Autoblog

Ferrari and Apple deepening ties, FF gains Siri integration and standard iPad Minis

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Ferrari

The exciting new LaFerrari wasn't all that Ferrari had to announce today at the Geneva Motor Show. Ferrari chairman Luca Di Montezemolo added that the Italian automaker is looking to expand its relationship with Apple in the realm of in-car entertainment, which follows Apple executive Eddy Cue joining the Ferrari board of directors back in November.

According to Bloomberg, Di Montezemolo stated that the Ferrari FF would now come with iPad Minis as a part of the rear-seat entertainment system and Siri integration will be used with the infotainment system. Beyond the FF, though, it isn't clear what type of partnership will blossom between the two most powerful brands on the planet.

Ferrari and Apple deepening ties, FF gains Siri integration and standard iPad Minis originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda integrating Siri into select models

Zach Bowman — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Technology, Crossover, Acura, Honda, Luxury

Honda has partnered up with Apple to bring Siri to the Accord, Acura RDX and ILX. Owners who have an iPhone running iOS 6 will be able to ask the software to perform a number of tasks via voice command using the vehicle's on board microphone and speaker systems. What's more, the tech will put the iPhone into an "eyes free" mode, which turns the screen off to help reduce distraction while driving. Honda says it has reworked its Bluetooth and HandsFreeLink systems to accommodate the Siri functionality. While the tech will only be available on three of the company's models right now, we imagine it won't be long before it shows up elsewhere.

As you may recall, Chevrolet integrated Siri into its products with vehicles like the Spark and Sonic, but Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler have also toyed with the tech to varying degrees. The seamless voice command seems to be light years ahead of the tech manufacturers are currently playing with. Check out the full press release from Honda below for more information.

Continue reading Honda integrating Siri into select models

Honda integrating Siri into select models originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy announces Spark, Sonic will be first to integrate Apple's Siri, debuts next-gen MyLink [w/videos]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Chevrolet, GM, Infotainment

Get ready for Siri in your car. Early in 2013, Chevrolet will be the first automaker to roll out Apple's Eyes Free technology, showing up initially in the Spark (in 1LT and 2LT trims) and Sonic (in LTZ and RS versions). Both models also come with six months of OnStar service included for free, which also includes a smartphone app - available for Android, iOS or Blackberry.

Here's what Siri in your Chevy Spark or Sonic can do:

Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on your iPhone
Play songs in the iTunes library, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
Listen to, compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
Access Calendar and add appointments
Minimize distraction by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri answers simple questions, such as game scores or the dates of national holidays
While in Eyes Free mode, Siri will not provide answers to complex questions that require displaying a web page.

Owners will need a compatible iPhone (4S or 5, running iOS6) to use Siri Eyes Free, connected through Bluetooth to Chevy's MyLink infotainment system.

Speaking of which, Chevrolet has also announced that the next generation of its MyLink technology (see the image to the right) will debut with the 2014 Impala. Later in the year it will also show up in GM's new full-size trucks and SUVs and the Corvette.

There are all kinds of new features in the next-gen MyLink, but one headliner is Chevy's first use of natural voice recognition. There will also be four optional graphic treatments to choose from, large icons on the touch screen plus a set of old-fashioned knobs and steering wheel controls.

Check out all the details in the dual press releases and trio of videos below.

Continue reading Chevy announces Spark, Sonic will be first to integrate Apple's Siri, debuts next-gen MyLink [w/videos]

Chevy announces Spark, Sonic will be first to integrate Apple's Siri, debuts next-gen MyLink [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Siri can now start your car with Viper SmartStart app

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Technology, Videos

Siri has made it pretty easy to do many tasks on your iPhone, but thanks to Viper Alarm, she can now help you start your car, too. Viper's SmartStart 3.0 gives any smartphone the ability to perform many remote functions on a car by using the alarm system's app, but only iPhone 4S and 5 users can get their car running simply by saying, "Siri, start my car." The future is now.

