Comments on: Fiat 500 and Microsoft Blue&Me

By: Neo Utopia

Neo Utopia — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:29:29 +0000

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.

By: technofreak

technofreak — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:15:35 +0000

Microdik trying to get back in the game…LOL! Will I need to reboot this car every 1000km??

By: Gordon

Gordon — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:36:57 +0000

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….

By: Camski

Camski — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:18:45 +0000

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.

By: xa-mont

xa-mont — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:44:10 +0000

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?

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:09:12 +0000

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).

By: Camski

Camski — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:35:46 +0000

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.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:29:16 +0000

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?

By: anthony

anthony — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:24:15 +0000

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.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:24:10 +0000

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?

By: smokin'R32

smokin'R32 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:41:59 +0000

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).

By: Yanzo

Yanzo — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:22:21 +0000

i seen a similar thing on the audi a1. and the audi looks waaaaaay better the that fiat. probably goes better too

By: Sam-R

Sam-R — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:21:00 +0000

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.

By: Shea Quinn

Shea Quinn — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:48:28 +0000

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.

By: D

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:03:39 +0000

I think it would probably work with any Windows Mobile handset, not just the HTC Touch Diamond especially since the Diamond2 is already out.

By: Rym

Rym — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:31:57 +0000

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.

By: Frontman

Frontman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:55:56 +0000

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.

By: Shak

Shak — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:50:08 +0000

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.

By: Absi

Absi — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:44:16 +0000

how do i do a “ctrl+alt+del”?

By: Flying High

Flying High — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:38:26 +0000

and given it is Micro$oft, every time you upgrade, you will need a new Fiat to support the changes