Fiat and Microsoft launch hands-free in-car multimedia
Fiat Blue&Me controls - no turbo boost or ejector seat. Yet.
Author: Chris Barker
Published: 17 March 2008
For those of you brought up on a staple diet of Knight Rider, the unstoppable automotive tour de force that is Fiat is at the forefront of a new in-car technology that enables drivers of its Grande Punto, Bravo and 500 models to permanently operate on the right side of the law.
If you're the lucky owner of a current Fiat Grande Punto, Bravo or 500 then you too can now reinvent yourselves as David Hasselhoff, circa 1984.
Bubble-perm and dodgy leather trousers excepting, Fiat have gone and invented the Blue&Me hands-free in car infotainment system with co-conspirators Microsoft in a bid to make driving an altogether safer mission.
Fiat has developed a hands-free entertainment and communication technology that allows the driver of many of Fiat's range to make phone calls and access their in-car entertainment whilst heroically maintaining full involvement with the steering wheel at all times.
In collaboration with Microsoft, Blue&Me is Fiat's voice-activated system that can read text messages, dial numbers and find and sort audio tracks for the driver. Those in the UK don't even have to train the system to recognize heavy regional accent either.
Multifunction steering wheel controls can also be used to control MP3, WMA and WAV music files whilst on the move, while also displaying your phone book and track-listings on your Fiat's instrumentation panel.
All the driver has to do is introduce their Bluetooth mobile phone with the Blue&Me the one time – simply by connecting an MP3 player to the USB port found on the centre console
Fitted as standard on several Fiat Grande Punto, Bravo and 500 models, Fiat's Blue&Me is available as an option across the entire range for £250.
Road safety groups have called for a ban on motorists using hands-free mobile phone kits, after an HGV driver ploughed into stationary traffic, killing another driver.
Using hands-free mobile phone comparable in danger to driving while drunk, says report.
Bang & Olufsen headset is ´best-sounding and best-looking Bluetooth headset on the market´, says Bang & Olufsen.
Using a hand-free kit to talk on a mobile phone makes a crash four times more likely, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists
Citroen adds music and styling appeal to C1, C2 and C3 models
advertisement
Cow pats, coffee beans, deceased cats and dirty nappies might not sound the sort of stuff you want to fill your car with, but all have been posited as potential alternative fuels to oil. | 05/09/2008
As more drivers turn to all-road estate cars to fill the gap left by a gargantuan 4X4, MT scouts Volvo, Audi and Subaru to see how the leading lights shape up against one another. | 05/09/2008
Gas guzzling manufacturers suffer as high taxes and petrol prices bite, but bad news for manufacturers could be good news for buyers. | 05/09/2008
Toyota has revealed new images of the new ultra-small iQ city car, which will go on sale in the UK in January from around £10,000. | 05/09/2008
England spinner Monty Panesar becomes brand ambassador for Jaguar and collects a brand new XKR sports car from the Big Cat. | 05/09/2008
|05/09/2008
Toyota has revealed new images of the new ultra-small iQ city car, which will go on sale in the UK in January from around £10,000.
|04/09/2008
Volkswagen’s new Scirocco coupe arrives in UK showrooms this week, priced from a shade under £21K, yet can be yours for £259 per month courtesy of VW’s personal contract plan.
|05/09/2008
New-car and van registrations in August drop 20 per cent over the month, used car values are worst since early-90s recession. The recession hits the UK car market.
|05/09/2008
Cow pats, coffee beans, deceased cats and dirty nappies might not sound the sort of stuff you want to fill your car with, but all have been posited as potential alternative fuels to oil.
|04/09/2008
Hyundai rolling up to Paris Motor Show brimming with new models and concepts. Like the world debut-making Hyundai i20 supermini, and all-new Santa Fe petrol-electric hybrid SUV crossover and ix55 SUV.
|20/11/2007
Around 400 people a day risk damaging their car by misfuelling, and filling up with gas is a mistake that could cost thousands. So what do you do if you´ve filled up your diesel car with unleaded petrol?
|06/12/2007
Fuel protests similar to those that brought the UK to a halt in 2000 are being planned by a breakaway group of disaffected hauliers, according to press reports.
|14/03/2008
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond will take the multi award-winning BBC TV Top Gear show on the road, as the live event goes worldwide.
|28/03/2008
Volkswagen has been forced to issue a statement on the Polo singing dog advert after complaints that the dog was mistreated. VW says the animal was not harmed.
|05/01/2007
Using new ´dust-to-dust´ scales that measure a vehicle´s environmental impact from construction to scarpping the Jeep Wrangler 4x4 surprisingly emerged as the greenest car on the market
Search Motortorque:
No readers comments
Be the first to write a comment on this article