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Honda nav concept replaces head unit with Android phone

The desire for better in-car tech without compromising safety is what led Drivemode co-founders Yo Koga and HK Ueda to create their auto-centric Android app. It presents a clutter-free UI specifically meant for driving. The single-button, no-look interface uses display-wide swipes and taps and presents audio cues to help keep your eyes on the road -- and not the glowing rectangle you have mounted to your dash. With over 400,000 downloads, the app has gotten the attention of not just drivers, but also major automakers, including Honda. The carmaker has partnered with Drivemode to create a concept vehicle that completely replaces the head unit with a phone. It's not just shoving an Android device into the dash either; the head unit is completely integrated with the car's controls. For instance, the buttons on the wheel that usually control the radio now control the app. Additionally, the backup and right-side blindspot cameras are now displayed on the phone too. Honda and Drivemode say this is still just a concept and potentially years away from actually happening. But it's part of a larger plan to build an app for automakers; a way to offer its software replacement for the traditional in-dash system. In the meantime, though, Drivemode is looking for other ways to make a bit safer. For instance, Ueda says the app will eventually support aftermarket Bluetooth backup and blindspot cameras. So, drivers can buy the cameras and mount them to their cars, allowing them to have an additional safety feature, even if their vehicle didn't have that option when purchased new. In particular, the Drivemode team sees an opportunity in lower-end vehicles that are less likely to come pre-installed with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The app replicates many of the features found in those systems which tend to be found in medium to high-end cars. For drivers who can't afford the trim levels that offer those smartphone-integrating options (or are are not looking to upgrade their whip), they can still enjoy a more integrated driving experience without weaving all over the road trying to launch Spotify. Unfortunately, the app is for Android only right now, but Drivemode is looking for additional funding to build an iOS version. Related Video: This piece by Roberto Baldwin originally appeared on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life. Auto News Honda android android auto nav

Fernando Alonso tries out fast motorcycles and Senna's McLaren

Honda closed out its racing year yesterday with its annual Thanks Day at Motegi. The event brought out an array of competition machinery and the drivers and riders who race them. That included Fernando Alonso, but rather than bring his Honda-powered McLaren, the two-time world champ took the opportunity to try out some different equipment. While MotoGP rider Marc Marquez slipped behind the wheel of the NSX Concept GT, his countryman Alonso hopped on his RC213V motorcycle for a couple of laps. Fernando isn't the first racer to swap between F1 and motorcycles: Michael Schumacher tried his hand and motorcycle racing from time to time, Valentino Rossi tested Ferrari grand prix cars on numerous occasions, and of course John Surtees won championships in both spheres – but he remains the only one to have done so. Fernando also had the chance to drive a McLaren-Honda MP4/6, just like the one with which Ayrton Senna successfully defended his title in the 1991 Formula One World Championship. That was the first time McLaren ran a Honda V12, but the last time a V12 – or a manual transmission – won the championship. After the following season, Honda and McLaren parted ways – only to be reunited this year with Alonso and Button behind the wheel. While Alonso was toying around with Senna's car, Takuma Sato – who drove Hondas in Formula One and now in Indy – tried his hand at the 1968 Honda RA301. That machine was also powered by a Honda V12, but at 440 horsepower, was far less potent than the 735+hp version that would later power Senna's. John Surtees drove one just like this in the '68 world championship, retiring from most of the races on the calendar but scoring two podiums from the three that he did finish. Marquez and his teammate Dani Pedrosa also competed in the CBR250 spec race, rode the mid-80s-era NSR500 bikes. They drove in four-wheel spec race as well in modified Honda N-One kei cars. The event served to cap a full year of racing for the Japanese automaker, which competes in a range of racing disciplines including F1, Indy, Super GT, the World Touring Car Championship, and numerous classes of motorcycle racing. Featured Gallery Fernando Alonso at Honda Thanks Day 2015 View 11 Photos News Source: Honda via Autosport Motorsports Honda motogp

Mom Accidentally Steals Honda In Brooklyn

The owner of a 1993 Honda Accord that was accidentally stolen by a young Brooklyn woman's mother has the car back in her possession, after amusing posters popped up all over town. Cheryl Thorpe traveled to New York from her home in Houston to watch her daughter's dog while she and her roommates went on vacation, according to New York Magazine. Thorpe was also left the task of moving the three girls' cars to legal parking spots on a street-cleaning day. She dutifully moved the Fiat, Honda CR-V and Accord, but when the trio returned from their vacation something was wrong. The owner of the Accord found her car right where she left it, thankfully free of parking tickets. The Accord Thorpe had moved belonged to someone else. As it turns out, some older Hondas have interchangeable keys. Thorpe was able to use the girl's keys to move Emily Hickert's car while she ate brunch. Hickert spent an entire week thinking a professional car thief had made off with her 21-year-old ride. "In less than 40 seconds she gets in the car and goes," Hickert told The New York Post, after reviewing security footage from a nearby business. "I thought she was a professional." Hickert filed a police report, while Thorpe's daughter posted fliers all over Brooklyn looking for the Accord's owner. Hickert was eventually reunited with her Honda, which had been towed after sitting parked on the street. She says she bears no ill will towards the women involved in the mix up. "I'm not upset with her," Hickert told The Post. "I'm glad it wasn't a thief. I just didn't know why anyone would steal a 1993 Honda." Related Gallery Honda's Redone 2013 Civic Pulls Icon Out Of The Fire Weird Car News Honda