Ford announced two new Ford SYNC app partnerships to be displayed at CES Life 360 and AccuWeather MinuteCast for Ford SYNC AppLink customers. Ford SYNC apps are nominated for the best integration of smartphones for the Tech CARS Awards, vote now.
Ford Goes Further with Life 360
Ford will be the first automaker to offer the family locator app Life360 with Drive Mode.
Life360 is a free smartphone app that helps family members and close friends stay in touch throughout their busy day. Users can see where their circle of family and friends are on a private map, stay connected through one-to-one or group messages, and get help in an emergency. 48 million families worldwide use Life360.
Once Drive Mode is engaged, it can be setup to send a message to everyone in the driver’s Life360 circle suggesting they not text the driver. A follow-up message is sent once the driver arrives at his or her destination and turns off the car.
‘Drive Mode’ identifies that a family member is driving when their Android phone automatically pairs, via Bluetooth, with Ford SYNC in the vehicle. There is no need to plug the phone into the USB or launch any app. As soon as that happens, the “Drive Mode” symbol will appear on the user’s avatar on the Life360 map.
Drivers can also check the latest location of family members through the SYNC display or with voice commands. By saying, “Mom’s location,” or asking “Where is Dave?” the system pinpoints the person’s location on a map and offers a location address.
Ford AccuWeather MinuteCast Weather AppLink
When the driver selects MinuteCast on the vehicle display menu, the driver will see a static image of the weather condition he or she will soon face, and the time the precipitation is expected to happen on the route. An audio warning will also be delivered. MinuteCast, drivers will get minute-by-minute forecasts for up to two hours to help them make safer driving decisions during bad weather.
The service is available for a growing list of countries worldwide including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and Japan.