UK’s RealVNC do a very simple thing that is set to revolutionize the connected car: they mirror the screen on your phone on a touch screen in your car. Their technology, on display at MWC 2014, also powers “MirrorLink”– a platform being rolled out by the Car Connectivity Consortium, which included members like Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Samsung, LG, Sony, HTC, VW, Hyundai, Fiat, and Renault.
For years RealVNC has focused on PC to PC linking products that have been used by millions, but it’s put a strong emphasis on the mobile automotive space in the last 2 years. It sells its technology to a variety of car manufacturers, and counts itself among the members of the Car Connectivity Consortium.
The Consortium’s goal is to make it easier for developers to create apps for the connected car by letting automobiles access apps downloaded to your phone. They also will be enforcing safety standards for those apps to make sure that drivers only utilize apps safe for use on the road. With a large booth in the walkway between halls at MWC, the consortium was able to draw significant attention at the conference.
MirrorLink uses a simple USB cable to connect your phone to your car, and it will be available in certain vehicle models this year including the VW Gulf. HTC will have it pre-installed in certain phones, and had a Gulf on display at its MWC booth with a few MirrorLink apps users can download in the Google Play store. Once the devices are linked, all actions you take on the car’s touch screen are mirrored on the phone in real time– including calls you make.
See the photo below of MirrorLink in action in the VW Gulf.
