The Tesla Model S is already a pretty cool vehicle in an almost sci-fi way, and it’s about to get just a little bit better thanks to some Google integration. Tesla CEO talked about ways to improve the model S, and one thing on the road map was to add a Google Chrome browser to the 17-inch touch-screen interface in the center console of the car. The computer behind it already runs a version of Linux, which Chrome already runs on, so it’s not too much of a jump to see that happening in the next few years. That would be very useful for navigating with Google maps and the like, or just giving the passenger something to do on long road trips.
Aside from Chrome integration, Musk talked about possibly setting up the console to run an emulated version of Android, giving users access to apps in windows on the console. I’m not entirely sure how well everything would work without an internet connection, but assuming they can get the kinks worked out past that, it could be really cool to have different travelling apps running in your car.
If you’re interested, you can check out the full interview with Musk below. The Android discussion starts at about 37 minutes, but the entire piece is very interesting. » Read the rest
CheapCast, a free Chromecast alternative, has been missing a key Chromecast feature since its beginnings. However, today’s update to version 0.4.1 brings that missing feature – the support to beam browser tabs straight from your device to your television via HDMI or WiFi. This apparently only works with tabs and not fullscreen casting, and DRM’d services like Netflix and Google Play Movies “actually might never work,” but this is a free solution that will allow you to stream most Flash-based video content.
