With all the electronics and technology being engineered into cars these days, the Consumer Electronics Show is starting to feel like an auto show. Automakers have been increasingly using the annual Las Vegas event to highlight their latest tech. At this year's show, Ford is on hand with a new voice-based location-sharing app.
Ford teamed with location-sharing company Glympse, Inc. to give drivers an easy way to let friends and family know exactly where they are. The Glympse app now works seamlessly with Ford SYNC AppLink and allows drivers to use voice prompts to share their locations.
When the Glympse app is present on a smartphone that's connected to the SYNC system via Bluetooth or USB, the system automatically recognizes it. The driver simply hits the SYNC voice button and uses voice commands to send out his or her location to a contact via text, email, Facebook or Twitter.
On the other end, the recipient can see the location on a smartphone or computer map and can track the driver's progress and estimated time of arrival. Vehicle tracking continues to update based upon a time frame provided by the driver, then expires and is no longer available.
"People typically share their location while in the car, and by integrating Glympse into Ford SYNC AppLink, we’re providing drivers with a rich, real-time and hands-free way to share where they are," said Bryan Trussel, co-founder and CEO of Glympse. "Ford will help us to reach millions of consumers who will be able to just say, ‘Send a Glympse’ to share their current whereabouts, eliminating the need to send a text or make a phone call."
The Glympse app might seem like an unnecessary feature, but it's not a bad idea. It's not all that rare that you may be running late and receiving multiple calls asking you where you are and how long you'll be. Now, instead of fielding those calls from the driver's seat, SYNC users can let people know with a few simple words.
The Glympse app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Source: Ford