BMW Teams With Google Maps For Navigation

Here's my dream road-trip ritual: Pull up an address in Google Maps, beam it to the car by some wireless technology and load it to the nav system as a destination. If there's a relevant phone number, sync it with my Bluetooth phone. Then locate all the In-N-Out Burger locations in the area and cross-reference them with local gastroenterologists, just to be safe.

The world hasn't quite turned my way just yet, but BMW just introduced a fairly close approximation for US customers on its new 2008 X6 Sports Activity Coupe. BMW calls the service MyInfo, an add-on to the company's OnStar competitor, BMW Assist. MyInfo lets subscribers send up to 10 business addresses and phone numbers from Google Maps to their car. If the car’s got a navigation system, it can begin route guidance; if not, the phone number will still load itself into the system for Bluetooth phone use. You can also send addresses to other peoples’ cars, which will likely mitigate the scourge of analog “maps” drawn on the backs of gum wrappers in leaky felt pen. BMW launched a European version called ConnectedDrive in 2007.

But BMW isn't alone. Mercedes launched a similar service called Search and Send, an add-on to its Tele Aid service, in 2007. It's available on the S-Class, CL-Class, and C-Class models equipped with the Multimedia Package and Navigation System.

Neither system can handle my my In-N-Out Burger request. Maybe next product cycle.

Via BMW Blog