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Google to debut in-car Android integration tomorrow, says report

A big focus of Google's I/O developer conference will reportedly be a system for integrating navigation, audio, and calls from an Android phone with a car dashboard.

Wayne Cunningham Managing Editor / Roadshow
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
2 min read

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Google Auto Link would power an in-dash navigation display from an Android phone. Tania Gonzalez/CNET

In January at CES, Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance, a consortium of automakers formed to develop Android integration for cars. Tomorrow at Google's I/O developer conference, signs are looking good that we'll see the fruit of this effort.

Tomorrow's I/O conference is likely to feature our first look at an interface for Android in the car, called Google Auto Link during development, according to reports. A story in Automotive News cites sources saying that Auto Link will be shown at I/O, although Google itself is offering no comment.

Watch CNET's live coverage of the Google I/O 2014 keynote on Wednesday.

Google's moves in the vehicle space fall hot on the heels of Apple, which made a similar announcement last year for its iOS 7 mobile operating system, then followed it up with a demonstrations of CarPlay at the Geneva auto show.

Automotive News notes that Google Auto Link will work similar to Apple's CarPlay, in that the phone will serve as the computing platform for navigation and other functions, while the car's touchscreen and dashboard controls will serve as the interface.

Audi, which is part of Google's Open Automotive Alliance, advised CNET that it will hold a press conference Wednesday at around 11:30am PT, announcing new technology. This conference will come after the Google I/O keynote, suggesting that Audi is onboard with the Google Auto Link technology. The German automaker has a previous history of working with Google, offering Google Earth and Street View integration with its connected navigation systems.

A story on Digital Trends also suggested that Nvidia would provide the hardware platform for Google Auto Link, but an Nvidia spokesperson told CNET that the story was incorrect. As with Apple CarPlay, it is unlikely that Google would specify hardware for vehicle manufacturers.