Bogdan Popa
12,968 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.
Turquoise 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Garaged Since New Waves Goodbye to Owner After 51 Years
29 Apr 2024, 11:46 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / 1958 was the year when the entire Chevrolet full-size lineup received a major overhaul, with the GM brand breathing new life into its automotive strategy and using the difficult times to regain the number one spot in the domestic market. The Bel...
This 1963 Impala Is So Original the GM Crate Engine Doesn't Make Any Sense
28 Apr 2024, 13:21 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The debut of the Impala in 1958 and the full-size overhaul the same year pushed Chevrolet's sales through the roof. The GM brand became the new sensation in the United States, reclaiming the number one spot and turning Ford into a runner-up. ...
Crashed 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Comes Out of Storage After 50 Years
28 Apr 2024, 10:07 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / 1962 was the final C1 year, and despite the subtle changes, the Corvette continued to sell like hotcakes. Chevrolet produced 14,531 units, up from 10,939 cars in 1961. The GM brand no longer offered a two-tone paint on the Corvette, and the comp...
Pre-Release Version of Android 11.9 Spotted Online, Users Can Download It Right Now
28 Apr 2024, 08:50 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The work on Android Auto makes good progress, with Google seemingly more committed to improving the experience behind the wheel. New versions land at a faster pace than before, and the beta program has a major contribution to the final goal of m...
Thieves Steal Seven Dirt Bikes, Have No Clue AirTags Track Their Every Move
27 Apr 2024, 18:56 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Apple's AirTag has rapidly become a must-have device not only for the primary goal they were launched for – tracking small items like car keys and wallets – but also for more advanced capabilities like monitoring vehicles and more ...
Too Bad It's Not an Impala: Forgotten 1958 Bel Air Is All-Original and 99% Complete
27 Apr 2024, 10:51 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The Bel Air was the model that brought home the bacon during the '50s, but the last years of the decade brought a major full-size overhaul that turned this model into the backup plan for most buyers. 1958 witnessed the introduction of the I...
1977 Chevrolet Corvette Emerges From Storage After 36 Years With Only 15K Miles
27 Apr 2024, 10:05 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / With the convertible no longer around, the Corvette coupe had the time of its life in the late '70s, as sales were continuously on the rise. The 1977 model year witnessed another record, with Chevrolet producing 49,213 units. While the Corv...
Android Auto Gets a Long-Overdue Update to Make Driving Safer
26 Apr 2024, 18:34 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Android Auto might sometimes feel like a work in progress, and while this condition could make some people walk away, it's actually a good thing. New improvements and refinements land regularly, allowing Google to polish the experience with...
1965 Chevrolet Impala SS Comes Out of Long Storage, Complete and Ready for Restoration
26 Apr 2024, 17:58 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Launched in 1958 and promoted to a stand-alone series a year later, the Impala was already becoming an automotive invasion in the early '60s. In 1965, the Impala became the first car in the United States, whose sales surpassed 1 million uni...
Google Teases Android Auto Announcements at Upcoming Event
26 Apr 2024, 17:15 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Google's automotive strategy comes down to software and services because, unlike long-time rival Apple, the search giant has never been interested in building a vehicle from scratch. Android Auto, Android Automotive, and Google Automotive S...
1977 Pontiac Trans Am Promises Rare Surprises, Still All Original
26 Apr 2024, 16:53 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The Trans Am production was already on the rise in 1977, with the yearly output increasing to 155,735 units. The Trans Am was already the most sought-after Firebird version, accounting for 68,744 units. The esprit was surprisingly popular, so it...
Customer Accuses GM of Sharing Data Without Consent, Increasing Insurance Costs
25 Apr 2024, 15:56 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The more technologically advanced cars get, the more data they must handle. And like traditional software developers, carmakers are now facing another challenge: protecting users' data. A recent lawsuit in the United States could set a hist...
Free Google Maps Alternative Announces Major Real-Time Traffic Expansion
25 Apr 2024, 15:01 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Let's be honest about it: while Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps are the world's most popular navigation apps, they aren't everybody's cup of tea. I won't discuss the reasons, but the navigation space has expanded signific...
It Was Fun While It Lasted: Apple Maps to Start Showing Ads
25 Apr 2024, 14:43 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The demise of the Apple Car forced Apple to rethink its automotive strategy, and investing big in Apple Maps and CarPlay seems to be the chosen way to become more relevant in an unexplored world, potentially bringing home the bacon. Apple has be...
Android Auto 11.8 Now Available With a Change Google Probably Forgot About
25 Apr 2024, 14:15 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Google started the Android Auto 11.8 rollout a few days ago, but as per the company's typical (and often frustrating) approach, the new version comes without a changelog. It means it's impossible to tell what's new in this version...
$0.99 1979 Pontiac Trans Am Is a Mysterious Barn Find, Rotting Away in a Yard
25 Apr 2024, 13:44 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Trans Am sales went through the roof in 1979, becoming the best year in the history of this nameplate. Pontiac produced 211,453 Firebirds, and the Trans Am accounted for more than half of this number. Over 117,000 units rolled off the assembly l...
1965 Pontiac GTO Emerges From Dry Storage With a Secret Many Won't Discover
25 Apr 2024, 12:36 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Most people who walked into a Pontiac dealership in 1965 ended up ordering a hardtop, with the carmaker producing 55,722 units this year. The convertible was the runner-up but its demand significantly lagged behind the hardtop, which kind of mak...
1964 Mercury Comet Emerges From a Barn, "Looks Like Everything Is There"
24 Apr 2024, 17:08 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / Customers who walked into a Mercury dealership in 1964 looking for a brand-new Comet had to pay at least $2,126 for a 202 Series in a four-door sedan configuration. The two-door version was only a bit more expensive at $2,182. The Caliente was t...
Not Everybody Likes the Engine in This 1958 Bel Air, "It's a Shame It's Not an Impala"
24 Apr 2024, 15:14 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / After struggling to push Chevrolet back to the number one spot in the United States throughout the decade, the Bel Air eventually accomplished the mission with help from the Impala. Launched in 1958, the Impala was the Bel Air the world had never r...
This Is the Polestar Phone: Everything You Must Know About the $1,000 Android Phone
24 Apr 2024, 14:38 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa / The migration between the technology and the automotive worlds happens in both directions. Tech firms are trying to expand in the automotive space using different approaches, sometimes developing cars from scratch. Car companies try to bet bigger o...