Latest news with #handsfree
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
This is the simplest way to make your car smarter, and it's now just $15
If you're looking for a simple and easy way to add some smarts to your car, then the Amazon Echo Auto 2 is going to be the way to go. While this device usually flies under the radar, we loved it in our review, and it's now even better thanks to a serious discount ahead of Prime Day that slashes the price down to just $15. Sometimes, you just want to talk and have someone else do all the work for you. Well, that's what the Amazon Echo Auto is for, giving you the ultimate hands-free experience. The best part is that it's simple and easy to set up, and also includes a USB-C charger for any devices that might need a charge while on the road. As far as the hardware goes, the Echo Auto features five microphones in order to be able to listen for your voice over the noise disturbances that you may encounter on the road. One thing to note is that, since this is an Amazon product, you're going to have to rely on Alexa, which could be a little different from what you're used to. When it comes to the actions you can perform, the Echo Auto can play your favorite music, take and make calls, message friends, and even check in on and control other Alexa devices you might own at your home or office. For the most part, it's pretty straightforward, but a good accessory to add to your car if you want an enhanced hands-free experience. It's a cheap and effective way to Alexa in your car, and it also works quite well. And while we didn't love its initial price, with this steep of a discount, it's hard not to recommend it. So get it now ahead of Prime Day because we don't think you'll see a better price.
Gizmodo
02-07-2025
- Gizmodo
Amazon Lets You Add Alexa to Your Car for Practically Free With 73% Off Echo Auto (Newest Model)
Smart assistants can be a huge help in a lot of aspects of our lives. They're great when you need to set an alarm because you're cooking, or helping to look up an obscure fact because a kid asked you, or you just can't quite remember the name of a specific band from 40 years ago. However, they can also be a huge help when you're driving, but that's a little harder to integrate. See at Amazon It doesn't have to be hard to manage though, and if you're looking for a way to add more Alexa into your life, but specifically your driving, then the Amazon Echo Auto is what you need. This amazing little device is normally $55, but thanks to an incredible Amazon Prime Day deal going on right now, you can get it for just $15, which is 73% off. The Amazon Echo Auto is a completely hands-free device that can easily be placed in your car, and it has five microphones built into it to make sure it can hear you no matter what you're doing. That means it's great whether you're rocking out to Sleep Token, or if you've got the AC blasting because life without it is simply too warm to deal with. Why does it listen though? Well, that's easy. It can do a huge number of different things with no problems. It functions quite similarly to the Amazon Echo Pop, which means you can ask it to play music from a huge number of sources, you can both call and message using nothing but your voice, and you can even enjoy things like podcasts or the news with no issues. If you're a smart home fan, you can even use this to connect to your smart devices there, and control things like your thermostat or even turn the lights off as long as you've got compatible devices. This means you can have the AC going before you even get home, and that's the kind of service you normally have to pay a lot more than $15 for. This device is worth it for a lot of people at $55, so the chance to save 73% on it and get it for just $15 isn't one you should miss out on. Heck, the thing even lets you fast-charge your phone. It offers a huge number of services in one easy-to-install package, so don't wait around for too long to get this. See at Amazon
Motor Trend
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Hands-Off Review: Ford BlueCruise 1.5 Is an Even Better Hands-Free Driving System
Ford's BlueCruise first launched in 2021 as the Blue Oval's response to GM's Super Cruise and Tesla's Full Self Driving hands-free driver assistance systems. Initially available on the Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150, it quickly established itself as our second favorite in the group, trailing only Super Cruise due to more limited areas of operation and its lack of a couple of notable features. Ford's BlueCruise 1.5 now offers automated lane changes, enhancing its hands-free driving capabilities. It communicates clearly with drivers and has improved lane-centering and curve handling. Available on pre-mapped roads, it offers various subscription options after a 90-day trial. