HARMAN in Your Car - Develops New Car-Centric Android Based Apps

Related: Android, Automative, HARMAN

HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group, is demonstrating its scalable platform solution, leveraging the Android for Automotive operating system that meets the needs of today's smartphone-oriented generation by safely bringing car-centric apps and services into the car.

"The automotive industry can no longer innovate at its current pace, and Harman is helping OEMs create more flexible, scalable solutions that deliver leading connected solutions for tomorrow, today," said Dinesh Paliwal, HARMAN's Chair-man, President, and Chief Executive Officer. "This starts by creating an automotive-grade, intuitive user interface in the car that also delivers the connected experience consumers are accustomed to on their mobile devices."

The Harman app-centric infotainment concept platform shepherds a new era for in-car experiences that more effectively connects drivers to their digital worlds - the home, the office, friends and the cloud - in ways that are easy, fun, personal-ized and intuitive.

Key features in the new infotainment system include:

Car-Centric Applications and Services

HARMAN's new infotainment system is designed for safe use in the car with one-touch access to the features drivers value and expect in today's system - media, navigation, telephony, applications, and other settings. By placing these tabs at the bottom of every screen, drivers can easily and quickly find what they need while staying alert and keeping their attention focused on the road.

HARMAN is further minimizing distractions on the road by integrating sensitive icons in its new infotainment system that "grow" in size as a driver's finger approaches the system touch screen. This ensures that the touch targets are big enough for users to find quickly the first time.

A new Harman curated applications store makes it easy and safe for drivers to enjoy the latest applications in the car. Using the new platform, consumers can discover and download versions of applications from streaming radio, audio book services, or the latest social media feeds that are developed or adapted specifically for the automotive environment. Be-cause of the flexible design, the infotainment system is "future-proof," meaning it can add or remove apps easily as new applications are invented or made available.

Using the new infotainment system, consumers have added flexibility to bring their content into the car with them. HAR-MAN makes it easy for drivers to access content on their iPods, smartphones and iPads by providing wired and wireless interfaces that are optimized for the driving environment. This includes media and applications that are running on con-sumer mobile devices, as well as those connecting via cloud-based services like Siri and Google Voice Search.

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