Probstisms

Tim Probst
Tim Probst
@Tim@www.timprobst.com

Early adopting super geek, musician, father, resident tech guru.

1,101 posts
9 followers

Category: Technology

  • If I knew that all I had to do was write a blog post about Apple Music’s absence from AAOS to actually get Apple Music on AAOS, I would have done it a year ago!

    Seriously, folks. The same day I wrote this post, Apple Music app was sitting there waiting for me when I hopped in the car.

    I’ve only used it a couple days, but it is already clear that Apple Music is the best software I have used on AAOS so far. It embraces all of the AAOS standards (Material Design), and actually has the features I would expect in a music app in a car.

    Lesson for the young folks out there. Details and humane interface designs matter.

    Fediverse Reactions

  • Google Built-in Is Out of Tune

    It’s been about a year since we purchased a car with Google Built-in, and I have done my best to embrace the capabilities of Android Automotive OS (AAOS) and the apps available in Google Play. Note that my mobile phone is an iPhone, and I have used CarPlay for many years.

    There are several features in AAOS that have impressed me very much. I am very impressed with the Google Maps integration and the ability to send trips from my phone before we leave for our destination. The layout of the dashboard incorporating the map and directions is efficient and effective (and beautiful). The ability to access other apps while still seeing the map on the dashboard is a great user experience. I also find it very helpful to adjust comfort settings using Gemini without ever having to reach away from the steering wheel.

    As a software product professional, what has shocked me is how consistently horrible 3rd party apps are from a user experience perspective. Most music apps are borderline unusable which makes zero sense to me. Music is one of the main use cases for a great driving experience. You need to know the status of your car, you need to know where you’re going, and you need great tunes. It all seems pretty simple to me. Music services need to invest in their AAOS experiences significantly and thoroughly embrace the capabilities of the operating system. Drivers deserve a great music experience, and it really shouldn’t take much effort to make this happen. And for crying out loud, where is the Apple Music app?

    Honestly, I don’t want to have to use CarPlay, but until the user experience of music apps on AAOS are exponentially better, I’ll be connecting my phone and using well-designed apps.

  • Wouldn’t it be amazing if Pandora built an API and MCP Server on top of the Pandora Genome? Imagine the joyous music solutions a person could create with access to that kind of music knowledge and information?

    The reality is Pandora’s algorithm is so much more powerful and accurate than any other music service. Instead of joining forces with Sirius XM, they should have licensed their Genome to every music service on the planet.

    Perhaps it’s not too late.

  • If you fly, you should be using Flighty!

    Flighty Update Adds Step-by-Step Guide for Connecting Flights

    Fediverse Reactions

  • I could not agree more with what Eric Schmidt said in his commencement speech and what Dave Winer said in response to it.

    Having implemented financial technology products for the last 20 some odd years, the one common outcome no matter the size of the bank or the bank’s location around the world is that the people that embrace the new technology or new business processes most fully and with the most enthusiasm always become the next leaders for their bank or move on to lead another bank. I have seen this happen more times than I can remember at this point.

    So in times of drastic change, be the person driving – not the person in the back seat wishing they were driving.

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  • Saddened to read one of my favorite tech writers of all time has passed away way too soon. I first discovered Om Malik through Business 2.0 magazine and then followed his blog-turned-empire GigaOm and eventually his most recent blog On my Om.

    Om had this way of making really complex business and technology topics understandable and actually fun to read. I will miss reading his insights, and my feed reader will feel a bit less optimistic without him.

    Om Malik, 1966-2026 – On my Om

  • I’ve been spending some quality time integrating Aha! and Jira this week. I’ve been integrating systems for most of my professional career, and I have to say that Aha! has created an absolutely incredible user experience for something that is usually very technical and very difficult. It’s like a master class in how system integration should work.

    Now I have to figure out how to do this for financial technology systems.

  • I got really excited about this until I read the linked Developers Guide. If you’ve gone all-in with the Alexa or Google Assistant ecosystem, how cool would it be to open the Alexa or Google Assistant app in CarPlay and have it play any music, radio, or podcast sources you want even when they don’t also support Siri? Now, that would be pretty sweet!

    Unfortunately, it appears the voice-based apps can “Only hold an audio session open when voice features are actively being used.” Such a bummer of a limitation!

    iOS 26.4 Brings CarPlay Support for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

  • I have been very impressed with the software in our Volvo, but one of my frustrations is that Volvo’s implementation of AAOS in our model does not support Apple Music. My hope is that this announcement foreshadows a future software update for other Volvo models to make Apple Music available in Google Play.

    And while I’m asking Volvo for things, throw in the MLB and Audacy apps and make the SiriusXM app capable of playing internet stations and podcasts in addition to the satellite stations. Easy peasy.

    Volvo’s New EX60 SUV Features Pre-Installed Apple Music App With Spatial Audio

  • At this point, it’s pretty ridiculous that Walmart has remained committed to their payment systems. There are so many other ways to track a shopper’s purchases in-store that the act of paying does not need to be tied to the rest of the experience.

    Give shoppers a good reason to sign in at the register. Perhaps shoppers earn points towards Walmart Cash or earn points towards a discount on a Walmart+ and/or Sam’s Club membership. Another option is to link a shopper via their payment card number. Many food and drink establishments already do this. The technology exists.

    I have no doubt that Walmart will come around eventually. At the end of the day, the customer is always right, and customers want to tap their phones, watches, or cards.

    Walmart Still Doesn’t Accept Apple Pay in the U.S. in 2026, Here’s Why