Been watching these forums with interest - just got the "monthly" email from Amazon (US) which everyone mistakes as a "shipping"/"backorder" date. Patience...

Just got a new car with bluetooth functionality - like a DVR or the internet it's something that I didn't know how much I needed until I had it. At first I thought it was unfortunate that it's not my daily driver but now made me think about of what I can do with my daily driver since it has a double-DIN slot which can hold a radio with a 7" screen!

The question is how much can be done with the "radio" and the N900 together? Not sure what the perfect device is but here's the wishlist:

Show the N900 display over Bluetooth and display on the radio screen. Probably can't over Bluetooth... Video out from N900 into video in on the radio would be alright as well.

Allow touch screen movements to control the N900 - perhaps via the Bluetooth HID profile? Syncing the bigger touch screen to the N900 as an input device would be ideal but could also just use standard onscreen buttons to act as a remote. Would be cool to have your N900 totally out of the way and you could use the display for maps/web browsing/whatever (only in a safe manner of course).

Of course it should play music off USB/SD/something and act as a Bluetooth car kit and mute everything else when a call comes in, but isn't that a given?

Isn't a lot of this possible since this is after all a computer not just a phone? How much Linux development work would it be? The first question is what "radio" will integrate the most tightly? Interested to hear feedback/suggestions on this.

This may be what you are looking for
http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/compute...screen-monitor

You would need drivers.

audio and video is easy to hookup the control would be our only hard part is control over the 7 inch screen since there is no usb host mode on n900 so you can use a touch screen. you could try some kinda of bluetooth hookup or something. I would say mount n900 in a reachable location then hookup video and audio out and use n900 for controls with a bluetooth keyboard/mouse/remote for extra controls

No usb host mode on n900 wont work

Yeah I've seen they have standalone monitors but I'd rather go the way of buying a radio or something. Otherwise I'm pretty much building a car pc with an processor/amp/etc..

Any ideas on Bluetooth HID profiles? Isn't that what it would require?

Anyone know any radios that would allow you to interact using bluetooth like that?

I had this exact same thought. Most touchscreens work over usb, is this a possibility? I certainly would be nice to just leave the TV out cables plugged in and when you got in your car to just plug in the 3.5mm jack and a usb cable and use the phone as normal just with a bigger screen. Would this require the elusive usb host mode?

I figured I couldn't be the only one

I think keeping it in your pocket and interacting with it from the screen (via bluetooth) probably won't be possible. Trying to figure out what the next closest option is...

What about a cheap PC or beagleboard and run the N900 over VNC via wifi?

No control but monitor via usb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_o36...eature=related

The Cape 7 PC is a good candidate too, considering its low consumption and price under $200 without HDD:
http://gadgets.softpedia.com/news/Pe...w-5851-01.html
It also features VESA mount on its back.