Audi Takes Phone Calls Out of Drivers' Hands

[Variance]

Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=106999

Audi Takes Phone Calls Out of Drivers' Hands
Date Posted 08-24-2005

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Audi and Palm Inc. are introducing a new safety and communications system that will come as standard equipment on the 2006 versions of the Audi A6 and A8.

This system combines Bluetooth short-range wireless and a Palm Treo 650 smartphone to allow drivers to make hands-free calls using only the multimedia interface, voice recognition interface, or the steering wheel-mounted controls of the A6 and the A8.

Customers won't even need to touch the Treo smartphone in these vehicles to pick up or ignore calls, dial outgoing calls, view call histories, view the status of calls, access speed dials and voicemail, and manage multiple calls.

What this means to you: Enhancing drivers' ability to use the phone while keeping eyes on the road could improve safety, although recent studies have indicated it is the act of talking that is responsible for cell phone-related accidents.

[PontiacTechNJ]

Almost like the OnStar hands free calling feature . Available on your favorite GM car since 1999 . Oh yeah and OnStar is a satellite phone , no cellular crack ups .

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Oh yeah and OnStar is a satellite phone , no cellular crack ups .

[post="4575"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I believe OnStar is cellular as well. It does use GPS now to track you so it can call the police in case of emergency, but a lot of new cell phones do that.

What I'd like to know is how "view call histories, view the status of calls, access speed dials and voicemail" etc, lets you keep your eyes on the road- unless they are projecting the information onto the trunk lid of the car in front of you....