Google Maps on Android Auto is getting smarter about using all your vehicle's screens
TL;DR Google Maps has recently started offering a navigation pop-up on select instrument cluster displays.
So far this has been spotted on the Polestar 2.
We previously saw Waze delivering a similar behind-the-wheel view.
How many digital screens can you see right this second? From our phones, to computers, to TVs and smart home hubs, our lives our just jam-packed with displays vying for our attention. And while that can easily start to get pretty overwhelming, this kind of preponderance of screens can also work to our benefit — if and when apps and services are making smart decisions about what to show, where. Right now, Google's working on pushing out just such an improvement to Android Auto.
Just like so many other places in our lives, cars have been doubling down on their interest in screens in recent years. Beyond just offering one main screen on which we could interact with the car's own OS or use something like Android Auto, it's increasingly common to find vehicles that have additional display beyond that, with one especially popular option being a virtual instrument cluster display that lives right behind your steering wheel. Earlier this year we saw Waze learning to expand its navigation guidance to those cluster screens, and now we're learning about some similar efforts from Google Maps.
Running Android Auto version 14.3.651844 on a Galaxy S25, 9to5Google reports that the Polestar 2 is now able to display Google Maps navigation data as a pop-up on its behind-the-wheel screen. This is distinct from the range and ETA view previously available through the car's Android Automotive interface.
While this kind of functionality still appears to be incredibly limited across vehicles supporting Android Auto, that's a situation we only expect to get better, and it's nice to hear that Google's working to keep up with these trends. Placing navigation info front-and-center like this feels like a smart way to ensure that it's always easily within a driver's sight lines, helping to minimize distraction.
That said, all this does feel a bit like a work in progress, and 9to5Google notes that the current implementation risks obscuring map detail with this pop-up in a way that could theoretically impair navigation. Hopefully we'll see Google play around a little more with its layout as we see this kind of view expand to more vehicles.
Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at
Email our staff at news@androidauthority.com . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
29 minutes ago
- Business Insider
The Googlers behind NotebookLM are launching their own AI audio startup. Here's a sneak peek.
Some of the key people behind Google's viral AI podcasting app NotebookLM have launched a new startup, and it just unveiled its first product. NotebookLM went viral last year for letting users create AI-generated podcasts about any topic they liked. Some even called it Google's ChatGPT moment. NotebookLM team lead Raiza Martin, designer Jason Spielman, and engineer Stephen Hughes learned from building the app that a surprising number of people actually learn best through audio—not necessarily through text like ChatGPT. They also learned that building a product outside a tech giant like Google is much faster. So, in December 2024, they left Google to launch their own startup, Huxe, which has been operating in stealth mode ever since. On Thursday, it launched a consumer AI app that connects to users' email, calendar, and other personal feeds and generates a daily audio briefing tailored just for them. "People just really seem to digest information more clearly when it's in that audio form," Spielman told Business Insider. Huxe declined to disclose its investors and what it's raised so far. San Francisco venture firm Conviction is one investor, according to an X post from its partner Pranav Reddy. Huxe creates personalized audio Huxe aims to create a personalized feed of AI audio content so users spend less time locked onto their screens and focus more on experiencing the world around them, Martin told Business Insider. Here's what a daily audio briefing from Huxe could go like, Martin says: Good morning! Here are your latest emails. This person has followed up five times — here's what they want. Also, here's what's going on with your meetings today and some headlines you'll care about. Huxe also has a feature called Instant Deep Dive, where users can ask any question, like "What just happened with Nvidia earnings?" or "Summarize OpenAI's latest releases," and get an informative audio response. Users can also interrupt Huxe or ask it questions in real time. Huxe publicly launched the product Thursday, though it is initially only available to a select group of users. It's still early and the product could change, Huxe's cofounders said. Building outside Google was much faster Martin said she was shocked at how quickly they were able to build the first version of Huxe. It only took about a month, she says, mostly because she could just make a decision without needing any approvals from other people. "I think it was just very different building outside of Google," Martin said. "It was great, especially for testing a concept." Spielman has been clear that the idea of Google being slow is a "misconception," he said in a podcast with Sequoia Capital. Still, Google's bureaucracy has gained some infamy in Silicon Valley, and a former Googler has even created a presentation comparing this bureaucracy to " slime mold." Building out of fear isn't the answer Huxe began as an app that lets businesses chat with their data by connecting to tools like Salesforce. While Huxe has since pivoted to focus on consumers, the founders kept a key idea from the original version of Huxe: integrating with your existing apps so the AI can talk across your tools. Still, Huxe faces the risk that a tech giant ends up launching something quite similar and stealing its thunder. Google said at I/O last month that it wants Gemini to be a super-helpful assistant that connects to Gmail and other apps. OpenAI also lets business users connect with Google Drive and use a "record mode" to take notes on meetings. NotebookLM hasn't left the scene, either, and still generates podcasts on specific topics. Google announced Tuesday that it now supports sharing NotebookLM notes publicly. In the end, Martin said you can't build while looking over your shoulder, especially when AI changes so rapidly. "It's hard to be creative and focused when you're in a state of fear," she said. "The newest products that are going to be our everyday products in the future are still to be discovered."
