So, I saw this do-it-yourself automotive head's up display and it made me smile. For those of you who haven't kept up on these things, having a display embedded or projected onto a windsheild of a car has been talked about for decades. This low-tech approach is not perfect for all conditions of course. It works great if dynamic data wasn't required and the lighting conditions are right. Even with these limitations, it does remind me that often we overthink solutions when a workable and cheap idea is right in front of us!

Reminds me of the story (perhaps urban myth) that NASA spent millions of dollars developing an ink pen that would write in the zero-gravity conditions of space, all the while believing themselves to be clever and technologically-advanced. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, Russian cosmonauts were just using pencils. Whether it is true or not, it is a good reminder that technology should be relevant and add real value.

So, while the folks at the car companies figure out how to put more electronics into our dashboards, I might just print my maps out in reverse next time and try this approach.