E-Mail Moving Into the iLane
Jay Lyman
25/7/06
People eat, put on makeup, play with the stereo, and of course, talk on their mobile phones while driving. Why not add e-mail to the list?
A Waterloo, Ontario company has done just that, and Intelligent Mechatronic Systems (IMS) says its iLane device -- "the world's first hands-free and eyes-free e-mail solution for in-vehicle use" -- is a safe way to do it.
The iLane's voice-based interface alerts drivers to incoming e-mails on their BlackBerry, Palm (Nasdaq: PALM) Latest News about Palm Treo or other Bluetooth-enabled handheld device, and then reads those e-mails out loud in what the company describes as a "natural sounding voice." Additionally, the device can take commands for composing and forwarding e-mail, and even short message service (SMS) communications.
"iLane is the first and only solution to provide users with complete mobile data connectivity in a manner that focuses on driver safety," said IMS President and CEO Otman Basir.
E-Mail Everywhere
iLane is based on a router-sized device that, when placed onboard a vehicle, can interact with the vehicle's driver and a BlackBerry or other Bluetooth-enabled smart phone, iLane Product Manager Ben Miners told TechNewsWorld.
E-mail can even be prioritized and filtered for spam by users who extend their e-mail rules and preferences to their iLane account, Miner said.
iLane interacts with Bluetooth Latest News about Bluetooth enabled devices, and can manage meeting requests, phone calls and some e-mail attachments using voice commands alone, IMS said.
Safer Alternative
While some studies show that even the use of hands-free communications devices while driving can be a significant distraction, Miners indicated the iLane is intended for busy executives who need easy access to e-mail when on the road.
"It's a safer alternative to pulling a PDA Latest News about PDAs or smart phone out of your pocket," he said, adding some research shows that one in five U.S. drivers used a handheld or a laptop while they drove in 2005.
IMS did not release pricing for the device, which is reportedly the focus of negotiations with automotive equipment manufacturers and international network carriers.
Voice and Vocabulary
The new iLane may be limited to the niche markets of corporate field workers on the road, and commercial telematics such as trucking, ABI Research Latest News about ABI Research Director of Transportation Research Frank Viquez told TechNewsWorld.
Though Viquez points out that text-to-speech Latest News about text-to-speech technology has made large strides in the last few years, the analyst questioned iLane's ability to accurately interpret some e-mail and attachments, especially if their content is highly technical or full of obscure jargon.
In response to such concerns, Miners acknowledged that iLane's read-back will not always be flawless. He added, however, that users in some specialty fields, such as medical or science, will be able to obtain add-on packages for more advanced text-to-speech capabilities.
Hitting the Gas
With General Motors (NYSE: GM) Latest News about General Motors pledging that all of its vehicles will feature the hands-free voice and e-mail functionality of its OnStar system by 2008, Viquez says the race to put more hands-free technology in cars may be on.
If so, GM's OnStar could be at an immediate disadvantage, in that it relies on a central server, rather than an onboard device like the iLane. Viquez thinks this could prove to be a key difference when it comes to the issue of upgradability, since car technology, also known as telematics, is new and rapidly changing.
Many corporations and organizations presently bar traveling employees from using handheld devices while driving due to liability concerns, but hands-free devices like the iLane may be a solution to this problem for some workers
Source: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/52001.html
Waterloo firm tests email for autos-IMS says users need not look to send Talking with car firms, wireless carriers
July 25, 2006
MATT WALCOFF
WATERLOO—First, Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry made it possible for your boss to email you while you were at the airport, at the mall or on a fishing trip with your friends.
Now, another Waterloo company has brought email to one of the last places beyond reach of the office tentacles — your car.
The iLane from Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. allows drivers to listen to, organize and send email messages using voice commands.
When a wireless email device with Bluetooth technology, such as a newer BlackBerry, is within range of the iLane, an electronic voice alerts the driver to incoming emails.
The driver can ask the iLane to read the email, store it or forward it to another mailbox.
Users can reply to an email with a short voice message, which the device converts into a computer audio file.
Drivers can also store outgoing messages ahead of time and ask the iLane to send one to a contact.
Users do not need to look at the device to read or send messages. In fact, there's not much to look at; the iLane is a simple blue and silver box with a few lights and a button.
The iLane also works with cellphones to provide hands-free voice and text messaging.
"If someone emails you, and it's an important email, you can immediately turn around and say, `Give John a call,'" said Ben Miners, product manager for iLane. "As long as that sender of the email is in the contact list of the smartphone or PDA, it will contact (him or her) over the phone directly."
IMS is testing the iLane and expects it to be out on the market early next year, Miners said. The company is negotiating with wireless carriers and auto makers about offering the iLane to customers.
IMS does not yet have a suggested retail price for the iLane. Miners would say only that it will be three digits.
Manufacturers of wireless devices have shown great enthusiasm for the iLane, Miners said.
"It gives them an opportunity to provide safe access to email and doesn't detract from sales of their devices," he said.
But not everyone is enthusiastic about the prospect of driving while emailing.
Don Redelmeier, a University of Toronto professor who has studied driving distractions, said his research has shown that even hands-free cellphones significantly increase the risk of crashes when used by drivers.
Hands-free email and other new gadgets for drivers are likely to have the same effect, he said.
"It would make the probability of motor vehicle crashes intensify, and that problem is already substantial," Redelmeier said. "Even 5 per cent of added risk would amount to more than five extra deaths per day in Canada and the U.S."
While IMS says it is talking with auto makers about offering iLane in new cars, Transport Canada is discouraging car companies from putting potentially distracting gadgets in their vehicles, said spokesperson Anne-Marie Bouchard.
Source: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1153779009809&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851 |