During CES this past January, Alexa seemed to be everywhere, from creepy robots to capacious refrigerators. Even phones (coming soon). But Logitech waited until the middle of February (yes, that's now) to launch Alexa support for its excellent (and expensive) ZeroTouch magnetic car dash. The company has also updated its companion app for the product, allowing customers in the U.S. and UK (the only two countries officially optimized for Alexa, natch) to respond to "Hey Alexa" queries while driving.
"This Amazon collaboration gives the Logitech ZeroTouch even more hands-free power," said Patric Frank, head of new ventures at Logitech, in a press release. "Now, the possibilities are endless –even while on the road. The marriage of Logitech ZeroTouch and Alexa make it possible for drivers to not only use their voice to control more than just their smartphone, but all smart devices kept at home, before they even get there."
As with the Amazon Echo and any number of other Alexa-enabled devices, the app connects to the cloud, meaning that whenever Alexa is updated with new commands and abilities, it will be reflected in the ZeroTouch app.
In his review, Phil Nickinson praised the system for its marriage of hardware and software:
Again, $60 or $80 seems like a lot of money to throw at a way to stick your phone to your air vent or dash. And it is. But you get a really good hands-free system along with it.
Since then, Logitech released a second version of the ZeroTouch mount, called SmartCar, to automatically launch the new universal Android Auto app instead of its own ZeroTouch app. While Google's solution is comprehensive and integrates with its excellent set of apps, including Google Maps and Google Now, there's something to be said for Logitech finding ways to keep people inside its own app.
There are two versions of the mount, a $59.99 option that sticks to a car's air vent, and a $79.99 variant that more securely attaches to a dash. Either one requires a metal tab to be installed either to the back of one's phone, or to a case, that then adheres magnetically to the mount.
