Yesterday we reported on a survey by TomTom that discovered that Geordie and Scottish accent is the most in Great Britain. Today we have received news from Mio Navman who say they have pioneered a quirky system that gives directions in different accents depending on where you are in the country, now that would make journeys more interesting and fun.
If it goes into production the software would automatically switch dialects as you entered different counties, regions or countries. Navman say you could expect to hear a good variety of dialects, colloquialisms and accents meaning not only will it sound like the locals but it will use phrases too.
Some of the proposed accents include Geordie (Newcastle upon Tyne), Cockney (London), Brummie (Birmingham) and Mancunian (Manchester). Missing off the list is Scottish, one of the most popular choices on TomTom’s survey.
A Scouser dishing out directions?
Charles Smith, Product Manager from Mio said “While our main focus is getting a driver from A to B, we’re always looking to make the car journey a more enjoyable experience – we were the first to introduce Freeview TV to satnavs with our V505 model, and now we’re looking into bringing Britain’s most recognisable accents to our devices. Aside from the all the benefits that our sat nav’s provide, we hope that in the future you will also be able to familiarise yourself with some of the iconic local phrases and accents, unique to certain parts of the country.”
This system at the moment is only an idea; we really hope it goes into production though. Imagine turning up to Newcastle to hear “Way’ Aye man, turn left here”. Genius, what phrase would you love to hear and in what accent?
