Skip to main content

Good news, blabbermouths: Jaguar’s justDrive bundles in-car apps with voice control

Jaguar justDrive
As in-car tech continues to develop and mature, integration will continue to be one of the biggest challenges for automakers to hurdle.

Most companies can reasonably manage fitting phone, music, navigation, and messaging systems into your daily driver, but presenting them together in an easy-to-use format is much more of a challenge.

Recommended Videos

Jaguar Land Rover’s ‘justDrive,’ a smartphone connectivity app designed by CloudCar, looks to do just that.

Tailored for use with the automaker’s InControl Apple iOS8 infotainment platform, justDrive bundles programs like Spotify, Twitter, and Yelp together in a hands-free, voice-activated package, one that was designed to improve connectivity while reducing distractions on the road.

Jaguar and Land Rover customers will already be familiar with the touchscreen functions of InControl, and justDrive will allow them to continue that experience while offering speech recognition as an option.

“CloudCar is excited to be collaborating with Jaguar Land Rover, a thought leader in bringing the connected car experience to their discerning customers,” said Luke Smithwick, VP of CloudCar Marketing and Business Development. “As the first to adopt justDrive, Jaguar Land Rover brings customers a thoughtful, connected experience that evolves with the driver and remains current throughout the vehicle’s lifetime.”

CloudCar’s technology differs from some other voice-controlled systems by using advanced plain speech recognition, which allows drivers to communicate with their car more naturally.

Instead of employing rigid syntax commands, “The driver can dictate and then send a tweet or SMS by simply saying: ‘Tell George I’ll be late’, with justDrive reading the content of the message back to you before it is sent,” Jaguar’s statement reads. “You can also ask justDrive to play a particular song just by asking for it.”

The app is available for 2015 model year Land Rover and Jaguar F-Type vehicles. It is also free to download on Android phones.

Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
These new NASA EVs will drive astronauts part way to the moon (sort of)
NASA's new crew transportation electric vehicles.

Three specially designed, fully electric, environmentally friendly crew transportation vehicles for Artemis missions arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week. The zero-emission vehicles, which will carry astronauts to Launch Complex 39B for Artemis missions, were delivered by Canoo Technologies of Torrance, California. NASA/Isaac Watson

NASA has shown off a trio of new all-electric vehicles that will shuttle the next generation of lunar astronauts to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center.

Read more
5 upcoming EVs I’m excited for, from luxury SUVs to budget champions
Lotus Eletre

Almost every major automaker has released an EV by now -- or plans to soon -- and makers like Ford and Kia already have a variety to choose from. But if you haven't found one that's right for you yet, hang tight. There are dozens of announced electric car models that have yet to come out, and it's clear that the future of EVs is bright.

From longer range to lower prices, the next batch of EVs gives us plenty to get excited about. Here are five upcoming EVs that we can't wait to drive.
Volvo EX30

Read more
Tesla shows off first Cybertruck after two years of delays
The first Cybertruck built at Tesla's Giga Texas facility.

The first Cybertruck built at Tesla's Giga Texas facility. Tesla

Tesla has shown off the first Cybertruck to roll off the production line at its new Gigafactory plant in Austin, Texas.

Read more