Mappo is a new way to explore. The app provides culture-oriented travel recommendations based on books, movies, music, and more, going further than the traditional reach of points of interest recommendations. It includes themed routes and utilizes crowd sourcing to generate content from locations around the globe.
The app launched with 30,000 points of interest with references in more than a dozen major cities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Points of interest aren’t just marked on a map, but are supported with content such as quotes, book clips and trivia. Users can browse points of interest nearby, or you can use the search box to look up themed routes based on a place, the name of an author or book, or several other filters such as movies, music and history.
Ford will be the first automaker to add Mappo to its vehicles. The addition is the result of a collaboration between Mappo, a startup from Tel Aviv, Israel, and the Ford Research Center in Israel.
“People love telling their friends about interesting places in books, movies and music – now they can share these passions with the world through Mappo,” said Stuart Taylor, global director, Ford enterprise connectivity. “Mappo makes long drives or brief escapes richer experiences, whether people stay inside their vehicle or step out to experience a landmark.”
Customers who have vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 or SYNC 4 technology will be able to use Mappo through voice commands, giving them an easy way to experience the app as they travel. Mappo also will be available for the 2021 F-150, Mustang Mach-E, Bronco, and other future Ford vehicles.
Vehicles equipped with navigation technology can use SYNC AppLink for the unique capability of creating routes to the points of interest found in the Mappo app.
In addition to Ford vehicles, the Mappo app is aviaalbe for iOS and Android devices.
Getting in and out of your vehicle to explore doesn’t stop the Mappo experience. Any saved route on your smartphone can be easily selected once running the app inside your vehicle, and you can quickly pick up where you left off – whether leaving a vehicle to explore or coming back to continue to your next destination.
