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Blue&Me, standard in all top-end Fiat 500 versions, permits connecting digital media players via a USB port in the car's dash. Passengers can also connect their mobile phones wirelessly via Bluetooth. The devices can then be operated either with voice command or multifunction buttons on the steering wheel.


Blue&Me is controlled by buttons on the steering wheel
The Blue&Me system made its debut in 2006 on larger Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia vehicles, but has not previously been available in a car this small. According to Fiat, the Polish-built Fiat 500 will not be sold in the U.S.. However, Alfa Romeo is rumored to be making its U.S. return in 2009.

The Polish-built Fiat 500 won't be sold in the U.S. -- or, will it?
(Click to enlarge)

New to this year's version of Blue&Me is a navigation system said to be more affordable than previous alternatives. The Blue&Me Nav system stores maps on a pen drive that plugs into the car's USB port, making the data access "faster and quieter" than when a CD is used. Maps can also reportedly be backed up onto any media player that can act as an external disk drive.


Blue&Me features a convenient USB port
Blue&Me is a collaborative effort between Fiat and Microsoft; as such, not all details have been released. However, Microsoft has said Windows Mobile for Automotive, on which Blue&Me is based, supports the .NET Compact Framework and the Speech Application Programming Interface (SAPI).

According to Microsoft, Windows Mobile for Automotive runs on a 32-bit 300MHz ARM processor, with 32MB of flash memory. A "basic" version includes a Bluetooth port for connecting cell phones and a USB port; a "standard" version also features GPS and a built-in GSM phone.

Giuseppe Bonollo, vice president of product portfolio management at Fiat, stated, "The launch of the Fiat 500 will be another chapter in our successful partnership with Microsoft. Nearly three years after we launched Blue&Me globally, it still enjoys a significant competitive advantage, both in terms of product offerings and pricing."

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