I have a 7" Nexus tablet on the dashboard as a display which is great for speed and all the other displays.
So, the tech has been around for a while now. I notice Garmin are even doing a satnav which connects to the OBD.
Can't help wondering why manufacturers aren't making use of this tech & giving us a dashboard we can actually see, make use of, move around to a convenient location...
The tablet would also take on the role of the ICE, just hook the tab up to speakers, load all your MP3s & away you go.
Add the capacity to plug in a couple of small cameras & you have your dashcams sorted as well.
The unit could not only record camera footage, but also log everything the car is doing from the OBD port.
As an extra thought, if the tablet was put in a decent dock, it could also act as security - do away with car keys (aside from an emergency key).
The car can only be locked if the tablet is removed & outside the car.
Turn on the tablet, enter pin/password, dock the tablet & only then can the car be started?
Perhaps you could also have a mains docking station whereby the tablet could be synced with your PC (download info from cameras & OBD to a hard drive then clear out the memory ready for the next journey?).
For the trip to town, where you wouldn't want to carry the tablet around, another setting could transfer security to a key fob, whilst the tablet is folded down into a custom 'glove box'.
And the next step could be, do away with pedals & steering wheel. Replace all this with a games controller.
Both my lads thought they would be expert drivers long before they sat behind a wheel - they were just brilliant with all the driving sim games.
The car industry would save a fortune as every car ever produced could be driven from the left or the right seat