The Ultimate Hack: Chevy Offers Lessons in Apple CarPlay, and Style, Tech and Social hacks

Chevy Apple Car Play
The CarPlay screen in the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban–it looks just like my phone screen!

Chevy Integrates Apple CarPlay Technology; Enter to Win Tickets to the Miami Auto Show and See For Yourself!

It’s the thing you want most in your car: a simple way to use your phone without having to look at it.

Now, you don’t have to ‘hack’ your way to using your phone in the car. Apple and Google have developed systems that integrate seamlessly—and without distraction— in some new cars. All 2016 Chevrolet models come equipped with Apple CarPlay, and this winter they’ll be updated to integrate Android Auto, too.

Chevy Car Play
Chevys lined up at the Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach, where we tested out CarPlay

We joined Chevrolet just before the Miami Auto Show to try out Apple CarPlay, and to get some insight into other ways to ‘hack’ your life that were inspiring: refining our style with Jenny Berger of WearItWellMiami, learning how to be more focused and effective in our social communication with Vanessa James of Vanessa James Media, learning how to approach our tech lives of with CodeFever Miami.

Learning How to Use Apple CarPlay

Chevy Car Play
CarPlay puts my key phone apps on the infotainment screen; the white button on the bottom left is the ‘home’ button

CarPlay takes the best of your iPhone (and this winter when Android Auto is introduced—your Android phone) and when connected by a USB cord, uploads your key apps on your phone to the Chevy’s infotainment screen. Want to make a call while your’e driving? Push the hands free voice button on the steering wheel and your phone accesses its own directory and places the call for you.

Chevy Car Play
Once I’ve plugged in my phone to the car’s USB port, I get a prompt to allow CarPlay to connect; from there I touch the CarPlay icon on the car’s screen to activate it

You can see how the system works in our Periscope broadcast:

The Ultimate Hack? No Hacks at All!

We thought we’d learn some simple style secrets from Jenny Berger but actually, what we learned is that to wear it well, you have to wear it authentically. Jenny’s #1 tip? Go through your closet and get rid of things you don’t wear. Tip #2? Go with what you’re comfortable with, and that means don’t wear every trend at once. Fringe will be big this year, but only one fringed item at a time. Tip #3? Pull out all that dainty, pretty jewelry you put away a few years ago; it’s back!

Chevy Car Play
Tech and style play were part of the CarPlay demo; Jenny from WearItWellMiami (left) and Ryan from Code Fever Miami (right) taught us style and tech hacks to make our lives easier


This idea of authenticity threaded through to ideas to get more genuine connections through social media and technology, as taught by Vanessa James and Code Fever Miami. Just like Jenny taught us about getting the unused items out of our closets, Vanessa advises to eliminate the social platforms that are more of a burden than a love, and to focus on where you love to connect with people. Ryan from Code Fever Miami had a similar message: Find your natural path, the tech platforms that work for you, and your journey through technology will be simpler and more rewarding.

Our style conversation with Jenny Berger was caught on Periscope, which you can see here.

Want to learn more–and win tickets to attend the Miami Auto Show?

We’ll continue the conversation with a Twitter Chat this Thursday, November 12th at 7PM eastern. And, we’ll be giving away 4 pairs of tickets the Miami Auto Show along with Chevy Gift bags.

When: November 12, 7-8 pm ET (6-7pm CT; 5-6 pm MT; 4-5 pm PT)

Follow #ChevyPlayMiami #ILikeThatCar @AGirlsGuidetoCars @TheSistersHood, @biggreenpen, @Coolchillmom, @whatsupmamis, @MommyMafia, @miamimommysavings, @HeLoEnterprises, @zeinabkristen, @bNiiontweet, @tarametblog, @ssstyle1

Enter to win below by answering a few simple questions; each answer qualifies as an entry to win. Winners must be able to pick up tickets to the Miami Auto Show in person; no accommodation for travel, parking or other expenses will be made. Value of each prize $40.

HOW TO ENTER: To be eligible, you must:

  1. Enter to win in the Gleam widget below. You can enter up to 5 times!
  2. Have at least one unique Tweet (other than a reTweet) on the Twitter party from 7-8 pm ET on November 12th, 2015. If you aren’t on Twitter, it’s easy—and free—to sign up. Go to www.twitter.com to get started.

#ChevyPlayMiami
  

Good luck!

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Scotty Reiss
Scotty Reiss

Journalist, entrepreneur and mom. Expertise includes new cars, family cars, 3-row SUVs, child passenger car seats and automotive careers and culture. A World Car Awards juror and member of the steering committee, Scotty likes to say the automotive business found her, rather than her finding it. But recognizing the opportunity to give voice to powerful female consumers and create a voice to match their spending power, her mission became to empower women as car buyers and owners. A career-long journalist, she has written for the New York Times, Town & Country, Adweek and co-authored the book Stew Leonard, My Story, a biography of the founder of the iconic grocery company Stew Leonard’s. Her love of cars started when her father insisted she learn to change the oil in her MG Midget, but now it mostly plays out in the many road trips taken with her family.

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