What software is that for running the GPS?

The software he is running is Route 66.

B.

Wherefore is the play-by-play? My F-150 is drooling over the possibilities…

Nice use of the apple technology. Very impressive. I wonder if a car maker will ever use this as a stock configutation? Lots of moeny in it for all parties. i’d buy this feature

this is super cool, though. I agree with sidewalkrage’s comment. id like to see this OEM in some cars –> would be hella cool

BTW, use of Front Row on a machine other than the 2nd gen iMac G5 requires it be, uh, procured by means of questionable legality.

[some comments removed; problem resolved outside of discussion forum]

nice hack, but does he really need to keep Word and Excel in the Dock?

friends don’t let friends use Microsoft Office and drive. (actually, friends don’t let friends use Microsoft Office, period)

#8… good post. More generally, we don’t want to see Microsoft anywhere near our cars. Its a dangerous security practice. You might crash or something.

Has anyone used Route 66 for GPS Nav before? I’m thinking about getting it for my powerbook and would like to know if it’s any good. Thanks!

This looks awesome. If this continues car stereo companies will get a SERIOUS run for their money. Especially when open source hacking gets involved.

Route 66 is o.k. to see where you are but it does not give spoken instructions or advance warnings when to take an exit. It is fine for planning, looking up POI etc.
I use it with a bluetooth GPS receiver. It will keep the current position in the middle of the window if wanted.
I used it once in a rental car with the laptop on the passenger seat. Risky because of the possible damage when you suddenly break. On the highway it is O.K. but in the city you need to have slow traffic to be able to anticipate on any turnings.
I recently started using TomTom on a smartphone. Works excelent.
Would be nice if that was available for the Mac or if there was a PocketPC emulator to run on the mac.

This is an outrageously great job. I hope the user who created this masterful hack will see the posts here at some point- and Ford as well. Their announcement of putting DOS machines with touch screens in F-150’s is frightening. With the U.S. auto makers struggling for market share, Ford certainly doesn’t need to go to the added expense of putting IT guys (aka: Windoz Winnies) in every dealership to constantly care for all the problems inherent with those systems. Please, someone email this article to Billy Ford!

[...] This has way more than enough cool points to get its own post: http://www.leftlanenews.com/?p=818 [...]

this is great, I have been working for 6 years in telematics developement at mercedes, you did a great job inn your ford!

And do you know about the Fastest Mac on Four Wheels?
http://www.mujmac.cz/art/hw/tatra_mac_eng.html
It seems better than the Mini in this article.

It’s the creative use of small spaces and beautifully designed hardware that make us think POSSIBILITY!

Thanks for sharing this.

I think I can assure you, this will get some mileage at Ford.

Brian Duck
Webmaster,
FordMug (Really!)
http://www.fordmug.com

FYI, the FordMug was started as an Apple II user group in the 1980’s! I’m told that Apple II’s were programmed by Ford Engineers for use in the dynomometer, which was used to measure engine torque as recent as 2001!

Absolutely brilliant.

Hi, excellent job. Two questions though: How do you power up the MacMini? And did you tried to hook up the car audio system yet?

[...] read more | digg story [...]

[...] Mac-Mini + FrontRow = geniale in-Car-Lösung Auf dieser Seite findet man Bilder von einem Mac mini, der illegalerweise mit FrontRow bestückt und an einen LC-Automonitor angeschlossen in einem Ford ein geniales Auto-Media-Center mit Navi abgibt. Mehr davon! [...]

Hi!Good job!
What kind of interface between Mac mini and monitor?Thx!

This is awesome
More pictures of this install here
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=61480

[...] Más información: Jeep Gran Cherokee - Ford F-150 - Infinity M45 Sport [...]

Hey that’s SO cool but I was thinking one thing…

Isn’t it illegal because you haven’t got a Rear-view mirror anymore since the screen is replacing it? I wouldn’t mind getting that type of setup myself but if it’s removing the rear-view mirror then I can’t. please enlighten me!

