14 DAY TRIAL // Talking while driving is one thing that some would classify as dangerous, while others will state it is safe if using Bluetooth headsets. Text messages, on the other hand, are an entirely different story. Nobody could say that sending them while behind the wheel could be safe under any circumstances. And, still, it can.
Some car accidents that have been caused by the driver trying to send text messages have led up to two years of prison, as this is illegal in some countries at this time. Microsoft has teamed up with Nuance and developed a way for car drivers to dictate text messages to the car. They would be later on translated into an SMS message and sent on to the recipient just as it would happen under normal circumstances.
The technology is currently being tested. If it works properly, there are high chances that it will be later on applied for sending emails as well. The power of vocal commands might just revolutionize the way we send text messages, making it possible to use this technology even while not in traffic, in order to avoid pressing the small numeric keypad for typing long messages. Of course, the user will need the car to make the information transfer, but a future technology might take care of this too.
At this time, the Microsoft Sync system brings great advantages when it comes to driving cars and avoids causing accidents when a message really has to be sent instead of a call. "We are aiming for natural communication between car and driver, which will have benefits for concentration and safety", a Nuance spokeswoman said.
The trial period will end by the end of this year, leaving high chances for the software to surface in the UK sometime early next year. For the starters, it will be installed in the latest Mercedes C-Class, although there are high chances that other producers will surely want one of those in their cars as well.