Home » “It’s Against The Rules!” The One Ridiculous Pet Peeve Every Automotive Journalist Has: Tales From The Slack

“It’s Against The Rules!” The One Ridiculous Pet Peeve Every Automotive Journalist Has: Tales From The Slack

Slack Tales Adrian
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Tarragon
Tarragon
10 months ago

I was going through Tales From The Slack from before I became a member so I’m months late to this one

Hey Adrian, thanks for the indirect pointer to the Gothic Industrial Music podcast.

Scott
Scott
1 year ago

I’ll shut up about this soon (hopefully) but every third article by Jason (or editor’s note, as in this case) reminds me that my DNA is not unique. Not only do I have a well-filled box of SCSI terminators in my workshop, Per his mention yesterday about that Indian EV city car that had a claimed range of 143 miles, I also have a small steel file cabinet filled with 5.25″ DOS 3.3 143K-capacity formatted floppies full of programs for Apple ][ computers, even though I sadly haven’t had a working Apple ][ in a couple decades at least.

Wes Siler
Wes Siler
1 year ago

Nothing like reading a 4×4 review from someone who only off roads on press launches reaching definitive conclusions about capability while complaining about an infotainment system.

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 year ago
Reply to  Wes Siler

I think you’re confusing me with someone who off roads only on press launches, as I’ve never off roaded in my life (or been on a press launch).

Stef Schrader
Stef Schrader
1 year ago

I feel like the only person who never really uses CarPlay outside of longer road trips. Going into East Texas? Sure, let me project Waze up there to see the speedtraps. Any other time, just around town? Nah. I always feel like I have to do it in reviews just to confirm, yeah, that exists, and then I end up turning Bluetooth back off because it’s a dumb battery-suck.

Also, to wit: My Lancer had a parasitic draw a while ago that was killing ITS battery, too, and lo and behold, it was a failing Bluetooth module I never used. Eat turds, Bluetooth. Seriously, how has no one come up with a better wireless protocol yet?

Last edited 1 year ago by Stef Schrader
Jblues
Jblues
1 year ago

It’s a conspiracy to make Android Automotive head units more acceptable to the marketplace.

(Srsly, ppl, getting rid of CarPlay and Android Auto is a good thing)

Peter d
Peter d
1 year ago

In many cases I prefer wired CarPlay because usually you just plug it in and it works- no setup, no waiting for the Bluetooth to connect, etc. what I find annoying is (rental) cars where I have had to still setup the wireless after plugging in – kinda defeats one of the two benefits of plugging in (power, connection). After a long flight the phone has no power and I need to plug in anyways- wireless charging does not like to work through my phone case.

Ana Osato
Ana Osato
1 year ago

“Thank you for reading The Autopian! If you’re seeing this text it means this content is for official members only. If you want to experience this automotive goodness, please consider supporting us by becoming a member. Thank you very much!”

Jayson Elliot
Jayson Elliot
1 year ago

I have wireless CarPlay, and have no idea how it decides when to connect or disconnect, or anything really.

After trying to use it one time when I first got it, I’ve just given up and stuck with the USB cable.

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 year ago

The stupid part is, you plug your phone in to use CarPlay AND THEN IT’S CHARGING VIA THE USB! The whole wireless charging is FUCKING POINTLESS!

Squirrelmaster
Squirrelmaster
1 year ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke

My 2022 model year vehicle has the same setup – wired-only Carplay and Android Auto, but also a wireless charging pad in the center console. To really push the disappointment, the wireless charging pad is only large enough to fit an iPhone 4, which means I have yet to find a phone that has wireless charging that also fits.

Camp Fire
Camp Fire
1 year ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke

Is it perhaps for charging a passenger’s phone?

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 year ago
Reply to  Camp Fire

Sir, this is The Autopian. Logic and reason have no place here.

D0nut
D0nut
1 year ago

2020 Toyota Tacoma checking in…

Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman
1 year ago

My 911 at least reminds me if a device was connected to take it with me after opening the driver’s door. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left the damn phone in the Buick SUV (almost every drive because it too has wireless charging but wired CarPlay – what’s the point of that?).

Dave
Dave
1 year ago

I do hope that if it’s a SCSI terminator issue then automakers have at least moved past the old Centronics-50 connector of SCSI-2 to the 68 pin of Wide SCSI-2 and beyond. After all, the bandwidth difference is noticeable. 🙂

Nice oblique tech reference Jason!

Crank Shaft
Crank Shaft
1 year ago

I’ve got a shitload of tangled LVD cables if Jason needs any.

Mr Sarcastic
Mr Sarcastic
1 year ago

The more wireless BS you install in your car the higher the opportunity for some hacker to sneak in unlock, start and steal it. And while it is funny when it happens to someone else not when it happens to you. I plan on buying a cell phone charger for my car next week. First high tech item going in my 2001. I bought new in 2002

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 year ago
Reply to  Mr Sarcastic

The first thing I did when getting the Range Rover was disable the passive entry.

Detroit-Lightning
Detroit-Lightning
1 year ago

While I use CarPlay and think it’s fine, I’m to the point where I’m so f’n sick of hearing about it that I sort of hate it.