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next While we of course love driving, like everyone else we hate long highway slogs, jammed-up commutes, and the fatigue that comes after long hours in the saddle. Level 2 hands-free systems help in all these cases, taking over minutiae such as lane-placement, road following, gap maintenance, and speed regulation, leaving drivers to solely scan the road ahead for dangers. Now, BlueCruise version 1.5 is rolling out and brings with it one huge addition to its feature set: automated lane changes. The new ability—which Super Cruise has offered for a few years—builds on BlueCruise 1.2's addition of assisted lane changes whereby the car could execute hands-off lane changes but required the driver to tap the turn-signal stalk to initiate them. Now your Ford will do it for you. Is this enough to put it on par with Super Cruise, a MotorTrend 2025 Best Tech winner in the category? We took a lightly refreshed 2025 Mach-E for a quick spin in Detroit to get an idea. From a base in downtown Detroit, we hit I-96 and headed for the city's suburbs and back, immediately activating BlueCruise by tapping a large button on the left steering wheel spoke. We set our speed to 75 mph, above the 70-mph limit, and took our place in the medium-density traffic. Of course, this being Detroit, 75 mph wasn't near quick enough, and we were soon the one being passed. BlueCruise will now move you out of the way of traffic approaching from the rear, and it did so twice for us, quickly enough that it didn't appear the approaching cars needed to slow down. To get our own passes in, we toggled our speed up to 80 and went hunting for people to pick off. When you approach a slower car, BlueCruise largely starts initiating a lane change at roughly the same time any human driver might; in fact, it beat us to the punch a couple of times, activating a lane change and turning on the signals itself just as we were about to tap the stalk to force it to move us over. Once a pass is executed, BlueCruise will look for a gap and slide back to your original lane. If traffic is flowing at roughly the same speeds—say, within 5 mph—BlueCruise acts confidently and decisively, even in smaller gaps, just as you would. With higher speed differentials, it behaves with more caution, which we appreciate. We figure this comes as a direct result of hardware and software changes that Ford says resulted in faster processing and more memory. We asked what those changes were, or at least for some quantification of how large the improvements were, but Ford wouldn't provide further detail. Another new feature of BlueCruise is clearer communication of what it's doing and why. For example, it will tell you it's moving out of the passing lane—it hates left-lane squatters as much as we do—when the lane to the right is clear. And it does so early enough that you can override its decision and cancel a lane change by either tapping the turn signal stalk the opposite direction of the intended change or simply grabbing the steering wheel and maintaining the lane yourself. These communications keep you aware of what's happening when and why, and we hope all automakers adopt similarly clear language for their systems. We also noticed the enhancements and refinements made for BlueCruise versions 1.3 and 1.4, namely better curve holding and more precise lane-centering, and that the car will scooch over a touch to avoid being too close to vehicles in adjacent lanes. BlueCruise is better than it's ever been, and it's clearly a more confident system that delivers far more hands-off driving time than earlier versions. Things BlueCruise won't do: pass on the right, move you more than one lane over at a time automatically, or nag you the moment you divert your eyes from the road ahead. Like Super Cruise, Ford's system allows you enough time to do basic tasks like change the radio station, adjust the climate control, glance out a side window, or reach for your sunglasses before it gently notifies you to look forward. It's a tacit acknowledgement that a human (with human needs) is in control, and Ford indeed says it designed the system to both behave like a real driver and work collaboratively with the person behind the wheel. The bad? Like GM Super Cruise, Ford BlueCruise works only on pre-mapped roads, and in this case it's just 130,000 miles in North America; GM is up to roughly 750,000 miles of operable roadway. (Tesla's system theoretically has them both handily beat, as it can operate anywhere at any time, including city streets. We're just not so sure it's a good idea to hand 'Full Self Driving' the wheel.) That's about it for negatives until we get more time in the seat—especially in a back-to-back evaluation with Super Cruise. BlueCruise-equipped models include a 90-day trial. After that, you can opt for a subscription at $49 per month, an annual plan for $495, or to purchase the system for the life of the vehicle for $2,495. That's not chump change, but BlueCruise 1.5's improvements and Ford's constant refinements could certainly justify it for anyone who spends a lot of time on the freeway.