TechCrunch
33 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
Introducing Bounce, a tool to move your following between Bluesky and Mastodon
A major development showcasing the potential for the open social web was unveiled Thursday at the online conference known as FediForum. From the makers of Bridgy Fed, a tool that connects decentralized open social networks, like Mastodon and Bluesky, there now comes a new project known as Bounce that will allow users to migrate their social network followers across networks powered by different protocols. This is a significant step towards making the open social web a more viable alternative to the locked-in ecosystems provided by tech giants like Meta, Snap, Google, TikTok, and X — and where you may be able to delete your account and export your data when you leave, but not actually migrate your account to a new app. Today, Mastodon, Bluesky, and other social services that run on their protocols (ActivityPub and the AT Protocol, respectively) allow users to move their accounts within their protocol network. That means a Mastodon user can migrate their account to another Mastodon server, while Bluesky allows users to move their accounts and data from one Personal Data Server (PDS) to another. (The latter is still a work in progress because you can move off of Bluesky's PDS but not back to it!) However, it hasn't been possible for users to move their accounts or retain their followings by moving from one network to another. Now led by a nonprofit called A New Social, the makers of Bridgy Fed have developed technology that will make this type of migration possible. Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW Image Credits:Bridgy Fed diagram (A New Social) The tech builds on Bridgy Fed to allow users to 'move' their Bluesky account to their Mastodon profile's bridged account (an account that listens for your Mastodon posts and then replicates them on Bluesky so your Bluesky followers can see them), then take the bridged account and 'move' it to the user's Mastodon profile. How all this works under the hood is technically complicated because both platforms have different ways of handling migrations. That's why Bridgy Fed has to function as something of a middleman, enabling the transition with servers of its own, custom-built for the purpose of bridging and moves. Currently a proof-of-concept, the technology will launch into beta in a few weeks — but not for the casual user. 'I don't want to go as far as saying it's a tech demo, but it was really important to prove that this is possible,' says New Social's CEO and executive director, Anuj Ahooja. There are some complications at present, too. You can't move back to Bluesky's PDS because the social network hasn't built out that technology yet, for starters. Also, if someone on Bluesky who isn't bridged interacts with your 'moved' account, you won't see that once you're on the Mastodon side. But the team is working on developing a feature that will notify you of off-bridge interactions, Ahooja says. In addition, Bounce alerts you to how many of the people you follow aren't bridged, so if they ever do bridge, you can re-follow them. Image Credits:Bounce screenshot (A New Social) Ultimately, the team hopes the technology in Bounce would be obscured from the everyday open social user, who could instead decide simply what app they want to use and then go through a few short steps to move their following. And while today, Bounce supports Bluesky, Mastodon, and Pixelfed (an ActivityPub-based photo-sharing app), the longer-term goal would be to support any open social platform and protocol, whether that's a long-form blogging platform like Ghost, or even other networks like those running on Nostr or Farecaster. 'We're trying to create an interface for the open social web to handle some of these tougher movements that you have to make,' explained Ahooja. 'So, if you're unhappy with something Bluesky is doing — or even if you're not unhappy, but you feel like a platform on the ActivityPub side is doing something that you really needed to do…[you could] do these couple of clicks on Bounce,' he added. Bounce is the third project from A New Social. In addition to Bridgy Fed, the organization also launched a settings page a few weeks ago that makes the process of preparing to bridge easier and allows you to set a custom domain for your account. The overall goal at A New Social is to shift the power of social networks back to the people, not the platform makers, by giving them tools that let them move their account, their followings, and leave if a platform ever fails them in some way. This motto of 'People not Platforms' is now emblazoned on merch A New Social sells, like tees, hoodies, hats, cups, and stickers that help monetize its efforts, alongside its Patreon.
Fox News
34 minutes ago
- Fox News
WATCH LIVE: President Trump meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at White House
All times eastern Making Money with Charles Payne FOX News Radio Live Channel Coverage WATCH LIVE: Will Cain reacts to political news of the day with Tim Pool
