WEEKLY WHEATIES #2514
Carplay and Android Auto, Nintendo Switch 2, Microsoft
In this newsletter:
📝 Post: Supercharging Your Drive with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Nintendo Switch 2
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary
😎 Pick of the Week: Car Picks
📦 Featured Product: Hauixy Wireless Carplay Screen
📝 Supercharging Your Drive with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
With data from AAA showing more than 90% of US residents over 16 driving a vehicle at least occasionally, let’s talk about how to make those road trips or daily commutes a little bit more tolerable. One way of doing this is by utilizing Apple’s Carplay or Android’s Auto car operating systems. Essentially, these systems are built into Apple’s iOS and Android’s OS already, with updates still coming (and a potentially planned major rehaul with upcoming newer versions to each).
When connecting wirelessly or through a wire in many newer vehicles, the screen displays a menu of apps mirroring that of your phone to show what will work in your vehicle. These apps that show as available provide a vehicle-specific way to interact with controls or features through the screen or from your phone. Siri, or Google, commands will also work, with the system utilizing the microphone built into your vehicle, as well as using your stereo system for playback.
If your vehicle does not come with this or is a bit older, check out this week’s featured product below for a plug-and-play Carplay and Android Auto system. Alternatively, many systems may be wired only. If this is the case, you can purchase a dongle that will convert your Apple Carplay or Android Auto system to wireless. However, please note: these adapters typically have a delay and may take a bit longer to connect, as well as have a lag in any audio. This may also be the case for your vehicle if it provides a wireless connection from the factory, as the protocols used vary.
There are a few areas in regard to apps that I’d like to cover to make sure you’re getting the most from your experience.
First up, Maps. Even if you know where you are going and drive there every day, using a map (with directions) helps to make sure you’re saving time and frustration from potential traffic issues. There are tons of third-party apps available, but at least make sure you have and/or use one of the big three: Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze.
If you’re in a gas vehicle, it may help to find a gas station quickly. You could search one of the map apps listed above, or use the Chevron, Shell, Fuelio, or GasBuddy. If you’re in an EV, you should make sure to have PlugShare and ChargePoint. Another driving-specific app, regardless of your type of fuel, includes a parking app: SpotHero.
Next up, Audio. This is pretty broad and covers the gamut, but it could be anything for music, podcasts, audiobooks, and news. I don’t want to cover them all here, as I’ve done that before in Weekly Wheaties #2313 and #2315. Most apps you use in this space will also work in Carplay or Android Auto. It is suggested to download commonly-listened to music, as well as podcasts and audiobooks, as possible to keep any issue from loading if driving through bad coverage areas.
Messaging is similar to audio. Typically, whatever app you use to communicate with most will have a version that works in your vehicle - at least for reading your messages and allowing speech to text for you. This includes Text Messages, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, and more.
Lastly, a unique pick of an app: MyRadar. Put simply, this is one of my favorite apps in the vehicle, regardless of how far I’m driving. This app shows the live radar for precipitation in your area. The premium version allows active updating, as you may have to manually prompt the app again if on the free version. Either way, having this information at a quick glance, even for one glance when getting in the vehicle, is worth it.
Regardless if you use iOS or Android, typically, these systems ‘just work’ to enhance your overall driving experience. In the settings of both OSes allow customizations of the order in which the apps show on the screen to make the experience even better.
What other Apple Carplay or Android Auto specific apps are you using?
🗞️ ICYMI: Nintendo Switch 2
After its long-awaited announcement, Nintendo revealed the new Nintendo Switch 2 will be available on June 5th. However, those who are current Nintendo Online customers with 50+ hours of gameplay in the last year and register to order before public purchasing opens.
The announcement was streamed on YouTube and included the following updates: A larger, brighter screen; utilizes the same size Switch game card (to allow playing of the original Switch games); updated joycons with an optical sensor for mouse-type controls; a new online experience with chat, screen sharing, and video; and game sharing with friends who may not have the same game.
Lastly, there are a bunch of new Switch 2-only games being released, for example: Mario Kart World, Mario Party Jamboree, and Donkey Kong Bonanza. A longer list of games can be found on their website, and it also includes a Gamecube experience for those who are subscribers to Nintendo Online.
🗞️ ICYMI: Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary
To celebrate the day Microsoft launched, Bill Gates Published the Original Microsoft Source Code. In what appears to be a 157-page scanned dot-matrix-style print, he uploaded a PDF to his personal blog. There are some pretty neat pictures, along with a mini historical account, in case you’d like to read it. He also made a post on Reddit to mark the occasion as he stays fairly active there, along with ‘marketing’ many of his philanthropic adventures and participating in an AMA (Ask Me Anything).
If you’d like to share a bit more nostalgia with them, check out The 50 best things Microsoft has ever made. Spoiler, I’m still sour about number eleven. They even created a page on their website with two new Bing themes you can install for those building up their Bing Rewards points.
😎 POTW: Car Picks
In keeping with the theme for this week, how about a few cool picks I found about things that go vroom!
📦 Featured Product
As mentioned in this week’s post above, Apple Carplay and Android Auto are something you should make sure you have in your vehicle. Should you have an older vehicle you want to update to support it, consider the Hauixy Wireless Carplay Screen. It includes a dashcam, Airplay (to act as a screen to mirror your phone), and a backup camera (must be wired manually). Any device that does Carplay or Android Auto wireless will have a little bit of delay, but this wasn’t bad enough to be aggravating. And don’t forget to download MyRadar!
