Honda Gets Siri-ous, Adds Digital Assistant
by Kimberly Phipps
What woman has not dreamed of having her own personal assistant? Someone intelligent and accommodating, who helps you get things done on your never-ending to do list? Look closely–a high-tech digital assistant may be in your next Honda.
Everyone Needs a Digital Assistant
So many of life’s most vexing questions come to us while in the car. Where did I leave my dry cleaning? What time does Downton Abbey come on this week? Does that Thai place have a lunch special? Often, these questions just go into the void, forgotten until you can get home, eat dinner, have a glass of wine…and then you’ll remember them just as you’re drifting off to sleep, too exhausted to deal with them. But that was before Smartphones – and the digital assistant – changed all that. Now, we’re able to look up pretty much anything on the fly, the instant we think of it. We don’t think, we Google. But of course, there’s a huge safety risk in using anything that takes our eyes away from the road, even for a split second. By now, we are all aware of the dangers associated with having these magic little screens vying for our attention while navigating the roads.
Bluetooth technology has come a long way in offering drivers “hands-free” options, but Honda is upping its safety and connectivity game with an “eyes-free” mode for iPhones, iPads, and iPods with Siri, the digital assistant. What does this mean? Drivers can direct Siri to perform a number of specific tasks using their voices only–the iPhone’s screen doesn’t even light up. Honda has reengineered its software to seamlessly integrate Siri Eyes Free mode into its Bluetooth®HandsFreeLink® via the onboard microphone and speakers. It’s available as a dealer-installed option on the 2013 Honda Accord and Acura RDX and ILX models.
Some coffee, please, Siri
So if you want to stay both super connected and super responsible, Siri and Honda may be your new BFF’s. And like your dad always told you, you can keep your eyes on the road and those hands on the wheel. But now thanks to Siri and Honda, you can pick up your cleaning, make it to the Thai place in time to get the lunch special, and arrive home in plenty of time to watch the Downton gang. Thank you, digital assistant! Siri may not yet be able to open the door for you with as much style as Carson does for The Dowager Countess of Grantham, but she’s working on it.
