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Dozens of Former Apple Employees Team Up to Launch ‘RearVision' Vehicle Camera

Hah, is Apple going to have to develop CarKit? I consider something like this to be superfluous. Maybe not for older people. I know my grandpa loves having a backup camera. It can be useful for bigger vehicles. But like others said, can't this be easily stolen? Forget stealing my $300 stereo, they'll just steal my $500 license plate cover. Also, myself and many others probably wouldn't have their car parked outside in full sun one day out of the week. My car is in my garage at home or my garage at work most of the time. I'd have to park near the side of the parking garage, backing up into the spot to hope to get some sunlight for part of the day—and I don't often get to pick a spot.
 
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pat500000 said:
S

o what would you call it?
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My old car. A new car becomes "used" the moment the original owner drives it off the lot, so "used" is a poor descriptor for the cars that could benefit this device. A car also only becomes "pre-owned" when it is sold to someone else. All by definition.
 
"Dozens"

MacRumors said:



A group of three former Apple engineers,
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wait-what-meme.jpg
 
wemclaughlins said:
Yeah not for $500.

Besides, I learned to drive--and parallel park--without a rear view camera and have done just fine for 20 years. They talk about distracted drivers these days- every time I drive by a brand new car going down the highway at night with a giant fully illuminated touch screen shining bright in the car cabin I can't help but think we've missed the point. I go nuts when my kids need the cabin dome lights on for 30 seconds to find a dropped Cheerio when I'm driving at night because of the distraction.
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Hear hear, I agree, just turn your head and look out the back and sides like the old fashion way. I don't have a rear view camera either. When I drive my mom's new car for a few minutes its distracting and I never look at the review camera at all, it's too myopic for seeing out the back. In the video it implies that the camera can see around a hedge. All the rear view cameras I have seen cannot do that no mater how much fish eye the lens is.
 
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oneMadRssn said:
No, 49 CFR Part 571 will cause them to be standard on all cars by 2018. GM, and all others, would gladly like to sell a no seat-belt, no crumple-zone, no airbag, no collision rating, plastic box with 4 wheels and an engine for $5k. Competition in cars is a race to the bottom - the least expensive cars with the fewest features sell the most.
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Then why would Honda make a back up camera standard on almost all their cars now, instead of waiting till 2018. I don't think it is a race to the bottom. Its a race to see how many tech features they can shove into a cheap car. Bluetooth is standard on all Kias now, I believe. I was also stating that even if they don't legislate the cameras, it will happen anyway from competition. I'm all for it.
 
IJ Reilly said:
My old car. A new car becomes "used" the moment the original owner drives it off the lot, so "used" is a poor descriptor for the cars that could benefit this device. A car also only becomes "pre-owned" when it is sold to someone else. All by definition.
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Yeah it is an old car
 
wemclaughlins said:
Yeah not for $500.

Besides, I learned to drive--and parallel park--without a rear view camera and have done just fine for 20 years. They talk about distracted drivers these days- every time I drive by a brand new car going down the highway at night with a giant fully illuminated touch screen shining bright in the car cabin I can't help but think we've missed the point. I go nuts when my kids need the cabin dome lights on for 30 seconds to find a dropped Cheerio when I'm driving at night because of the distraction.
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My 89 BMW doesn't even have cup holders. No distraction in that car whatsoever. I love it.
 
There needs to be a way to activate the cameras when driving forward at normal speeds, including freeway speeds, because this is a good opportunity to eliminate the blind spots between the side mirrors and the central rear-view mirror. This is especially true for very old vehicles that don't have two side mirrors and for trucks which don't have a central rear-view mirror.
 
Seems interesting, maybe a novel idea 5-10 years ago. It seems like most new vehicles come with backup cameras these days, and the ones that don't may be sold to consumers who might balk at spending $500 for this. This product only seems like it makes sense in vehicles without screens, as I'd rather see my backup camera in my nice large vehicle screen and not on a small phone. I'd be hesitant about theft as well, that's a $500 device you have on there only with screws. I'm also very particular about my vehicle and don't like big thick license plate holders, especially branded ones.

I don't think they will do super well, just my opinion. Especially with android auto/carplay coming around, everyone is going to be looking at their vehicle screens and not their phones anymore. They possibly have some kind of short term, but large market if they sold it cheaper to existing vehicles, and new vehicles without screens, but it would have to be cheaper. I'd say for that market $100-199 maximum.

PS: I remember buying camera/screen packages back in the day, maybe 15 years ago that cost around $100. You get a small camera you put somewhere on the rear, maybe on the license plate. One small wire goes inside, power from the vehicle which isn't difficult and cable to a small screen you mount on your dashboard. They worked quite well, this was the time before backup screens were ubiquitous on new vehicles. I would bet with the lack of market and chinese manufacturing these packages can be had for much less that $100 these days.
 
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newdeal said:
The best use to me for a backup camera is hooking up a trailer, the camera makes that far easier when lining up the ball with the hitch. Other than that though since I don't back into parking spaces I don't really care about the rear camera, its easier to backup with the side mirrors than with a camera by about a million percent
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The blindspot warning is a good idea though. Can't tell you how many close calls I've had in parking lots when drivers looking for parking go blind to people backing out.
 
Am I the only one that is interested in knowing the car mount they used on the video? It's pretty neat but I can't seem to find it anywhere...
 
pdfontes said:
Am I the only one that is interested in knowing the car mount they used on the video? It's pretty neat but I can't seem to find it anywhere...
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just looks like your standard magnetic mount. amazon for like 8 bucks. put a plate inside your phone case. i love them. i have them in every car.
 
Neat.... but why is the dianostic port need if it communicates via Bluetooth ?

Can't bluetooth send images ? Plus GPS can determine the cars speed that way any car could use it... May not accurate, but just how accurate do u want to be ? If u'r moving slowly, you know how slow u'r moving.
 
It's a good idea until someone comes along with a two dollar screwdriver and removes it from the car.
 
Love it as I need one for my pickup truck... backing up is always an issue... however, $500 is too much... if it was $200-250 I'd have one in a min. It needs a good security screw... I'd hate to see it stolen.
 
Do they think people with old cars are going to buy a $500 license plate cover? Why would they put an extra unnecessary camera on it driving up the price? Working for Apple seems to have disconnected them from reality.
 
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