Holden introduces the next generation of in-car entertainment
The new MyLink infotainment system will let you stream Internet radio and GPS navigation to your car through your smartphone.
Automobiles with factory-fitted smartphone integration are nothing new,
but they’ve previously been limited to hands-free calling and music
streaming only. Holden is taking this integration to the next level with
its new MyLink infotainment system, which launches next month on the
Holden Barina CDX, and on the Holden Malibu next year.
With MyLink, you’ll be able to connect your smartphone to the car’s entertainment system using Bluetooth, USB, or a plug-in outlet; from there, you’ll be able to control certain smartphone functions using the car’s 7” colour touchscreen.
The director of energy, environment and technology at GM Holden, Richard Marshall, said the company’s new infotainment system was bound to be a hit with younger and tech-savvy buyers.
“As consumers become more attached to their smartphones, there’s an expectation that cars will function with their device,” he said. “So we need to provide a solution that is safe, enabling drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”
On top of the usual hands-free and music streaming functionality, MyLink can stream digital content from selected applications on your smartphone. At launch, it will support Stitcher Smart Radio, an app that streams radio channels and podcasts over the Internet. More apps will be available next year, including Pandora (a personalised radio service) and TuneIn Radio.
Rather than pay extra money to have a GPS system installed into the car, MyLink also lets you take advantage of your smartphone’s built-in GPS chip to power the BringGo navigation application, which is controlled and viewed from the car’s touchscreen.
Toyota is also expected to launch an infotainment system early next year called Entune. Toyota Australia’s product planning chief Greg Gardner told motoring.com.au that select cars in 2013 would come with the new system.
Entune uses your smartphone’s Internet connection to power apps that are built into the car. In the United States, where Entune has already launched, it enables users to navigate to local businesses, stream music, book movie tickets and make dinner reservations.
These new in-car infotainment systems couldn’t come at a better time for Australian drivers. New laws in NSW come into effect on 1 November that will make touching a mobile phone while you’re driving illegal unless it is mounted. The penalty if you’re caught is three demerit points and a $298 fine, or four points and a $397 fine if you’re in a school zone.
With MyLink, you’ll be able to connect your smartphone to the car’s entertainment system using Bluetooth, USB, or a plug-in outlet; from there, you’ll be able to control certain smartphone functions using the car’s 7” colour touchscreen.
The director of energy, environment and technology at GM Holden, Richard Marshall, said the company’s new infotainment system was bound to be a hit with younger and tech-savvy buyers.
“As consumers become more attached to their smartphones, there’s an expectation that cars will function with their device,” he said. “So we need to provide a solution that is safe, enabling drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”
On top of the usual hands-free and music streaming functionality, MyLink can stream digital content from selected applications on your smartphone. At launch, it will support Stitcher Smart Radio, an app that streams radio channels and podcasts over the Internet. More apps will be available next year, including Pandora (a personalised radio service) and TuneIn Radio.
Rather than pay extra money to have a GPS system installed into the car, MyLink also lets you take advantage of your smartphone’s built-in GPS chip to power the BringGo navigation application, which is controlled and viewed from the car’s touchscreen.
Toyota is also expected to launch an infotainment system early next year called Entune. Toyota Australia’s product planning chief Greg Gardner told motoring.com.au that select cars in 2013 would come with the new system.
Entune uses your smartphone’s Internet connection to power apps that are built into the car. In the United States, where Entune has already launched, it enables users to navigate to local businesses, stream music, book movie tickets and make dinner reservations.
These new in-car infotainment systems couldn’t come at a better time for Australian drivers. New laws in NSW come into effect on 1 November that will make touching a mobile phone while you’re driving illegal unless it is mounted. The penalty if you’re caught is three demerit points and a $298 fine, or four points and a $397 fine if you’re in a school zone.
