Honda adding 'Eyes Free' Siri integration in some 2013 cars
A trio of upcoming Honda and Acura vehicles are getting Siri's "Eyes Free" integration, letting drivers interact with their phones while driving.
Automaker Honda today said it plans to integrate Apple's Siri voice assistant in some of its upcoming Honda and Acura vehicles.
On the list is the 2013 Honda Accord, and two Acura models, the 2013 RDX and ILX.
The feature in question is Siri's "Eyes Free" mode, a way to use Apple's iOS voice assistant without having to rely on visual cues, or interact with on-screen menus. The functionality, which was introduced at last year's WWDC, works over Bluetooth and connects through Honda's HandsFreeLink setup just like other mobile phones.
From Apple's own description:
With the Eyes Free feature, ask Siri to call people, select and play music, hear and compose text messages, use Maps and get directions, read your notifications, find calendar information, add reminders, and more.
Honda is the latest company to offer integration with Apple's software. Last November Chevrolet announced plans to include the feature in its Spark and Sonic automobiles.
Siri is now available on all of Apple's portable products, short of some iPod models, and its Mac computers. The feature requires an active Internet connection to pipe spoken queries through Apple's servers, making it more useful on the iPhone and cellular-enabled versions of the iPad.