Microsoft originally led in car technology with its SYNC
platform for Ford, only to see itself look increasingly old-school as people's
expectations were shaped by faster, friendlier smartphones. Now QNX has
taken over Ford's SYNC 3 , and Google's Android Auto and Apple's CarPlay
are grasping for more control of the car through people's phones. Windows
in the car is another chance for Microsoft, and speech-controlled Cortana
can lead the way. It shouldn't be that hard for Microsoft to port Windows
10 to the car—it’s just a big, rolling, connected tablet, anyways!
Cortana in the car? It might happen soon. The Taipei Times reported that Samuel
Shen, chief operating officer at the Microsoft Asia-Pacific Research and
Development Group, said Microsoft has developed a prototype of a
connected car that uses Cortana as an interface. Instead of forcing you to
glance at the dashboard (taking your eyes off the road) the prototype
projects information onto your windshield. A head-up display is already
used in some cars to show speed, navigation, and other data. Microsoft's
prototype display can show directions or allow the driver to make
reservations at local restaurants, the paper reported. Android Auto and
Apple CarPlay remain stuck in the car's in-dash display.
Last year, Microsoft showed off Windows for cars, based on a concept
oriented around Windows 8. With the advent of Windows 10 and Cortana,
however, Microsoft has updated its vision.
Adding Cortana as the speech interface achieves many of the goals
Microsoft laid out last year: reducing the “cognitive load,” or the
requirement to think about what you’re doing; glanceability, or minimizing
the “eye time” on the screen beyond 2 seconds; trying to minimize the
effects of different screen sizes; and doing away with the need to touch
tiny onscreen buttons—which might be OK on a phone, but much less so at
65 mph. should cover all those goals.
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