In addition to starting your car and locking and unlocking a car's doors, the latest SmartStart 3.0 now lets you know if you left a door open, send a reminder to start your car if it's cold outside and even use GPS to find your car from just about anywhere. The GPS function does require users to spring for a $399 GPS module and pay for a service plan, with prices ranging from $49.99 for a one-year basic contract up to $239.99 for a three-year premium plan. SmartStart alarm systems alone range in price from $399 up to $599.

Check out how Viper's new SmartStart 3.0 system works with Siri in the video below.

Continue reading Siri can now start your car with Viper SmartStart app

Siri can now start your car with Viper SmartStart app originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 5 gets native turn-by-turn navigation, car connectivity questions remain

George Kennedy — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Infotainment

The big news yesterday in the tech world (and most of the rest of the world) was the debut of the iPhone 5. If you have not yet been left with a feeling of inferiority due to your current device, this should put you over the top. The new iPhone will come with the Apple Maps app. Maps is Apple's rebuttal to the hugely popular Google Maps, and comes with a host of functionality.

One of the key features of the app is turn-by-turn navigation with voice prompts from Siri. Just like an in-car navigation system, as you approach a turn, a 3D view appears to better show the user where to turn. This may ruffle a few feathers at the wireless service providers, as many already offer paid-subscription navigation apps, such as AT&T Navigator, VZ Navigator and Sprint Navigation. According to Apple, you can use Siri to search for a destination and engage the navigation system, all by voice command.

Maps also offers real-time traffic data much like an advanced in-car GPS system. This will give users the option to select alternate routes as a way to bypass heavy traffic. The app also has a flyover feature that lets a user view a 3D replication of the map, with major landmarks presented in high resolution.

This is all well and good, but Apple also announced the new Lightning connector, which replaces the 30-pin connector to which we have become accustomed, and is more of a mixed bag in terms of in-car connectivity.

The new connector still works with USB ports, so any automaker that employs such an outlet in its vehicles will have no issue. Several automakers, however, have connection ports specifically built for the 30-pin connector. Apple will offer an adaptor for that setup, but that may not be enough.

The new 8-pin connector is fully digital, and is not able to transmit analog signals. Kia. Hyundai and older BMW models feature a connector that sends both USB and eighth-inch analog signals through the 30-pin connector. It appears Apple's adaptor will not work with the connectors provided by these vehicles.

The new app will be available with iOS 6, which is standard on the new iPhone 5. It will also be made available to compatible devices on Sept 19.

iPhone 5 gets native turn-by-turn navigation, car connectivity questions remain originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did Apple forget to tell automakers about the new Siri button? [UPDATE]

Scott Burgess — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Audi, Chrysler, Toyota

Apple expects nine different carmakers to begin including a "Siri button" on their steering wheels within the next 12 months, the company announced this week.

Of course, the news came as a surprise to some of the carmakers, according to Business Insider.

After Apple announced plans to further integrate it's Siri voice recognition software to a button on the steering wheel, some carmakers said they were unaware of those plans.

Audi told Fast Company, which contacted all nine carmakers mentioned by Apple, that it was not sure if the project could be completed in a year. A Chrysler spokesman said the company did not have any plans to announce anything. Toyota was equally as vague: "(T)here are no particular applications planned at this time."

Building a Siri button certainly makes sense and, no doubt, will happen in the coming years. It's also smart business. Instead of an automaker spending money developing voice recognition software, let Apple do it and integrate that system into a vehicle. Already, carmakers have moved to integrate smartphones into cars, putting apps on phones onto center console screens and finding ways to piggyback services from a phone into the car. USB ports on a car are simply expected nowadays.

There might even be plans to create a "Siri button" that allows a driver to control his phone by voice without ever taking his hands off the steering wheel. But before that happens, someone at Apple might want to tell the automakers.

UPDATE: According to our sources, Apple did have deals in place with each automaker that the tech company mentioned in its keynote. The confusion arose from PR teams with certain automakers not being adequately prepped before the announcement was made.

Did Apple forget to tell automakers about the new Siri button? [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple adding a new button to your car, will activate Siri

John Neff — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Infotainment

Apple's 2012 Worldwide Developer's Conference keynote is winding down as you read this, and while many car enthusiasts could care less about the next version of iOS or the MacBook Pro's new Retina Display, they will probably care about one piece of news just delivered by Apple's VP of iOS Software, Scott Forstall: Apple is going to add a new button to your car.

