New Apps, Infotainment Systems Turn Up At 2015 CES

by Cameron Aubernon

Published: January 8th, 2015

new apps infotainment systems turn up at 2015 ces

Autonomous alien luxury pods and royalty-free hydrogen patents aren’t the only things coming onto the stage during the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Today, we’ll show you the latest and greatest from BMW, FCA, Audi and Ford, with the help from our brothers and sisters over at AutoGuide.

BMW introduced non-contact gesture controls for its Control Display touchscreen infotainment system, allowing drivers to input a given address with directed gestures made between the instrument panel and gear shift, among other tasks. Another system, Touch Command, will use a standard Samsung tablet to handle all infotainment and comfort functions, and provides wireless access to all onboard electronics for all passengers.

Over at FCA, the automaker debuted new additions to its Uconnect Access suite of apps: Vehicle Finder, Send Destination to Vehicle, Monthly Vehicle Report and Vehicle Health Alert. All four allow owners to keep tabs on their vehicle’s systems, easily navigate to a given destination, and know where their vehicle is at all times. The new suite will debut in H1 2015 on select FCA products equipped with either 8.4A or 8.4AN Uconnect systems.

Audi showed off the new interior of the next-gen Q7 — set to bow in Detroit next week as a 2016 model — to the media in attendance at the 2015 CES. The dashboard arrangement is derived from the TT, featuring a 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit display with 3D maps and other important information. An additional pop-up central display uses a rotary knob and touch-sensitive pad to operate, while two large, removable, Wi-Fi-enabled tablets mounted in the back of the front headrests provide navigation info and entertainment for those seated in back.

Finally, Ford has added on AccuWeather and Life360 to the AppLink suite of apps on-board the new, QNX-based Sync 3 system. The Life360 Sync 3 app has a special Drive Mode feature that sends text messages to a driver’s friends and family so that they know not to contact the user while driving, with a follow-up text sent upon arrival at the user’s destination. AccuWeather, meanwhile, will use GPS to give minute-by-minute weather forecasts to help drivers better deal with and plan around inclement weather.

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Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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TheAnswerIsPolara on Jan 08, 2015

Full stop. Automakers can't do infotainment right. They don't have the right mindset. Bottom-line, you've got to provide over-the-air updates and you've got to support your systems for more than a couple of model-years. A buddy has a Ford SYNC on his 2012 Fusion. There's a bunch of good changes for 2013 and he can't get them -- his system is too old. Another filed under the Lemon Law to get his system in his new Lexus IS350 to play MP3s properly. They ended up giving him an IPOD for his music! How about this: provide a "app" that simply mirrors your iphone or Android device via bluetooth and keep that up-to-date? All the apps then live on the phone and that universe is responsible for keeping it up-to-date. Now, don't let me start on how broken that will be in 10 years...

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Wmba on Jan 08, 2015

"And as an added bonus," added Titchfield Smith, VP Field Operations Blue Sky Industries, "our mobile apps now come with four wheels and an engine, so you can actually move 300 yards to meet another human heing in the flesh, in the flesh, note - for a coffee. Exciting stuff."

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