Industry News: Apple Adds A New Button To Vehicles, Activates Siri

[William Maley]

William Maley

Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

June 11, 2012

Apple's 2012 Worldwide Developer's Conference keynote is coming to a close as you're reading this, and among the announcements of iOS6 and new laptops, Apple is making their way into the vehicle once again via a button.

Called Eyes Free, its a button on the steering wheel that will activate Siri on your iPhone or iPad in the vehicle. Most likely paired with Bluetooth, Eyes Free will let you talk to Siri through the car, giving you access to information without taking your hands or eyes off the road.

Nine automakers; BMW, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler, and Honda are on board to offer Eyes Free within the next twelve months.

Source: Engadget

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[FAPTurbo]

Joy! A proprietary button on steering wheels that will be meaningless for over half the car-buying public!

[G. David Felt]

WOW, just what the public DOES NOT need. Another button, Sorry I do not want, need or even have for free a Iphone auto.

[fullmoon97]

you have to admit for this could make the roads just that much safer. for those with iphones of course. but since a lot of kids today have iphones. this means they can keep their hands on the wheel and still make calls, texts (safely) and everything that they would have done dangerously before. even down to playing their music is much safer since they can now voice activate it with a voice recognition software that isn't crap.

[Robert Hall]

Interesting... I'm on the fence w/ iPhones, thinking I may swing that way w/ my next phone. I've liked my Android device overall, but it has a lot of issues and frustrations that sometimes push me to point of wanting to smash it...

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't think this will be a proprietary button. It will just be the same button they are using now to activate the voice activation system but now able to activate Siri or the android equivalent also

[pow]

Nice. Too bad Ford isn't in, because Siri is so much more useful than angry SYNC lady.

[Justin Bimmer]

If I push the button for Siri on my iPhone in the car the hands free via Bluetooth automatically picks up. This will just be a software fix with an extended push on the talk button in cars.

[daves87rs]

Oh boy...