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Darren
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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 Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:41 am Post subject: GPS with Mobile TV, a step too far? |
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 With Garmin's announcement of the Nuvi 900, a DVB-H equipped (mobile TV) satnav it brings safety issues sharply into focus. Garmin have chosen to launch the Nuvi 900 in partnership with cellphone carrier 3 Italia. Italians are of course famous for their skilled driving!. Equipped with a DVB-H receiver the 900 can receive a variety of channels provided by the carrier.
Doubtless all very clever but the safety implications are worrying. Garmin are not alone in developing devices with integrated DVB-H, Siemens showcased a unit last year and mobile TV is already very popular in Asian markets. But do we really want in-car devices with the ability to watch TV? Safety mechanisms can be easily bypassed and as evidenced by the availability of solutions to defeat the safety systems on factory fit in-car TV systems, there are drivers on the road who think it is perfectly safe to watch TV whilst driving. It isn't. If safety campaigners are concerned about the issues surrounding use of a satnav whilst driving then surely they will have s field day when they discover this new development!
Instead of adding ever more features to our navigation devices, MP3, Video, Photo Viewers and now TV, perhaps it is time manufacturers concentrated on further improving the actual navigation platform and maps?
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Darren Griffin |
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h5djr
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Joined: Feb 25, 2005
Posts: 228
Location: St Neots Cambs UK
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| Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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Several members on another forum I look at have been modifying their factory-fitted sat/nav so that it can receive television whilst the car is moving. To me a very dangerous move but the standard excuse is it's so that their passenger can watch. A likely story. Using a phone is bad enough but as for watching television.
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Dave R (h5djr)
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Darren
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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Exactly. I spoke with an ex-colleague recently and he said they now routinely check for such modifications if a vehicle has been involved in an RTA. They are aware of the black box and other hacks for TV on the move and if they discover such a modification then the driver could be looking at jail time if it is believed to have been a causal factor.
There is simply no excuse for these modifications and I hope we see some drivers facing a few years in prison, maybe that'll make the other fanboys who carry out the mod think again 
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DennisN
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006
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Location: Keynsham
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| Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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Wasn't it inevitable? Surely I've seen posts here from people who have video capability on their sat navs? And I saw a PDA the other day (with TT Navigator) running the complete Spiderman film! I pulled up alongside a driver in London last week who was busily texting in the moving traffic - I administered a hard stare and received a hand gesture in response! It's time "they" did a proper crack down on this sort of thing - texting, video. And the punishment should include automatic seizure of the offending device to be crushed, no choice, no appeal.
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Dennis
If it tastes good - it's fattening.
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mrsmith76
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Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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| TomTom were always regarded and still are for bringing forward groundbreaking ideas for sat navs but I seriously think this is stupid of garmin trying to better there old rival in the features department. |
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crazyfingers
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Joined: Aug 08, 2004
Posts: 107
Location: Massachusetts, USA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:33 am Post subject: |
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Car installed GPS units have had TV in them for years in Japan. At least 4 years ago my sales guy in Tokyo was driving me around with a TV equipped GPS.
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nuttynurse
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Joined: Nov 28, 2005
Posts: 226
Location: Cheltenham
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| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:17 am Post subject: |
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| DennisN wrote: | | Wasn't it inevitable? Surely I've seen posts here from people who have video capability on their sat navs? And I saw a PDA the other day (with TT Navigator) running the complete Spiderman film! I pulled up alongside a driver in London last week who was busily texting in the moving traffic - I administered a hard stare and received a hand gesture in response! It's time "they" did a proper crack down on this sort of thing - texting, video. And the punishment should include automatic seizure of the offending device to be crushed, no choice, no appeal. |
The increase in fines for motorists using mobile phones has done little to deter these idiots from doing so, and I guess the threat of having their car seized will be of little concern to them either. You can imagine the carnage to come as the woman driver becomes emotionally irate whilst watching a recording of "East Enders", "Corrie" or whatever her favourite soap on a 2" screen becoming caught up in the fantasy of the latest drama totally detached from the reality of driving her car. The rear view mirror has already become the make-up mirror for the adornment of lipstick at 80mph. Perhaps the 32" plasma car screens is already on its way! The macho man of course will be watching the football/rugby match or a replay of Arnie's or Stallone believing he too is invincible in his Truck, Off-Roader or Corsa viewing all traffic in his way as potential adveraries of "The Empire" whilst keeping in constant verbal communication with some fellow conspirator on his communicator device. ("Beam me up Scottie") Is that a steering wheel he is holding onto or is he battling with his JOYSTICK? lost in his fantasy that he is piloting a battle cruiser and not simply a car.
Having video's in cars is not new anyway. You already have the combined radio/video systems for the driver to play with or be distracted by not to mention the array of seat and sun visor mounted ones. It seems that manufacturers are trying to turn our vehicles in to mobile lounges or mission control centres so that we don't have to miss a phone call or t.v. programme whilst out and about.
If the government is serious about improving road safety they should tackle the problem at source targeting fines and penalties against manufacturers who produce these destractions for the motorists in the first place so that the driver of the vehicle can get on and do just that, drive the car. Perhaps when the government spends some of the money they take in revenue from the motorists and actually spends it on "Improving Public Transport" the manufacturers of such absorbing technologies can then instead provide coaches and trains with these Mobile Home/Offices facilities as well as arcades casinos etc on board, all the things people see unable to live without whist travelling to and thro.
I don't want a sat nav system that plays MP3's and shows photos and such like and I certainly don't want one that plays videos and tv whilst I'm driving. It does seem sensible however having bluetooth connectability so that the driver does not need to fiddle about with a mobile phone, though I don't think many mobile calls are so essential that they can't wait til you stop somewhere and certainly text message on the move should be criminalised.
To TomTom, Garmin and others manufacturers, let simply have a good navigation system that reliable, visually clear, clearly audible, gets you from A to B via roads not fields and tracks and does not pose added distractions to the driver. Oh and of course includes the PocketGPSWorld's camera database to keep us all alert to the hidden menaces on our roads i.e. the legalised "Dick Turpin's" devices. |
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