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Bogdan Popa

13,289  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.

Staff Writer
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world, and more often than not, you’ll see him writing about the whole thing with a typing speed that a traffic camera could easily issue a ticket for.

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.
A New Bug in Android Auto Makes Waze Navigation Pretty Much Useless
A New Bug in Android Auto Makes Waze Navigation Pretty Much Useless

18 Mar 2020, 12:16 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Waze is the preferred choice for many drivers out there, especially because as compared to Google Maps and other alternatives, it can help beat traffic and find the fastest route in a crowded city. But occasionally, the experience with Waze is s...

 
If You Ever Wanted Apple CarPlay on an Older Hyundai, This Is It
If You Ever Wanted Apple CarPlay on an Older Hyundai, This Is It

17 Mar 2020, 16:47 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / While the majority of new car models already come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support, getting these infotainment systems on the older generations is quite a challenge, as the aftermarket HUD must fit the vehicle’s dashboard just perfe...

 
This BMW X5 CarPlay Upgrade Is Something BMW Itself Should Make Happen
This BMW X5 CarPlay Upgrade Is Something BMW Itself Should Make Happen

17 Mar 2020, 15:31 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / BMW has a rather controversial approach regarding support for Apple CarPlay on its models, and while we’re not going to discuss this again, what remains is that most drivers do want such features in their cars. Fortunately, aftermarket spe...

 
It’s Really This Easy to Use a Custom Car Icon on Google Maps for Apple CarPlay
It’s Really This Easy to Use a Custom Car Icon on Google Maps for Apple CarPlay

17 Mar 2020, 12:26 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Despite Google also being the company that developed Android, the search giant sometimes seems to love the iPhone even more than its very own platform, offering exclusive features to those who use Apple’s device. This is the case of a cust...

 
This Customized Android Auto Has New Cool Wallpapers, And You Can Get Them Too
This Customized Android Auto Has New Cool Wallpapers, And You Can Get Them Too

17 Mar 2020, 12:05 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Despite users really loving customization options, Google has never been too keen on offering such settings on Android Auto, forcing us to stick with the standard wallpaper, icons, and things like that. But as many know already, a rooted Android...

 
Someone Has Created a COVID-19 Design for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Forza Edition
Someone Has Created a COVID-19 Design for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Forza Edition

16 Mar 2020, 19:47 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / A Forza Horizon 4 player has created a COVID-19 livery for the Alfa Romeo Giulia FE, and pretty much everyone who’s playing this game can download it with the share code in the photo here. The coronavirus outbreak keeps making more and mor...

 
This CarPlay Upgrade Makes the BMW E46 Look Like a New-Generation Car
This CarPlay Upgrade Makes the BMW E46 Look Like a New-Generation Car

16 Mar 2020, 17:07 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto are two systems that really come in handy behind the wheel, as they provide drivers with infotainment features powered by a smartphone. And while the adoption of CarPlay and Android Auto is i...

 
Google Says It’ll Take a Bit Longer to Fix One of the Key Android Auto Features
Google Says It’ll Take a Bit Longer to Fix One of the Key Android Auto Features

16 Mar 2020, 14:04 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / One of the most widespread issues happening lately in Android Auto concerns voice commands, as many complain that using them to perform the typical tasks behind the wheel no longer works. The issue was reported in late 2019, but a Google employe...

 
Apple Could Release iPhone Update with Major CarPlay Improvements This Week
Apple Could Release iPhone Update with Major CarPlay Improvements This Week

16 Mar 2020, 12:08 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Apple is likely to launch the next stable version of iOS for supported iPhones as soon as this week, and this time, there are lots of improvements for CarPlay. The Cupertino-based tech giant released the first beta of iOS 13.4 in early February,...

 
Someone Has Found a Way to Play PC Games on Tesla's Touchscreen Display
Someone Has Found a Way to Play PC Games on Tesla's Touchscreen Display

15 Mar 2020, 20:34 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The Tesla infotainment system can be used for a wide variety of things, including doubling as a Bitcoin node, so it’s really not surprising that someone has managed to turn it into a pretty neat gaming device. Andrew Sampson, the man who b...

