Toyota Updating Prius On-Screen Display Interface

how about this one?

My grandma's '92 Lincoln Continental's "Message Center" Has an option to display gallons 'till empty, useful no?

 

Most cars in the UK with Information Displays give this info, usually MPG, miles left on this tank, average speed etc. These are useful displays whereas the Toyota's average consumption for this tank only is interesting, but that's all. It doesn't even display average fuel consumption over a greater period.

Definately a very simple S/W mod for Toyota to do which would enhance the driving experience for it's Prius users. Other useful mods would be the reverse alarm sounding outside the car instead of inside and an off switch for the annoying bleeps when using the centre console which makes the car sound like a 1970's calculator.

That said, these are the only niggles I have with mine, otherwise a great car.

Stuart Swinsco

 

You know what would be cool, If the GPS could integrate with Highway Patrol traffic information. So you could find out if there is traffic on the freeway or an accident... That way your route planer could adjust for the truly fastest route.

Now how hard would it be? I mean, Most major law enforcement programs post their live traffic reports on the net. Someone needs to come up with a system that takes that info and brings it in to our cars.

Cops have it. So we should to. What you could do is integrate it with the Satellite radio system, that way we don't need any more antennas.

Here in CA, you can even get Live Video of all of the Highways from the net.
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But another fun, toy thing Toyota could easily add. Show other Prius cars near you. I mean, you would need to have an option to not broadcast your car ( For privacy ). But I think it would be fun seeing if there where any other Prius owners around me. Then, go one step further and say... what if we could have profiles too. If we wanted them. Have info like, our MPG and Nick Name.

I don't know... I don't think that would be hard to do at all and would be kind of fun.

 

umm i guess i got the boring version of the screen software.

i would be willing to trade off the energy screen for a video game or something useful like water and oil temp, oil pressure and all those other measured things that were on other cars. i dont like the idea of having no idea when something like low oil will happen until the idiot light goes off.

and as far as the gaussian curve thingy... you miss your lava lamp dont you??

definitely much too much for driving.

 

Awsome, I want my car now so I can play with that!

 

Hey, while we are adding stuff to the Prius Screen... How about Custom Themes! Like on our Desktops. Now I don't have my car so you may already be able to do some of this... But...

What if we could transfer images from our Blue tooth phones to the Prius computer. For like a Background images.

Then, have custom start up screens that say our name, or whatever we want.

 

heck until GPS NAV is integrated with satellite photos to give me live traffic pics, i wont bother...

 

I agree with Dave: Instead of a warning light that comes on out of the blue, and says, "STOP DRIVING NOW!" we should have gauges that show when we are getting close to dangerous limits, so we can decide to turn back, or look for a service station, or head straight home and wait til another day to shop for a pet rock to keep the potted plant company.

I doubt if traffic information is currently available in a form that the NAV computer could read and utilize, but that's just a matter of time. In 10 or 20 years I expect it will be, and newer systems will use it.

 

Just in case Toyota is watching this thread, I'd still like to have ALTITUDE show up when using the NAV screen.

 

OR a screen that flashes

"LOOK OUT FOR THAT TRUCK!!"

then again for you married folks, maybe another backseat driver isnt needed...

 

I'd like a screen that gives a recipe for happiness. But I'd settle for one that gives pick-up lines that work for unattractive guys.

 

I have a Garmin Street Pilot (I think that is the name) that shows elevation (mentioned above, really cool when climbing mountains or descending into valleys) and also estimated time of arrival. ETA is the figure I am interested in, not "how long till I get there". I hate having to do the math in my head to track ETA as conditions change. I use the Garmin in conjunction with the GPS on my #9, folks who don't have a GPS might find it particularly helpful. Sits nice on the dash board as well. Oh yeah, it calls out the freeways by name, not number, a very handy feature for Southern California drivers.

What I really want is a way to drive the display from a PC or a DVD player, a video input jack. Getting access to the touch screen and the steering wheel buttons would be nice as well. I wish I could change the fan speed from the steering wheel, and not the temperature set point, for example.

At one point I thought I heard about someone who was offering the display input hack.

 

It's here. But it's not available yet.

 

I have a program on the phone that is like that.

 

I'm an unattractive guy, and I find that almost any line will work on me.

Hang on, you said for, not on, didn't you? In that case, sorry, no good.

 

Yep. Any line would work on me, too. As long as the woman speaking it is not as unattractive as I am. My problem is I'm too fussy: I only want a woman who likes me. (The opposite of Groucho.)