2010 BMWs boast improved Nuance voice control system
By Donald Melanson 
posted Sep 13th 2009 9:27AM
posted Sep 13th 2009 9:27AM
BMWs aren't exactly lacking for technology these days, but it looks like the new 2010 models come packing a little something extra to make your life even easier. As Nuance Communications is all too happy to announce itself, the new vehicles boast an improved voice control system from the company that promises to allow for a "more conversational dialogue between drivers and BMW navigation and entertainment systems." That, naturally, gets paired with BMW's own iDrive system, and includes some Sync-like abilities to search for music by voice, as well as a new "One-Shot Destination Entry" feature to let folks enter a destination address in one simple voice command. It can even apparently recognize several different language in parallel, letting a French-speaking driver, for instance, search for a German song title or English album title.
Sweeeeeeeeet.
They really are packing some nice features... the inbuilt GPS Navigation is absolutely superb. I don't think I could have driven my X6 1000 miles to Italy and back without it. iDrive is great and the inbuilt diagnostic system makes the driver think the car is freaking alive! It can sense when even the most minute problem appears. I wouldn't think of buying some other brand.
Just picked up a new 09 335i AWD at 2.9% with over $5000 off. Will have to forsake better voice rec for better bank balance :-) The iDrive controls are a lot better than they used to be. It was a dog when introduced.
I just picked up a 335i 09 2 weeks ago...and I love the Nav now ..the email to car function is solid gold!
If you guys don't mind me asking, how much are you paying per month on what term loan? (or lease if you're leasing)
Am in Canada, I don't think my finance rate will be applicable to you (like everything except moose droppings, cars are more expensive here...). Depending on how much you put down (me 8K trade-in), you should be able to get into a well equipped 335xi for around C$700 to 750 a month - likely around $5-600 in the US. I usually finance over 4 or 5 years and keep the car for 6 or 7 years. We need the AWD here. If you're not in the snow belt, stick with RWD and save another 2K.
woohoo.. Mercs have these kind of things built for already a few years.
Lexus has had this for years too, they also have Radar and self parking as well. BMW and Mercedes are so much cooler than Lexus but Lexus is made by Toyota and Toyota makes robots and will take over the world.
gm onstar and ford sync do a lot of these functionalities too.
These features aren't new to BMW, it's just improved voice recognition, which from experience Merc and Lexus could both use. I don't really think Ford's "Sync" can compare to iDrive...
Lexus didnt introduce conversational voice input til the 2010 RX350... my IS350 is awful with simple commands... i have to have a cheat sheet of commands. And you cant input a destination from the audio screen via voice, you have to switch it to map mode first.... a lot of cumbersome things.
My Acura RL has controlled Nav, Audio, A/C and Phones since 2005.
@wii60
so have BMWs .. but if you paid attention youd see the article is talking about an advanced system that recognized casual commands and not only specific words.
I drove a 2000 or 2001 7-series with built in iDRIVE and voice command technology.
I remember our 2002 740i, the first car with iDrive. It wasn't as bad as people whine but definitely had a learning curve, but then, I'm an engineer so not exactly the layman. Even then, the voice commands were decent, just not as accurate with accents.
The built-in navigation was definitely better than any aftermarket. Signal strength [try driving in downtown New York with all the skyscrapers and you'll know what your GPS is worth], re-routing and speed are just awesome.
Seconded - we got our hands on one of the first new 5 series with iDrive back in 2003 (rented one fresh off the delivery truck with only 14km on the clock!). I had no issues using the iDrive knob and setting the car up for it's first ever use, but my mum was completely lost - she couldn't even figure out how to search for her favourite radio station.
I've used iDrive and the new iDrive. I've used COMMAN on my S550. I've used SYNC in the MKS and the Edge. I've even used the Chrysler 300's new voice system.
Voice control sucks. The technology is not there yet to recognize voice commands due to different accents, tones ,etc - not to mention that the technology can't hear over Air conditioning and wind noise.
Frankly, the best option is a bluetooth to car link with a keypad phone dialer on the console (like in an E, C or S class or BMW) or to have a touchscreen phone dialer with steering wheel embedded pick up/hang up buttons.
Voice control won't work until we get artificial intelligence in car computers. Give it about 25 years.
"Voice control won't work until we get artificial intelligence in car computers. Give it about 25 years."
In that time, voice control will take over us...
how does in car calls have anything to do with voice controlled navigation?
and try the voice control in your vista or windows 7 if you are running it currently, it can recognize most everything i say in my experience.
