During initialization, the internal navigation system in some Lexus models insipidly proclaims Lexus Link Active! I always wish it was possible to swap out that obnoxious sound and make it use a Starcraft classic: Battlecruiser operational! Unfortunately, car computers are generally built with highly proprietary software platforms that are difficult to hack and largely closed to after-market third-party applications. Intel plans to change that with a new project which aims to make it possible for developers to pimp their rides with prodigious penguin power.

Intel is collaborating with vehicle manufacturers in an effort to build an open Linux-based software platform for next-generation automotive computing systems. The project will extend Intel's Moblin initiative and provide car makers with a complete, preintegrated software solution for what Intel refers to as in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) technology.

Intel launched the Moblin project last year with the intention of encouraging community-driven development of a complete Linux-based software stack for Intel-based mobile devices. The software leverages a variety of GNOME mobile technologies and uses the GTK-based Hildon framework, which is also used in Nokia's Internet Tablet operating system.

The Moblin software platform will primarily be used on devices that are built around Intel's new Atom processor architecture. Featuring small size, extremely low power requirements, and support for the conventional x86 instruction set, Atom offers a very compelling option for mobile and embedded tech—including car systems.

During an interview last week, Intel IVI director Staci Palmer told Ars that the Atom processor and Moblin software stack will provide a complete solution that can be used across a broad spectrum of transportation-related devices, including built-in car systems and external touchscreen GPS products. Support for a standardized, open software platform will make it possible for third-party software developers and open source enthusiasts to build custom applications that can be deployed on compatible devices and systems. Moblin will appeal to car makers because the collaborative development model and high level of portability will reduce their development costs. Another major advantage, says Palmer, is that it will make it easy for the software to be upgraded later with new features and capabilities.

Navigation systems are already practically ubiquitous in luxury vehicles but modern multimedia functionality is rapidly climbing to a level of comparable popularity. Palmer cites the iPod as the likely catalyst for this trend and notes that over 15 million iPod docking stations have been factory-installed in cars. Consumers increasingly carry a large amount of audio and video content everywhere they go and they expect their vehicles to provide seamless support for this technology. Palmer says that Atom and Moblin are equipped to handle emerging multimedia requirements as well as more conventional navigation systems. Moblin-based infotainment applications can be used by all occupants of a vehicle: navigation consoles for the front seat, and video entertainment systems for the back seat.

Intel also intends for Atom and Moblin to be used with mobile connectivity technologies to bring the Internet into vehicles. There is a lot of potential for innovation in this area, particularly for integration of increasingly popular location-aware web services such as Brightkite.

Moblin will be able to accommodate virtually all of these capabilities with open source software, but there are still some gaps. Multimedia codecs are highly proprietary and suffer from serious patent-encumbrance issues that largely preclude open source implementations. Car manufacturers will still have to license those codecs from third parties in order to support the audio and video formats that are widely used by consumers. Major players in the automotive industry could potentially combat this issue by encouraging the content industry to move towards unencumbered codecs like BBC's Dirac (the open source Schrodinger implementation is compatible with Moblin's GStreamer-based multimedia framework).

Intel appears to be creating a foundation for a very strong IVI solution that is open and conducive to third-party development. Adoption of Moblin and Atom would transform the simple appliance-like car consoles we know today into extensible computers that can run custom software and offer a wide range of new features. This is another big step forward for Linux in the mobile and embedded space, where it is also gaining a strong position in the phone handset market.