The company Nuance has now released a major update to its Android App, Dragon Mobile Assistant.  The speech activated app already allowed the user to update their Twitter status, get directions and wake your device from sleep mode by saying “Hi Dragon”, but now the voice assistant has several new tricks up its virtual sleeves.

This beta release by Nuance now allows you to also play music with a simple command such as “I want to listen to Ashes of Abaddon”, set alarms by “Set the alarm to wake me at 1pm”  and launch apps with a quick “Open Pandora”.  While it is set to “Driver Mode”, Dragon is always listening and is totally hands free (to help you avoid those costly tickets).

The app previously was only available on Android 4.0 and later, but now can run on devices using Android 2.3 and up.

[ source ]

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Lt. Chris Monahan of the San Jose police department draws attention that it’s only legal to talk to Siri as long as it’s not in your hand. But if you need to touch Siri, you better abstain, the police officer says. And don’t even think to oblige, if Siri’s inviting you to read some directions off her you could easily be distracted!

It appears that the real problem with using Siri on your iPhone whilst driving is that you still need to use your fingers to hit the home button to activate the voice assistant, and then of course, there’s some touch required when using Siri and this is where it falls under the California law’s steel shoe.

But there might be a way out of this, as some spokeswoman for Apple said that Siri’s voice assistant can also be activated via a Bluetooth device or headset.

[via Mercury News]

The post Talking And Touching Siri While Driving Could Get You In Trouble appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

While Big’s idea did not progress much beyond plans, Volkswagen is testing a self-driving system that lets you travel up to 80 mph. The temporary auto-pilot technology uses adaptive cruise control, lane assist and a variety of sensors to track your speed, location and all the cars around you. The system observes overtaking rules, speed limits, and can even start and stop during traffic jams all on its own. Volkswagen emphasized that the driver is always in control, and must monitor the car. So no naps or drinking, people. Volkswagen designed the system with “production ready” components so an actual test model may very well arrive in the next few years.

Audi is is also set to test a “driverless” TTS Coupé quattro on the infamous Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the USA.

Currently in the testing phase, the Autonomous Audi TTS quattro is being developed for several still-to-be determined real-world driving challenges in 2010, including a possible drive up the legendary 12.42-mile Pikes Peak Hill Climb route in Colorado USA. This will not be a competition run, however, and is separate from the actual Hill Climb Championships being staged next June.

BMW previewed a left turn assistant system in Germany in May 2011. The system combined camera, laser and vehicle-to-vehicle communication technologies in an effort to make left turns safer. The system utilized three laser scanners in the front end of the car, which mapped the area up to 100 meters ahead. If the system detected oncoming vehicles, and the driver continued to move into the intersection, the system would sound a warning and automatically hit the brakes. Essentially, the car would be acting for you, with the hopes that it could prevent a collision. While driverless technology sounds a little reckless, one doesn’t have to spend much time on the road to see that most people drive hazardously, with no regard for fellow motorists. Will this be another instance where robots make humans obsolete?

Meanwhile, Google is working on their own driverless car, and after pressure from the corporation, Nevada has passed a law authorizing the Department of Transportation to develop rules and regulations governing the use of driverless cars. Watch out, a driverless car might be coming to a road near you.

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While the iPad does a lot of useful things, a lot of the things it does – displaying cookbooks, giving guitar lessons, etc. – are used while your hands are busy doing something else. Plus, reading in bed or watching movies in a lot of positions can be tiresome as you have to hold up the half-kilo device for prolonged periods.

But that’s where the Hanfree comes in.

The Hanfree is basically a swivelling omni-angle stand that suspends your first- or second-gen iPad in useful positions to solve exactly this problem. The team behind the concept is currently on Kickstarter looking for funding to start production, meaning you can pre-purchase one for yourself for $50 ahead of time. After the campaign comes to a close, they’ll be bumping the price up to $80 a piece.

At first, the minimalist support looks like little more than a glorified lamp rod bent into a new shape. But after watching the video, the usefulness of it is pretty apparent.

For giving presentations or in meetings, it’d be a dream. Get yourself a Bluetooth keyboard and you’ve essentially got a mobile work station, sans slouching to get the right angle of the screen. Your baby’s crib mobile isn’t doing the job? Throw on “Koi Pond” and you’re covered (though we’re not accepting any liability for suggesting it if something goes horribly wrong).

If you’ve got an iPad, I recommend checking out the video and their Kickstarter page.

[UberGizmo via KickStarter]

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