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Ford is bringing Siri to 5 million SYNC-enabled cars
Most modern Ford cars come installed with its bespoke infotainment system called SYNC, allowing drivers to make calls and listen to various music streaming apps while keeping their eyes on the road. The system already lets some owners remotely start their car, but it will soon also offer services from an important partner: Apple. Starting today, owners of a Ford vehicle purchased in 2011 or later can download a new software update that will add Siri functionality to their SYNC interface.
New Honda Civic packs multi-touch interface and Here Maps navigation
With certain exceptions, Honda isn't frequently on the vanguard of car cabin technology. However, we'll have to toss out our expectations now that the automaker has detailed the 2014 Civic's center stack. The vehicle will be Honda's first to use Display Audio, an infotainment system with multi-touch input much like that on your smartphone. Drivers can pinch the map to zoom in, for instance. There's also a big update to HondaLink in store -- iOS users can buy a $60 navigation app that sends Here Maps data to the compact car's 7-inch touchscreen, including turn-by-turn directions and traffic alerts. Siri Eyes Free is part of Display Audio, too. Motorists will get the technology as soon as the new Civic goes on sale tomorrow, as long as they buy at least the EX model. Frugal buyers will also find it in the 2015 Fit launching next spring.
Honda Accord, Acura RDX and ILX get Siri Eyes Free as a dealer-installed option
We first got word that Siri Eyes Free was coming to the 2013 Honda Accord back in January, but now the auto maker is rolling out the feature to vehicles. Owners of either the aforementioned model, 2014 Accord and both the 2013 Acura RDX and ILX can get the dealer-installed accessory by visiting their local dealer. Through a software update, Apple's hands-free feature works in tandem with HondaLink and AcuraLink to complete tasks with the vehicles' built-in microphone and speaker set. There's still no word on exactly how much the upgrade will cost, but Honda has scheduled a Hangout for December 3rd to make a proper announcement, so perhaps we'll learn the sticker price then.
Daily Update for October 15, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Six new Chevy models get support for Siri's Eyes Free mode
Siri's clearly found hitching lifts in Chevy's Spark and Sonic cars comfortable, as it's now planning road trips in several of the company's other rides. Apple's virtual assistant will now partner with MyLink infotainment systems in 2014 editions of the Camaro, Cruze, Equinox, Malibu, SS and Volt, allowing drivers to make calls, play tunes, dictate messages and access their calendar without taking their eyes off the road. Like before, Siri-equipped iThings are simply paired with the car via Bluetooth and triggered using a button on the steering wheel. We suppose this means Bumblebee can finally have a voice in Transformers 4, but whether Bay'll be willing to repurpose some of his explosion budget for the license fee is a different matter.
2014 Spark EV test drive: affordable green fun (video)
We've driven a number of EV's over the years -- from the Ford Focus Electric to the Tesla Model S -- but none have been as affordable as the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV. It costs $19,995, including the $7,500 federal tax credit, and just $17,495 in California, thanks to an additional $2,500 credit. The Spark EV is GM's first pure electric car since the company scrapped the EV1 program in 2002. It's a five-door supermini designed to carry four people plus luggage in comfort. While it's primarily a city car, it's perfectly at ease on the highway. We recently got the chance to take one for a spin in lovely Portland, Oregon, so hit the break for our impressions and hands-on video. %Gallery-194735%
BMW expanding ConnectedDrive with web browsing, Siri, S Voice and Android support
BMW has been refining its ConnectedDrive services for months, but that was apparently only a prelude to greater things: the automaker just outlined a roadmap for 2013 and beyond. The company is rolling out iDrive 4.2 firmware for the 2014 model year that supports web browsing while stopped, iAP Bluetooth control through iOS devices and integration with both Siri Eyes Free and S Voice. The new revision also brings voice search for locations through Google, and a ConnectedDrive Store lets drivers buy services without leaving the car. There's more to come in the long run. BMW will add support for Android apps later this year, for a start. It also wants cellular services to be commonplace. Many of its cars will have built-in SIM cards from July onward, and the company expects that cellular access will eventually be standard or near-standard worldwide -- certainly in i-series cars, where it's needed for remote control. About the only catch to the strategy is the current lack of upgrade plans for those with older vehicles. If you're using a 2013 BMW or earlier, you may have to settle for owning the Penultimate Driving Machine.
