INRIX XD Connect makes mobile apps easier to use in the Car

LAS VEGAS, USA: INRIX, international provider of traffic information and driver services has introduced a set of technologies that makes it safer and easier to use a mobile app in the car.

INRIX XD Connect helps automotive suppliers and OEMs better integrate a mobile app with the vehicle so consumers can access information and interact with mobile apps in a driver-friendly context.

"Drivers juggling smartphone apps inside a car pose obvious risks to their safety and others on the road," said INRIX vice president of Mobile, Mike Arcuri. "XD Connect helps reduce risk of driver distraction, allowing consumers to keep their hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and not on the phone."

XD Connect is a breakthrough technology designed to help automakers and their suppliers comply with the National Highway and Transportation Administration's (NHTSA) driver distraction guidelines.

Benefits of XD Connect include the ability to:

* Assign app functions to steering wheel controls or buttons on the dash for ease of use

* Optimize font and button sizes, in-app icons and app displays for in-car use

* Disable specific app functions and customize interaction to minimize driver distraction

* Integrate apps with the vehicle's voice recognition and text-to-speech software

* Customize app interfaces to match the look and feel of each in-car system or aftermarket device

Mobile and automotive companies requiring traffic-enabled in-car app experiences can leverage the new head-unit-optimized HMI and connectivity protocols built into XD Connect. INRIX XD Connect will be showcased at CES with the INRIX Traffic app on Pioneer's AppRadio 3 and Bosch SoftTec's mySPIN smartphone integration for Jaguar Land Rover's new InControl Apps service.