 
This Android Auto Issue Is Driving Kia Owners Mad, No Official Fix Just Yet
This Android Auto Issue Is Driving Kia Owners Mad, No Official Fix Just Yet

15 Mar 2020, 11:40 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / A bug in Android Auto makes it impossible for Kia owners to connect Android phones to their cars regardless of the device manufacturer and Android version. The problem has already been confirmed on the 2019 Kia Sportage, 2019 Kia Sorento, and th...

 
What If Android Auto Starts Talking in Another Language All of a Sudden?
What If Android Auto Starts Talking in Another Language All of a Sudden?

15 Mar 2020, 10:27 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Google has recently confirmed it’s investigating a bug in Android Auto that’s causing Google Assistant to speak in a different language than the one configured by the user. The problem was first reported by users in July 2019 and sin...

 
Someone Has Come Across a Really Worrying Bug in Apple CarPlay
Someone Has Come Across a Really Worrying Bug in Apple CarPlay

14 Mar 2020, 19:36 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Apple’s CarPlay isn’t necessarily the most reliable product released by the Cupertino-based tech giant, as there are plenty of users out there complaining of connection issues, black screens, inconsistent GPS tracking, and phone call pr...

 
You Probably Never Expected the Ford Mustang RTR to Look So Good in a Game
You Probably Never Expected the Ford Mustang RTR to Look So Good in a Game

14 Mar 2020, 16:12 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The Ford Mustang is without a doubt a head-turner, even in the standard configuration, so it goes without saying that any further tuning makes it a stunning car from pretty much every angle. So when a car like the Ford Mustang receives additiona...

 
Highly Anticipated Waze Update for Android Auto Is Just Around the Corner
Highly Anticipated Waze Update for Android Auto Is Just Around the Corner

14 Mar 2020, 11:34 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Waze continues to be one of the top navigation apps for both Android Auto and CarPlay, so it goes without saying that any small issue can impact millions of users across the world. One of the most recent bugs discovered in Waze on Android Auto c...

 
Google Confirms Fix for One of the Most Annoying Android Bugs
Google Confirms Fix for One of the Most Annoying Android Bugs

14 Mar 2020, 10:49 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / A widespread bug in Android Auto breaks down the Google Assistant, making it impossible for drivers to perform certain tasks with a voice command, including replying to messages. In just a few words, Google Assistant returns an error message tha...

 
What CarPlay? Android Auto on Samsung Galaxy S20 Is the Best Thing Ever
What CarPlay? Android Auto on Samsung Galaxy S20 Is the Best Thing Ever

12 Mar 2020, 13:33 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Samsung’s Galaxy S20 lineup is now available for customers worldwide, and in addition to a bunch of welcome hardware and software upgrades, it’s also one of the devices that promise a flawless Android Auto experience. As many Android...

 
Use This CarPlay Hack to Avoid Forgetting Your iPhone in the Car
Use This CarPlay Hack to Avoid Forgetting Your iPhone in the Car

11 Mar 2020, 18:16 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The Shortcuts feature that comes pre-loaded in iOS 13 allows you to enable all kinds of clever automations, including one that helps you make sure you never forget the iPhone in the car after using CarPlay. Creating such an automation isn’...

 
This Customized Ford Mustang Hoonicorn Is a Digital Monster from Every Angle
This Customized Ford Mustang Hoonicorn Is a Digital Monster from Every Angle

11 Mar 2020, 17:21 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / If you’ve ever played Forza, you probably noticed the Hoonigan Ford Mustang Hoonicorn, a custom drift car that everyone seems to love. As if the aggressive looks of the car weren’t enough, someone decided to further customize this Fo...

 
The X-Files: One of the Top Google Maps Features on Android Auto Goes Missing
The X-Files: One of the Top Google Maps Features on Android Auto Goes Missing

11 Mar 2020, 16:48 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The speed limit feature in Google Maps on Android Auto is one of the most anticipated features, so when it first showed up all of a sudden a few months ago, everyone was pretty excited. But as many of us learned the hard way shortly after that, ...

 

Stories by Bogdan Popa