Tag archive: ford sync

Announced yesterday, Ford is rolling out a software update to Ford's SYNC software that will allow text messages to be read aloud while driving the vehicle. While the system requires a compatible smartphone, users will likely hear the messages through the speakers in the car. The smartphone communicates with the software through a Bluetooth connection. This upgrade to version 3.2.2 of the software will be able to be applied to all SYNC… Read More

Tiny cars don't have to have tinny sound. Not all of them, anyway. The 2012 Ford Focus will be the first small car from the manufacturer to feature a custom-designed, 355-watt sound system from Sony. In a company press release, Ford described the eight-inch screen’s user interface as comparable to Sony home audio systems, and it will work with Ford Sync and MyFord Touch technology. Voice command and steering wheel controls are built in, as… Read More

The first batch of Windows Phone 7 devices launched this week to generally positive coverage, and in a market that had seemed to say previously that the iPhone and Android products were enough. There is some clearly positive buzz surrounding these new phones, and I think that is because what is out there sucks more than we want to admit. But this is a big jump for Microsoft, because if you previously said you had a Microsoft phone, and that’s… Read More

OnStar is due for a feature upgrade to match services offered by rival Ford’s Sync music and information system. According to Bloomberg, General Motors will be adding free services hooking into Facebook to its OnStar subscription service later this month. The service currently provides accident alerts, directions, vehicle diagnostics and roadside assistance in case of an emergency. With the upgrade, OnStar will enable the always-cool… Read More

MyFord Touch presses above and beyond Sync with screens to spare, 10,000 voice commands, and advanced multimedia features. But what’s really going on beneath that sleek touch screen in the console? Will MyFord Touch be upgradeable? Why does the SD card needed for GPS navigation cost $795? We posed our geekiest questions to the man with all the answers: Ford’s chief engineer for in-car electronics, John Schneider. Check out more of our in-depth… Read More

The next Ford won’t deploy a smoke screen, jam microwave signals , or deflect bullets, but it will get one step closer to the fantasy of every child of the ‘80s by recognizing – and responding to – relatively intuitive voice commands. Just like Michael Knight's KITT 2000. Ford recently overhauled its intelligent Sync system, which controls everything from climate control to audio, to recognize up to 10,000 voice commands. According to… Read More

Ford has announced the launch of a new Sync system feature called AppLink, that will allow drivers voice control over smartphone apps in their car. To help debut the app, Ford has partnered with Pandora, Stitcher “smart” radio, and Twitter client OpenBeak. Ford will also begin to work directly with application developers to make sure upcoming apps are able to work with Sync. The Sync system will feature both voice-activated controls, as well as… Read More

Ready to fulfill your Knight Rider fantasy of owning a fully automated car with personality, like KITT? Sorry, you’ll still need to cobble together a replica and sculpt your own Hasselhoff hair, for now. But Ford will bring the ordinary buying public a step closer this year with the introduction of MyFord Touch, the next generation of the longstanding Sync project with Microsoft. The company showed off live examples of the technology at the… Read More

Anyone who has spent any time on roadways in the last several years has no doubt witnessed several near misses caused by drivers distracted by trying to use text messaging on their mobile phones or respond to email using a mobile device—and, unfortunately, many of us have also witnessed or been victims of outright accidents caused by “texting while driving.” Last July, New York Senator Charles Schumer and Congresswoman Carolyn… Read More