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Kizik Launches Pop-Up Tour To Drive Hands-Free Footwear Expansion
Kizik's Boston store is located on Newbury St. Kizik, the rapidly growing hands-free footwear brand known for its innovative step-in shoe technology, is launching a major new retail initiative this July called the Kizik Try-On Tour. The experiential, data-driven pop-up series will make stops in eight key U.S. cities, including NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Denver, Los Angeles, and two locations in Salt Lake City. It will mark a significant milestone in Kizik's evolution from a direct-to-consumer (DTC) favorite into an omnichannel powerhouse. Founded on the premise of revolutionizing shoe wearability through its patented hands-free technology, Kizik's products allow wearers to step effortlessly into their shoes without bending or touching the footwear. Initially gaining popularity online, the Utah-based brand has expanded into physical retail with six existing stores and plans to open a seventh location at Tyson's Corner, VA, in August. This tour underscores the brand's commitment to leveraging experiential retail to enhance customer engagement and accelerate growth. "The idea for the Kizik Try-On Tour came from our desire to celebrate the 'aha' moment, which is the experience when you step into a pair of Kizik shoes for the first time, explains Elizabeth Drori, Kizik CMO. "Our six retail store locations see an impressive 75% conversion rate following a try-on. The Try-On Tour brings that powerful experience to key markets in a memorable, mobile format." Inside The Kizik Try-On Tour The Kizik Try-On Tour launches June 30th and will include eight cities across the US. Each pop-up stop on the Kizik Try-On Tour is designed to maximize consumer interaction through immersive experiences paired with sophisticated data capture methods. The 24-hour-only activations, hosted at high-traffic locations such as Brookfield Place in New York City and the iconic Santa Monica Pier, will offer guided product walk-throughs, digital customization opportunities, and gamified challenges. Attendees will also receive incentives, such as stacked rewards and personalized follow-up communications, designed to convert initial interest into long-term brand loyalty. "Our retail stores offer a great customer experience, but the tour adds a layer of energy and novelty. Drori notes. "It creates a unique sense of urgency and shareability that you can't always find at traditional retail." To maximize impact, Kizik selected the eight cities based on a strategic combination of direct-to-consumer sales penetration, existing retail and wholesale presence, and core audience demographics, with primarily adults aged 30-60 who identify with an "Everyday Adventurer" lifestyle. Cities include strategic locations with substantial market penetration, such as Washington, D.C., where the brand sees significant growth potential and is preparing to launch a new permanent store. Each pop-up event is meticulously engineered to provide not only memorable consumer experiences but also gather crucial data, enabling Kizik to better understand market readiness for future investments. Guests will have the opportunity to walk through the product with a footwear expert from the Kizik ... More team. Data collection is a core component of the Try-On Tour, blending real-time analytics with customer feedback. Through tools such as unique discount codes and digital surveys, Kizik aims to capture metrics on trial volumes, event attendance, and post-event conversion rates. Qualitative data will also be gathered to gauge consumer brand awareness, perception, and purchase intent. "The learnings from this campaign will help us identify which markets are primed for deeper investment, whether that's retail or wholesale expansion, tailored marketing campaigns, or additional experiential activations," stated Drori. Kizik's Future In Retail The Try-On Tour represents more than a temporary marketing campaign; it signals Kizik's ongoing commitment to omnichannel growth. While digital sales remain robust, the brand increasingly views physical interactions as pivotal opportunities to demonstrate its innovative footwear technology to new audiences. Kizik's Women's Charlotte "While there are no concrete plans to reposition or expand our retail stores as a direct result of the tour, we will take learnings from the tour and use them to improve the customer experience across all relevant channels," explains Drori. The brand aims to leverage the valuable insights gathered from the Try-On Tour to inform future initiatives, potentially shaping store experiences, digital marketing strategies, and product development. The focus remains on deepening customer engagement by continually refining and enhancing the unique aspects of their retail and online interactions. In a broader industry context, Kizik's innovative approach to physical retail mirrors a growing trend among brands like Warby Parker, which began its growth by testing various retail formats. Lululemon, a more established brand, is still known for various activations across the country and pop-ups in new markets. More recently, Faherty, a growing clothing brand, has expanded into hospitality to showcase the brand further and build awareness. All these companies have successfully leveraged experiential, mobile, and data-driven retail strategies to transition from digital storefronts to robust omnichannel businesses. Kizik's bold national pop-up tour reinforces this trajectory, underscoring the evolving role of physical retail not merely as static sales points but as dynamic, flexible experiences that drive consumer connection, brand awareness, and ultimately, sustained growth.
Auto Blog
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Hands-Free Face-Off: BlueCruise vs Super Cruise vs Autopilot
