I am sitting in my office with 3 computers and a netbook, a gps plugged in to make sure it is up to date, an mp3 player syncing my latest songs and podcasts for the next drive, and six thumbdrives to carry files around. My cellphone is in my pocket, waiting to beep at me for the next text message. I am armed to the teeth with gadgets, getting them ready for when I need them. Sometimes I feel like Batman with all this junk. It is definitely time for some simplification and elegance.
I often daydream about outfitting my car with it’s own computer, complete with the ability to sync audio with a home server over wifi. This would get rid of several devices that I carry with me on any given day. “Why not hook up the netbook or cellphone to the car stereo?”, one might ask. It’s real simple: POWER. I want the audio in my car to sound like I am in a symphony, just like it does when I take the time to burn a cd. I want to have a nice soundcard pushing the audio to an amplifier. I want it fixed in my vehicle and not as an accessory.
I have found several articles about this topic from a few years ago, but I think the state of the economy has hindered projects such as these. For reference, I will leave you with a couple that I found interesting and keep everyone posted if I decide to proceed on the endeavour.
Computerize your car – CNET 2005
Put A PC In Your Car – InformationWeek 2006