. Carplay absolutely doesn't get in my way on those fronts in our VW.
  - gavinmckenzie 3y ago
    I love using the knob to navigate CarPlay, but I admit the Music app is nearly unusable with the knob and IMHO only marginally better with touch. The music app in CarPlay just generally sucks and appears to intentionally limit how deeply you can browse your library. That said, in my experience Siri works well for music selection. I just hit the voice button on my steering wheel and ask for the playlist, album, or artist I want to hear.

I think it's probably the opposite -- they've probably hired him to help build their new entertainment+surveillance stack.

throw9away6 3y ago
Probably, I just don’t think executives can drive that kind of innovation. Especially those who are in sustaining roles in already large and successful companies.
- interestica 3y ago
  But you just came up with his new slogan for their software+vehicles : "driving innovation"
  - tough 3y ago
    Maybe GM needs to hire throw9away6 for driving innovation in their software dpt
    - throw9away6 3y ago
      I’d Probably be just as ineffective but you could pay me less
      - OnlineGladiator 3y ago
        > ...pay...less Get this man a raise!
        tough 3y ago
        Or replace him with ChatGPT
        throw9away6 3y ago
        [flagged]
      - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
        But they'll think you're more effective if they pay you more!
SilasX 3y ago
Then wouldn't the Apple mentality be "Touchpads ... for everything!" (and thus a steb back)?
- dmonitor 3y ago
  Apple puts physical input methods where it matters, such as the wheel and buttons on their watches.
  - SilasX 3y ago
    They removed the home button on iPhones, which was a net loss, since face recognition is much less reliable and easy to use than fingerprint, and requires a visually-disruptive bar overlay to indicate you need to swipe up.
    - skyyler 3y ago
      Gestures are way more comfortable for me than a button ever was.
      - ChuckNorris89 3y ago
        Until your screen is wet from the rain or you have gloves on.
      - mgkimsal 3y ago
        You have to look at the device to open it. It's by nature another step of distraction. Grabbing a device and having your thumb on it opening it up so that it's ready to go by the time it reaches your eyes... it's faster. What gesture gets you back to the main/home screen as quickly? I still regret (somewhat) moving away from the SE, and might move back. I found an old one in the desk and it's making me want to move back.
  - ChuckNorris89 3y ago
    >such as the wheel and buttons on their watches But not on their phones.
phkahler 3y ago
My understanding of GM is that they outsource almost everything. Last time I hired an embedded software engineer from them, the guy felt he was in a very tiny niche within the company and it was a fluke his group still existed to write code. Infotainment systems may be different, but suppliers were doing most of the code several years back (I hired one of those guys too). With the desire to bring SaaS to automotive I would expect GM to bring some software development in-house, but they are a management-heavy company.
- hospitalJail 3y ago
  >Last time I hired an embedded software engineer from them, the guy felt he was in a very tiny niche within the company and it was a fluke his group still existed to write code. I've worked there. There are two types of people: "Lifers" which are the people you described. They are content with doing their pieces and never taking a step outside the cog they are part of. This is most of the people there. Then there are temporary workers. Contract or Independent minded, these are the people who have no trouble calling out the problem and working on it, even if its outside the job scope. They didn't learn this at GM, they learned this somewhere else. They are temporary because they see that GM is a zombie company. There are too many useless cogs that you described. There are likely more people tracking the completion of work, than those doing work. These people are looking at their resume and how they can grow their skills to leave and make more money. I feel like finding good workers at large companies are like playing the lottery.
  - phkahler 3y ago
    >> There are likely more people tracking the completion of work, than those doing work. I completely agree. I interviewed there and above a certain level all they really want is the ability to bargain with others for resources if you or your own people can't get something done or done on time. It's not a bad thing, it's just the entire focus at that level, which leads to more chiefs than indians. I think it stems from interdependence of components and the huge supply chain. You can't miss or it impacts the model year changeover. IMHO they need to work on that so they can have more incremental change if needed.
- 3y ago

hospitalJail 3y ago

I personally like having a car with these, but I'm not convinced it will be the death of GM like people predict. >GM was not affected by PRISM, so they could make claims of having a privacy oriented vehicle. That messaging does really well on HN and I imagine other communities as well. >The other thing is deeper integration. Yes it sounds like a security nightmare, but you will get additional features this way. >You also write your own future. If the tech duopoly decides to do something like forbid alternative web browser engines, you don't need to bend the knee. Not to mention, if every car has a generic infotainment screen, it makes the car less unique. Cars are all about the marketing and if you can make someone feel like they are cool for driving your car with the infotainment screen, you can sell that car.

suction 3y ago
[dead]
ericmay 3y ago
> GM was not affected by PRISM, so they could make claims of having a privacy oriented vehicle I don't this this really follows. Can't you be unaffected by PRISM and then later also sell lots of customer data or whatever? Though I agree this won't be the death of GM. The worst case is they later go back and just add Carplay and Android Auto and waste a bunch of money trying to write their own stuff. > >You also write your own future. If the tech duopoly decides to do something like forbid alternative web browser engines, you don't need to bend the knee. I just want to say that this isn't the case for any person or corporation and it never will be. You always rely on someone or something else. GM for example relies on the United States to secure oil. You, a regular person rely on (whoever) to go and mine minerals to build your laptop. It's not just a fantasy but it's a uniquely weird, and hysterical anti-social pattern that I wish would just die. It's ok to rely on someone else and in fact it's normal, acceptable, and desirable. Relying on someone else means you have to forge relationships, and not be an ass.
- hospitalJail 3y ago
  > this isn't the case for any person or corporation and it never will be. You always rely on someone or something else. Come on now... You know what I'm talking about. We arent talking about making a car from raw materials, we are talking about in-house vs outsource.

ubermonkey 3y ago

That's just an amazingly boneheaded move, isn't it? I absolutely will not buy another car in the foreseeable future that lacks Carplay. It's too good, and too much better than any carmaker's attempts to integrate with phones or music players that came before. (I also won't pay EXTRA for it; looking at you, BMW.)

lbussell 3y ago
It's really not that good. On my Mazda, Apple CarPlay won't even let me change albums while I'm driving. Which encourages me to then pick up my phone, take my eyes off the road to unlock it with my face, and fumble around with the music app until I get to what I want. Mazda even disables the touch screen while driving, forcing you to use their navigation wheel, which is supposedly safer! So I don't understand why CarPlay still tries to keep me from doing the thing it was designed to do.
- p0wn 3y ago
  Your problem isn't CarPlay, it's Mazda's integration.
  - gurumeditations 3y ago
    I frequently find myself picking up my phone in motion because their dial knob is utterly useless with navigating the music app and maps often as well.
  - ubermonkey 3y ago
    This is correct.
- ubermonkey 3y ago
  That's a Mazda problem, then, not a Carplay problem. Carplay absolutely doesn't get in my way on those fronts in our VW.
- gavinmckenzie 3y ago
  I love using the knob to navigate CarPlay, but I admit the Music app is nearly unusable with the knob and IMHO only marginally better with touch. The music app in CarPlay just generally sucks and appears to intentionally limit how deeply you can browse your library. That said, in my experience Siri works well for music selection. I just hit the voice button on my steering wheel and ask for the playlist, album, or artist I want to hear.