'Hands-free' appeals to many drivers. Yet test data shows how each system handles the real-world very differently. Here's what you need to know to choose wisely. Source: Brian Iselin Ford's BlueCruise tops Consumer Reports' latest active driving assistance tests with 84 points; GM's Super Cruise follows at 75; Tesla's Autopilot lands at 61. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety assigns BlueCruise the strongest safeguard ratings, Super Cruise middling marks, and Autopilot a lower tier (IIHS, 2023). Meanwhile, NHTSA's EA22-002 report links several Autopilot overrides to incidents when drivers regained control under glare or faded lane lines. 0:09 / 0:09 Audi A5 replaces A4: So, what's changed? Watch More Testers describe a common highway stretch at dusk where lane markings blur. BlueCruise's eye-tracking camera warns early, then ends hands-free when maps lack recent updates. Super Cruise uses precise HD maps plus lidar-derived data to prompt takeover smoothly as fading lines approach. Autopilot's vision-only stack hesitates under glare, requiring manual steering with less warning. Sensor and Software Breakdown BlueCruise relies on forward cameras plus infrared driver-monitoring. It restricts hands-free to designated 'Blue Zones' (Ford publishes region maps). Eye-tracking ensures the driver watches the road. relies on forward cameras plus infrared driver-monitoring. It restricts hands-free to designated 'Blue Zones' (Ford publishes region maps). Eye-tracking ensures the driver watches the road. Super Cruise combines high-definition lidar-scanned maps with radar and camera data. An infrared sensor checks head position; hands off feels secure until map data detects new construction or unclear markings. combines high-definition lidar-scanned maps with radar and camera data. An infrared sensor checks head position; hands off feels secure until map data detects new construction or unclear markings. Autopilot (FSD Beta) uses a vision-only neural-net stack. It operates beyond geofenced highways but lacks the predictive map layer. Updates arrive over-the-air frequently, altering the cars behavior unpredictably. ADAS Face-Off: Tesla Model 3, Cadillac CT5 & Mustang Mach-E — Source: Brian Iselin Transition Tactics Each system alerts drivers differently: steering-wheel vibrations, audible chimes, dashboard prompts. BlueCruise's prompt can feel abrupt when exit ramps aren't in its database. Super Cruise often issues a gentle vibration before displaying 'Take Control' messages. Autopilot may allow slight steering inputs before disengaging, but reports note some drivers found the warning delay risky. Hands-Free Safety: Crash Counts and Fatalities Compared GM's Super Cruise boasts over 160 million accident-free miles with no publicly documented fatal crashes under its engagement . Ford's BlueCruise has been implicated in approximately 32 reported crashes under NHTSA review, including two fatal collisions in Mustang Mach-E vehicles resulting in three deaths (NHTSA ODI, 2024) . Tesla's Autopilot has been involved in 956 reported crashes reviewed by NHTSA and is linked to 51 reported fatalities to date (NHTSA EA22-002, 2024). Enthusiasts should note that reporting criteria vary and ongoing probes may uncover further data, underscoring the importance of vigilance and understanding each system's limitations. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. BlueCruise restricts hands-free to mapped stretches in the U.S., Canada, and select regions; Ford updates zone maps periodically. Super Cruise covers over 750,000 miles of roads in North America, with map updates via dealer visits or over-the-air in newer models. Autopilot's software changes often, but without map anchoring, performance can vary by region and conditions. Source: Brian Iselin Practical Recommendations Match System to Drive Profile: If you log long interstate miles in mapped areas, Super Cruise offers predictability. For regional highway runs within Ford's Blue Zones, BlueCruise excels with strict gaze monitoring. If you enjoy frequent software tweaks and can stay vigilant for false positives, Autopilot may appeal—but treat it as a beta experiment. Test under Known Conditions: On a clear day, engage hands-free on a familiar highway. Note how each handles faded lines, curves, or light rain. Observe takeover warnings: is the vibration firm? Is the chime clear? Does the prompt arrive early enough? Stay Alert at All Times: Hands-free does not mean eyes-free. Keep gaze on the road even if systems allow relaxed hands. Note that NHTSA data demonstrate that incidents often occur within seconds of takeover. Check Map and Feature Coverage: Before relying on hands-free in a new region, verify if your route lies within BlueCruise or Super Cruise zones. Understand that Autopilot may operate but might misread unfamiliar markings. Plan for Updates and Maintenance: Factor in how frequently each system updates. Ford's BlueCruise zone updates may lag new roads. Super Cruise map refreshes often require dealer or connected-car service. Tesla's Autopilot updates automatically but can alter performance without warning. Essential Metrics at a Glance BlueCruise : CR score 84; top IIHS safeguards; strict eye-tracking; 32 crashes and 3 fatalities, limited to Blue Zones (Consumer Reports, 2025; IIHS, 2023). : CR score 84; top IIHS safeguards; strict eye-tracking; 32 crashes and 3 fatalities, limited to Blue Zones (Consumer Reports, 2025; IIHS, 2023). Super Cruise : CR score 75; broad HD-map network; lidar+radar support; smooth prompts; zero crashes and zero fatalities (160 million accident-free miles), map updates via OTA/dealer (Consumer Reports, 2025; GM, 2024). : CR score 75; broad HD-map network; lidar+radar support; smooth prompts; zero crashes and zero fatalities (160 million accident-free miles), map updates via OTA/dealer (Consumer Reports, 2025; GM, 2024). Autopilot: CR score 61; vision-only stack; wide availability; frequent software shifts; 956 crashes and 51 fatalities (Consumer Reports, 2025; NHTSA, 2022). Hands-free systems free your hands but not your responsibility. Choose BlueCruise for strict monitoring in mapped corridors. Opt for Super Cruise if you need broad coverage, map-driven predictability, and a perfect safety record. Treat Autopilot as NSFW; an evolving tool that demands constant vigilance. Test each under clear conditions, track updates, and always keep eyes forward. About the Author Brian Iselin View Profile
