driver

Almost Famous: Ben Zotto of Cocoa Box Design

Drake Martinet, Intern, All Things Digital in News on May 28, 2010 at 12:05 pm PT

This week, we coffee’d at Coupa Cafe on the Stanford University campus to interview Ben Zotto. He’s the mind behind Cocoa Box Design, the app company responsible for Penultimate, a sleeper hit at the iPad App Store. Ben is developing popular software that is just a little outside of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’s vision for his “magical” device. That doesn’t seem to bother Zotto though.

Inside Ford's App-Happy Fiesta–But No Manilow (and BoomTown is a Fanilow)!

Kara Swisher in News on April 26, 2010 at 8:51 am PT

Last week, outside the Facebook f8 developers conference, BoomTown checked out the new 2011 Fiesta model, which will be the first vehicle in which smartphone apps can be voice-controlled via its in-car synching software called SYNC AppLink. While getting a test, I interviewed the Ford dude–Julius Marchwiki–who has been in all the YouTube videos of late touting its digital prowess. And, even though he had no Apple iPhone sync and no Barry Manilow to offer, Marchwiki did manage to keep my interest.

Ford Launches Voice Control of Apps in Car: No More Phone-Fiddling While Driving?

Kara Swisher in News on April 20, 2010 at 4:15 am PT

Ford, which has been trying to fast-forward its automobiles in the digital space, announced today that its 2011 Fiesta model will be the first vehicle in which smartphone apps can be voice-controlled via its in-car synching software. One issue: Initially, Ford’s SYNC AppLink, downloadable as an upgrade, will work only with Google Android and Research in Motion BlackBerry devices. Still, anything that stops dodos from fiddling with a smartphone while driving can’t be bad.