I like new hardware ideas; it’s no fun to think that the phone is the last device we’re going to need. But I can’t see why anyone would want this. At least when Amazon and Facebook tried making their own branded phones, they were actually phones that did everything we expect a modern phone to do. Who wants a phone-sized remote control for their phone?And as a dedicated device mounted on your car dashboard, how is it not an invitation to be stolen? It looks like a phone that was left in the car.

Daring Fireball: Spotify’s ‘Car Thing’

I didn’t expect John to have this harsh a take on someone trying something new. There are at least a couple thoughts that came to mind when reading this:

• If someone is only concerned about music and doesn’t want the potential distraction of their phone when driving, this might help.
• Weren’t GPS devices similar as a dedicated device mounted in the dashboard somewhere? Seems to me this Spotify Car Thing would also be simple enough to put in a center console when you park. I remember friends doing this with the faceplate of their CD players.
• This could be especially useful for folks with older cars.

Again, seems cool that Spotify is trying something. If it doesn’t work or catch on, then kill it off. :shrug:

I happen to live in a larger community with golf cart paths that can take you wherever you want to go. We have a Bluetooth speaker attached to ours and it’s really annoying to fiddle with the phone while on a joyride with our daughter. I ordered one of these to see if it’d make listening to music a more manageable experience.

The bigger question is whether or not I stay with Spotify long-term. For now, though, we’ll give this Car Thing a shot.