"Toyota Friend" to launch in 2012 Dialogue shared on Facebook, Twitter

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2012 - the year we get our talking cars

From: AP May 24, 2011 11:45AM

In the future, cars will also be able to tell us if we've missed a turn-off. And have arch-enemies.
"Toyota Friend" to launch in 2012
Dialogue shared on Facebook, Twitter
"Cars can be friends with their users"
TOYOTA is setting up a social networking service with the help of Microsoft so drivers can interact with their cars in a way that's similar to posting on Facebook or Twitter.

Japanese automaker Toyota and Salesforce.com, based in San Francisco, have announced their alliance to launch "Toyota Friend", a private social network for Toyota owners.

In a demonstration at a Tokyo showroom, an owner of a plug-in Prius hybrid found out through a mobile phone message from his Prius called "Pre-boy" that he should remember to recharge his car overnight.

When the owner plugged in his car to recharge it, the car replied, "The charge will be completed by 2:15 a.m. Is that OK? See you tomorrow."

Since many next-generation cars need to be recharged, drivers may need real-time information, such as the battery level of their cars and locations of charging stations, more than regular gas-engine cars.


The exchanges can be kept private or be shared with other "Toyota Friend" users, as well as made public on Facebook, Twitter and other services, the company said.

The companies did not give details of how the technology, such as the content of the talking car's dialogues, will be managed. But officials said the answers will be automated through sensors in the car.

If your car is up for an inspection, for example, the owner will be notified through "Toyota Friend", which will in turn automatically link to a dealer to set up an appointment.

Toyota is investing ¥442 million ($5.5 million), Microsoft is investing $4.1 million and Salesforce.com $2.8 million in the project.

Many cars are already equipped with navigation and other network-linking capabilities that make them almost like mobile devices.

Toyota's service, built on open-source cloud platforms that are the specialty of Salesforce.com, as well as on Microsoft's platform, will start in Japan in 2012, and will be offered later worldwide, initially with electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, according to Toyota.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda, a racing fan, said he always "talks" with his car when he is zipping around on the circuit.

With the popularity of social networking, cars and their makers should become part of that online interaction, he said.

"I hope cars can become friends with their users, and customers will see Toyota as a friend," he said.

Salesforce.com chief executive Marc Benioff said social networks can add value to products and companies. It can also help Toyota gain massive information not only about their buyers but about how the car is working or not working, he said.

"I want a relationship with my car in the same way we have a relationship with our friends on social networks," he sai