Lock & Load
05-12-2005, 06:30 AM
These guys are installing Mac Minis into cars , their goalbeing to developa single , low cost installation that intergrates music, video,GPStracking and navigation ,internet, phone and car diagnosticsinto a single boxThe added bonus is that by using the the Mac system its relatively easy to make all this operateby voice command :cool:
Mac mini hits the road
By Russell Redman
Mel Benzaquen aims to make Apple's Mac mini a classic--or part of one, at least.
The president of Classic Restorations, a Sloatsburg, N.Y., automobile restorer and modifier, Benzaquen is installing the paperback-size PC in collectible and new cars as the "brain" of a rolling entertainment and computing system.
"[Apple has] taken a tower and basically squashed it down to smaller than the size of a typical car stereo of 10 years ago. And given that most any car has a space that big, it opens up a lot of possibilities," he says.
The Mac mini is roughly the size of a DIN--the standard aftermarket car-stereo mount--and much more compact than the Apple iBook and PowerBook laptops that Benzaquen originally sought to modify. As a result, the Mac mini could fit almost anywhere in a car, such as the dashboard, glove box or center console, under a seat or inside the trunk, he says.
"It seemed awfully coincidental that it was almost the exact dimensions of a single DIN. So that's how I came up with the idea," Benzaquen says. "And when I started reading about its specs and saw it had DC power input, it was like, 'OK, this is getting easier.' "
Used in tandem with the Mac mini are Lilliput 7-inch and 8-inch touch screens--which can be mounted in the dashboard, on a gooseneck stand or a visor, or in a flip-down compartment--as well as USB hubs and a Griffin Technology PowerMate USB knob control.
The Mac mini can be loaded with voice-recognition software for hands-free operation, and it supports Bluetooth, allowing it to work with cell phones and keyboards. Wi-Fi capability also lets the computer access nearby hot spots when the car is parked, and USB, FireWire and Ethernet ports support a range of peripherals and cabling options.
Potential uses for the "Mac Mini Auto" include a music jukebox and video game playing; Web surfing, e-mail and messaging; remote file access and exchange; navigation, when integrated with a GPS system; and on-board diagnostics, Benzaquen says.
"The possibilities are limitless with what can be done with a PC in your car," he says. "And just think of how much complexity could be reduced with the multiple, redundant components they have now for cars by simply putting in a small, powerful computer and running everything from it."
At press time, Classic Restorations' Mac mini projects included a '98 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a '69 Chevy Nova SS, a '72 Pontiac Firebird and a Chevy El Camino.
"We've gotten a tremendous response for the Mac mini installs--probably from 65 countries, between phone calls, e-mails, message boards, etc.," Benzaquen says. "I've got people in Japan calling, wanting to place orders for kits. But I can't do a kit right now; it's too custom. It's not a true plug-and-play thing at this point, but we're trying to make it that way."
cheers
michael
Mac mini hits the road
By Russell Redman
Mel Benzaquen aims to make Apple's Mac mini a classic--or part of one, at least.
The president of Classic Restorations, a Sloatsburg, N.Y., automobile restorer and modifier, Benzaquen is installing the paperback-size PC in collectible and new cars as the "brain" of a rolling entertainment and computing system.
"[Apple has] taken a tower and basically squashed it down to smaller than the size of a typical car stereo of 10 years ago. And given that most any car has a space that big, it opens up a lot of possibilities," he says.
The Mac mini is roughly the size of a DIN--the standard aftermarket car-stereo mount--and much more compact than the Apple iBook and PowerBook laptops that Benzaquen originally sought to modify. As a result, the Mac mini could fit almost anywhere in a car, such as the dashboard, glove box or center console, under a seat or inside the trunk, he says.
"It seemed awfully coincidental that it was almost the exact dimensions of a single DIN. So that's how I came up with the idea," Benzaquen says. "And when I started reading about its specs and saw it had DC power input, it was like, 'OK, this is getting easier.' "
Used in tandem with the Mac mini are Lilliput 7-inch and 8-inch touch screens--which can be mounted in the dashboard, on a gooseneck stand or a visor, or in a flip-down compartment--as well as USB hubs and a Griffin Technology PowerMate USB knob control.
The Mac mini can be loaded with voice-recognition software for hands-free operation, and it supports Bluetooth, allowing it to work with cell phones and keyboards. Wi-Fi capability also lets the computer access nearby hot spots when the car is parked, and USB, FireWire and Ethernet ports support a range of peripherals and cabling options.
Potential uses for the "Mac Mini Auto" include a music jukebox and video game playing; Web surfing, e-mail and messaging; remote file access and exchange; navigation, when integrated with a GPS system; and on-board diagnostics, Benzaquen says.
"The possibilities are limitless with what can be done with a PC in your car," he says. "And just think of how much complexity could be reduced with the multiple, redundant components they have now for cars by simply putting in a small, powerful computer and running everything from it."
At press time, Classic Restorations' Mac mini projects included a '98 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a '69 Chevy Nova SS, a '72 Pontiac Firebird and a Chevy El Camino.
"We've gotten a tremendous response for the Mac mini installs--probably from 65 countries, between phone calls, e-mails, message boards, etc.," Benzaquen says. "I've got people in Japan calling, wanting to place orders for kits. But I can't do a kit right now; it's too custom. It's not a true plug-and-play thing at this point, but we're trying to make it that way."
cheers
michael