Fiat 500 and Microsoft Blue&Me
July 8, 2009 by Anthony Crawford
You’re thinking what on earth do a Fiat 500 and Microsoft have in common?
That’s a good question and one, which I didn’t know the answer to until a little yellow Fiat 500 arrived, with what Microsoft claim is the “real” in-car hands free solution.
It’s called Blue&Me and is a unique in-car Bluetooth system that uses Microsoft Windows technology to access both music and mobile phone functions, without the need to ever pick up your phone.
But not any phone, you’ll need to get hold of a Windows enabled phone, before any of this technology can work.
The partner of choice for this demonstration was the Fiat 500, with a 1.4-litre engine with a lazy 74kW and peak torque at 131Nm.
It only weighs 930 kilograms, so performance is not too bad with top speed of 182km/h and the 0-100 dash in a respectable 10.7 seconds.
It’s hard not to like Fiat’s 500, especially in this colour, it really is a very cool set of wheels for those wanting Italian style and flair, in a micro-economy package.
The HTC Touch Diamond phone is undoubtedly a stylish looking unit, it looks and feels better than an iPhone, but the fact that this Bluetooth system is currently available with this handset alone, is somewhat restrictive.
Once connected via a USB connection port in your car, you are prompted by a series of voice commands, which allow you to select either music or dial anyone in your contacts list, which you have conveniently downloaded from your PC.
Does it work? Quite well in fact, especially given that you never need to pick up or look at your mobile phone to access music or phonebook.
However, while it might be more advanced than your standard in car Bluetooth phone system, I wouldn’t call it ground breaking.
Perhaps I was expecting more from this Windows based technology, like being able to surf the web on a nice big LCD screen in the car.
With laptop power anywhere from 4GB of memory and more than 300GB of storage, I would have thought surfing the web via your in-car wide screen LCD would be more than possible in this day and age.
Print it: 
*****PRIMO!*****
This is a loverly car, just think its a bit overpriced.
What’s the latest on the Multiair genius air-intake engine?
Any news on the soft top.
Cheers
F-0
Hmm, one phone for the integrated bluetooth – wow – that’s is arrogant.
Most cars work well with any phone when they offer bluetooth, and audio too (though variable about onscreen navigation of the device, and a few even make it impossible to use the device to find stuff even though the navigation is not available on the screen).
You didn’t mention that if you have a non Windows music player, then navigation is not supported on-screen
Anthony,
Being an IT industry strategist, I can tell you that it is quite possible to have Internet browsing, even media streaming in-car on an LCD screen right now. In fact, I understand Chrysler is testing prototypes of similar internet enabled systems in some of their future models.
In-car audio/visual units that use a basic windows mobile style operating system (like a phone or netbook) could perform this function with technology similar to the implementation described in your story. They would only need a wireless broadband Internet connection. Many phones in the market today, such as the HTC Touch Pro and Samsung i900 have video out capability. Essentially, the in car LCD screen would be an extension of the phones own display. So with a little more effort in the user interface aspect, what you suggest is not out of the question at all.
With continuing improvement to wireless broadband speeds and cheaper access rates becoming more widespread, I don’t think it will be long until something along these lines will be offered in Australia.
Microsoft has no place in cars.
Their Zune’s a flop.
They should be dealing with Apple and their iphones.
Just what you need a car running on windows, you would be for ever replacing airbags everytime it crashed…
Have to be fiat 500 and the HTC phone only..i don’t think it’s going to work well… For me, Aux in and cruise control that is super enough already…Don’t need to buy the phone that i dont wanna use (doesn’t mean that i dont like HTC but it should go with any phone or more option that this).. sorry it’s not for me..
Correct me if I’m wrong (wouldn’t be the first time). I was under the impression that Bluetooch was a wireless data transfer. If they are claiming this is a bluetooth function why is it required to be plugged into the dash via USB?
Thats not exactly true, the bluetooth will work with any phone. Also you have an ipod adaptor included so you can control music aswell.
Car journalism continues to be crap.
and given it is Micro$oft, every time you upgrade, you will need a new Fiat to support the changes
how do i do a “ctrl+alt+del”?
Nick i was thinking the same thing. Our Honda Accord has similar functions but works with all the family phones. C’mon Microsoft this is a bit stuck up.
Sorry for being a cynic [well not really ;)], but whilst this is “amazing” that you were able to operate a windows based item without it crashing, di anyone who test drove the Fiesta Zetec late last year /earlier this year try the Voice Activation unit and bluetooth conectivity on that car?? Same goes for Mondeo. Voice control over stereo and phone in both, Climate control included in the Mondeo as well. No cables required unless you are conecting you MP3 Player or (in Fiesta) I-Pod(tm). The Ipod is then controled through the dash controls.
THis sytem looks very basic in ability and difficult in implementation / that’s windows I guess.
seriously, when will the focus be placed back on the act and process of driving?
Internet surfing and driving? Come on… I can understand young upstarts being joined to their ipods at the hip for gadgets but why would a car journo be espousing and aspiring to technology that would take away from the experience of driving and support such disruptive habits as surf and drive?
Would give the blue screen of death new meaning.
I think it would probably work with any Windows Mobile handset, not just the HTC Touch Diamond especially since the Diamond2 is already out.
I thought Chryslers & BMW were looking into web in cars? And the dodge’s also offer a in car hard disk solution.
Whilst its not exactly stock, im installing a mac mini into my NM Pajero Exceed over Mitsubishi’s excuse. That will give me a true web/multimedia experience in my car.
