WWDC 2012: Siri 'Eyes Free' Demoed On iOS 6: BMW, Audi, General Motors On Board

Apple's iOS 6 operating system will bring a whole host of updates to Siri in the fall, but the biggest tease during the WWDC keynote on Monday was Eyes Free, a feature that integrates Siri into your car.

General Motors, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda have all signed up for Apple's personal voice assistant, according to Automotive Discovery.

With a command button mounted on the steering wheel, iPhone users will be able to connect to Siri without taking their eyes off the road. Drivers will be able to play music, hear and compose messages, use maps and directions and set reminders and events, all without picking up their phone.

The Siri Eyes Free button will be popping up on steering wheels in the next six months, Automotive Discovery reported. But Ford will be missing out as it continues to implement the Ford Sync infotainment system that runs on Microsoft.

Meanwhile, Apple's favorite voice assistant just got smarter with iOS 6. Ask about sports and get live scores and stats. Feeling indecisive? Ask where you should eat or what movie you should see. Too lazy to update you Facebook status? Tell Siri to post something on your wall.Want to live-tweet but don't want to type? You can ask Siri to do that too.

With iOS 6, Siri now understands more languages including English, Spanish, French, Canadian French, Italian, Mandarin, German, Italian, Swiss French, Swiss German, Cantonese, Japanese and Korean.

Other iOS 6 Features Useful in the Car

Calls

Few phone features from iOS 6 will give iPhone users further options besides Answer and Decline. They will be able to reply to a phone call with an instant message, and those who don't have the time to compose one can choose from a list of automated messages such as I'll call you later or I'm on my way.

iPhone owners who don't have time to respond during the call can set a reminder to return the missed call at a later time or date. And an additional Do not Disturb function will give iPhone customers the flexibility of choosing who they can receive calls from during unavailable times.

Maps

The new updated maps feature will decrease the odds of iPhone users getting lost. The revamped and redesigned map function is vector-based, creating clear graphics and detailed texts, even when zoomed in to maximum capacity.

Maps have also been updated with visual and spoken navigation, which gives users not only precise turn-by-turn directions, but also supplies real-time traffic updates.

App Launching

With iOS 6, you can ask Siri to open apps for you. While this could potentially be a little distracting in the car, especially if users opt to launch games, it could be a great way to kill time while waiting to pick up someone.