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Tech News
A reader poll of nearly 2,000 respondents found that 57.2% drive cars that do not support Android Auto, leaving only 35.8% with compatible vehicles. An additional 7% reported having Android Auto-capable cars but choosing not to use the feature.
Google Maps is rolling out a change that displays stop signs and traffic lights in the same floating info boxes used for upcoming street names, according to 9to5Google. The feature has been spotted on Android Auto and on smartphone navigation, suggesting it may also reach CarPlay users.
Several users report that Google Maps' speedometer on Android Auto is randomly toggling between miles per hour and kilometers per hour, ignoring their chosen unit settings. One user also reported the same mismatch on the mobile app itself, according to a Reddit thread. The cause remains unclear, and it's unknown how many drivers are affected.
Google has made the games category for Android Auto and Android Automotive OS generally available, ending its beta phase. Developers can now publish compatible titles directly through Google Play's open testing and production tracks, rather than relying on early-access programs.
GM introduced a new picture-in-picture feature letting CarPlay and Android Auto run alongside its native infotainment system in the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks. This sparked reports that GM was reversing its 2023 decision to drop phone projection from its EVs, but a GM spokesperson confirmed to journalist Joanna Stern that the update applies only to gas-powered light-duty pickups, which never lost CarPlay support in the first place.
Google allows users to turn off Timeline, its location-history feature in Google Maps, through device-specific settings rather than a single global switch. Users can choose to simply pause tracking, delete all past data, or set auto-delete rules for activity older than three, 18, or 36 months. The app also provides options to export Timeline data or back it up in encrypted form to a Google account.
Amazon has discounted the Dreame L40s Ultra AE robot vacuum and mop to $569.49 from its usual $729.99, a 22% price cut. The device offers roughly 19,000Pa suction, dual rotating mop pads, edge-cleaning, and a self-emptying, self-washing, hot-air-drying dock. It also uses AI-driven obstacle avoidance with RGB vision and 3D sensing, and requires an active Amazon Prime membership to unlock the discount.
GM introduced a redesigned software interface for its upcoming Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks that refreshes the look of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Several outlets mistakenly reported this as GM reversing its 2023 decision to drop phone mirroring, but that removal only ever applied to GM's electric vehicles, not its gas-powered lineup.
A developer's Open Headunit app, priced under $4 on Google Play or free via GitHub, lets an aging Android tablet impersonate an Android Auto head unit, giving cars without built-in support a large touchscreen for navigation, calls and media. Testing found the setup imperfect but functional as a way to repurpose tablets that can no longer run modern apps well.
Slate Auto's stripped-down electric truck starts at $24,950, undercutting most new vehicles by tens of thousands of dollars, and lets buyers customize it with vinyl wraps and over 200 accessories. Its 63 kWh battery yields an estimated 205-mile range, well below rivals that often reach 280 to 450 miles, though its 181-horsepower motor and towing capacity roughly match Ford's Maverick hybrid.
CarPlay allows multiple iPhones to be paired with a single vehicle, but only one can actively project the interface at a time. When a car mistakenly connects to a passenger's iPhone instead of the driver's, users must manually switch the connection through their infotainment system's Bluetooth or device menu.
A tech guide outlines several ways drivers can modernize aging car audio setups, from portable CarPlay/Android Auto touchscreen displays that mount on the dashboard to full aftermarket head unit replacements. It also warns that wireless CarPlay or Android Auto USB adapters only work if a car already supports the wired version, and that swapping the factory stereo can affect steering-wheel controls, cameras or amplifiers wired through it.