Mercedes Benz has announced that its new A-Class range of cars will have a new infotainment system which will be centered on the iPhone 4S and Siri. The new system will be announced and demonstrated at the Geneva Motor Show; which takes place next month.

Thanks to a new "Digital DriveStyle App", developed in-house, together with the "Drive Kit Plus for the Apple® iPhone®", drivers can now access all the key content of their Apple® iPhone® through the in-vehicle display and enjoy safe and convenient operation of the device via the Controller on the center armrest. The attractive 'look' is ensured by the revolutionary user interface design. In a further world premiere, Mercedes-Benz will enable access to the voice-based intelligent companion Siri™ in the vehicle. This allows natural speech input, without the need for specific commands, to send messages, select music tracks and check the weather forecast or stock prices, as well as to make appointments. All the iPhone® integration functions can be used even with the entry-level Audio 20 system.

Source: autoblog

UK satellite TV broadcaster Sky has announced that it will be launching a dedicated app for the iPad to compliment its coverage of the 2012 Formula 1 season. Sky has recently secured the rights to show the Formula 1 racing which was previously shown exclusively in the UK on the BBC channels. Sky told T3 that not only would the live video stream of each race be available on its dedicated Sky Sports F1 HD channel but also on the iPad too. A dedicated iPad app would also deliver a whole host of additional content too.

Bolstering the broadcaster’s Formula 1 coverage that, combined with the televised and website content, will come under the header of ‘Sky Race Control’, the Sky F1 application is currently under development ahead of release in time for the season’s opening F1 GP on March 18th. “There will be apps,” said Martin Turner, Executive Producer on the upcoming Sky Sports F1 HD channel in reference to the company’s planned motor racing coverage. He tantalisingly added: “One of the things that is being developed for the app is the four-way split.” Remaining somewhat cagey on the matter, Owen Williams Head of Projects in Sky Sport’s Digital Media division said “There are certain things going on at the moment that will happen.” He added: “The aim of Sky Race Control is to replicate the offering across all of our platforms."

Source: T3

The U.S. Department of Transportation has refused to work with the National Transportation Safety Board's proposal to ban the use of the iPhone and other smartphones in cars.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said he won't back a proposal to prohibit drivers from talking on cellphones, even hands-free devices, giving a boost to car makers and mobile-phone companies that stand to lose if regulators impose a ban.

According to our cross-site Mobile Nations network poll, the majority of TiPb, Android Central, and CrackBerry.com readers say there needed to be a middle ground on the issue. Given that most smartphones have the ability to run software designed to support driving tasks, like turn-by-turn navigation, this makes a lot of sense. Still, preventing drivers from performing distracting tasks like sending SMS messages or playing Angry Birds remains an issue.

Source: WSJ

The safety recommendation specifically calls for the 50 states and the District of Columbia to ban the nonemergency use of portable electronic devices (other than those designed to support the driving task) for all drivers. The safety recommendation also urges use of the NHTSA model of high-visibility enforcement to support these bans and implementation of targeted communication campaigns to inform motorists of the new law and heightened enforcement.

The trouble is, smartphones can run software designed to support driving tasks, but they can also run highly distracting software like SMS/IM or Angry Birds.

And, of course, it does nothing to deal with other driver distractions like food, makeup, reading papers while driving, etc. etc. (Sadly it's very touch to draft a "don't be dumb and drive law", so they fall for easy-to-identify blanket bans.)

We're co-opting our sibling site, Android Central's poll on this one, so add your vote above and sound off on what you think below!

Source: NTSB via AP via Android Central

Car audio systems have improved dramatically recently but you have to take a look at an iPad 2 that has been installed within the dashboard of an F-150. The clever guys from SoundMan Car Audio go way beyond a simple car mount. They strip out the centre console and rebuild it to fit the iPad 2 perfectly. This was all done on the day the iPad 2 launch which makes the whole thing even more impressive!

The iPad 2 is the perfect car audio and entertainment system, the way these guys have installed it, complete with charging, video out to rear screens and the perfect fit and finish has really got us thinking. Car manufacturers really need to stop doing customised LCD panel audio and sat-nav systems and just adopt the iPad 2. This should be an extra in any good car manufacturer’s price list! It makes so much sense and offers so much more.

Take a look at the video after the break, and then let us know what you think in the comments!

[Sound Man Car Audio via TUAW]

Here in the great state of Illinois we kicked off the new year with a law that prohibits anyone talking on their cell phones (including the iPhone) while driving a vehicle -- unless they use a Bluetooth device. Now I am not not sure about your state laws but if you are in the same boat as I am, why not take a look at the Motorola Bluetooth Car Speakerphone T305? [$44.95 - iMore Store Link

For the full review follow me after the break!

The Moto T305 comes with a sturdy clip that you attach to the device itself, and then slide directly onto your sun visor. Either side of the visor will do - front or back, and during my few weeks of testing it remained securely in place and not once did it come off the visor. Charging the T305 is a piece of cake with the included mini-USB car adapter. Motorola's claim of 12 hours of talk time and 200 hours of standby time turned out to be pretty dead on give or take.

The controls of the T305 are plain and simple, and that is a positive. It contains a dedicated power button, volume up and down buttons on either side of the device, and a giant call button directly in the center. One thing that may be troublesome to some users is that the call button flashes blue constantly when the device is powered on, regardless of whether or not you are on a phone call. It can be distracting at night and just seems wasteful.

As far as sound quality, based on other car speakerphones I have tested, I'd rate the Moto T305 slightly above average. The T305 contains enhanced echo and noise reduction technologies that help keep both incoming and outgoing call quality clean and crisp. One issue I did run into was if you turn the volume up too far the sound makes it's way back to the receiver and makes the person on the other line hear themselves (echo effect). You can eliminate that particular issue by turning the volume down a bit. Other than that one problem, I did not experience any other voice quality issues.

