Some Siri Integration News

GM announced how the Apple Siri integration from iOS6 devices will work in their cars:

Chevrolet Spark and Sonic Drive with Siri

LOS ANGELES – Early next year, the Chevrolet Spark (1LT, 2LT) and Sonic LTZ and RS will integrate Siri, the intelligent assistant that helps get things done just by asking. Chevrolet made the announcement today at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.

Through the cars’ standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, customers with a compatibleiPhone* running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. To further minimize distraction, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with an Eyes Free mode that enables users to interact with their iPhone using nothing more than their voice while keeping the device’s screen from lighting up.

Owners simply connect their iPhone with the MyLink radio via Bluetooth, pair with the system, and use the steering wheel voice activation button to begin and end sessions with Siri in Eyes Free mode.

In the Spark and Sonic RS, owners can use Siri in Eyes Free mode to:

• Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone
• Play songs in the iTunes library, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
• Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
• Access Calendar and add appointments
• Minimize distraction even more by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays
• While in Eyes Free mode, Siri will not provide answers to complex questions that require displaying a web page.

What's interesting here from a BMW perspective is:

If Apple is dictating the features in the Eyes-Free protocol (likely) we know that we'll be able to use Siri (much better than BMW's voice control) to make calls, switch between music sources, swap artist/album/playlists, read/compose/send text messages, set calendar events, set appointments, set reminders, and get instant weather, stock quotes and sports scores.

What is also encouraging is that these 2 GM cars do not have navigation as a feature, so it stands to reason that existing Siri navigational commands to set an address, find "the five closest Chinese restaurants", etc. will be available as should posting to Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Nice to see the first car company announce a firm launch date, they are all supposed to be up and running by April 2013.

BJ