Siri has become a part of all our lives, the voice of reason and the person who always (almost) has a response. But Siri’s flaw is not in the technology itself, but the implementation. For the assistant to achieve true voice handsfree operation, there needs to be a way of triggering the virtual assistant without pressing a physical button. General Motors step in.
An update to Siri was announced at WWDC which saw an overhaul to the graphical interface as well as improved search options. In addition to this however, it also now includes iOS in the Car which allows you to bring iOS information on the screen of your car. Of this includes a feature called Siri Eyes Free, which as the name suggests, allows Siri to be interacted with – or more importantly activated – without having to press the home button.
Siri Eyes Free
GM has announced that Siri’s Eyes Free feature will be coming to the Chevrolet Camaro, Volt, Malibu, SS, Cruze, and Equinox for 2014.
The Siri Eyes Free feature allows the virtual assistant to be triggered using a button mounted in the steering wheel, making it easier for drivers to interact with Siri whilst driving and avoiding the need to look at the iOS Device screen at all.
“The response to Siri Eyes Free integration in Chevy Sonic and Spark from our customers has been remarkable. Easy, reliable and portable connectivity is a top priority for our customers, and Siri complements MyLink’s existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience, so we’re excited to expand this to even more customers.”
Whilst General Motors are by no means the first car manufacturers to do this, it represents a big leap forward for bringing iOS integration into the car, but more importantly a step towards keeping drivers safe and their attention firmly on the road.