Will your next car be a smartphone?
It’s clear that as technology advances, we are able to increasingly stay connected to our networks. Often, we can hardly hold a conversation without someone pulling out their phone to check something. This has definitely not been lost on auto manufacturers Ford and GM as they intend on making it easier for us to continue this while we are in our cars.
The current plan is to add the ability to talk and text on a touch screen that sits on the dashboard, which will eventually allow you to update your Facebook status by voice as well.
As many of us probably discovered when we were writing our Ford memo, Ford will be rolling out “App Link” that links smart phones to some Ford vehicles, a precursor to this step.
But as the article also inquires, how safe is this? Laws have been passed in most states that limit the driver’s interaction with their phone and with good reason. It will be interesting to see if this allows enough of a “hands off” approach that will actually make a difference in driver safety.
I would be very concerned about the safety here! Currently, many cars don't allow you to program the GPS while driving. This is because, even if the screen is on the dashboard, it takes the drivers attention away from the road. I would be concerned about allowing drivers to text through the dashboard!
ReplyDeleteI know some cars are starting to offer better quality voice recognition technology. Maybe Ford and GM should skip the touch-screen step and go straight to voice recognition, keeping the roads safer for all of us!