A soon to be released car audio head unit will enable ALL types of bluetooth mobile phones to access internet radio stations. It will use Aussie invented “My-Romer” software and be sold world wide. Much better in my opinion than what’s on offer by Fiat.
i seen a similar thing on the audi a1. and the audi looks waaaaaay better the that fiat. probably goes better too
Microsoft have already developed a much better voice operated system called SYNC thats currently exclusive to Fords in the US which works with most mobiles, ipods/mp3 players and bluetooth devices. Its been given a lot of praise and has been driving the sales of fords over there, its only a matter of time until it makes its way to other manufacturers (and hopefully overseas).
This is stupid technology. iPods don’t work in it so why have Fiat been stupid enough to use it? Everybody has an iPod and most people who have something else want an iPod. As for not being able to use an iPhone with it, well, once again, stupid.
Nobody’s going to get me to use a Windows computer so I’m sure as hell not going to use an even more flawed Microsoft Mobile (and yes, I have experience with this unit, my work has them).
I can’t think why they don’t just have a system that works with everything, but if they can’t, surely Apple (the one who’s dominating the cell phone market and if iPods are anything to go by, will forever) would have been more of a sure thing?
Obviously, common sense would prevail and as you cannot watch TV when the car is in gear, you obviously wouldn’t be able to surf the net when you are driving so it’s a mute point.
Just to add, look at your average 500 buyer. Now, do they really want such a business like mobile phone? Surely they’d want something more fun and fashionable like an iPhone or, by the looks of this phone, anything else?
Uhh Alex have you seen the Diamond?
I can guarentee you, it is as stylish, if not more so, than the iPhone. Lookup some pictures, checkout the rear facia. Everytime someone holds mine, the size and over all design (exterior + the included TouchFlo Today Plugin) is their immediate ‘wow’ factor. The screen also eclipses that of the iPhone and just about everything else out there (VGA @ 2.8″)
Might I add, it’s far from a “business like mobile phone”. The iPhone for example, is supposed to ‘double’ as an iPod per say, correct? Yet despite this, it lacks A2DP (the ability to stream music to a stereo bluetooth headset) yet almost every other phone sporting bluetooth supports this.
As for Microsoft’s thing, what I can’t get my head around is, what does it have to do with bluetooth if it uses a USB cable?
The biggest issue with web surfing in your car would be to find a suitable carrier willing to give users huge amounts of mobile data at reasonable speeds. HSDPA (what is essentially the fastest form of wireless available from Australian carriers) is lucky to hit 1/10th of the average home broadband internet connection. I dunno about you but trying to browse anything this side of Wikipedia with no pictures takes a good 20 seconds (or more) per page to load. Top this off with Australia’s current data rates from the likes of Vodkafone, Floptus and Telsl..stra, we’re getting ripped off as it is, let alone gig’s of data streamed to what is essentially, a laptop in a car.
Have one, do you Camski? As I wrote in my comment, my work use them so yes I have seen it and also used it and had one in my pocket for many months against my will and yes, it may be stylish but it isn’t as stylish as an iPhone or as good looking.
When I say business like, I was referring to the software side of things more than the design side. After all, Windows Mobile is aimed more at business users than teenagers isn’t it?
As for the thing about streaming music to a bluetooth headset, why would you want to do that? It’s not as if a cord is that hard to keep out of the way and you can’t get any bluetooth headphones that beat the best normal ones on the market anyway. Besides, since when was streaming music wirelessly a part of business?
Finally, FIAT 500! (Thought I should add that so this comment doesn’t get deleted for lack of relevance).
I gotta tell you, this is just another thing to make me dislike Microsoft, the only feature in this that would be ok (IMO) is the music over bluetooth, but it seems its only over the USB anyway??
My FG Handles voice dialing and whatnot through bluetooth just fine, and if i like i can plug in an Ipod and have easy navigation through my ICC.
Why would they try and sell this as something special… its only 1 phone (my FG can bluetooth to almost any phone with bluetooth) and I can connect anything with a 3.5 socket to the stereo (you still need to control it through the device) or i can connect an Ipod to its special plug and use it though the ICC… so really, it seems i have more options available and the integration in the FG is definitely nothing special… What are Microsoft doing?
Alex, yeah I have one. Fair enough, design is more of a personal opinion anyway.
Yeah I guess you’re right but at the same time, it’s quite shocking to see some basic things they left out of the iPhone (granted pre-jailbroken of course) like video or the ability to send files over bluetooth which can be quite practical to both the teenager or older buyer.
As for streaming music over bluetooth, it’s more the convenience than anything else. It just seemed odd to me that they market the iPhone as an MP3 player yet lack what should be a basic feature in any bluetooth device. Actually this is something that could be interesting in a car. Imagine being able to wirelessly stream music to your car’s stereo without having to touch your phone/MP3 player at all?
Maybe this is what Microsoft should have aimed at doing, because it’s entirely possible.
Blue&Me will work with a variety of phones, and iPods (apparently as long as your iPod is initially synched/setup using a computer running Windows!) too, and via Bluetooth, not just the USB connection. It also the quite amusing capability to read out newly received text messages as they come in while your phone is connected up. So it is a lot more advanced than you all may be thinking! Perhaps it’s just that this is the only phone DESIGNED for use with Blue&Me?? Who knows….
Microdik trying to get back in the game…LOL! Will I need to reboot this car every 1000km??
Doesn’t Apple offer a Bluetooth headset as an option for the iPhone, or is it just for phone calls?
Some may remember the talks between Volkswagen and Apple, well there was the Apple control interface in the Up! and that was about as far as it got so far.
As for this alliance, I think the HTC phone looks ok but when compared to Apple’s design I personaly prefer the iPhone’ minimalistic design, hence why I bought one. But wish Apple put a commosence physical camera button on the side of the phone rather than a hard to use touch screen button when taking a photo of two people by oneself.
Fiat should make this connection compatible for all modern media phones, love the car, not the alliance as much.