With BMW's->ke178 ConnectedDrive getting quite a fancy upgrade, owners of both the car and the system will now be able to connect their Blackberry phones via Bluetooth to the system and iDrive ill be able to display the email contents of the Blackberry phone on the system's LCD screen. And if that's not enough for you and you want the actual email being read out for you, then you can avail of the voice output function, allowing you listen to email as it's being read to you so that you can keep your eyes on the road. Fancy pants new technology, eh?
Unfortunately for non-Blackberry using BMW owners out there, you're out of luck as the new technology is only compatible to Blackberry units. The first Blackberry to be given the reigns to support ConnectedDrive is the Pearl 3G, but according to the fellas over at BB, the Pearl 3G will be joined by other Blackberry phones in the near future. So if you're not onboard the Blackberry bandwagon yet and you want to see how this new technology works, you still have time to get yourself a Pearl 3G before the new email reading feature of BMW's ConnectedDrive hits dealerships this fall.
Press Release after the jump
As part of the ongoing expansion of office functions in BMW ConnectedDrive, BMW is now the first automobile manufacturer in the world to enable e-mail messages to be received inside the vehicle enabled by a Bluetooth connection. From autumn 2010, owners of a BlackBerry® smartphone made by the mobile phone manufacturer RIM (Research In Motion) will be able to access the phone's e-mail function via the operating system iDrive. A new Bluetooth interface to integrate the BlackBerry device into the vehicle enables e-mails to be received, displayed on the Control Display and even read out by means of an optional voice output function. With this innovative technology, the premium automobile manufacturer continues to extend its leading role in the integration of entertainment, communication and online functions in vehicles.
The new facilities for e-mail access tie in directly from the BMW ConnectedDrive office functions presented at the beginning of the year. Likewise unique worldwide, these allow not just call and contact lists but also calendar entries, text messages, tasks and memos to be transferred from compatible smartphones to the vehicle via Bluetooth interface. The relevant entries can be selected using the Controller of the iDrive operating system and shown on the Control Display. Even the picture file saved with a contact address on a mobile phone can be shown on the vehicle monitor. In addition, BMW ConnectedDrive also allows the music player functions of smartphones to be conveniently operated using the iDrive system. Incoming e-mail in the vehicle represents yet another milestone in the integration of modern smartphones. The new BlackBerry® Pearl™ 3G is the first smartphone from the BlackBerry smartphone portfolio that supports this functionality.
Like the functions previously introduced, e-mail access via Bluetooth also helps make the use of communication and entertainment options of modern smartphones in the vehicle convenient and safe. The operating system iDrive provides unique facilities for the simple, safe and intuitive control of all functions while causing minimum distraction from the road. For the first time, incoming and saved e-mails from the Bluetooth-integrated smartphone can now be retrieved and shown on the Control Display in just a few standardized operating stages. Relief of the driver is further enhanced with the optional voice output function. It can be activated at a single press of a button, the text of the e-mail is then read out loud.
The new e-mail function is available for all BMW models fitted with the navigation system Professional including mobile phone preparation. It will be offered in Europe and North America from autumn 2010.