Remember when your car used to be your great escape? It would be you, the road, and the wide open skies. The alone time used to be so therapeutic. The transition time of getting from here to there was just what you needed to calm your nerves, get a better perspective, and refresh yourself.

All that is about to end with the infiltration of apps in automobiles. Ford has been leading the way for years with digital experiments and now the company is getting more serious than ever. During CES, Ford announced a new expanded app developer program, Sync AppLink, that will now allow you to use your dcar’s voice command and dashboard controls.

· Wall Street Journal
· USA Today
· Kaliki
· Amazon Cloud Player
· Aha Radio
· Rhapsody
· Greater Media
· Glympse
· BeCouply

Existing apps include Pandora, Stitcher, NPR, and Scout navigation.

Ford divides compatible apps into three categories: News and Information, Music and Entertainment, and Navigation and Location. News apps such as the Wall Street Journal will have stories read out loud for the driver. Aha Radio not only plays music and podcasts, but also features location services, finding destinations such as restaurants on the road ahead for the driver.

To use the apps, the driver needs to have them installed on a smartphone, connected to the car by either Bluetooth for Android or a cable for iOS.

Ford announced a new program at CES to make it easier for developers to create apps for Sync AppLink. Ford retains approval over app integration with AppLink, ensuring quality for the automotive environment.

Please watch the video below from CNET, a leading tech news site, which explains how the apps get installed and work.