Connected Car: Ford, Samsung Integrates SYNC with Samsung Gear2, Gear S3

Own a Samsung Gear S2 or new S3 smartwatch? If so, you will soon be able to integrate your device to a Ford SYNC®-equipped vehicle for convenient parking reminders and alerts to help you remain attentive in the car.

“The power of Ford SYNC is its flexibility to connect to new devices and services,” said Dave Hatton, Ford global manager, mobile applications and emergency services. “As wearable technology advances, connecting your vehicle to these devices holds immense potential to help make your life more convenient and more personalized.”

The easy-to-use feature means you don’t have to remember to take out your smartphone and note your parking location. Rather, the app proactively asks you to log the vehicle’s location with just a few taps on your watch.

After parking and shutting the car off, drivers receive a prompt on their Samsung Gear smartwatch asking if they would like to log the parking spot, which is acquired from the vehicle’s GPS. If the vehicle is parked inside a parking garage, the driver can type the level, column and other location indicators into the watch interface. When returning to the vehicle, drivers can receive directions to navigate back to the parking spot using the watch.

Drivers can help ensure their attentiveness by using the Gear smartwatch to set audible chimes and voice alerts at three-, five-, 10-, 15- or 20-minute intervals while on the road. Future versions of the app will vibrate the watch as an added way to help keep the driver alert.