IPhones Stuck to Windshields Threaten $1,500 Dashboard Map: Cars
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Tim Nixon, chief technology officer of General Motors Co.’s OnStar service, knew something was amiss when he saw his two sons taking the “suction-cup approach” to in-car navigation. They would turn their iPhones sideways, stick them to the windshield and use a free map app to find their way.
That represented a rejection of their father’s life’s work: Convincing car buyers to pay $1,500 or more for a dashboard navigation system with an 8-inch screen and elaborate graphics. Rather than scold his young-adult sons, Nixon came up with an answer: GM now offers a $50 map application for iPhones that can play on the dashboard touchscreen of a $12,170 Chevrolet Spark.