iLane promises new way to email hands-free in the car

Device reads email out loud in the car

24 July 2006 11:48 GMT / By Amber Maitland

For Very Important Businesspeople who carry around BlackBerrys and understand why they're also known as Crackberries comes iLane.

Intelligent Mechatronic Systems (IMS) has developed iLane as the "world's first hands-free and eyes-free email solution for in-vehicle use".

Thanks to the device, not only can you receive phone calls hands-free, but you can also have your text messages and emails read out loud to you.

iLane automatically lets drivers know when they've received an email, and reads out a brief summary of it.

The driver can then listen to the whole message, forward it, or compose one in response.

Thanks to intelligent information management, email can be filtered and prioritised so that some are marked important enough for notification; this is so that the driver can manage time-critical information.

The device interacts with Bluetooth-enabled devices, audio systems, and headsets, and automatically detects the presence of the driver.

It operates independently of wireless networks, and has been tested for use on the BlackBerry and Palm Treo.

iLane is expected to be released at the beginning of 2007, but pricing information is not yet available.