BMW says it knows nothing about a European Space Agency announcement last month, followed by numerous and ongoing reports and Web postings, about BMW's upcoming multimedia satellite delivery system. The ESA says it has already developed a multimedia car radio of the future that captures sound, images, and even complete software packages. The ESA says it developed the system with a "number of partners;" it also cites BMW's input and shows the captivator on the roof of a BMW SUV.
However, a BMW spokesman claimed the so-called BMW gadget is just part of an ad campaign for the company's upcoming entry-level 1 Series model.
Here is what the spokesman wrote in an email:
Whether BMW really has anything vested in the program or not, though, the concept is appealing. The multimedia car radio works like a satellite receiver with a hard-disk equipped set top box for personal video recording. The ESA said the main challenge was to design a satellite dish that could work while attached to a moving car. I can think of all kinds of things that would make this system useful. Think of truck drivers with a home theater in their cabs equipped with satellite TV and recorded video--or family trips when programs can be saved while you drive and ready to upload to your laptop once back at the hotel.
