Muse Auto smartens your car with Alexa

Alexa has quickly become one of the most popular digital assistants. In fact, IFTTT’s surveys show that out of all digital assistant users, 70% take advantage of Amazon’s voice service. Alexa is reaching all kinds of devices, and a new product attempts to bring it to your automobile. 

Other featured crowdfunding projects: 

• Valkyrie: a portable speaker that is louder than a concert
• LightCam: a smart light bulb that doubles as a security camera
• PITTA – modular action camera can turn into a selfie drone in seconds

This small accessory goes by the name of Muse Auto. It is a tiny circular device that seems like nothing to write home about, but it is more complex than its appearance may suggest. Inside you will find a Qualcomm signal processor, Bluetooth, a microphone, aux output, button controls (next, previous, mute, barge-in), and a multi-color status LED. 

The setup process is simple. The Muse device attaches to any surface with a magnetic mount. Once mounted, use the included cables to give it power through the vehicle’s outlet and send audio to your sound system via 3.5 mm jack. Connect to your smartphone using Bluetooth and you are ready to go! It essentially becomes an extension of your handset. 

The company claims it takes about three minutes to set everything up. After that, you can take advantage of everything Alexa has to offer, including streaming music, checking reminders, managing a shopping list, controlling your smart home products, making calls, and more. 

Interested? The good news here is that this isn’t exactly a crowdfunding campaign. They are straight out selling the device for $70 and it will ship within 3-5 days. No need for waiting or praying for a goal to be met. 

Does the idea of Alexa in your car seem enticing? The examples in the video may seem silly, but they do show off how it can be convenient to have Alexa readily available during your commutes. I would certainly give it a try.