Mercedes-Benz shows off internet-connected myCOMMAND system

Mercedes-Benz has already toyed around a bit with some internet-connected in-car systems, but it looks to really be going all out with its new myCOMMAND system, which it's now showing off at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Among other things, it would constantly pull various traffic information off the internet and take it into account for route selection, as well as give you access to internet radio stations, let you make VoIP phone calls, and even give you a browser that'll let you " surf the internet in the accustomed way." Mercedes is also promising that the entire system will be completely intuitive, with most of the primary functions controlled with a single rotary pushbutton, and two secondary buttons provided for things like menu operation. Of course, it's all still very much a demo at this point, and Mercedes itself says it'll be least a "few more years" before it actually winds up in a production vehicle.

[Thanks, Jason]

[The Dom @ Nov 20th 2008 12:56PM]

That's good cause it'll be a "few more years" till I'm even remotely close to affording it.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 20th 2008 1:20PM]

This sucks because I'd actually have to trade in my S550 for the newer 2010 E-class or the next 550 when it comes out. I doubt they can simply update the computer.

If they could simply update the computer, that would be great.

I have driver dynamic multi-contour seats so I could watch Youtube in the car with my back massage !

[Alex L. @ Nov 20th 2008 1:50PM]

Flashpoint,

We get it, you're rich, and we're not...

[absinthe party @ Nov 20th 2008 2:45PM]

I too could afford a new Mercedes-Benz if I still lived in my parent's basement.

[WhyNotV2 @ Nov 21st 2008 7:11AM]

2009 Mercedes S550...$93,000 on MasterCard Debit

Mercedes Premium 3 Package with Dynamic Multi-contour seats, Parktronic and Night View Assist...$4,990 on MasterCard Debit

Trying to be subtle about bragging on Engadget and not realizing that your fly is open revealing your really small penis...Priceless

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 20th 2008 12:56PM]

Those are the strangest looking continents...

[pavlindrom @ Nov 20th 2008 1:19PM]

Even YouTube has a continent

[bill cant fart @ Nov 20th 2008 1:24PM]

I think it's Mercedes-Benzes plans to take over the world by means of iPhones, CoverFlow, and YouTube.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 20th 2008 2:10PM]

I was thinking more like Mickey Mouse.

[Jash Sayani @ Nov 20th 2008 12:57PM]

Impressive interface!!! Multitouch...?

[reese @ Nov 20th 2008 1:59PM]

I would hope they have some sort of touch ability... Their description sounds like BMW's iDrive. I don't care what anybody says, iDrive is the worst interface I have ever used in my life. Entering a street/city name is like using a rotary phone with 26 holes. After messing around with my dad's BMW, I will never purchase a BMW until they ditch their p.o.s. iDrive, no matter how sweet the rest of the car is.

Intuitive, yes... efficient, no...

[LJKelley @ Nov 20th 2008 5:27PM]

No thanx to any touchscreen. First of all its against the law to interact with something while you are driving, thats why DVD playback in the current version is stopped if you drive. (Audio still plays though).

Second the rotary on the current S and C are quite great and lets you get where you want in the system without moving your hand off the armrest. In addition you have voice control that lets you say cities, streets, etc...

The only thing touch would be useful for is browsing and I don't see that as a huge need as most people that can afford a new benz can afford a good phone. Everything else including radio/youtube can be voice activated.

Having touch only incourages people to break the law and its much more unsafe to try to enter an address on a touchscreen (you can't feel the buttons) then speeding per say. People who do that scare me.

[Alex L. @ Nov 20th 2008 12:58PM]

I got a eeePC (with a 3g card + GPS + hacked remote control) on my Prius that allows me to do pretty much all that, TODAY. How do you like me now Mercedes?

[Cybergypsy @ Nov 20th 2008 1:22PM]

I owned a prius, then i got smart :) you showed them ...LOL

[Alex L. @ Nov 20th 2008 1:29PM]

You decided that saving gas and emitting less pollution was dumb?

[000000 @ Nov 20th 2008 2:08PM]

I mount an HTC Advantage on my dash. You can't do that with an EEE PC. Well, I guess you could but it's not a tablet so how the...?

[Cybergypsy @ Nov 20th 2008 2:17PM]

Read the report, the main battery is over 5K, add that to the inflated price of a crappy toyota and you save nothing,,,,

[Alex L. @ Nov 20th 2008 2:26PM]

My prius came with a 10 yr warranty on the battery, I won't have to worry about it till then, and most likely I'll own another one before those 10 yrs.

You buy BMWs and Mercedes' and you're talking about overinflated Toyota prices?!?

I was well aware that the gas savings came at a premium, and I was willing to pay for it, just like you're willing to pay for all the "luxuries" from a BMW or a Benz you like so much, and feel so much smarter buying.

Somehow your arguments fall apart on themselves.

[Alex L. @ Nov 20th 2008 2:27PM]

That's what the remote is for, I have a original xbox controller that i took apart and put together a little "console" and mapped the buttons to common functions, like to place a call, switch radio stations etc. I only look at the screen for GPS information. And i have some velcro on the lid of my eeePC that I just attach to the console, and easily detach it when done.

