See New York City, Through Other People's Dashboard Cams

On the long, possibly dead-end road to fully automated driving, the promise of “connected” vehicles is something like a way station. When cars can communicate with one another over Wi-Fi and GPS, drivers should be able to anticipate hard stops, lane blockages, slippery pavement, and other kinds of unexpected terrain. Ultimately, connected robo-cars would be able to turn the untidy churn of human-driven traffic into a frictionless ballet of computer-controlled mobility. But for now, flesh-motorists can still benefit from such “smart” features: Many will soon be available in Ford’s lineup, for example. If you can’t shell out for a new ride, however, you’re out of luck.

On the other hand, Nexar, an AI-powered driving safety app, provides similar features to the masses. It deploys your smartphone like a dashcam, recording your commutes.* Stored in the cloud, that video footage can come in handy if you’re filing an insurance claim after a crash. Using artificial intelligence, it also helps Nexar predict possible accidents: The company combines the videos with data from your phone’s accelerometer and gyroscope to detect and alert you to dicey driving conditions.