Looking for a hot date? Then get yourself a Ford equipped with the SYNC infotainment platform, like the new Ford B-Max.
Nope, we're not talking about impressing the ladies with your snazzy new wheels. Instead, it's the result of the latest TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon competition in San Fansisco.
For the last few years, Ford has hosted a SYNC AppLink Developer Challenge at the event. And this year's winner is Dates.fm.
Petrol heads and petrolettes
While you might think it's some kind of mobile match-making service for petrol heads or petrolettes, it's actually all about having the best possible night out once you've already scored a date.
The idea is to connect your smartphone to a Ford SYNC-equipped motor and cruise the city streets as the Dates.fm throws up location-based options for that hot date. You can like – or in this case 'heart' – your favourite experiences and locations, thereby adding them to your own favourites list and helping to build the user database.
As Becky Cruze, co-founder of Dates.fm explains, "One of the things our existing BeCouply mobile app allows couples to do is find fun date ideas nearby and 'heart' ones they want to return to later.
What if they could 'tune in' to a service that would push great, relevant date options to them as they drive and let them make plans on the go? That didn't exist, so we decided to build it."
Romantic ride
So, there you have it. The app-enabled car as a romantic facilitator. And you thought in-car internet connections and smartphone syncing were just gimmicks.
The Dates.fm app for Ford SYNC is currently in development and is next due to appear at the CES tech fest in Las Vegas in the new year. If you can't wait that long, why not request an invite to the private beta here.
