We were admittedly skeptical back in August when rumors were flying about VW and Apple teaming up to create an “iCar,” but we have to admit that VW’s new Space Up! Blue concept has some decidedly Apple-reminiscent features, even if one of them isn’t a simple naming scheme.
The center console touchscreen looks decidedly like Front Row, complete with spinning carousel of icons that kind of make me think of Leopard’s new default folder icons. A report suggests that you don’t actually need to navigate the system by touching it, rather holding your finger close to it and making the requisite movements is sufficient. And the Dashboard display looks a bit like CoverFlow, right down to, as Engadget points out, the Jack Johnson album cover on the left there. News earlier in the week also suggests that VW will be putting touchscreens in all of its cars next year.
While the idea of touchscreens in cars is pretty cool, I’m a little wary of this development. Seems to me that it’s a heck of a lot easier—and, for that matter, safer—to have controls that can be distinguished by touch, without having to look at them. One of the shots seems to show a movie playing too, which is something I definitely don’t want to have distracting me while I’m behind the wheel—I have a big enough problem when I’m out at restaurants with televisions, and the worst that can happen to me there is accidentally stabbing myself with a fork.
In the event of a problem, do you have to take it to the garage or make an appointment at a Genius bar?
Having parts of the steering wheel to control the screen might be a somewhat safer way to managing control of the items.
"VW" egads. BMW should have this instead.
How do you spell the Scooby-Doo sound? 'Cause that's the sound I just made.
I wonder how I can retrofit this into my '96 Jetta...