Native iPhone steering wheel button promised by BMW, GM, Mercedes, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda.

[the brit]

Apple's Adopting a 'Eyes Off' tactic as well as the usual 'Hands Off' for cell phone use in cars.

"Hands-free allows you to keep your hands on the steering wheel while you're using your phone. We want to integrate Siri even better in the car."

Factory steering wheel button to access Siri has been promised by BMW, GM, Mercedes, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda.

English and French coming for Canada. Spanish, Italian, French, German and Korean also coming. Mandarin for Taiwan, Cantonese for Hong Kong, and both Mandarin and Cantonese for mainland China.

News from the Apple WWDC via edgadget.com





Makes sense, but i could see it being a added cost option like the ipod integration often is. Siri isn't good enough for me to use normally yet, but it could and should be a good way to reduce hands on cell phone use in cars..

[emmettlodge]

What the hell is Siri?

[rimtrim]

Has it occurred to anybody that all of this built-in tech integration is going to make car interiors obsolete much faster? I mean, imagine if you bought a 2005 Camry today, and it had an 8-track player in the dash. That's how outdated these cars are going to feel in just a few years, when tech has moved onto the next big thing. I know there's a lot of demand for tech interfaces in cars, but I think the manufacturers should keep them as generic and upgradable as possible, rather than custom-tailoring to whatever device is hot at the moment.

-Andrew L

[what]

What the hell is Siri?

http://bit.ly/upFwMz

[emmettlodge]

http://bit.ly/upFwMz

Okay....so, why the heck are all the automakers scrambling to make something for just another dumb voice recognition thing?

Besides, most automaker's systems have their own voice systems already. See: Ford Sync.

[coolalex]

Volkswagens better

[juventuss]

I hope Android is also planned. God knows not everyone uses an iphone

[Fritz27]

Has it occurred to anybody that all of this built-in tech integration is going to make car interiors obsolete much faster? I mean, imagine if you bought a 2005 Camry today, and it had an 8-track player in the dash. That's how outdated these cars are going to feel in just a few years, when tech has moved onto the next big thing. I know there's a lot of demand for tech interfaces in cars, but I think the manufacturers should keep them as generic and upgradable as possible, rather than custom-tailoring to whatever device is hot at the moment.

-Andrew L

Let's see, who is Toyota more interested in selling a car to, someone that's buying one brand new and wants iPhone integration or someone that's going to buy the car used 10 years later when the iPhone has been surpassed by another cell phone?

Think about it.

You think BMW is sweating it when someone buys an E38 740iL with the 4:3 aspect ratio CD-based nav system?

[emmettlodge]

I hope Android is also planned. God knows not everyone uses an iphone

Yeah and when is the support for my Motorola StarTac coming out????

[emmettlodge]

Volkswagens better

I didn't even know VW had a voice command system.

[juventuss]

Yeah and when is the support for my Motorola StarTac coming out????

When more than 2 people use it.

[TangoRed]

Let's see, who is Toyota more interested in selling a car to, someone that's buying one brand new and wants iPhone integration or someone that's going to buy the car used 10 years later when the iPhone has been surpassed by another cell phone?

Think about it.

You think BMW is sweating it when someone buys an E38 740iL with the 4:3 aspect ratio CD-based nav system?

It's TCL. Automakers should be catering to those who buy their cars 4-5 years after they come out.

[Brickx3]

I bought the ipod integration for my cooper (mini connect) and I love it. Espically for pandora in the car.
The addition of an ipod button that allowed me to talk to siri via the cars bluetooth would be awesome. Maps and directions, placing calls, having it read me messages and type replies. I really hope that this can be brought to my car witha firmware update.
As far as why, the public demands it, and if all you have to to is add a button and use someone else's already proven software why wouldn't you?

I hope Android is also planned. God knows not everyone uses an iphone

I honestly doubt it, too many variables to reliably provide support and connectivity.
You would not believe the troubles my dealer goes through just trying to pair different blue tooth devices, the list of approved phones is always changing, but iphones always have been and remain compatible because they are all essentially "the same".

[S0RRY]

Oh good, I hope I can get some more hopelessly garbled text messages from friends, or maybe sit and listen to them try and get siri to recognize their question 6 times.

Voice activated stuff is a gimmick.

[Turbio!]

Oh good, I hope I can get some more hopelessly garbled text messages from friends, or maybe sit and listen to them try and get siri to recognize their question 6 times.

Voice activated stuff is a gimmick.

I've had....maaaaybe a half-dozen times when I've experienced a problem getting Siri to transcribe texts, search, and recognize my voice.

[Brickx3]

Oh good, I hope I can get some more hopelessly garbled text messages from friends, or maybe sit and listen to them try and get siri to recognize their question 6 times.

Voice activated stuff is a gimmick.

Sounds like they either don't know what its capable of or don't know how to use it. While I dislike using siri in any situation other than the car to place calls or send a simple message. It does work when you know how to use it.

[Turbio!]

I hope Android is also planned. God knows not everyone uses an iphone

Android - as an OS - doesn't yet offer voice control, so....no.

[RacingManiac]

Android - as an OS - doesn't yet offer voice control, so....no.

Uh, no....

http://www.google.com/mobile/voice-actions/

You just can't ask it to tell you lame joke like it is an imaginary friend...

