Two new connected skills are coming to homes and cars. A new device from Garmin offers turn-by-turn voice navigation in cars. Infiniti owner at home can speak to their vehicles for remote app functionality through the Infiniti InTouch Services or Infiniti Connection services.
Garmin Speaks with Amazon Alexa
Garmin announced the innovative Garmin Speak with Amazon Alexa, the first in-vehicle device to have hands-free access to the Amazon Alexa voice service and industry-leading turn-by-turn GPS navigation from Garmin. Alexa responses, including things like music and audiobooks, stream right through a vehicle’s stereo. Customers that already know and love Alexa will now benefit from using Amazon’s cloud-based voice service in a device designed specifically for the car.
Garmin Speak users can ask the always-ready device a multitude of requests that include news briefings, weather forecasts, sports stats, and traffic. Customers can also enable interactive games to entertain passengers on longer trips. Drivers can enjoy the convenience of asking Alexa to remotely access smart home automation devices such as lights, locks, and thermostats. Need to add milk to your shopping list on the way to the grocery store? Simply ask Alexa or choose from thousands of other skills in the Alexa Skills Store.
Garmin Speak
https://youtu.be/7SCxtA_xo9M
Infiniti owners in the U.S. can now use simple voice commands to conveniently control vehicle features such as unlocking, locking, remote-start and more. Leveraging the power of increasingly connected homes, Infiniti has tapped into already-available features within Infiniti InTouch™ Services and Infiniti Connection® to integrate the new Amazon Alexa Skills on many of its new and existing vehicles.
This new connected feature is a great convenience that allows owners who may be walking in the door with their hands full of groceries—or those who simply forgot—to ask Alexa to lock their car doors. It is also a nice feature for owners in colder climates who, this winter, will be able to warm up their vehicles without leaving the house.
Currently available on the Alexa Skills Store, the new skill enables Infiniti owners to use “Infiniti InTouch Services” or “Infiniti Connection” (based on the program equipped with their vehicle) free of charge.
These new Alexa Skills are available on certain Infiniti vehicles equipped with Infiniti InTouch Services or Infiniti Connection telematics. Amazon’s Alexa integration requires owners to have an active subscription to Infiniti InTouch Services or Infiniti Connection and a valid Owner Portal account.
The Amazon Alexa Skills are now available on the following vehicles, with more to come:
Infiniti InTouch Services:
2018: Q50, Q50 Hybrid, Q60, QX60, Q70, QX80
2017: Q50, Q50 Hybrid, Q60, QX60
2016: Q50, Q50 Hybrid
Infiniti Connection®:
2017: Q70, QX80
2016: Q70, Q70 Hybrid, QX60, QX60 Hybrid, QX80
2015: Q50, Q50 Hybrid, Q70, Q70 Hybrid, QX60, QX60 Hybrid, QX80
2014: Q50, Q70, QX60, QX80
2013: M37, M56, JX35, QX56
Infiniti plans to expand the technology to other models in the future.
How the Infiniti Connection and Infiniti InTouch Services skills work
Once enabled and linked to a valid Infiniti Owner Portal account with a compatible Infiniti vehicle, owners can simply ask Alexa to remote lock/unlock, honk the horn, flash the lights and start or stop the engine depending on the model.
For example, owners can say, “Alexa, ask Infiniti InTouch Services to start my Q50” or “Alexa, ask Infiniti Connection to lock the doors of my Q60.” Moments later, Alexa will confirm the request and the vehicle will respond to the command.
A 4-digit pin will be required to send certain commands to the vehicle, such as remote start, for added security. Additionally, owners can customize the name of their vehicle.