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The iPad Mini Finds Its Way Into a Car Dashboard

The prospect of having entertainment and touchscreen technologies inside your car is nothing new. There are already a variety of carmakers that have developed and included fully functional touch-based instrument panels in their cars, most of which feature the ability to change radio stations and give turn-by-turn directions. But imagine how cool it would be to have all of the entertainment and innovation of the iPad Mini “built directly” into your vehicles dashboard. You would be able to perform an amazing amount of tasks, including things like accessing the web and listening to Spotify.

The group over at Soundwaves in Tampa, Florida, is giving us a glimpse at just what it would look like to have Apple’s latest creation “molded” into your car. Fabricators at the company were actually already working on the custom-created dashboard using leaked specifications for the iPad Mini before it hit store shelves. Once they got their hands on the smaller tablet it was just a matter of opening the pre-cut slot in the dashboard and sliding the device into place. The end result is an incredibly good-looking console that actually appears as if it was crafted by the original automakers themselves. The group at Soundwaves even managed to comprise a Youtube video that shows them loading the device into the dashboard. It gives you a better look at some of the “features” that come from having an iPad Mini integrated into your automobile.

So what exactly could you do if you had all the wonders of the iPad Mini right at your fingertips? For one, you’d have access to maps and full turn-by-turn directions. You’d also get Yelp! and its impressive collection of restaurants. Finding a great place to eat in your area could happen with just a few taps. Imagine having Siri built into your car too. Apple’s “personal assistant” could give you a mass of hands-free tools and could help you send messages and check emails. You could even kick back and watch a movie while waiting in the parking lot or jam to your favorite radio app as you cruise down the road. Of course, we don’t recommend that you do anything aside from checking your GPS while you’re driving for obvious safety reasons.

Perhaps this creation by Soundwaves is the first step towards car manufacturers developing a relationship with Apple to bring smaller tablets into their vehicles. We could be seeing the start of a completely new area of automobile technology. After all, judging by how sleek and integrated the iPad Mini looks in Soudwaves Youtube video, it’s pretty easy to imagine it as a standard piece of equipment in a luxury sedan or SUV.

Photo Credit: Soundwaves

 

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