MSNMoney: Nuance Communications said thursday that Ford Motor Co. has integrated Nuance speech technologies in several new European car models.

Nuance said the technology is part of a system which allows drivers to navigate the car’s phone, cruise control and audio systems using the human voice.

The system enables drivers to place calls, enter an address to a navigation system, select a desired temperature, and control the audio system with a voice command, according to Nuance.

Ford Nuance speech technologies

Easier motoring: Having recently grabbed Europe’s top gong in the in-car, audio-visual stakes - In-Car A/V Head Unit of the Year - Clarion is showing no signs of let-up in the development of cutting edge in-car entertainment, with the launch of its intuitive VRX578RUSB multi-media masterpiece.

Featuring DVD R/DVD RW, CD R/CD RW, MP3, WMA and AAC file playback, as well as USB and optional iPod control, the new VRX578RUSB is the easy-to-use answer for getting the most out of multi-media in-car.

A fully motorised 7” touch panel control glides effortlessly upon command from the elegant single DIN housing. Once open, a sensibly styled ergonomic control panel, makes speedy navigation of the range of audio and multimedia functions on offer a breeze, whilst Bluetooth connectivity makes it safer than ever to stream voice calls via a mobile phone on the move.

The VRX578RUSB’s hideaway USB terminal allows for the link-up of portable MP3 players and subsequent access to 255 folders, each supporting 15,000 tracks, whether they’re MP3, WMA or the iTunes-friendly AAC files.

Equipped with the industry’s latest method of video compression, “DivX”, the VRX578RUSB is more than capable when it comes to video playback.

Clarion VRX578RUSB DivX in car entertainment

BBC News: A majority of EU transport ministers have approved the multi-billion euro Galileo satellite navigation project.The decision was made without the backing of Spain, which had demanded that it host a ground station for the network of 30 orbiting satellites.

Ministers had until the end of year to reach an agreement. The system is supposed to be in operation by 2013.

Questions remain about its cost but supporters say it will create jobs and cut dependence on the US GPS service.

The Commission had said that if agreement was not reached by the end of the year, the project would essentially be dead.

galileo gps navigation sat nav

The Register: Venturer Electronics’ promised cut-price HD DVD player will finally go on sale on 29 December, but you’ll have to switch on your TV to buy one. The SHD7001 will only be sold through the QVC home shopping channel.

Venturer launched the player back in September, pledging to make the machine available to buy by Christmas. The SHD7001 is capable of playing DVDs and HD DVDs at HD resolutions of 720p or 1080i.

For a “limited period”, the player will come bundled with HD DVD copies of Hulk and Troy, Venturer said. It also comes with an HDMI cable, though the player provides component-video and composite-video outputs too. There’s a 10/100Mb/s Ethernet port on the back for link HD DVDs to online content, and both digital optical and analogue audio outputs.

HD DVD QVC SHD7001

NaviGadget: Google Maps for Mobile’s new feature called ‘my location’ just got announced today. It is a new feature that puts a blue dot on Google Maps showing where you are. The best part is that it does not require your mobile device to have GPS hardware. If you do, that’s OK, Google Maps will use that information for your blue dot. But if you don’t it will approximate where you are using the cell tower you are connected to at the time - in which case you’ll get a light blue circle around your dot.

If you do have a GPS-enabled device, My Location can actually complement it. My Location kicks in faster than GPS in most cases, so you can access your location even faster on the map. It also works reliably indoors (unlike GPS) and doesn’t drain your phone battery at the rate that GPS does.

Here are the currently supported phones:

• Most Java-enabled (J2ME) mobile phones.
• Palm devices with Palm OS 5 and above.
• All color BlackBerry devices.
• Windows Mobile devices with Windows Mobile 2003, 5.0 and above.
• Symbian Series 60 3rd edition devices.

Google Maps gps

Absolute Gadget: Surveys often state the bleeding obvious, and a new study from purveyor of fine batteries Energizer about what gadgets we want for Christmas is not that much different. According to the research, plasma tvs and the Wii top the list of must-have Christmas presents.In second place is the Nintendo Wii (assuming you can get your hands on one). The survey found that just under a third (30 per cent) of 16-24 year olds would choose a games console compared to nearly half of 25-34 year olds (42 per cent). The poll shows computer games are now more popular than ever with older generations.

According to Michael Brook, who edits some other gadget publication, the Nintendo Wii and the iPod, have thrown the electronic goods market wide open. 

“The launch of the Wii has had the biggest influence this year,” said Brook. “It’s completely re-written the rule book on computer gaming. While the X-box and Playstation were battling it out for a predominantly teenage market the Wii snuck in through the back door.”

Brook said that the Wii “opened up the market to people who just wouldn’t have been interested in gaming before.”

Energizer gadget plasma wii