If you are looking for a hands-free solution for your vehicle and a headset is out of the question, you can't go wrong with the low price and good performance of the Motorola T305 Bluetooth Speakerphone.

For more information and full specs, check out the TiPb store!

Disclaimer: The TiPb iPhone Accessory Store provided the speakerphone for this review.

iDriver, an iPhone remote-controlled car by the Artificial Intelligence Group at Freie Universitaet in Berlin scares us off the roads. But we wants it.

[via 9to5mac]

Z. O. M. F. G. And Dieter just wanted to control little lego robots. Humph. This here GeekMyRide so much closer to Skynet and the Matrix and Cylons... and to think our little iPhone will be the elegant, buttery-interfaced controlled to our post-apocalyptic machine overloads. Sweet.

The car's webserver provides a password-protected web interface optimised for full-screen display on an iPod Touch or iPhone running the SOPODS full screen web browser. The web interface has three screens: 1) Control, which provides a top-down view of the car with buttons for start, stop, lock, unlock, accessory power, and boot release; 2) Telemetry, which displays real-time data acquired from the engine management system such as RPM, vehicle speed, coolant temperature, throttle position, etc; and 3) Location, which uses a Google Maps mashup to display the current location of the vehicle on a map using current GPS data.

[via GeekBrief.tv]

This cool piece of video came to us from a email tip from 18 year old Josef Průša. Have some time to spare? Have a old remote control car laying around? Well that's what Josef had and he and his brother took "only one afternoon" to get this up and running!

As for controlling the car, you simply have five buttons. Four of which can be used to drive and the fifth button is used to toggle control via the accelerometer on and off, similar to any of the current racing games in the App Store. Pretty cool trick indeed...

If you want to try and give this a shot be sure to head on over to Josef's blog for the full how to guide, which can be found here (Note, you will need to have a PC around to act as an intermediary between the iPhone and the RC car).

Now I'm off to see if I can find any old R/C cars laying around...

[Thanks to Josef for the tip!]

Can't find a Bluetooth Headset that fits your ear? Struggling enough with the headset that it defeats the purpose of being 'hands free'? Well, the Motorola MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone ($99.95) is ideal for you. It is essentially a Bluetooth speakerphone, keeping your hands free and your ears clear while driving your car. Unlike a Bluetooth headset, the Motorokr T505 is meant to be used strictly in a car setting. How does it perform?

Read on for the rest of the review!

Design

The Motorokr T505 looks about the size of your average garage door opener, in fact, Motorola suggests that you clip it to the sun visor in your car. The build quality of the Motorokr T505 is superb. It has great texture to it, feeling soft yet sturdy. The buttons are defined and easy-to-reach, the overall look of the Motorokr T505 is subtly stylish, a gadget that looks more wonderous and mysterious than utilitarian and boxy. It will more often than not blend into your car instead of sticking out like an eye-sore.

Usability

The Motorokr T505 sets out to do a few things which are: keep your hands free while driving, provide a clearer and louder speakerphone than your iPhone’s, and transmit calls (and music) to your car’s stereo system via FM. It certainly can be considered a narrow scope to focus on, if you don’t drive a car you won’t need the Motorokr T505. But if you do drive a car, let me tell you this, I can’t imagine using anything other than the Motorokr T505 again.

Syncing your iPhone with the Motorokr T505 is easy as any other Bluetooth device. And I was able to use the speakerphone in seconds upon powering up. Also, charging is made available through mini-USB. What’s great about the Motorokr T505 is that there is no fumbling for the iPhone or having an earpiece attached to you the entire time you’re driving, it is truly a hands free device.

The speakerphone is clear, loud, and extremely audible. Callers were pronounced and unmistakably clear, this was as good as it gets for a Bluetooth speakerphone. Callers also agreed that I sounded great and hardly noticed that I was talking via speakerphone, they assumed I was on my iPhone the entire time.

When the FM transmitter in the Motorokr T505 transmits the call to your FM, it scans the best available station to broadcast to. Specifically, it searches for an empty signal and broadcasts your call to that transmission. Doing this, it gives your phone call a surround sound-esque platform. Though your mileage may vary with the FM transmitter, I live in Los Angeles, home of a multitude of FM stations and the Motorokr T505 still managed to find a signal that was empty and transmitted the conversation clearly to my car’s stereo.

However, because the Motorokr T505 is a speakerphone meant for in the car use, it can only fill a specific niche. For example, if you are always on the go but without a car, there is little need for a car speakerphone. But if you are a commuter who travels mainly by car, there are few better options. The only downside to the Motorokr T505 is when you are carrying passengers, your conversation is not exactly private since the whole car can hear and participate. For those worried about those situations, a Bluetooth headset might better fit that need.

Final Thoughts

I never imagined a car speakerphone to perform so well. I initially imagined the Motorokr T505 to be nothing more than a glorified speakerphone for the iPhone, but I was completely off base. It is a speakerphone that offers great compatibility, clarity, and flexibility. As a speakerphone it succeeds, but when transmitting to your FM stereo it surpasses all expectations.

This Motorokr T505 is a great solution for anyone who is looking for a hands-free device while driving in the car. I highly recommend it to all people who are in need of talking on their cell phone while driving.

PROS

• Great Sounding Speakerphone
• Transmits to FM stations well
• Stylish Design
• Easy-To-Use

CONS

• For Use in Car Only
• Conversations aren't exactly private

Final Rating: 4.8/5