infotainment
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Microsoft and Mercedes bring your office calendar to your car
You can't always escape work when you're in your car, but Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz think they can at least make those corporate invasions more tolerable. They're working together on an In Car Office project that, to start with, will integrate your Microsoft Exchange info with your car's infotainment system. It'll auto-populate your car's navigation unit with driving directions for that upcoming meeting, for example, or offer to make a hands-free call to get in touch with your client when you're on your way.
Sony receiver lowers the costs of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
It's not easy to add smartphone-based infotainment to your existing car, especially if you prefer Android Auto. Many aftermarket head units are either devoted solely to Apple CarPlay (like Pioneer's AppRadio 4) or mind-numbingly expensive (such as the $1,400 AVIC-8200NEX). Sony is aiming to fix that. It just unveiled the XAV-AX100, a receiver that offers both Android Auto and CarPlay for a reasonable $500 -- even the relatively frugal AppRadio 4 costs $600.
Kia brings Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to older cars
For many, the biggest problem with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay is getting it in the first place. Unless you buy a very recent car, you're likely stuck buying an aftermarket head unit to drag your vehicle into the smartphone era. Kia thinks it can do better, though. It's promising free updates to both Android Auto and CarPlay for a slew of vehicles that have either the UVO3 infotainment system or a compatible navigation system.
iScout HUD helps drivers with directions and blind spots
With no standouts on the market, heads-up displays (HUDs) for cars never really caught on. For instance, Garmin's unit is proprietary, Hudway's concept is cool but simplistic and Navdy is already a year late and still hasn't shipped. A new contender called iScout is trying to address many of those issues. It works with any smartphone, shows notifications from apps like WhatsApp, takes or reject calls with a hand-wave, and has blind-spot cameras. Now comes the gotcha: It's launching on Kickstarter, so before breaking out the plastic, bear in mind that it may never ship.
Android Auto will soon run on your phone just like any other app
If you've been itching to take Android Auto for a spin, but don't own a car that's compatible with Google's software, you'll soon be in luck. The company announced at Google I/O that the in-car setup will soon run entirely on your phone while offering the same features as if it were connected to your dash. This means that you'll still be able to use your voice to handle calls, messages, music and navigation, keeping distractions to a minimum.
Android Auto reaches cars in 18 more countries
Android Auto isn't just available in a handful of countries anymore. Google has expanded its phone-as-infotainment integration to 18 more countries, as well as Puerto Rico. Most of the coverage revolves around Europe and Latin American nations (including Austria, Brazil, Colombia and Switzerland), but there are big exceptions like India and Russia. Your car or head-end unit will need to support Android Auto as well, of course, but this may hit the spot if you're hoping to stream music while you're stuck in Mumbai traffic.
VW claims Apple wouldn't let it show wireless CarPlay at CES
Apple may have baked wireless CarPlay into an iOS update months ago, but that doesn't mean it's ready to show off the feature... at least, not according to Volkswagen. The car giant claims that Apple wouldn't let it demonstrate the phone-to-infotainment-system option at CES this week. There's no mention of why it was verboten, but Car and Driver speculates that Apple wanted any first public demonstration (it hasn't been shown in action until now) on its own terms. We've reached out to Apple for its take on the situation, and we'll let you know if it has a comment.
Toyota joins Ford's infotainment fight against Google, Apple
Ford is determined not to let Google and Apple dictate its vehicle dashboards and now has a big partner. Toyota has agreed to adopt Ford's open-source SmartDeviceLink (SDL) interface software, letting drivers access its Entune infotainment system. SDL allows smartphone-native apps, like GPS navigation, to run on vehicle infotainment systems (it's a open-source version of Ford's AppLink). Auto parts supplier QNX, owned by BlackBerry, has also signed on to the standard, And Ford said that Peugeot Citroën, Honda, Mazda and Subaru are considering it, too.
BMW to show how gestures will control the cars of the future
BMW, like a number of other automakers, is keen on showing off its latest tech at CES. This year will be no different as the company plans to demo its AirTouch concept in Las Vegas next week. AirTouch is but one feature of BMW's Vision Car that aims "to demonstrate what the interior and the user interface of the future might look like." More specifically, AirTouch allows passengers to control the car's features with gestures rather than having to interact with a touchscreen. There's still a display that shows navigation, entertainment and communication info, but sensors track hand gestures in the space between the dash and the rear-view mirror rather than requiring taps on the screen.
Hyundai Sonata will finally get CarPlay in early 2016
Hyundai began teasing Apple's CarPlay software for its vehicles way back in 2014, but failed to deliver it as promised in the 2015 Sonata. Now, the automaker will finally make Cupertino's in-car system available during the first quarter of 2016. What's more, it won't be a free upgrade. Hyundai says that Sonata owners will need to purchase an SD card in order to employ CarPlay inside their vehicles. Originally, the company said the software would be available for free in 2015 and 2015 Sonata models outfitted the requisite infotainment setup. What's more, Hyundai already offers Android Auto to its customers free of charge. When CarPlay arrives for Sonata owners, the Hyundai will join the likes of Chevrolet and Honda that already offer the software inside vehicles.[Image credit: AP Photo/Eric Risberg]
Apple CarPlay review: A useful companion, even in its early stages
It's been two years since Apple announced its plot to put your iPhone's core features inside the dash of your car, but only now is its CarPlay software becoming available in lots of new models. In brief, CarPlay allows you to connect your trusty iOS device to a vehicle's infotainment system to make things like texts, maps and music accessible from the console. Sure, the goal is to provide an easier way to use your phone on the road, but it also nixes the distraction of swiping through screens on the phone itself. To put CarPlay through its paces, I hit the highway for a 7.5-hour road trip in a 2016 Camaro SS, a model that'll arrive soon at your local dealer. From Philadelphia to Raleigh, North Carolina, I used it to navigate, find food and stream in-car entertainment along the way. This first version of Apple's software for the car is certainly useful, but as I found, there's room for improvement.
