German Car Zone

One of the main problems is that EU manufacturers (MB, BMW, Audi) all have to develop such systems from scrap while most Japanese manufacturers mostly copy off and thus make minor improvments to existing technology and thus it looks better.

Being a leader is one of the toughest things so normally they charge premium even if it really isn't worth that much (in components). So you mainly pay the knowledge of the engineeres and time and money company spent in developing such systems.

And let's all be honest - while Japanes cars do future nice and inovative systems we all agree that leaders in the automobile industry and manufacturers setting the bar and moving limits is still Mercedes - Benz (S class) and of course BMW and Audi.

Personally I'm not happy with the command system in my new W204 C costing about 2.500€ here in EU so I didn't get it. But when I was testing command and Logic7 in another C and looking at movies and listening to music then it really is worth all that cash. And there will never be a doubt that some thing wouldn't be compatible. If it's Mercedes certified it will work. This is one of the ways they protect themselves of 3rd grade electonics and crap products overflowing the market especially in the entertainment segment.

I don't that is true at all. Car manufacturers basically get these systems from few major suppliers. They don't develop such system from scratch.
Furthermore, the Japanese manufacturers have chosen touchscreen-based systems while Germans have picked "central controller" -based systems.

Ample update, MB are just adapting to the popular demands of playful interfaces. The quality of the center console looks phenomenal. I'd be very impressed if the production car uses the exact same materials.

Offering a brief glimpse into the future of in-car entertainment, Mercedes-Benz has unveiled what they're calling "myCOMAND" – an Internet-based infotainment system currently featured on their Concept FASCINATION study. As you might expect from an Internet-based infotainment system, the technology harnesses the power of the almighty Web, and serves it up in a way that's most beneficial to you, the driver, based on your specific location and needs.

Here's a few examples that demonstrate the functionality myCOMAND will possess:

• Off-board navigation: myCOMAND works with not only the latest map, but also takes the traffic information available on the internet into account for route selection. Along with the conventional map display it is also possible to show satellite images which enable easier orientation. The search for destinations no longer follows a rigid format; free input is permissible, and destinations can be combined with up-to-the-minute data so that the driver easily can find, for example, the cheapest gas prices in the immediate vicinity.
• Trip Assist: This service automatically accesses the large amount of information available on the internet and presents it to the driver in optimally edited form at the right time. For example, myCOMAND can forecast weather along the current route or inform the driver about hotels and leisure facilities at the destination. Making hotel reservations from the car, reserving a table at a restaurant or booking theater tickets on short notice is an equally painless process.
• World Radio: Via the Internet you can tune in practically every radio station in the world. With the World Radio of myCOMAND the driver can search for stations by genre to find the ones that cater to his or her individual music taste. Additionally, you can store your personal music library on the internet, which is then available anytime worldwide in the car.
• Internet telephony: With myCOMAND, the telephone – like all other services – can utilize the advantages of the Internet (i.e., VoIP). Thanks to Voice over Internet Protocol, myCOMAND allows phone calls free of charge as well as sending short messages without the need for traditional text messaging.
• Web browser: And as a last resort, if the features above aren't enough to meet your needs, the old fallback Web browser is available to peruse any and or all websites you desire, thus creating an entirely new market for in-vehicle adult-themed content.

And while I'm sure you're ripe with anticipation waiting for myCOMAND to make its way into a production Mercedes model, the company expects it will take a few more years until technical prerequisites to implement such a system will be met. Of course, with a little tweaking, many of the aforementioned features can be had with my iPhone, so one would think that with a collaboration between themselves and a few major cell phone carriers Mercedes could work out some sort of interim system to incorporate at least partial Internet-based services into their vehicles.

We of course shall see, but in the meantime, you can check out the Mercedes-Benz myCOMAND infotainment system below in both video and photo format (click any picture to enlarge). There's also a press release covering myCOMAND, which highlights its many features as well as its design attributes.









































OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Research project myCOMAND - Revolution on the dashboard: Mercedes-Benz shows new prospects for vehicle infotainment

Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz is offering a glimpse into the future with myCOMAND, an internet-based infotainment system as part of a special preview during the Los Angeles Auto Show. myCOMAND is especially efficient and user-friendly and offers a range of functions unrivalled for variety. Using internet connectivity, all data and information is kept fresh and current at all times without the need for software or hardware updates. All functions are concentrated on one attractively designed user interface for easy and intuitive access. Complete integration, reliable operation and data protection were the highest priorities in the design of myCOMAND.

Mobile phones, laptops and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) afford mobile internet access almost anywhere and at any time. However, security, comfort and network bandwidth issues can present challenges in accessing this wealth of online information while in the car.

