Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Siri gets a seat in iPhone-friendly cars

Apple announced that autos will roll out this season with CarPlay technology making iPhones helpful road-trip companions, filled with Siri maintaining messages.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Apple on Monday announced that autos will roll out this season with CarPlay technology making iPhones helpful road-trip companions, filled with Siri maintaining messages.
"CarPlay gives iPhone users a remarkably intuitive solution to make calls, use Maps, pay attention to music and access messages with only a word or perhaps a touch, " Apple said in a release.

Ferrari, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz will showcase the technology this week at an automobile show in Geneva, however the long set of auto makers incorporating it in to models included Honda, BMW, Toyota, and General Motors.

Motorists can plug iPhone 5 handsets to their cars, then use touch-screen commands or activate va Siri by pressing buttons on the steering wheels.

Siri responds to spoken directives and may be asked to greatly help with tasks such as for example making calls and reading or sending written messages.

CarPlay may also utilize iPhone calendars, contacts, or recent trips to advise on routes and traffic conditions. If desired, Siri will speak turn-by-turn guidelines.

Needless to say, motorists can access music or other iTunes content on iPhones.

"CarPlay has been designed from the bottom around provide drivers having an incredible experience utilizing their iPhone in the automobile, " said Apple vice president of iOS product marketing Greg Joswiak.

"We have an incredible lineup of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we're thrilled it'll make its debut this week in Geneva. "

This week's launch of CarPlay marks the onset of duelling methods to Internet-connected cars, in accordance with Forrester analyst Frank Gillett.

While Apple is making entertainment and safe navigation easier using iPhones, a competing tack by rivals would be to embed operating computer software in to cars, the analyst maintained.

"Apple's conservative approach are certain to get it in to many cars faster than competitors, who'll likely find yourself supporting Apple's CarPlay while they shoot for deeper built-in technology, " Gillett said.