Hyundai has us seeing double vision with its mirroring infotainment prototype

By Amir Iliaifar January 10, 2013

Hyundai infotainment screen protoype homescreen — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The car is a great place to utilize all those wonderful apps sprawled out on your phone’s screen – assuming you do so safely .The problem with all those wonderful apps though, is that they don’t always translate well to your car’s infotainment system, and suffice it to say that sucks. It sucks big time.

A few automakers are trying to solve this incredibly frustrating conundrum, both Ford and GM released SDKs this week to the virtually unlimited pool of creativity that is the Internet. The idea being that placing these kits out there would foster creativity, allow developers to monetize their ideas, benefit OEMs like Ford and GM, but perhaps more importantly, benefit consumers with apps that integrate seamlessly with the car.

At CES this week, however, Hyundai introduced a different vision of the future. The Korean automaker showed off a number of prototypes of future infotainment solutions, the most compelling being a demo where your vehicle’s screen would mirror that of your smartphone. Simply connect your phone to your car and the vehicle’s display mirrors exactly what’s on your tiny screen.

Hyundai infotainement screen prototype — Image used with permission by copyright holder

We got some brief hands on time with the demo and found it worked surprisingly well. Opening an app on the head unit caused the app to open from the phone and vice versa. Not all apps will work, however, and Hyundai pointed out that certain apps that featured video, heavy amounts of text, or games would be automatically blocked.

The unit’s display was cabled to a Samsung Galaxy S3, but Hyundai reps say it will work with other operating systems and works via Bluetooth, too.

Hyundai’s prototype being … well, a prototype means we can’t say when, or if, we’ll see the technology make its way to production any time soon, but we’re guessing we will.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Hyundai

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Associate Automotive Section Editor for Digital Trends, Amir Iliaifar covers the ever increasing cross-section between tech…

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs

Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.