Here's a technology that may hold some promise for your road warriors: An in-vehicle voice-to-text system that lets drivers dictate email while keeping their hands on the wheel. BMW is showing a prototype of this system, which makes it possible for drivers to edit, send and receive messages using voice commands, reports Brian Gain at PCWorld.

The system is just one of BMW's initiatives to bring desktop-like functionality to the automobile by way of voice commands. The company's ConnectedDrive technology lets Blackberry users connect the handset to a dashboard console using Bluetooth, and listen to email and text messages read out loud to them. The company is also working on a system for Internet searching, Gain reports.

Similar in-vehicle communications efforts are underway at other auto manufacturers. Ford offers the Sync infotainment system, which enables some smartphone apps to operate on a console. Future versions expected within five years would let drivers dictate messages and hear email read out loud, Gains writes. GM, for its part, is planning to release an OnStar voice communications feature for Android phone users.

Car makers hope that the hands-free communications options will be safer than typing or holding a device while driving. The level of danger created by the cognitive distraction of hands-free communications remains unclear, however.

For more:
- see Brian Gains' post at PCWorld

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BMW's road to application virtualization