Mercedes Benz to integrate Apple's Siri for hands-free commands

Apple's virtual assistant Siri is breaking out of the iPhone—into a new Mercedes. Mercedes Benz is planning to unveil a new system for drivers next week at the International Motor Show in Geneva called Drive Kit Plus (hat tip to International Business Times), which will make use of Siri to let users easily perform various voice commands while driving. Though it won't be the first time car makers have implemented voice commands to make hands-free operations easier, it will be the first time Siri will be used to do so.

According to the IBTimes, Drive Kit Plus integrates with Mercedes' app called "Digital Drivestyle" that projects the iPhone's screen onto the car's in-car screen. At that point, drivers can use Siri to perform any command that Siri can already do, like make appointments, send messages, and perform Web lookups. The publication also says Drive Kit Plus will integrate Siri with a Garmin GPS device in order to get turn-by-turn directions, and the kit also comes preinstalled with social networks like Twitter and Facebook. (I'd like to think that I wouldn't be making a Twitter update while driving—even if it's voice dictated—but that's probably not true.)

The news about Drive Kit Plus and Siri isn't significant because of the voice commands themselves—plenty of vehicles available today offer some level of hands-free voice operation to make phone calls, and those controls are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Siri is just joining the already growing trend of using natural language technology in a hands-free driving environment, though its integration with the iPhone means that users won't have to learn a different system if they already use Siri for other parts of their lives.

Sources: Ars Technica