Gizmodo Australia » dashboards

3D Gauge Cluster Blows My Mind With Information Overload

Gizmodo US Edition — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:20:00 +0000

This concept, a joint effort by NVIDIA and icon icar, packs a ton of data into one screen. In addition to a standard speedometer and fuel gauge, it houses radio and navigation information. [KickingTires]

Tesla Model S Electric Sedan’s Huge Haptic Touchscreen Dashboard In Action

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:30:17 +0000

When we first saw Tesla’s Model S electric sedan, we noticed a big, flashy touchscreen taking the place of the dashboard’s console. TechCrunch took a test drive and learned a little more about it.

The Model S’s touchscreen wasn’t fully functional during the demo (the car’s first with press), so internet browsing and presumably GPS weren’t working. But we do know the touchscreen will control entertainment as well as navigation, and that it’ll offer haptic feedback, probably rumbling a little bit when touched. The car should be priced around $US50,000. [TechCrunch]

Dashboard Widgets For Jailbroken iPhones: Hot or Not?

John Mahoney — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:50:00 +0000

This work-in-progress Dashboard implementation (seen here running through the SDK) looks like it’s coming along nicely; I just can’t decide if it’s something I’d want. What do you guys think?

It’s done by the same guy who brought Leopard’s “stacks” feature to your bottom row of icons. It looks like it’s running smoothly with a few test widgets, but I’m not sure if I see the appeal when the phone’s UI is already fairly widgetised. No single application is ever more than a few swipes and a tap away, so I’m not convinced this is better than simply popping open the notes or the weather app (or in the case of the clock, looking two inches above to the clock that’s already running).

Get compatibility for OS X widgets on the iPhone? Now I’m listening. I’m not sure if that’s even possible, but I could see that being something I would jailbreak for. [ModMyi Forums]

Downloadable Dashboard Apps for Cars Coming in 2010

Gizmodo US Edition — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Why leave your car out in the cold while your smartphone gets all the app fun? Hughes Telematics is aiming to bring downloadable apps to car dashboards, and the possibilities are pretty crazy.

Hughes plans to start rolling out the new dashboard consoles in about 2010, and gives examples like an emissions monitor, web-connected security camera, and even Twitter integration as what might soon be appearing in your car. Think about it: on a cross-country trip, your car takes panoramic photos of your surroundings every half hour, or of that little punk that keyed your front door in the Wendy’s parking lot. You could lock and unlock your car with your iPhone, or control the stereo with it. What about updating your Facebook status with exactly where you are? That way your friends can have even more specific data about your personal life to not care about. This is the future, people. [NYTimes, photo by NYTimes]

Photo Du Jour: An Electric Mini Cooper’s Dashboard

Brian Lam — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 07:29:29 +0000

This car has 43% battery life remaining, but I wonder if that gauge depletes linearly or, as on my laptop, surprisingly quickly near the end.

The car charges in under 3 hours using a 240 volt [fixed...Jalop had it wrong, and I neglected to fact check at 3am, but good catch people!] power source at 50 amps. I like the yellow trim. [Jalopnik Review]

17 Classic Car User Interfaces, Otherwise Known as Dashboards

Sean Fallon — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:40:00 +0000

Sure, your car dashboard may have a lot of cool buttons and computer displays, but chances are it lacks something that many classic cars have in abundance. A little something I like to call “style.” OObject has put together a list of 17 classic cars (and even one new classic in the Audi TT) that fall into this classy category—cars like the 1906 Stanely Steamer (which looks like a friggin’ time machine), the ‘58 Chevy Impala and the ‘57 Porsche 356 Speedster. [OObject]

Chevy Volt Dashboard Looks Like The Future If The Future is White Plastic

Mark Wilson — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:00:00 +0000

We don’t write about car dashboards all that often here on the Giz, but when the dash is from an electric car/hybrid and it shares its white sheen with both classic iPods and Stormtrooper helmets, how could we possibly resist? Nearly buttonless, the Chevy Volt’s injection molded centre console features a large LCD that, from what we can tell from the picture, will be locked with the static image of 2/3 battery remaining. It’s certainly an interesting look, but I’m just not so sure it blends so well with the rest of the car. What do you think? [thecarlounge via Jalopnik]

Is this the Futuremark 3D OpenGL-Powered Car Dashboard of the Future?

John Mahoney — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:10:00 +0000

We’ve seen all-digital concept dashboards before, but none seem as impressive 3D (or close to reality) as Futuremark’s. It scraps everything behind and to the right of the wheel in favour of a smooth, uninterrupted display onto which an OpenGL powered 3D engine renders everything you might need–instrumentation, navigation, entertainment system controls, climate controls, everything.