Pioneer's AppRadio 3 adds MirrorLink, Siri Eyes Free and more
While Pioneer did announce at CES 2013 that its AppRadio 2 smartphone-powered in-dash unit would support the iPhone 5, the company was hush on any additional updates. Now, however, it has finally unveiled AppRadio 3, which is set to arrive in two models oh-so-descriptively named SPH-DA110 and SPH-DA210. Both retain the same functionality as the AppRadio 2 but add compatibility with MirrorLink enabled devices, thus expanding AppRadio's repertoire of supported products. Other notable features include integration with Siri Eyes Free for iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 owners, Google Voice Search for those with compatible Android phones, Bluetooth audio streaming and an enhanced touchscreen interface that allows easier access to smartphone features like apps, music and making calls. As with its predecessor, the AppRadio 3 has a 7-inch WVGA (800 x 480) capacitive display, a built-in AM/FM tuner and dual pre-amp outputs. The SPH-DA210 model also includes a CD/DVD mechanism if you still have those dinosaur age discs lying around. The SPH-DA110 and SPH-DA210 will be available in July for around $399 and $499 respectively, while smartphone connectivity cables range from $30 to $60. If you're thinking of making an upgrade to your current head unit, have a closer look at the gallery below or check the press release after the break.%Gallery-189192%
Chevrolet Sonic TV ad features Siri eyes-free integration
Ad agency McCann Erickson has created a 30-second TV spot featuring Apple's Siri eyes-free and hands-free integration in the new Chevrolet Sonic. The spot features an actress -- inexplicably driving in circles inside a building -- using "the button to end all buttons" to ask Siri to read an incoming message and tell a bad joke. The soundtrack is reminiscent of the simple piano music and voices used in a number of Apple ads in the recent past, so it's obvious that McCann Erickson and client Chevrolet wanted to link Siri and Sonic in the minds of viewers. Honda is expected to add Siri Eyes Free mode as an option on this year's Accord, as well as to the RDX and ILX models under the Acura brand. Chrysler, Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Jaguar, and Audi were all touted by Apple as being partners in the Siri Eyes Free program at its introduction with iOS 6 last year.
2013 Honda Accord, Acura RDX and ILX getting Siri Eyes Free option
More automobile manufacturers are hopping on the Siri Eyes Free bandwagon -- or should that be car carrier? Although announced as a partner in the endeavor last summer, Honda has finally confirmed which models will be the first to utilize the feature: the 2013 Honda Accord, Acura RDX and Acura ILX. All three of these models will interface with Siri-capable iOS devices running iOS 6 or higher via Bluetooth. Using a dedicated hands-free button in the steering wheel, drivers will be able to make use of Apple's virtual assistant for a number of tasks without their phone's screen turning on. The Siri Eyes Free feature will be available as an option that can be installed by dealers, and integrates with the HondaLink and AcuraLink entertainment systems featured in these models. Pricing for the option hasn't been announced.
Chevy launches iPhone Siri support for Spark, Sonic vehicles, aims to keep your Eyes Free
If you're looking at getting a 2013 Chevrolet Spark or Sonic LTZ / RS, you'll be able to drag Siri along for the ride, provided that you have an iPhone 4S or later running iOS 6, according to GM. It'll pair with Chevy's MyLink entertainment system using Bluetooth, ensuring you avoid distractions via Apple's new Eyes Free mode that lets you disable the smartphone's screen via a steering wheel button. Using voice-activated commands, you'll be able to prompt the system to make hands-free calls, play songs from your iTunes library, listen to and compose text messages and access calendar appointments. If you ask a question that requires a web page to be displayed, however, Siri will decline to answer -- ensuring your eyes stay where they should. The automaker also announced an upcoming version of MyLink for the Chevrolet Impala that will let buyers "skin" the instrument panel with four different themes: Edge and Velocity for the younger set, and Contemporary or Main Street aimed at "busy moms" or business types. It'll also have an optional 8-inch touchscreen and let you link up to ten devices via Blutetooth or USB. Check the sources for info on all the new vehicles or the video after the break.
