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Siri To Power Mercedes-Benz Car Systems
redletterdave writes "Mercedes-Benz unveiled plans on Monday to use Siri, Apple's AI personal assistant exclusive to the iPhone 4S, to power its electronics system called 'Drive Kit Plus,' which will essentially let drivers access their iPhone apps while driving using voice commands. With Siri, Mercedes drivers will have a hands-free solution to listen to music, change channels on the radio, send texts, or make calls. 'Drive Kit Plus' will also come pre-installed with a number of social networks, so drivers will even be able to update their Twitter accounts and post messages to Facebook. Siri will also be integrated with Garmin's GPS system, so drivers can navigate and get directions with simple voice commands. With this move, Mercedes-Benz earns the distinction of being the first carmaker to integrate Apple technology into its vehicles' in-car systems."
The most interesting thing in this article for me is lifespan. If I buy a phone with a funky feature I expect that feature to be active for the life of the phone - two to five years. However, if I buy a car, I would expect that all the features keep working for the life of the car - which is a lot longer. What is going to happen if in five or ten years time, Apple decides that Siri wasn't the right direction and makes something else? It comes back to the old DRM needing to be supported for the life of the product. What would happen to all the cars with this embedded if the servers were turned off?
Having said all that, something like Siri is probably the last thing I would want in a car, I am even discouraged by car commercials that offer "Built-in iPod docks" and the like. Too much lock-in for a specific product and brand.
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Hands free phones are no more inherently distracting than a passenger in the car. Ever driven somebody who was blind someplace? The conversation flow identical to being on a cell phone.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
I find Siri to be quite useful, actually. Want to type a note in plain sunlight where your face's reflection is more visible than the contents of the screen? No problem, have Siri do it for you! Wanna set up a date / reminder / alarm? No problem, Siri can do that without even taking the phone out of your pocket. Wanna call someone? Just ask Siri, it's a lot more efficient than searching for their contact in the Contacts or Spotlight. Wanna switch playlists while listening to music? Just tell Siri which to switch to! Call it whatever you wish, but your feelings about voice recognition in general and Siri in particular are irrational.
Personally, using voice commands for operating anything inside a car doesn't really interest me. It's probably a generational thing, but using voice commands to control anything makes me feel like a douche. It's nothing but a higher-tech Clapper.
This is a little OT, but I was sold on Siri the moment I said "read me that last text message". It actually tells you the message and you don't need to look at your display. It's as close as I've ever seen to Captain Picard asking the Enterprise's computer a question.
I really can't wait for version 2. Siri right now feels like a poor beta.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
I can see why you would think that, but the science doesn't confirm what you're thinking. I know of at least three potential explanations:
1) You don't feel the subconcious pressure to keep talking when someone's in the car with you. It's not considered "awkward" to shut up for 3-10 seconds in the middle of a conversation when you're driving. It feels awkward to do this on the phone.
2) It's far easier to understand someone in the car than someone over a cell network. Phones demand more brainpower.
3) You have a second set of eyes in the vehicle with you. Well, not so much in your example.
My guess is the the first reason I outlined is the biggest issue. Often when I'm driving with passengers I'll pause mid-sentence for some time while doing something that requires my full attention and nobody says anything or thinks twice about it. When on the phone, pausing that long prompts "Hello? Are you there? Did I lose you?" from the person I'm talking to.
I think if you did a test comparing people holding a cell-phone shaped device up to their ear while talking to a passenger to people actually talking on a cell phone, the former group would score higher. But the performance degradation of talking on a phone, in my opinion, is too great to be explained by having one hand occupied.