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In-car heads-up display lets you respond to texts with hand motions and voice
We've seen companies take a few stabs at smartphone-savvy heads-up displays for cars, but they tend to be one-way devices -- while they'll feed you info, you still have to reach for your phone to answer a message or get directions. Navdy may just have a smarter solution in store. Its namesake HUD not only projects car stats, navigation and notifications, but lets you interact with them through a blend of gestures and speech. You swipe with your fingers to either respond to or dismiss any alert that comes in; the system leans on the built-in voice commands from Android and iOS, so you can tell Navdy to get directions in Google Maps or play iTunes music as if you were speaking to the phone itself.
The company is getting its display off the ground through crowdfunding. If you're willing to commit within the first 30 days, you can pay $299 for a Navdy unit instead of the $499 it will cost when it ships in early 2015. Backers will also be the first to get devices, and they'll have input on the kinds of apps Navdy supports. The cost isn't trivial, but it could be appealing if you want a sophisticated hands-free system that doesn't require buying a whole new car.
