Skip to main content

Take Alexa for a spin in your car with the Muse from Speak Music

muse speak music brings alexa to your car  dash activation
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s not just inconvenient to be fiddling with your radio while you’re driving — it’s unsafe, too. So rather than attempting to use your hands to change the tunes as you’re making your way down the highway, just use your voice instead. With Speak Music’s new product, Muse, you can bring Amazon Alexa into any car.

The small Bluetooth accessory pairs with your Apple or Android smartphone, giving you access to Alexa and a whole host of streaming audio entertainment. Thanks to its hands-free wake word detection, drivers need only to say “Alexa” in order to make use of all the virtual assistant’s various functions from behind the wheel. Whether you want to listen to a new album, a podcast, or order a pizza to arrive by the time you’re pulling into your driveway, Muse can help.

Recommended Videos

Muse gives drivers control not only of their newly smartened cars, but also their smart homes. You can close your garage door and set your security system as you pull away from your house, or make sure that the temperature is set to an ideal temperature when you come home. You can also take care of mundane tasks, like checking the weather, stock prices, and crossing action items off your to-do list while you’re driving. Muse can be connected to a variety of car stereo systems by way of Bluetooth, USB, or auxiliary inputs, and can also leverage your car’s built-in multimedia system to skip songs using steering wheel controls, or display “Now Playing Information” provided by Alexa like album art. And if you need to make a call, Muse boasts Bluetooth calling through the car stereo.

“We are incredibly excited to bring Muse with Amazon Alexa to cars,” said Zak Mandhro, co-Founder and chief technology officer of Speak Music. “The fusion of innovative hardware, voice technology and artificial intelligence has enabled us to deliver the ultimate voice experience for the car — bringing entertainment, productivity, utility, and safety to the drive.”

You can now preorder the Muse and all of its accompanying Amazon Alex capabilities from Indiegogo for the early bird price of $25, 50 percent off its retail price. Delivery is anticipated for December 2017.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
The UK’s Wayve brings its AI automated driving software to U.S. shores
wayve ai automated driving us driver assist2 1920x1152 1

It might seem that the autonomous driving trend is moving at full speed and on its own accord, especially if you live in California.Wayve, a UK startup that has received over $1 billion in funding, is now joining the crowded party by launching on-road testing of its AI learning system on the streets of San Francisco and the Bay Area.The announcement comes just weeks after Tesla unveiled its Robotaxi at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. It was also in San Francisco that an accident last year forced General Motors’ robotaxi service Cruise to stop its operations. And it’s mostly in California that Waymo, the only functioning robotaxi service in the U.S., first deployed its fleet of self-driving cars. As part of its move, Wayve opened a new office in Silicon Valley to support its U.S. expansion and AI development. Similarly to Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) software, the company says it’s using AI to provide automakers with a full range of driver assistance and automation features.“We are now testing our AI software in real-world environments across two continents,” said Alex Kendall, Wayve co-founder and CEO.The company has already conducted tests on UK roads since 2018. It received a huge boost earlier this year when it raised over $1 billion in a move led by Softbank and joined by Microsoft and Nvidia. In August, Uber also said it would invest to help the development of Wayve’s technology.Just like Tesla’s FSD, Wayve’s software provides an advanced driver assistance system that still requires driver supervision.Before driverless vehicles can legally hit the road, they must first pass strict safety tests.So far, Waymo’s technology, which relies on pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), is the only of its kind to have received the nod from U.S. regulators.

Read more
Pirelli’s new ‘Cyber Tyre’ could be the next traction control
Red Pagani Utopia Roadster in a spotlight on a white background

If you’ve heard whispers about the “Pirelli Cyber Tyre,” or spotted the news about the Italian manufacturer’s work with Bosch, Pagani, and McLaren, then you may be wondering: What makes the new tire so clever? Smart tires as a concept go back a few years, and Pirelli has a habit of squeezing in tech wherever possible. So, what's different this time?

Well, plenty of drivers know what happens when you hit a patch of ice, or test your luck through a particularly bad downpour. Your vehicle loses grip and unless you have the skills needed to get it back on track, you’re probably going to wind up pitched into a ditch or headed sideways into a tree. Things like stability control and traction control help a lot, but they can’t do much when you do start hydroplaning.

Read more
Scout Motors creates connections with its new electric Terra truck and Traveler SUV
Scout Terra and Traveler driving onto the compass-face stage.

Scout Motors invited roughly 300 people to the hills of Franklin, Tennessee, to reveal the Scout Traveler SUV and Terra truck electric concept vehicles. The automaker brought in journalists such as myself, active lifestyle bloggers, YouTubers, automotive industry analysts, and enthusiasts and fans of the original International Harvester Scout.

Scout Motors calls the new, rugged vehicle the Connection Machine. The reveal event aimed to establish a solid connection between the concept EVs and the attendees. The automaker also used the occasion to announce the immediate ability to reserve a Scout vehicle with a $100 fully refundable deposit.
The Scout legend

Read more