It might not immediately scream ‘use case’ but Ford has just announced that it’s working on an integration with Amazon that will enable you to command your car from your armchair, as well as controlling your home while on the road.
By using Amazon’s cloud-based assistant Alexa with its Echo smart speaker, you could soon use your voice to lock your car, start or stop it and check different vehicle stats, all without going outside.
You’ll be able to check if you have enough fuel before you set off on a journey, or make sure your car is tuned to your favorite settings before you get in.
The project is being demoed live at CES.
Ford has a new partnership with Amazon. There's an Amazon Echo speaker on stage at its CES keynote. pic.twitter.com/jbva0VSghw
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Alexa will also be live inside Ford cars so you can quickly use your voice to check things online, like the weather.
And through another partnership the company is working on, your Wink smart home controller could soon connect everything in your life together, meaning you’ll be able to control your home from your car too.
This is all powered by Ford’s SYNC AppLink platform, which now offers support for Google and Apple music in your car, plus a whole load of other apps.
It’s not clear when these latest partnerships will translate into services live and ready to go, but Ford clearly has the intention to make its cars a key part of your internet of your things in 2016.
➤ Smart Cars Meet Smart Homes: Ford Exploring SYNC Integration with Amazon Echo and Alexa, Wink [Ford news]
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