Texting while driving is a problem. It's irresponsible and ilegal. And yet around 26% of drivers are still doing so according to a survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. With that in mind, Logitech is announcing a Logi ZeroTouch, a dashboard mount and app that aim to reduce the risk of interacting with your phone by switching to gestures and voice controls.
The ZeroTouch comes in the form of either a clip mount that can attach to an air vent, or a larger mount with a suction cup that can be put on the dashboard. Both have a magnet embedded in the back and automatically detect when the phone has been placed on the mount using Bluetooth LE. A companion ZeroTouch app for Android then launches into a driving mode to let you send texts, make calls, navigate roads, and stream music.
A simple "high five" gesture or waving your hand over the front-facing camera wakes up the app so you can speak your commands. You can playback texts or write a reply. The app reads your text back before sending and can also suggest quick responses.
ZeroTouch supports third-party app integrations, so you'll be able to use Google Maps, Navigon, or Waze for navigation, Spotify or Deezer for music and WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts – in addition to regular SMS.
Launching today, the air vent version of ZeroTouch is priced at $59.99, and the dashboard version will cost $79.99. Lori's ZeroTouch will only be available on Android initially; there was no mention of whether an iPhone version is in the works.