Samsung's next big bet on cars is a tiny display you can control with the wave of a hand

Navdy

Harman, a major supplier of car infotainment systems, has invested in Navdy, the creator of a tiny, heads-up display you can pin to your dashboard. As part of the investment, Harman will sell the co-branded device directly to automakers.

Samsung announced it was buying Harman in a deal worth $8 billion in November, highlighting the electronics maker's pivot into the automotive space following the withdrawal of its explosion-prone Galaxy Note 7 phone. Harman's partnership with Navdy marks its first investment since the Samsung acquisition was announced.

Samsung's acquirement of Harman is expected to close mid-2017, pending shareholder and regulatory approval.

Harman announced in a press release that it will sell the heads-up display to automakers, specialty auto and audio channels, and select mobile carriers globally, beginning in January 2017. Here's how the Navdy display works:

Navdy is a heads-up display that you can pin to your dashboard using a magnetic attachment so you can see your directions projected on a tiny screen right in your line of sight.

There are three different height options so you can customize how it falls into your line of sight.

But you can also elect to have it project directions right on to your windshield.

The display works with the Navdy phone app that's powered by Google Maps. The app is available on iPhones and Android devices and will show your directions in real-time as you drive.