8 replies to this topic

[beadgc23]

So I'm about to leave work with a laptop full of audio I need to audition. Its in iTunes. I have the USA•SPEC iPhone adapter with aux input so I plug the laptop in but obviously the user interface is not optimized for one handed use while driving...

I have an iPhone mount that holds it at finger length, so I enabled a local wireless network on the laptop and used the Apple Remote iPhone app. to control iTunes on the laptop. This worked so well I was stunned, and it was obvious that the laptop DA converters had the iPhone well beat.

Nice to have a laptop 12V adapter and 7" SVGA touchscreen but not bad for an impromptu CarPC on a zero budget!

[magicaljake]

i have some friends that do this on roadtrips..


its awesome how easy these things are getting that technology keeps advancing, and becoming cheaper to get access too

[greenwod]

that's nice, how about the battery?

[beadgc23]

greenwod, on 18 November 2009 - 09:45 PM, said:

that's nice, how about the battery?

Which one? This was a quick problem solve, but if I was going to enable this on a regular basis...

1 Car battery - the USA•SPEC adapter has a +12v low current accessory output that turns off after an hour. I'd use it to drive a relay to switch #2. This could also be switched from an ACC source. The MacBook PSU is 65W, not a battery killer by any means.

2 Laptop battery - there are magsafe (Macbook charging cable) auto adapters available ($30) which also have low-voltage protection for the car battery as a failsafe.

The MacBook will go into auto hibernate mode if its battery gets too low and re-awake when power returns, in which case startup time would be slowish.I'd also have to AppleScript something to re-enable the local network in case of restart. This is all speculation as I've not installed this, but I see no reason why it shouldn't work. Come to think of it, the regular deep cycling would be good for the laptop battery. Conceptually this would also give you wireless OBDII if I had the chops to write an iPhone app to talk to the driver (doez not have chopz - but I could remote desktop in when connected to the home network, anyone want to read my front O2 sensor voltage? )
I'd also rig a shockmount cradle under the passenger seat. Damn, I feel a micro project coming on. I see MacBooks with dead screens going for c$200 + a 500GB SATA HD for data storage which could wirelessly sync to the home network when parked...I've always been a fan of small networks of discrete portable audio equipment

[K Y L E]

i'm considering getting a verizon mifi thingy for our house internet, and realized it would work well in the car as well. it's smaller than a deck of cards.

your way is pretty ingenius! i just don't have macs.

[beadgc23]

Just been given a MacBook with a dead screen! Project is go...

[HtownTurboBrick]

K Y L E, on 21 November 2009 - 11:53 PM, said:

i'm considering getting a verizon mifi thingy for our house internet, and realized it would work well in the car as well. it's smaller than a deck of cards.

your way is pretty ingenius! i just don't have macs.

you mean like this?

[K Y L E]

ha, yeah, that's it. i don't do much downloading, so i figured 5 gb limit is fine. and you can take it anywhere. tom has definitely inspired me with his choice of music.

ha, yeah, that's it. i don't do much downloading, so i figured 5 gb limit is fine. and you can take it anywhere. tom has definitely inspired me with his choice of music.

[K Y L E]

comcast fail, sorry.