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Are we there yet? Ask Apple's new Siri for cars.

Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant introduced on the iPhone 4S, is coming to automobiles everywhere. 

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Reuters
The new Siri 'Eyes Free' technology: Lots of fun in a traffic jam.
  • By Matthew Shaer

Siri: On your iPhone, on your iPad, and in your car. 

Earlier this week, Apple announced it would roll out Siri, which originally premiered on the iPhone 4S, to the iPad line of tablet computers. Now, Apple is introducing a functionality called Eyes Free, which will integrate Siri into the voice control systems on select automobiles. According to MSN, the cars include models offered by GM, BMW, Toyota, Chrysler, and Honda.

"Through the voice command button on your steering wheel, you’ll be able to ask Siri questions without taking your eyes off the road," Apple wrote on its Website. "To minimize distractions even more, your iOS device’s screen won’t light up. With the Eyes Free feature, ask Siri to call people, select and play music, hear and compose text messages, use Maps and get directions, read your notifications, find calendar information, add reminders, and more."

So when will the Eyes Free tech become available? Well, BMW told Fox News that it hoped to have Eyes Free integrated to the dashboard interfaces of its cars by mid-2013. Fox News notes that among the questions you can ask Eyes Free is this one: "Are we there yet?" To which Siri will quickly respond with the time and mileage to your destination. 

As Engadget reports, Eyes Free is being marketed as a "safety booster" – a functionality that will stop users from glancing back and forth from the small screen of their phone to the open road. Well, sure. But Eyes Free should also be pretty fun in traffic jams: You could have Siri tell you a joke. 

For more tech news, follow us on Twitter @venturenaut.

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