Microsoft plans to bring in telematics for the common folk, in a Windows for cars product called Microsoft Auto. Microsoft and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group will jointly work upon the ‘next generation of infotainment systems’. The newest existing edition of Microsoft Auto, which is 3.0, would allow you stream music from, and control mobile phones, iPods, Zunes, Zens and other players via Bluetooth. You could surf the Internet via Internet Explorer. It would support GPS. No doubt, technology is on the move but I seriously believe that this is going to be hazardous. In the past, telematics was there in high-end, luxury cars only. If Microsoft says that telematics will make the cars safer to drive, this basically means you’ll be able to find Microsoft Auto in Hyundai’s cheap cars inside the next two years. Each automaker can tailor and regrind the system for its customers. Microsoft Auto does not contain an end-user UI, which is developed by the automakers using Microsoft tools and specifications. In all, it’s a welcome development in inching towards a hi-tech future.

Source: ShinyShiny