http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/ Engadget Comments for In a world of automotive cellphone hate, Ford promotes SYNC as the solution http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
My Moms Flex has it, my girlfriend's Mustang has it. Almost makes me want to trade in my '07 Mustang. I felt SYNC was going to fail. Wow, I was very wrong.]]>Jul 9th 2010 9:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
THIS IS A TERRIBLE SOLUTION. What if an emergency text comes in and it could effect your decisions at that moment?

NO, what Ford should do is make it so ALL OF THEIR CARS display text messages on the Nav/radio screens and then allows you to send a simple reply like SYNC already does when you have the Nav system. ]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Worst looking dash EVER!
Reminds me of my 81 Prelude. Except, the Prelude's didn't suck.]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/If it's an emergency, wouldn't they call?]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
LOL, SPEEDOMETER STUCK AT ZERO!

(like my caps lock key)]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 11:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 11:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
Oh yea, except they didn't take the tax relief. That's GM and Chrysler. Thanks bro.]]>Jul 9th 2010 12:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
You can choose not to use SYNC, your know? And if you happen to live somewhere where it's illegal to text while driving just argue with the PoPo just like you did here. They'll let you off because I'm sure texting while driving is protected in the Constitution.]]>Jul 9th 2010 3:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 8:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
I want to be just like you...]]>Jul 9th 2010 9:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 10:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
Wow, welcome to the 21st century but you should at least visit the 90's first.]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 10:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
Way to go Ford, taking advantage of American Software Engineering.]]>Jul 9th 2010 9:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
Same here. I'm a VW/Audi fanboy but SYNC along with the newly designed 2012 Focus have pretty much got me to considering buying a Ford as my next vehicle -- something I never thought was even possible for myself.]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Yeah, I've got an 07 Rabbit 2Door right now, and the 2012 focus is looking might nice.]]>Jul 9th 2010 1:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Keep the Rabbit, it wont let you stranded on the side of the road, and the interiors are so much nicer. ]]>Jul 9th 2010 1:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 1:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Seriously. I love my 1990 300ce but the new fords are A) Gorgeous B) Efficient C) tempting.

I want nothing more than a 2011 Ford Fusion Sport (with AWD) and to swap in the turbos from the 2011 Taurus SHO (they share the same 3.5L EcoTec).

That car would rip my face off :D]]>Jul 9th 2010 2:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
Most of Europe has this ban in place already and we have seen some truly dramatic results in accident reduction ststistics.

It is no humanly possible to use a phone and to devote full atttention to driving and that is downright dangerous. There can be no possible further argument. It is proven and drivers need to be prevented from using a phone (talking, texting, dialling, internet) whilst driving.]]>Jul 9th 2010 9:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Just because the majority of idiots can't do it doesn't mean some people can't.]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/I can further argue. People don't need their full attention to drive. Billboards prevent people from placing full attention on driving too, but you just don't need full attention to drive. How many times while driving have you been lost in thought about a work project and find yourself at your destination before you know it? I think there were only two instances this morning when I even thought about driving. One was when a car was waiting for THE ENTIRE STREET to clear before attempting to parallel park, and the other was when I remembered I could watch a crosswalk counter instead of staring into the sun waiting for a light to change. Other than that, my driving app was strictly running in the background. I wasn't using a cell phone either ... What the crap was I thinking about? Ah well ...]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
It is a slippery slope. I'll give you a couple other common ones that are legal.

1. Listening/singing with the radio. People drift off into their own private concerts.

2. Eating while driving. One (or both) hand being occupied with a burger.

3. Talking with people in the car. How is a phone conversation on speaker phone any less distracting than chatting with someone in the passenger or backseat?

The reality is that if you want people totally focused on driving you would need to ban all of these other activities as well. Not going to happen. While I agree that texting is an awful idea while driving and that people should use BT, these steps alone won't make a huge dent in traffic accidents.]]>Jul 9th 2010 11:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
While obviously you can't stop stupid people from doing stupid things in their cars and endangering other people on the road - that does not mean that we should be enabling people by building this kind of tech into cars. We should make illegal what we can (like DUI, texting, etc) and educate people as well as possible about the other things that we cannot enforce.