Maybe this is what GM was thinking when they made their announcement.

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 year ago

I think the thing is, it’s a constant across cars. Like, I have it in the Range Rover but then I can jump in the Ferrari and I’m using the same navigation on my phone.

Having had the Juke last week and now the Kia, it’s clear there is still a wide variance across OEMs as to how good their infotainment UX/UI is.

Detroit-Lightning
Detroit-Lightning
1 year ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke

As a sometimes business traveler, i totally get it.

Jack Trade
Jack Trade
1 year ago

I’m struck by how Adrian’s actual voice sounds way much more upbeat than I’d imagined.

In my mind, I kinda hear him sounding like Dave Lister on Red Dwarf, just ranting darkly about cars instead of whatever Rimmer’s done to the ship’s computer.

TOSSABL
TOSSABL
1 year ago
Reply to  Jack Trade

I realized upon hearing Adrian that I read him in a rather deep Welsh voice. Maybe Neil Gammon’s?

AssMatt
AssMatt
1 year ago
Reply to  Jack Trade

Even knowing he’s full Brit and being familiar with UK accents (yay Red Dwarf!), I never read him as anything but American, and affectless at that. What a treat to hear his words in his voice! I think the whole blog should have audio. I would love to hear Torch read his rants out loud replete with spit takes. Look into it Matt, I bet you could ring a few extra bucks out of us (that sounds cynical, but I’d happily match my wife’s phone game budget)!

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 year ago
Reply to  AssMatt

Ha! I try to type in American to save whoever has to edit my utter bollocks some work. I kinda learnt to do that for my column for the insurance company, because the audience there skews a little…..more mature and less worldly shall we say.

MATTinMKE
MATTinMKE
1 year ago

My favorite part of this site is the whack job interesting personalities. I like imagining PG & Hardigree as the orderlies in white coats trying to keep the asylum clean.

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 year ago
Reply to  MATTinMKE

Are you kidding? Matt is the President of the Bad Ideas Club!

Stef Schrader
Stef Schrader
1 year ago
Reply to  MATTinMKE

Those two? CLEAN?!

Taargus Taargus
Taargus Taargus
1 year ago

My 2020 Voyager has wired Android Auto. I was sort of caught off-guard when I learned that I needed to connect via USB to use it. Seems tremendously stupid. I only use it on major trips where I absolutely need navigation because of it.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

I’ve been told that it is harder to license wireless AA/CP on cars with built-in nav, which seems weird. But it jives with what I’ve seen with Kiundai putting wireless versions on low trims and wired on the higher trims (with their charging pads).

TXJeepGuy
TXJeepGuy
1 year ago

My 2022 Acura TLX: Wired Car Play and a wireless charger
FiancĂ©e’s 2022 VW Tiguan: Wireless Car Play and a wireless charger

Last edited 1 year ago by TXJeepGuy
A. Barth
A. Barth
1 year ago

From talking with other people (it happens occasionally), it appears that I’m one of the few who actually like driving in silence. If I don’t need nav and I’m not on a call, it’s just me and my thoughts rolling along in near-silence. It’s nice.

On the priority list, entertainment options rank somewhere below the configuration of the fuel filler cap.

EXL500
EXL500
1 year ago
Reply to  A. Barth

I completely agree. I want to hear my car and my surroundings. My partner and I drove 6,000 miles last year and spent the time talking to each other. It was a perfect antidote to our usual busy social lives.

Last edited 1 year ago by EXL500
Dave Beth
Dave Beth
1 year ago
Reply to  A. Barth

I can’t remember the last time I needed to use a navigation system. I look at a map before I go and that’s never failed me to date. I keep the radio off the entire drive.

Outofstep
Outofstep
1 year ago

If I’m remembering it correctly Hyundai will give you wireless Car Play/Android Auto but if you want wireless charging then you can only get wired Car Play/Android Auto. I don’t care for wireless charging but I just find it weird that that’s how it can be optioned. I figure it’s a module or something but it’s still weird.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago
Reply to  Outofstep

Yeah, the high trims don’t do wireless. It’s something to do with the infotainment system with the built-in nav. And you are right that the wireless pad/wireless AA/CP mismatch is weird.

Just Jeepin’
Just Jeepin’
1 year ago

I believe wireless CarPlay requires a WiFi network inside the car. Bluetooth simply doesn’t have the bandwidth to carry all the graphical goodness.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

It requires that, but that isn’t necessarily enough to make it work. In Kiundai vehicles, you can get wireless on the low trims, but not the trims with nav built in. Both have wifi, so they should be capable. I’ve heard licensing, but weird module interactions seem just as likely.

NewBalanceExtraWide
NewBalanceExtraWide
1 year ago

Car Play has a few years before it gets relegated to the cheap crap I’m used to. I was more pissed at the elimination of the headphone jack in my phone- I can’t even use an aux-in. I saw some burnable CDs on the marketplace recently- maybe I’ll make mixes again.

Adrian Clarke
Adrian Clarke
1 year ago

Lightning to aux adaptor? That’s what I used in the TT before errr, upgrading the head unit so I could have CarPlay…….

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