With many new cars coming with all the technology trimmings as standard, including screens, sensors, and cameras, those with older automobiles have to retrofit their vehicles with add-ons and extensions to bring it into the digital “always-on” world. Logitech is the latest company to chase that latter market with the launch of the Logi ZeroTouch, a smart car mount and accompanying app that brings hands-free functionality to your old beater. While there are other devices and apps on the market that already enable hands-free interaction with your phone, what Logitech is striving for here is to create an affordable, easy-to-use contraption that xxxx The $60 air vent-mounted ZeroTouch, and $80 dashboard counterpart, triggers the Logitech voice-controlled app (available only for Android in the U.S.) the second you attack your phone to the mount.
Above: Logi ZeroTouch
The phone attaches to the ZeroTouch by magnet, meaning you have to attach a little metal strip to the back of your phone (which comes as part of the package) to enable this.
Above: ZeroTouch: Attaches, as if by magnet
With your phone attached to the ZeroTouch, you can listen-to messages and operate apps, including SMS which you can “write” and send using your voice. You can also control music-streaming apps such as Spotify, Google Maps, and Waze, receiving directions to your destination, or share your current location with friends through Glympse. It basically replicates key features of Android Auto or Apple’s very own CarPlay, except this costs a mere 60 bucks and can be fitted to any vehicle. “New car owners can experience the luxury of a connected car, but there are still tens of millions of older cars on the road,” said Bracken Darrell, Logitech president and CEO, in a press release. “As we look for ways to design products that are thoughtful solutions to human needs, we realized there was an opportunity to turn any car into a connected car.” Founded in 1981, Logitech is a brand synonymous with PC peripherals and accessories, but the Swiss company has been pushing out into a growing number of categories. In July last year, it announced a new sub-brand that will be attached to these new products, with “Logi” finding its way onto iPad accessories and a life-logging, home-monitoring camera. By betting on bold design underpinned by a new brand, Logitech hopes to ditch its ‘mice and keyboards’ legacy. In an interview with VentureBeat last year, Darrell revealed that the company was working on “six or seven” new product lines, and when probed on whether the company would consider entering the automobile realm, he gave a coy “no comment,” though he later elaborated and said that he saw opportunities everywhere, “including the car.” Now we know what opportunities he was referring to here — accessories to help you and your old automobile go hands-free and keep your eyes on the road. The ZeroTouch Air Vent and ZeroTouch Dashboard are available to order through Amazon or Logitech today.