Called Eyes Free, it's basically just a steering wheel-mounted button that will activate Siri on the iPhone or iPad (yes, they announced Siri is coming to the new iPad, too) you have with you in the car. Likely paired over Bluetooth, Eyes Free will let you talk to Siri through the car, giving you access to a wealth of information without using both your eyes and hands (except for that initial button press). And since this is Apple, automakers are apparently lining up to add Siri buttons to their steering wheels. Apple reports that BMW, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda are all signed up to start offering Eyes Free within the next 12 months.

We find it curious that GM has chosen to participate, considering that what Siri offers is not at all unlike what the automaker's subscription-based OnStar service provides. Conspicuously missing from the list of on-board automakers is Ford, whose Sync infotainment systems are all based on Microsoft-branded technology.

Apple adding a new button to your car, will activate Siri originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz integrates iPhone, Siri into all-new A-Class

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Infotainment

The paradigm has shifted. Normally an automaker's range-topper gets the latest and greatest technology, but with the introduction of the all-new A-Class, Mercedes-Benz is flipping that order on its head.

At next month's Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes will show off the next A-Class and with it, its updated COMAND infotainment system. The user interface has undergone a complete overhaul, ditching the black and beige color scheme for a sharp, modern, three-dimensional design and a range of new features and functions, nearly all of which are centered on the iPhone 4S.

The new Digital DriveStyle app allows drivers to stream AUPEO! radio (Europe's equivalent to Pandora), connect with Facebook and Twitter to read out status updates, find your car in a crowded parking lot and get real-time traffic data and point-of-interest searches through a new Garmin navigation system. All of which is available with the entry-level "Audio 20" setup.

More intriguingly, Mercedes is the first automaker to support and integrate Apple's Siri voice-recognition technology, allowing users to make appointments, send text messages and emails, get weather status and access all their songs through voice commands.

While all these features will be limited to the Euro-only A-Class at first, Mercedes says that the iPhone-integrated COMAND Online suite of services will be coming to the B-, C- and E-Class models this fall. Hit the jump for the full details.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz integrates iPhone, Siri into all-new A-Class

Mercedes-Benz integrates iPhone, Siri into all-new A-Class originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Siri hack lets iPhone control your car

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:14:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Videos

We are so close to living in a world where everyone can be David Hasselhoff. Thanks to an enterprising programmer named Brandon Fiquett and Apple's Siri app for the iPhone 4S, there's at least one Acura TL out there responding to voice control in awesome Knight Rider fashion.

While not quite up to the level of interactivity that Hollywood dreamed up for the Knight Industries Two Thousand, Fiquett's TL will remotely start itself and turn off the ignition on his command. The system works by relaying the Siri command to a proxy server, which sends the instructions to a Viper car automation and security system. About the only thing missing here is William Daniels doing the voice of KITT - and that awesome black Trans Am itself.

Fiquett has put his source code up for download, so if you're interested in trying it yourself and you've got some coding skills, have at it on his website. Otherwise, just click through the jump to watch the video.

Continue reading Siri hack lets iPhone control your car

Siri hack lets iPhone control your car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will Siri work in your car?

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Infotainment

When Apple introduced the iPhone 4S earlier this year, the loudest buzz centered around Siri. Apple's so-called "Virtual Assistant" lets users make appointments, add reminders, search Yelp and Wolfram Alpha, send emails and text messages, and control the phone's built-in music player.

The obvious question for us was whether Siri would work in a car when tethered over Bluetooth. The short answer: Yup.

When you hold down the iPhone's home button, Siri is essentially treated as an incoming phone call, fading out the audio and then playing the chime indicating it (she?) is ready for a command.

We tested Siri on a variety of vehicles, including two Mercedes-Benz products, a Chrysler 300, a Dodge Charger and a Nissan Maxima. The results were mixed, with some commands going through easily and others requiring a few attempts. Based on our experience, it seems that the mic placement and the level of cabin noise present make a predictable difference, and the Maxima we shot our video in tended to provide the best results. See for yourselves after the jump.

Continue reading Will Siri work in your car?

Will Siri work in your car? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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