@dantzig

Despite what your intuition might tell you about safe driving habits, multiple studies have shown that even using a hands-free cell phone while driving decreases reaction time and driver judgement more than other activities such as talking with someone in the passenger seat and listening to the radio. Always use science when it is available rather than "what happened on my drive to work this morning". I think Ford should have to do studies showing this tech does not interfere with public safety before being allowed to put it in cars.
]]>Jul 9th 2010 12:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/It does not matter how intelligent you are or, how many billboards you do or do not observe. It further does not matter if there are children in the car or not.

The fact remains (and IT IS A FACT) that using a cell phone detracts from your driving concentration ability.

Tests on a simulator in the UK over many months have shown a marked lowering in the ability to react quickly to emergency situations.

Subjects were asked to drive down an "average" freeway and just behave normally. Speed and distance were measured when the drivers (00s of them) were driving withut using the phone. When the phone (an incoming call) was introduced it was found that speeds varied considerably as drivers laggedand then speeded up to keep in traffic. Following distances therefore varied considerably.

In-town driving the resulats were similar but with more dangerous symptoms. Braking "think-times" were increased and when simple accident situations were introduced most phone users hit the obstacle whilst the same people who were NOT using a phone managed to avoid the accident.

People tested were from all walks of life. They used truck drivers, Moms, PhDs, racing drivers and regular folk as test subjects. The results were ALWAYS the same.

If you use a pphone, you CANNOT, as a human being, give full concentration to the task of driving in any given situation.

Now, I hate government interference in my life and I have several intersting words for traffic cops and the health and safety idiots. However I am convinced by the results of this research.

I use a bluetooth handsfree in my car and I still feel distracted when calls come in and I am driving.

I guess the future will make it as unacceptable to use a phone whilst driving as it is to use a car without wearing a seat belt.

For me a total ban on any kind cell phone use cannot come soon enough.

I live in the UK but lived 35 years in Europe but now I spend a good deal of my time in Charlotte, NC where the use of cell phones whilst driving is still legal and I have nearly been wiped off the road a couple of times by people who I could SEE were typing on phones.

Mind you SC does not even require the use of crash hats to drive a motorcycle. I guess this is a way of raising the States' overall intelligence.]]>Jul 9th 2010 1:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/"How is a phone conversation on speaker phone any less distracting than chatting with someone in the passenger or backseat?"

When you talk to somebody in person, you enhance your verbage by your body language and facial expressions. This cannot be done over the telephone. It takes extra effort to express the meaning of your words to someone who isn't physically present. It has been proven in many studies that talking on a cellphone is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. Texting while driving is even more stupid.]]>Jul 9th 2010 11:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 10:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 10:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 4:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Nope. +1 from me. You are right.]]>Jul 9th 2010 9:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 9:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Why are you guys criticizing this, its an improvement over what we currently have. A vehicle's cabin will never have zero distractions, with kids, listening to music, or talk shows, big bill boards, changing the station, and the millions of distractions outside a vehicle, there is not way that distractions can be eliminated, just reduced. I think that getting a text read to you is not as distracting as a 5 year old screaming because we did not stop at the McD's, so do you want to eliminate kids from a car too? Keep in mind im not in favor of the texting and driving, I want to make that clear, its tha way that you criticize new technology to help reduce the magnitude of the distraction that pisses me off. ]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/So you dont ever talk to your fellow passengers in your car? How is that different from you talking to or hearing your car speak?

For those who think it doesnt add much value, check out youtube for Lincoln C concept (EVA) videos.]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/
the trick is to reduce the chance to not be able to react to prevent something bad. when listening to an sms you can react like when you don't listen to it. your eyes can focus on the street. your hands are on the wheel. those two things aren't true when holding a phone to read the sms (and reply, when a touchscreen only keyboard).]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 10:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 10:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/ah, but you do. you don't have to, but you do take your eyes off the road to communicate with the people in your car. i hope, anyway ... otherwise i may be agitating a psychopath.]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/Jul 9th 2010 10:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/in-a-world-of-automotive-cellphone-hate-ford-promotes-sync-as-t/I don't have to dial to talk to people with sync. I press one steering wheel button (I know where its at, no need to look away from the road), and do everything with voice commands. Also, to read texts, it is just another button when one comes in to have it read to me. Now replying back, that would take some button presses, so you got me there (I don't reply when driving), but you could just press one button and have them on the phone as if they were in the car.]]>Jul 9th 2010 10:53AM