Los Angeles, CA - Driver interface and electronic-device connectivity are two areas in which automakers are really cranking on at the moment.
It seems like they’re in a never ending chase to offer a taste of what the Apples, Samsungs, Googles, and Windows of the world keep throwing out there in smartphone and tablet land.
On this front, Chevrolet made two important moves both of which were announced at the recent 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show.
MyLink goes customizable
Chevrolet has revamped MyLink, the brand’s infotainment system and portal to link other devices to the vehicle. The 2014 Chevrolet Impala will debut the new system then it should start filtering into other Chevy products as they are revised, such as the all-new Chevrolet Silverado pickup and the all-new Chevrolet Corvette.
Chevrolet spokesman, Chad Lyons, gave us a demo at the L.A. show and noted that the philosophy is to get in the car “and put the phone away.”
With your phone connected via Bluetooth or “tethered” via a USB connection, MyLink let’s you do stuff via a new in-car screen setup which actually mimics the setup on a smartphone or tablet. The new system also offers drastically improved voice recognition.
The new MyLink system has some of the same “guts” as Cadillac’s new CUE system; however, for this Chevrolet application it has notable differences. For one, it has some knobs. (Hallelujah!)
MyLink doesn’t have the motion sensors and “haptic” feedback touch controls of CUE, but the Impala’s optional 8” screen allows users to swipe and drag stuff just as they would on a tablet.
Another new feature on the revamped MyLink system is the ability to store up to 60 presents -- and not just music stations. Presets can be anything: nav settings, satellite radio, songs, music genres, phone numbers, favourite restaurants, etc.
However, the neatest new feature of MyLink might be the four different “visual styles” you can select for both the big IP screen in the centre stack and the smaller screen in the instrument cluster. For example, boomers might select the “Main Street” look, while their offspring might prefer “Edge.” There is also
“Contemporary” and “Velocity.”
You like my Sonic, Siri?
GM figures Chevrolet Sonic and Chevrolet Spark owners are a bit different than Impala and Cadillac owners when it comes to this connectivity stuff. Sonic and Spark drivers are probably younger and probably prefer to have access to their mobile devices at all times.
To help them on their quest, Spark’s and Sonic’s standard MyLink systems will integrate Siri, the iPhone app that gets things done by voice commands.
To minimize distraction, drivers should use Siri’s Eyes Free mode, which only allows for voice interaction and keeps the iPhone’s screen dark.
Among the many actions you can do “verbally” with Siri are the sending and receiving of text messages, and the choosing and playing of a song in your iTunes library.
It seems like they’re in a never ending chase to offer a taste of what the Apples, Samsungs, Googles, and Windows of the world keep throwing out there in smartphone and tablet land.
On this front, Chevrolet made two important moves both of which were announced at the recent 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show.
MyLink goes customizable
Chevrolet has revamped MyLink, the brand’s infotainment system and portal to link other devices to the vehicle. The 2014 Chevrolet Impala will debut the new system then it should start filtering into other Chevy products as they are revised, such as the all-new Chevrolet Silverado pickup and the all-new Chevrolet Corvette.
Chevrolet spokesman, Chad Lyons, gave us a demo at the L.A. show and noted that the philosophy is to get in the car “and put the phone away.”
With your phone connected via Bluetooth or “tethered” via a USB connection, MyLink let’s you do stuff via a new in-car screen setup which actually mimics the setup on a smartphone or tablet. The new system also offers drastically improved voice recognition.
The new MyLink system has some of the same “guts” as Cadillac’s new CUE system; however, for this Chevrolet application it has notable differences. For one, it has some knobs. (Hallelujah!)
MyLink doesn’t have the motion sensors and “haptic” feedback touch controls of CUE, but the Impala’s optional 8” screen allows users to swipe and drag stuff just as they would on a tablet.
Another new feature on the revamped MyLink system is the ability to store up to 60 presents -- and not just music stations. Presets can be anything: nav settings, satellite radio, songs, music genres, phone numbers, favourite restaurants, etc.
However, the neatest new feature of MyLink might be the four different “visual styles” you can select for both the big IP screen in the centre stack and the smaller screen in the instrument cluster. For example, boomers might select the “Main Street” look, while their offspring might prefer “Edge.” There is also
“Contemporary” and “Velocity.”
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| Photo: Chevrolet |
You like my Sonic, Siri?
GM figures Chevrolet Sonic and Chevrolet Spark owners are a bit different than Impala and Cadillac owners when it comes to this connectivity stuff. Sonic and Spark drivers are probably younger and probably prefer to have access to their mobile devices at all times.
To help them on their quest, Spark’s and Sonic’s standard MyLink systems will integrate Siri, the iPhone app that gets things done by voice commands.
To minimize distraction, drivers should use Siri’s Eyes Free mode, which only allows for voice interaction and keeps the iPhone’s screen dark.
Among the many actions you can do “verbally” with Siri are the sending and receiving of text messages, and the choosing and playing of a song in your iTunes library.
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