Computer science experts expect that in a few years the internet will be available almost everywhere with significantly higher bandwidth via cellular network then today. This opens up new and interesting possibilities for telematics and infotainment applications in automobiles. For this reason, the Stuttgart-based premium manufacturer has launched a research project for a completely new internet-based infotainment system called myCOMAND. With this system, an all new development, Mercedes-Benz demonstrates today what functions drivers can access in future.

In the areas of both information and entertainment, the entirely internet-based solution affords decisive advantages over traditional systems found in today’s vehicles. Every time the engine starts myCOMAND automatically updates itself via radio and thus continuously brings the software up to date. All individually retrieved data and information are always up to date, too, and available to the occupants simply and easily. Compared with current mobile terminal devices, but also with the firmly installed systems available today, with myCOMAND the internet not only is much faster, but simultaneously also much more user-friendly and thus more safely and reliably integrated. The system offers the driver individually appropriate internet services depending on the situation.

Diverse personal services and unlimited entertainment

Thanks to the vast variety of information in the internet, the optimum integration and absolute up-to-dateness enable unparalleled functionality. The most important new services of myCOMAND are:

• Off-board navigation. It not only always works with the latest map, but also takes the traffic information available on the internet into account for route selection. Along with the conventional map display it is also possible to show satellite images which enable easier orientation. The search for destinations no longer follows a rigid format; free input is permissible. And destinations can be combined with up-to-the-minute data so that the driver easily can find, for example, the cheapest filling station in vicinity or along a route.
• Trip Assist. This service automatically accesses the large amount of information available on the internet and presents it to the driver in optimally edited form at the right time. This way the system can offer much up-to-date information and services in the car. The Trip Assist of myCOMAND shows, for example, the weather along the route and informs the user about the hotels and leisure facilities at the destination. Making hotel reservations from the car is no problem for the Trip Assist; reserving a table at a restaurant or theater tickets at short notice likewise is a simple, stress-free process.
• World Radio. Via internet you can tune in practically every radio station in the world – while traveling in your car you can even get radio stations from the other side of the world. With the World Radio of myCOMAND the driver can search for stations by genre to find the ones that cater to his or her individual music taste. Additionally, you can store your personal music library on the internet, which is then available anytime worldwide in the car.
• Internet telephony: With myCOMAND the telephone, like all other services, also can utilize the advantages of the internet. Thanks to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), myCOMAND enables putting calls through free of charge or sending short messages via internet and simultaneously transmitting voice and data.
• Of course, a browser additionally allows you to surf the internet in the accustomed way.

myCOMAND is programmed so that it automatically collects from the internet all information necessary for a service – be it hotel descriptions, weather forecasts or the details of available parking spaces – and puts it together to provide the desired service. There is no complicated searching via browser. This greatly speeds up access to data.

Attractive looks, intuitive operation

myCOMAND not only offers many new options, but is attractively designed for intuitive operation. The centrally arranged display has a brilliant resolution that is optimally positioned in the driver's field of vision so that he or she can better keep an eye on the current traffic situation. The COMAND controller -- an ergonomically optimized rotary pushbutton on the center consol -- enables simple, accurate operation.

The Home screen shows a stylized globe. All selectable functions revolve around it, moved by turning the rotary pushbutton; with a push you select the menu item in the foreground. This opens a new menu with more items for selection. The design of the menu, circling a symbolic globe, is not merely an optical highlight; it greatly simplifies operation in conjunction with the rotary pushbutton and its synchronized motion.

By means of two buttons next to the central control, additional functions such as the menu options can be called up. Also, the "back" button enables quickly correcting any wrong entries. Connection with LINGUATRONIC in future will enable operating myCOMAND also by voice.

myCOMAND lays the foundation for optimal use of the internet in the car. The Mercedes-Benz researchers expect that it will take a few more years until the technical prerequisites have been created and such a system is available in production cars.

Copyright © 2008, Daimler AG


Source: Mercedes-Benz Debuts myCOMAND Internet-Based Infortainment System At Los Angeles Auto Show | eMercedesBenz - The Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog

Kinda like a repost...lol.

M

Nope, WCF's article is poor compared to this one... Plus, here you have a video too...

Huh, its the same press release minus a few pics.

M

So? If it bothers you that much i'll delete it, np.

I've posted it 'cause eMercedesBenz's articles are one of the best available with tons of great pics and detailed informations about MB cars and PR.

I've thought you knew that already.

Of course it doesn't bother me and you know I know about eMB, read and post from there regularly.

M

Fair enough!