CarPlay brings Siri into travel

Just when you thought that Apple couldn’t become more ubiquitous, the company has released a new device that will be on the market soon. However, it won’t be available through its regular market; the new Apple product will find its way to mainstream consumers through the Geneva Motor Show this week. Apple is coming out with a new car infotainment system that will be fully integrated with iPhone capabilities.

Contemporary automobiles are now equipped with a standard mp3 or USB connection to allow the drivers to listen to their own music freely. GPS systems, which are also commonly installed in cars nowadays, have made the driving experience easy and spontaneous. So what more does a driver need?

Apple is venturing a new project development that aims to raise the driving experience to a new level. They’ve done it with the iPod, iPhone, MacBook and iMac series. They continue to innovate things that consumers never knew they desired. Apple innovation is so robust that these products are everywhere. Take a quick gander at the technology around you. If you are in the library or another study room on campus, you are likely to find that a majority of student consumers have invested in Apple technology for college courses.

It’s increasingly evident, though, that the company is expanding to other niches. IPads are now often used as a complete substitute for computers in the business world. Even in the online market, there are a handful of eBooks created by Apple’s own iBooks authors. Now, the company has taken a comfortable seat in the automobile industry. They call their new product the CarPlay.

Despite not having the characteristic “i” in its name, CarPlay is nothing short of being innovative and Apple-esque. It is meant to display a screen, similar to the interface seen on the iPhone, onto the dashboard of your car. It uses the famous artificial intelligence friend, Siri, to communicate with drivers and avoid the dangerous burden of pressing buttons while on the road. Messages, Calendar, Music and Mail apps, as well as incoming calls can all be accessed with the driver’s voice. Better yet, Maps will also be available for GPS functions.

This may be a product some of you have been longing for. Think of all the times you’ve had the urge to fiddle around with your iPhone while driving. Fortunately, CarPlay is going to be available at multiple automobile companies, including Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, followed shortly after by Nissan, General Motors, Land Rover, BMW and Jaguar. Ford, which has used Microsoft in-car sync systems in the past, is also beginning to collaborate with Apple. Any rumors about Ford dropping their partnership with Microsoft because of dissatisfaction have been downplayed by the company. Nevertheless, they have announced that they are looking at multiple vendors, including Apple, to improve their models.

Apple is insisting that safety is increased by syncing the iPhone to the car dashboard. CarPlay will be displayed in different ways in each car mode, allowing companies to design their functionalities to ideally accommodate it and to minimize inconveniences. Despite these plans, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is taking precautionary measures to reduce potential dangers by encouraging drivers to limit touchscreen use. Thankfully, Siri will always be a passenger.