Toyota will debut its next-generation Entune interface in the 2014 models of the Corolla sedan, Tundra truck, and 4Runner mid-sized SUV. These vehicles have all started showing up at Toyota dealers in the US.
The biggest change has to do with app availability. Entune first came out in the 2012 Toyota Prius (which started shipping in 2011). Since then, apps like OpenTable let you set a dinner reservation form the car. You can use a movie listing service to purchase tickets with a credit card. And, there's all of the typical weather and sports scores to browse.
The new version is quite slick. You can now drag-and-drop icons around and customize them—similar to what you can do in the 2013 Cadillac ATS and CTS using CUE. The touchscreen on the Corolla felt responsive and quick, unlike earlier versions that had a slight drag to them.
The new version also includes the Facebook Places app, which means you can let your friends know where you are when you reach a destination. Because of the long lead time for user interfaces in cars, Toyota probably had no idea that Places, announced in 2010, would fail to catch on. It's now more of a location sharing service than anything remotely like Foursquare. Still, the app is a good step forward in connecting drivers on the road.
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