Bogdan Popa
13,196 ARTICLES
Personal motto:
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow" - Jeff Valdez, Stand-up Comedian.
He typically carries both an iPhone and Android device because there’s no such thing as the perfect phone, and he drives a car that some say is blue, others say is green.
His guilty pleasure is finding bugs in Android Auto (cc @Google, you’d better keep an eye on his reports, as these could actually help you refine the experience behind the wheel), and he occasionally tries out all kinds of weird gadgets that many people didn’t even know they exist.
His daily tech arsenal also includes a smartwatch and earbuds because that’s how geeks rock, as well as a laptop that has nothing in common with fruit.
Bogdan’s long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space in the trunk for his kid’s toys, as well as convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as the phones that these two companies build.
When he’s not writing about cars, Bogdan’s probably trying to fit a bike in the 375-liter trunk of his car or posting tech stuff for autoevolution’s sister site Softpedia.
1962 Chevrolet Nova Barn Find Just Needs a Second Chance to Shine
5 May 2020, 11:29 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Finding a ‘62 Chevy Nova in good condition obviously isn’t something that easy these days, while the restored models very often cost more than anyone is willing to spend. And yet, here’s someone selling an “all original&r...
Weird Android Auto Behavior Makes Drivers Use Phones While Driving
4 May 2020, 17:35 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Android Auto is now experiencing a weird behavior when drivers try to use voice commands: it prompts them to tap a notification on the phone to enable the feature. More specifically, just after drivers say “OK, Google” to enable the ...
Intel Is the Surprise Name That Could Launch a Google Maps and Waze Rival
4 May 2020, 17:24 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Google Maps and Waze are pretty much the most popular navigation apps out there, with only a few worthy alternatives right now on Android and iOS. While some stick with Apple Maps just because they have an iPhone, Google’s apps are a lot m...
The Latest Version of Android Auto Brings Major Performance Improvements
4 May 2020, 16:47 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Google has released a new update for Android Auto a few days ago, bringing the app to version 5.3. Of course, no changelog was provided, so it was up to users to determine what’s been improved in this new build. While the search giant has ...
1989 Jaguar XJ12 Barn Find Gets the Bath It’s Been Waiting for So Long
4 May 2020, 16:04 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Abandoned cars typically look heartbreaking and depressing, and it’s often impossible to understand how some people just decide to leave them locked up in a barn instead of selling them to diehards who’d properly take care of everything...
This Abandoned Chevrolet Was Forced to Run for 600 Miles After a 30-Year Sleep
4 May 2020, 15:36 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Buying a car from the Internet isn’t always the best thing to do because you could end up with a bucket of rust instead of the promised car that an old lady used to go to the church on Sundays. But the YouTuber over at Vice Grip Garage too...
This Is How It Feels to Drive a Fully Restored 1969 Dodge Charger 440 V8 SE Auto
4 May 2020, 15:02 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The Dodge Charger is an iconic muscle car, and it goes without saying so many people not necessarily dream to own one some day, but to actually drive it for a few minutes. And until this happens, it’s the technology that makes dreams come ...
1964 Chevrolet Impala Barn Find Was Used by an Old Lady to Go to Church
4 May 2020, 14:33 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / It goes without saying that a 56-year-old car that’s just spotless isn’t something that you come across on a regular basis. And when the car in question is a 1964 Chevrolet Impala, then the whole thing is definitely worth checking out. ...
This Complete 1970 Dodge Charger Needs Only a Few Repairs and a Little Love
4 May 2020, 13:41 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / If you’re in the market looking for a 1970 Dodge Charger in order to bring it back to life, it really shouldn’t be too difficult to find one, although it goes without saying the majority aren’t necessarily in good condition. Bu...
1970 Pontiac GTO Found in the Bushes Really Deserves a Second Chance
4 May 2020, 13:16 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / While barn finds are totally awesome, they’re also another living proof that ignorance is sometimes killing true legends, as way too many people just decide to abandon gems like the ‘70 Pontiac GTO in the middle of nowhere. And what ...
1970 Plymouth Cuda Rare Barn Find Can Be Rescued After 35 Years in a Basement
4 May 2020, 11:55 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Barn finds don’t have to be all about abandoned cars that require tons of restoration work and thousands of dollars to be brought back to life. And this 1970 Plymouth Cuda is the living proof in this regard, as it’s still looking sur...
Someone Has Suggested the Best Music Player Feature We Need in Cars
3 May 2020, 16:51 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / In addition to being one of the best apps to listen to your favorite songs and artists, Spotify is also a top music discovery tool, as it can make recommendations based on what you previously listened to. And while this feature really comes in h...
This 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Barn Find Gets Its First Wash in Over Two Decades
3 May 2020, 16:34 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The saddest thing about barn finds is that some people actually abandoned these great cars, very often in the middle of nowhere, and in many cases they even refused to sell them to people who would have taken care of them just the way they deserved...
Offline Maps for Waze Navigation App? Not So Fast
3 May 2020, 16:06 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Waze is currently one of the top navigation apps, and for good reason. Based on community reports and data collected from other users, Waze can help drivers avoid traffic jams and get to their destination much faster. Compared to other navigatio...
BoatPlay Is the Most Unexpected Version of CarPlay
3 May 2020, 15:54 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / CarPlay is without a doubt a helpful system for everyone when getting behind the wheel, but as it turns out, Apple’s system isn’t necessarily limited to cars. As someone on reddit proves, CarPlay can feel like home on a boat as well,...
This GTS Dodge Charger Hellcat M&M Edition Looks Yummy
3 May 2020, 15:31 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / One of the best things about Gran Turismo Sport is that it gives you the possibility of creating your very own liveries for the cars in your garage, and it goes without saying that these can have pretty much any attribute, from aggressive styling t...
Google App Update Includes Highly-Anticipated Android Auto Improvements
3 May 2020, 14:13 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Some of the features that are available in Android Auto, including the Assistant itself, are powered by the Google app running on the phone, so keeping it up-to-date is technically a guarantee that you get the best possible experience at any given ...
You Can Actually Block an iPhone from Launching CarPlay when Connected to a Car
3 May 2020, 13:38 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / One of the biggest differences between Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but which could soon no longer exist according to Google’s plans, is the way they are offered to smartphone users. While Android Auto comes as a dedicated app on Androi...
1971 Dodge Charger Found in the Woods Might Be Dead for Good
3 May 2020, 13:13 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Barn finds are typically the first step for a new restoration project, but in some cases, the abandoned cars that these lucky people come across in the middle of nowhere might actually be impossible to save. This could be the case of this 1971 D...
1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS SS Convertible Restomod Is American Muscle Done Right
3 May 2020, 12:19 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / As if the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS SS Convertible wasn’t already an impressive car, here’s a restomod that has pushed things even further, adding a series of new parts, including a brand-new V8 engine. Currently being sold as part of...