iLane reads your email to you on the go

23 March 2009 17:02 GMT / By Verity Burns

A new device has been developed by Intelligent Mechatronic Systems that will help you keep in touch with your email while you're on the go.

The iLane, designed for use in the car, will alert you when you receive a new email and even read it out to you as well to keep you handsfree and on the right side of the law.

The device is powered through the car's cigarette lighter and connects wirelessly to BlackBerry smartphones, with users wearing a Bluetooth headset to listen to emails and issue voice commands to respond.

Users can currently choose from two stock email responses – "I am in transit and will respond shortly" and "Call me if it's important" – or alternatively, they can record a voice memo up to 15 minutes long and the iLane will send it as an email attachment .

As well as handling email messages, the iLane will also call people from your phone book when you say their name, and read out the latest news headlines, weather forecasts and traffic reports.

It can also remind you of any appointments, birthdays and events stored in your phone's calendar.

iLane is currently only available in the US and Canada, but its manufacturers have said they hope to introduce it to Europe before the year is out. It currently retails for $600 (£415), plus a $8 (£6) per month subscription.

At the moment, the device is only compatible with BlackBerry phones, but more compatibility with other smartphones is intended in the near future.

Full tags

Software, Online, Email, BlackBerry