[psfour @ Nov 20th 2008 2:33PM]

Go buy a G-Wiz then if your that concerned about the environment. Then you can get up your ass a bit more.

[Alex L. @ Nov 20th 2008 2:38PM]

psfour,

Did anyone here said ANYTHING about saving the environment? Or is it that you just generalize everything you hear and see?

Kids nowadays...

[Josh @ Nov 20th 2008 1:02PM]

is the top right signal or battery...because battery doesn't really make sense

[david @ Nov 21st 2008 5:33AM]

If the top right icon is the same as the 2008 command system then its cell reception.

[Josh @ Nov 20th 2008 1:17PM]

alright...thanks for clarifying

[ducktapemonkey @ Nov 20th 2008 1:11PM]

Pr0n in my car......sweet

[Draginfire7 @ Nov 20th 2008 1:32PM]

I can just see the new laws now... not only must text msging be banned, but now porning while driving. lmao

[Patriks7 @ Nov 20th 2008 1:50PM]

Imagine some cops stopping you
"Give me a second officers, this is right where he cums all over her face!"

[Cybergypsy @ Nov 20th 2008 1:20PM]

Bye BMW, hello again Benz....

[Alex L. @ Nov 20th 2008 1:51PM]

And this is the guy who laughed at me for owning a Prius...

[Jordan @ Dec 29th 2008 3:43AM]

Actually BMW, already has their new ConnectedDrive system in production, which has a web browser and google maps... SO???


http://www.google.com/search?q=connecteddrive&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

[Kali4 @ Nov 20th 2008 1:43PM]

I can't wait to see the trojan/hijack that takes control of your vehicle and drives you to the closest xxx theatre.

[Alex L. @ Nov 20th 2008 1:47PM]

So, you get to watch some porn, and get to blame the car for it, sounds like a win-win situation to me...

[JStro @ Nov 20th 2008 1:54PM]

Don't forget about the part where it calls your wife and informs her of your current location.

[Kali4 @ Nov 20th 2008 1:52PM]

I'm sorry honey, I really meant to drive us to the restraunt for our anniversary dinner, but *somehow* we were automatically re-directed to the all-nude review. How about we make the best of it?

[MarbleMind @ Nov 20th 2008 2:04PM]

All fine and nice, as long as this nifty appliance is politely denied any access to the driving department, in particular SBC.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r230-sl-class/1257839-april-recall-notice-sbc.html

[crescentdavid @ Nov 20th 2008 2:10PM]

That UI is like the background screen of a 1960's cold war documentary for grade school. "Look out, boys and girls! The red menace wants global domination!"

What an ugly POS.

[Joe Blogs @ Nov 20th 2008 2:35PM]

Now if only I could do this with my website www.debt-down.com. LOL.. right. Can't even get one usr to login

[Craig @ Nov 20th 2008 2:41PM]

@Reese:

I've read that BMW has improved massively on iDrive, so you'll have to get your dad to buy a new car so you can see how much better it works.

@Engadget:

its COMAND. If you think it looks funny, it's because it does, but research it. You'll see. Crazy Germans, and their single consanant words.

[MarbleMind @ Nov 20th 2008 2:50PM]

"Command" is "Kommando" in German...

[Craig @ Nov 21st 2008 9:53AM]

I wasn't referring to the German traslation to the word "Command", but the Mercedes-coined acronym for "COckpit MAnagement and Navigation Device".

[cancer monkey @ Nov 20th 2008 3:49PM]

"surf the internet in the accustomed way."

Naked, drunk and using someone else's bandwidth?

[MarbleMind @ Nov 20th 2008 4:14PM]

I'm sure they have an oldskool antenna replacement accessory that looks like a pringles roll with twisted wire untidily stuffed in it.

[KillaChaos @ Nov 20th 2008 4:12PM]

Youtube in the car?

Sounds safe.

[ajfarson @ Nov 20th 2008 4:53PM]

the pos(t)er "Flashpoint is a freaking looser... He isn't rich, he is a wannabe. Rich people (with taste) don't flaunt their money for all the world to see...

Check out his other posts... he is a narcissistic, under achiever who likes to hear himself talk. I wish you could ban people from life!

[chad @ Nov 20th 2008 5:03PM]

my neighbor is one of the guys programming this thing and he's had some of the 'yet to be released' debagded benzes at his place.

[Tom S @ Nov 20th 2008 5:26PM]

I can't tell you how many times that I, while driving in my Mercedes, just have to watch dramatic chipmunk.

phew, what godsend

[BigShoes @ Nov 20th 2008 6:29PM]

Hey Alexa,

You can duct tape a beer can to your head and call it cell phone, hell, it might even work. Problem is it just looks like crap. Mercedes customers demand and have the money to buy integrated product so the interior of the vehicle looks clean and not like the dash vomited.

It won't be long before toyota calls me to order one so they can back build it and make a few changes and call it their own. Just like every other automotive piece of tech that lexus uses on their cars.

[bluesky_v2.01 @ Nov 20th 2008 7:28PM]

Ha, love the title :)

[Tobsterius @ Nov 22nd 2008 10:41AM]

Mercedes... in-car... youtube... Yeah, that's safe.