BMW Introduces New Device On The Web

BMWs are known around the world for their automobiles and motorcycles. They’realso the source of much debate with their “flaming surface” design language, their intriguing cutting-edge interior design and sophisticated technology. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re a major player in the industry and a target for many other brands. But the Munich-based firm just announced something altogether new on its international website yesterday, with an online movie trailer and some downloadable images. We’re not exactly sure of what this device is or even what its official name is; all we know is that they’re calling it “New Product” for the time being.

Though BMW hasn’t said what this “New Product” will do,we do know what kind of features it packs. It has a TFT display screen that’s capable of showing 65,000 colors, has a high-power processor, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and can play CDs, DVDs and MP3s. It also has a lens (one has two), and all of them have keypads. One of the devices has buttons that are similar to ones you can find on an ‘80s era Sony Walkman, while another has a numeric keypad similar to a cell phone. The one with the dual lenses also has a label that reads “eject” and has a grooved edge, suggesting that it could be inserted into a vehicle’s console and can be integrated with the car’s on-board systems. In any sense, the description that BMW has given us of the devices’ capabilities makes it seem like they’re going to be making a new all-in-one Palm Treo or Blackberry Pearl. But one thing is for sure - each of these devices is a different size, suggesting that there could be various feature levels or perhaps different uses for the products. It was most likely designed by DesignWorksUSA, BMW’s American product design studio.

But we have a clue as to what these contraptions might do. Since the early 1980s, BMW has been researching human interaction and ways that they can link it to a car’s controls. The brand’s “Forschung und Technik” (German for R&D) labs created a one-off 7-Series that observes the driver’s head and hands using cameras and computer processors. By moving one’s index finger to the right in front of the camera, moving one track forward, while moving the opposite way plays the previous track. If a phone call comes in on a Bluetooth-enabled telephone, rather than pushing a button or saying a voice command, the car will recognize a nod of the head.

Whether or not these new BMW devices have anything to do with the human-car interface is beyond us. We’ll have to wait until mid-January to find out more, but we’ll keep you posted.