It was just announced at Apple's 2012 World Wide Developers Conference that the company will work with nine automakers to integrate their Siri voice recognition magic robot into production cars. Remember when we reported on Apple looking for automotive engineers. This might be why.
Apple also announced that they're adding turn-by-turn navigation and crowd-sourced traffic.
Details are just coming in, but Macworld is reporting that Land Rover/Jaguar, BMW, GM, Mercedes, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler, and Honda are already on board with a commitment from at least one of them to integrate within 12 months.
This will involve putting a button on the steering wheel (or dash) that'll allow you to immediately connect with Siri and ask questions if, we assume, you're bringing your iPhone with you. It'll allow you to go "Eyes Free" with regards to infotainment — we hope. It would be sort of terrible to go "Eyes Free" with the road when you're actually driving.
More exciting, even, than Siri, is what you'll be able to do with it. Apple has added its own maps and turn-by-turn navigation with real-time crowd-sourced traffic information. Hear that sound? It might just be Apple taking a big chunk out of Trapster (although, we doubt they'll put in speed trap information).
Notably absent from this list of automakers are automakers like Ford and Kia/Hyundai, both of whom have a deal with Microsoft (Ford with SYNC and Kia with UVO). Is there now going to be a Mac and a PC guy for cars?