MessageAccessProfile
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Ford brings Bluetooth text message readouts to more SYNC vehicles
Got a SYNC-tastic Ford from 2011 onwards? Then you'll find that the latest update (G1 V3.2.2) to the dash software will let you listen to your smartphone's incoming emails and SMS messages via the car's audio system, thanks to the inclusion of Bluetooth MAP (Message Access Profile). We've already seen the tech running in BMW's iDrive dash system and in MyFord Touch-equipped cars too, so the news here is just a wider roll-out to a bigger range of vehicles -- but we'll welcome anything that keeps more eyes on the prize. Read the full PR after the break and then enter your VIN at the More Coverage link below to see if you're eligible.
RIM converts BMW's iDrive into 'a remote control for your BlackBerry' (video)
If there's one thing business types love more than their BlackBerry, it's their BMW -- or so we're told. It makes all sorts of sense, therefore, that the two companies would partner up to help the things they sell communicate with each other more effortlessly. Using Bluetooth MAP (Message Access Profile), BlackBerry devices can now beam emails and contacts over to BMW's iDrive dash system, where the driver can listen to his messages via a text-to-speech option or make calls using the car's speakerphone. The first supported handset is the newly minted Pearl 3G, and we're told this functionality will come as an integrated part of BlackBerry 6. To see how it works on a 335is, click past the break for the video. [Thanks, Horatiu]
