If you read my two previous articles about using your smartphone to run Android Auto on your motorcycle, you know that I consider the Garmin BMW Navigator VI a poor alternative to a smartphone. I recently upgraded the smartphone that I use with my S1000XR to a Motorola G6. Continue reading How To: Android Auto 5.5 for Navigation & Entertainment on a BMW S1000XR Updated
We recently purchased a 2018 Honda Pilot Touring edition that has a rear entertainment system (RES). In addition to playing Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs, the Honda entertainment system can play anything that connects via either an HDMI or component auxiliary video input. My wife asked me for a media solution that was as simple as inserting a DVD disc but that permitted us to play a number of movies on demand for our children. T Continue reading How To: Watch Movies in Your Honda Pilot or Odyssey Using Android TV Updated
The Shield TV continues to be an anomaly: it is by far the most powerful media streamer and a capable gaming platform though not as advanced as the Xbox One or Playstation 4, while costing nearly as much. While Google focuses on stripped down Chromecast devices and Chromecast-enabled TVs, Nvidia singularly showcases the advanced functionality of Android TV including DVR, media serving, gaming, and now smart home capabilities. Though Nvidia is touting the Shield TV and AI home, Google is the AI element and Nvidia is the hardware manufacturer.
Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV: 2017 Hardware & Shield Experience 5.1 Review Updated
At the 2016 I/O conference, Google announced that Android Auto would expand from a headend unit-centric solution to a mobile phone-centric solution. This will let drivers whose cars do not support Android Auto to have a similar experience directly on their mobile phone. For motorcyclists, there’s a similar benefit because Android Auto now can be used on the motorcycle. Continue reading How To: Using Android Auto v2.0 on a Motorcycle Updated
First, let’s acknowledge up front that all motorcycle-specific GPS units are both obsolete technologically and horribly overpriced. For years, I had a Garmin Zumo 650. The screen was dull and slow to respond to touch. The processor was very slow to process that input or to recalculate routes. The Bluetooth audio pairing was always flaky, particularly for phone integration. The software was antiquated even compared to cheap Garmin car units. Online trip planning integration tools were primitive. Exporting routes from Google Maps required a hack to GPX waypoints that never routed the same way in the Garmin. The included audio app is near useless. Continue reading How To: Using a Smartphone for a Better Navigation System for Motorcycles
Since its first release in May 2015, the Nvidia Shield Android TV has been billed as the world’s best Android TV settop box. That continues to be the case as of December 2016. The Shield Android TV is also more powerful, technology-wise, than the Apple TV Gen 4, Amazon FireTV 2, or latest Roku. That said, the Apple TV is undeniably a better solution for Apple ecosystem users like my parents. Amazon’s ecosystem is a cost-effective solution, especially for Amazon Prime members; and the FireTV is also bolstered by Amazon’s investment in exclusive content. Meanwhile, the Android gaming ecosystem isn’t advanced enough to sway hard-core gamers from their Xbox One or PS4 game consoles. Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV Review Updated
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