Android Auto update puts music and directions up front
Given that users are operating heavy machinery, tweaking a car system interface is a delicate act. As such, Google has made some subtle changes to the Android Auto home screen in the latest update to show "ongoing activities like music and navigation at a glance." You can now access music playback controls directly from the homescreen -- before, you could see which song was playing but needed to go to another screen to pause it. Navigation is also expanded on the home screen to show turning directions without forcing users over to the main app.
Ford Sync 3 launches in the Escape and Fiesta this summer
Ford's Sync 3 connected car system is nearly ready to hit the road. The automaker has revealed that its tuned-up infotainment will first show up in 2016 Escape and Fiesta models, both of which go on sale this summer. If you'll recall, this version of Sync makes some big strides toward matching the experience you get on your smartphone. Besides touting an easier (or rather, less cumbersome) and speedier interface, it also brings in support for phone-like capacitive touch, more natural voice commands and WiFi updating. Sync 3 is much smarter about talking to your mobile gear, as well. It'll be one of the first shipping in-car platforms to support both Android Auto and CarPlay, and it'll eventually communicate directly with supporting navigation apps. You'll have to wait until later in the year if you want the new Sync in a spiffier ride like the Mustang, but that's no problem if you're just interested in an A-to-B commuter with modern cabin tech.
Chevrolet's 2016 models support both CarPlay and Android Auto
Apple's and Google's in-car efforts aren't mainstream just yet, but manufacturers have given us a glimpse at how these features will work going forward. Soon enough, most automakers are expected to support CarPlay or Android Auto, even though others like Toyota won't be playing along anytime soon. Chevrolet, meanwhile, announced today that 14 of its 2016 models, including cars, trucks and crossovers, will be compatible with CarPlay and Android Auto, making it easy for people to enjoy either platform based on which smartphone they own. What this means is that buyers don't have to worry about choosing one over the other; instead, Chevy's MyLink infotainment system is compatible with both simultaneously.
BMW's 7 Series lets you park by remote control
If you're looking at a BMW's deluxe 7 Series, the 2016 model will awe your yacht club pals with some Bond-worthy gadgets. The remote control parking appears to be a first for a production vehicle, even though we've seen it demo'd by Volvo, Audi and BMW before. When you use the touchscreen-equipped BMW Display Key, it'll squeeze itself into (and out of) a parking space in a fully automatic process. Self-parking is already available on BMW's i3 electric vehicle and many others, but the 7 Series is the first to let you park when you're not even in the driver's seat.
TuneIn brings internet radio to your Android Auto-ready car
If you're part of the fortunate group that can use Android Auto now that it's up and running on Pioneer head units, you may be looking for fresh internet audio sources to keep you entertained during your commute. Well, TuneIn is happy to oblige -- the latest version of its app supports Android Auto from day one, letting you play radio stations and podcasts without taking your eyes off the road for more than a brief moment. It's going to be a long while before you can listen to virtually anything without reaching for your phone, but this should cover the bases for those times when FM radio or your personal music collection just won't cut it.
Microsoft still powers Ford's in-car tech behind the scenes
Ford may have ditched Microsoft for the next generation of its Sync interface, but that doesn't mean Microsoft no longer has a place in Blue Oval's cars. If anything, it's more important than ever. Ford has unveiled the Service Delivery Network, a cloud-based platform that uses Microsoft Azure to put internet services in your car, whether they're app-based remote controls (like telling your car to warm up in the morning) or Sync updates. The two companies hope that this will deliver connected car tech worldwide, and at a faster pace than you're used to -- you may not have to wait months or years for a feature to turn up in a vehicle you can buy. The first models relying on the Service Delivery Network should hit dealerships later this year, so you'll soon know how well this collaboration works on the open road.
Porsche offers to put modern tech in the dash of your classic 911
Older sports cars are great for hitting the open road, but let's face it, they lack the bells and whistles of modern automobiles. Porsche is looking to help, though, with a new version of its Radio Navigation System for those older vehicles. On top of turn-by-turn directions, the Bluetooth unit sorts hands-free calls with ports for playing tunes from an SD card, iPod, USB stick or via an auxiliary cable. So if you have a Porsche 911 up to type 993, or a 4- or 8-cylinder that dates back to 1965, you're in luck. Best of all, this new unit sports the overall look of those classic interiors, rather than a modern faceplate from the likes of Pioneer or Alpine. The automaker has offered to outfit older cars with navigation systems before, but this more robust upgrade costs €1,184 (around $1,342). Unfortunately, US pricing and availability hasn't been announced just yet.
Toyota won't have CarPlay-equipped vehicles anytime soon
If you're hoping to get a Toyota car with Apple's CarPlay system built-in, you'll have to hit the aftermarket, according to a New York Times report. Toyota said that "right now, we prefer to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions," adding that it currently has no plans to use either CarPlay or Android Auto, at least in the US. Though that's a small glitch in Cupertino's ambitious plans, other automakers are more bullish on it. Ford, for one, said that it'll start offering both Apple and Google's infotainment systems on select vehicles this year, and will make both systems available on all US cars by next year.
Slacker Radio hits select Toyota and Lexus models with voice control
Toyota's Entune and Lexus' Enform infotainment systems already have access to several music streaming services like Pandora and iheartradio. But if Slacker remains your internet radio of choice and you drive a 2011 to 2015 model from either automaker, look out for software updates, because the app is coming to select vehicles from within that timeframe. Even better: since both these systems have voice recognition tech, this new app will have voice-enabled song and station search, as well. Plus, it will let you create personal stations, browse other people's, and play music that matches your mood.