[MeineFolks'wagen]

I guess the only thing I see with this is this - how many cars already have something similar (i.e. integrated hands free)? Yet you STILL see people driving around with their phones to their head. This is in addition to the obvious speaker phone abilities, hands free ear pieces, etc. I just think that most people don't actually utilize the technology (personal opinion from what I see everyday mind you, no stats to back that up).

[hipster.]

Oh good, I hope I can get some more hopelessly garbled text messages from friends, or maybe sit and listen to them try and get siri to recognize their question 6 times.

Voice activated stuff is a gimmick.

http://gizmodo.com/5917461/siri-is-better-now

[Internal Combustion]

I hope Android is also planned. God knows not everyone uses an iphone

You should.


Siri has gotten so much better since October, it's not even funny.

[Turbio!]

Uh, no....

http://www.google.com/mobile/voice-actions/

You just can't ask it to tell you lame joke like it is an imaginary friend...

Yeah, I know. That's about as limited as Dragon Go - which is to say, extremely. Siri's list of possible commands, the sophistication of its voice recognition, and its fundamental integration into the OS is much more complete than Google Voice Actions. It's not even close. A few voice commands is not full voice control.

Before anybody gets all defensive, I'm not dissing Android at all, it's a fine OS. But Apple has better voice control, period.

[rbloedow]

I guess the only thing I see with this is this - how many cars already have something similar (i.e. integrated hands free)? Yet you STILL see people driving around with their phones to their head. This is in addition to the obvious speaker phone abilities, hands free ear pieces, etc. I just think that most people don't actually utilize the technology (personal opinion from what I see everyday mind you, no stats to back that up).

I personally think its because all voice recognition has been CRAP until Siri came out. I have never had an in-car system that works as fluidly and well as Siri.

In this case, the technology hasn't caught on because it has never reached a level of sophistication that Siri has obtained.

[rimtrim]

Let's see, who is Toyota more interested in selling a car to, someone that's buying one brand new and wants iPhone integration or someone that's going to buy the car used 10 years later when the iPhone has been surpassed by another cell phone?

Think about it.

You think BMW is sweating it when someone buys an E38 740iL with the 4:3 aspect ratio CD-based nav system?

I think there's a difference between having an older-style system that still works as designed, and having "dead" integration hooks that no longer work with any current devices. And frankly, I don't believe that most buyers are going to accept that cars now have a 3-year replacement cycle like electronic devices. What's acceptable for a $200 device isn't going to be acceptable for a $20K car.

-Andrew L

[kwik!gti]

What the hell is Siri?

You mean to tell me you post on an internet message board and you're claiming that you dont know what Siri is? Really?

[kwik!gti]

Oh I see all the iPhone hating toolbags are chiming in. Shocker.

[SVTDanny]

Seems to me like they would be smarter to develop their own system (see: SYNC) that is also fully comparable with Apple/Siri, rather than fully depending on it.

SYNC works great for controlling my Bluetooth-connected iPhone, of course the only functionality that I really have is to make/receive calls, but why would I want to do anything else while driving?

[hipster.]

You mean to tell me you post on an internet message board and you're claiming that you dont know what Siri is? Really?

It's of the same ilk to the people who say "what's facebook". Some people are either too old, or just tin foil hat wearing luddites.

[hipster.]

Seems to me like they would be smarter to develop their own system (see: SYNC) that is also fully comparable with Apple/Siri, rather than fully depending on it.

SYNC works great for controlling my Bluetooth-connected iPhone, of course the only functionality that I really have is to make/receive calls, but why would I want to do anything else while driving?

You mean like ask for directions, make restaurant reservations, find out movie theater times, ask about the weather, dictate an email or text message... yeah who would want to do that.

[DrivinAW8]

You mean like ask for directions, make restaurant reservations, find out movie theater times, ask about the weather, dictate an email or text message... yeah who would want to do that.

Ridiculous. Maybe it's just TCL getting to me, but that **** should be done at home, at a bookstore, rest stop, a parking lot.. anywhere but behind the wheel when driving.

[Turbio!]

Ridiculous. Maybe it's just TCL getting to me, but that **** should be done at home, at a bookstore, rest stop, a parking lot.. anywhere but behind the wheel when driving.

Yeah, yeah. Need help back down from that soapbox, or you got it okay?

[kwik!gti]

Ridiculous. Maybe it's just TCL getting to me, but that **** should be done at home, at a bookstore, rest stop, a parking lot.. anywhere but behind the wheel when driving.

Your car doesnt have a radio I assume and you always have your hands at 10 and 2 and you do not speak while in the car correct?

[Dave Zero]

I say no buttons like the new FR-S steering wheel. Timeless.

You know for the future, after they find out that cell phones cause cancer and they are banned....

[kwik!gti]

It's of the same ilk to the people who say "what's facebook". Some people are either too old, or just tin foil hat wearing luddites.

Exactly. It always makes me laugh when you have people complaining about Facebook whilst posting on an internet message board. Morons.

[Turbio!]

I think there's a difference between having an older-style system that still works as designed, and having "dead" integration hooks that no longer work with any current devices. And frankly, I don't believe that most buyers are going to accept that cars now have a 3-year replacement cycle like electronic devices. What's acceptable for a $200 device isn't going to be acceptable for a $20K car.

-Andrew L

But do they, really? My dad's iPhone 3GS talked just fine to his A4. Deep integration may not work on an older car with phone integration, but Bluetooth as a protocol and technology is pretty flexible and should accomodate streaming audio and voice calls with minimal hassle.