Alternatively, you could concentrate on... driving, instead of yapping away on your bluetooth headset or whatnot.
Yes, I know, "paying attention" is indeed a radical concept, but hey, someone has to suggest it.
I disagree, i give it just a few more years, especially since manufacturers are focusing much more on hands free systems. The biggest problem right now is speech recognition and limited input phrases... and that seems to be on the forefront of items being fixed. I can set the temp in my car by saying "72 degrees" etc, but sometimes (maybe 20% of the time) it will do something else. cut that to 1% and i'd be pretty happy.
Inputting addresses is straightforward, but needlessly long. Every time I have to say "address-->ohio-->columbus-->street-->house number".... i cant just say a street and house and have it search the city im in (and I HAVE to be in the map screen). Stuff like that needs to be fixed, and honestly it shouldn't be too far away.
ARE YOU KIDDING?
2002's idrive was HORRIFIC. In fact, it was so bad, its hard to see how they actually managed to fuck up what should have been a simple iPod wheel. The problem I keep seeing, even in my S550, is that the car manufacturers aren't smart enough to simply have a dial with a cancel button, an enter button and a home button.
Its too easy to run into a dead end. Its too easy not to remember how to get to the main screen and its too easy to simply forgo the dial and just use the console's independant radio, tune and AC buttons.
I'drive devices should be reserved for fine tuning seat temperature, lumbar, massage settings and computer functions such as ESC, passenger airbags, ultrasound distance, etc. These controls should NEVER be the only way to tune the radio and they should never be the only way to set the GPS coordinates. I like the speed of these dials for searching for addresses on NAV though.
Well, the first car was pretty horrible and most of the people were scared of them. Today most men are more scared of horses than cars.
iDrive is crap. Command is almost as bad. There is much job to be done before they will be really effective but you have to start your climbing from the bottom.
Makes me wonder how people managed with a regular map...
I'm still using regular printed map. But read and drive is pretty dangerous.
doesn't nuance make that premium dragon voice recognition software? i've tried that out and it's worked pretty great some of the time, and not so great if you don't have a pure american accent.
I'd rather prefer similar feature as those found on the Ford / Lincoln - M$ SYNC features on portable 5-7 inch gps (live traffic, MSN, live gas prices, live movie schedules) etc than paying BMW for it's iDrive $4000 dollars-break-my-bank crap.
Besides, I can carry the gps around in my pocket, bike with it, etc whereas I'm tied to the Beema to use the i-break-my-bank crap.
I have a 09 M6. iDrive is a horrible interface, and I design medical software. I bet there was ZERO user studies before BMW rolled it out. Glaring simple omissions, clunky interface. Zero context help, and tons of wasted screen geography.
Can you rank from 1 - 3
iDrive, MMI, Command
IDrive- much better to use than before
Comand
MMI - too clunky, awful for scrolling a map, etc, since the dial only spins and cant be tilted
Havent played with the next gen RX350 nav system, but its supposed to be a huge step up from current Lexus systems.
BMW needs to look at Audi and Acura to learn a couple of things about how a Navi and voice operation should work. When you can control climate control by voice what is the point of having voice interaction on a $40,000+ car.?
Sounds like a great system, worthy of a bmw.
I drive a car with Ford's Sync and am often amazed at how well it understands voice commands. I've got a 500gb hard drive attached to it with thousands of songs, podcasts, etc,... and can't imagine a faster non-voice command system for finding a particular track.
Between that, the 911 Assist, Vehicle Diagnostics, streaming bluetooth stereo audio and video on my phone, etc,.... It's pretty darn cool. What I'd like to see next is some sort of voice controlled climate control through sync.
Just more new stuff than when it breaks gonna cost a gazillion bucks to fix..I have a 2002 Volvo and its upkeep is spensive
If some people aren't sure of what nuance voice control is, here's a little review that will show you what it's all about.
http://www.tvlesson.com/video/38824_nuance-voice-control-2.0-review.html
in soviet russia, car tell YOU what to do!
The idrive is excellent. Has a perspective bird eyes view with 3D graphics. Very easy to navigate. The best part is the free traffic info and the ability to send addresses from google maps to your BMW easily and you can click on it to add as destination. Also, the iphone integration is awesome( if you have the $150 smartphone feature). The phone fits snug into the adapter, lets you browse all your music on the idrive, uses the external antenna and charges. Well all this is the 2009 idrive. I cant wait to use the upgraded 2010 idrive. Love this when compared to the lexus and the merc nav systems.