According to an article published on TechCrunch, General Motors has been loosening the reins and enabling its developer to create software for use in their vehicle infotainment systems. At the beginning of 2017, the automotive giant opened up access to a wide range of data points from the vehicle, and made it possible to develop using a simulator on the desktop, instead of having to use very specific developer hardware based in Detroit.
GM has introduced its new app, GM Dev Client, which makes it possible for developers to test their in-vehicle software creations in real world conditions in actual cars, including performing real-time updates to the code via a laptop to implement tweaks and changes while the car is moving (handled by a passenger, and not a driver, of course).
This is a big change in how developers build for and target automaker native software platforms: It’s something which has never been optimized for broad development efforts in the way that iOS or Android are, for instance. There are still controls in place that help ensure safety is a top priority, but this drastically removes the friction involved in building apps for use in cars.
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