Richard.

Hello i would like to know how do you turn on and off your minimac in the car.?

#26 - richard brown
ummm… that’s clearly a media display/console positioned for use in the SECOND row… it’s nowhere near the windshield, or the place where (once can logically assume) the review mirror still rests safely. This is a standard OEM product, available anywhere you buy car audio crap (best buy, audiozone, etc)

Now if the software of the car would talk to the mac … so that I could run car diagnostics from the screen.

gotta see this to believe it !

I used to dress up and impersonate our next-door neighbor, Miss Cox. She wore rubber boots, a wool hat, and her nose always dripped.

I used to dress up and impersonate our next-door neighbor, Miss Cox. She wore rubber boots, a wool hat, and her nose always dripped.

I used to dress up and impersonate our next-door neighbor, Miss Cox. She wore rubber boots, a wool hat, and her nose always dripped.

I like the idea of making big budget films with a heart. I like graphic novels more than comic books.

I like the idea of making big budget films with a heart. I like graphic novels more than comic books.

I like the idea of making big budget films with a heart. I like graphic novels more than comic books.

I like the idea of making big budget films with a heart. I like graphic novels more than comic books.

I like the idea of making big budget films with a heart. I like graphic novels more than comic books.

I like the idea of making big budget films with a heart. I like graphic novels more than comic books.

I think music is what takes the experience off the screen into your soul, into your head.

I think music is what takes the experience off the screen into your soul, into your head.

I think music is what takes the experience off the screen into your soul, into your head.

gold style

But I think that the most important thing was to really stop drinking.

An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world.

A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never ceased to be amused.

A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never ceased to be amused.

A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never ceased to be amused.

A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never ceased to be amused.

A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never ceased to be amused.

A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never ceased to be amused.

The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused.

In the music industry, you meet some not very nice people, some very strange characters.

In the music industry, you meet some not very nice people, some very strange characters.

In the music industry, you meet some not very nice people, some very strange characters.

In the music industry, you meet some not very nice people, some very strange characters.

In the music industry, you meet some not very nice people, some very strange characters.

In the music industry, you meet some not very nice people, some very strange characters.

I have survived by representing these sufferings of mine in the form of the novel.

I have survived by representing these sufferings of mine in the form of the novel.

I have survived by representing these sufferings of mine in the form of the novel.

I have survived by representing these sufferings of mine in the form of the novel.

I too am living as a writer with this polarisation imprinted on me like a deep scar.

I too am living as a writer with this polarisation imprinted on me like a deep scar.

I feel that its our children who do give us hope because they are the ones who are going to save the world.

re: rearview mirror concerns

Actually, in almost all U.S. jurisdictions, inside mirrors are not required in pickup trucks (and not even passenger cars in some states), in that trucks are considered cargo vehicles and consequently it is assumed they will often have payloads that obstruct the inside mirror anyway.

re: mobile macs

Has anyone done this with an in-dash touchscreen unit? That’s what I want. I have an Explorer with the 4″ high stereo slot and would love to have that filled with an nice mac’d touchscreen.

An interesting sidebar about vehicle requirements: when I lived in Indiana 10 years ago I discovered seatbelt use was NOT required in pickup trucks. Seems the farmers have a strong enough voice there they got an exemption when the law was passed. Their position was that their farms are so huge in the midwest they often have to use public roads to travel between the different sections, and didn’t want to have to worry about it everytime they went to check the corn.

[...] Mac-gebruikers zijn echt tot knappe dingen in staat, de hard- en software van Apple laat het dan ook toe. Een enthousiateling heeft een Mac Mini onzichtbaar in de wagen [ingebouwd], met een mooi bijpassend inklapbaar scherm van 10.2 inch, dat op het plafond gemonteerd is. Knap, echt knap. Via de aangekochte GPS-software, heeft hij nu een overzichtelijk scherm om te weg te volgen. En voor kids kan er altijd wat muziek of een filmpje bij! [...]