Google Maps Send-To-Car feature goes live on Ford SYNC systems
By Darren Murph 
posted July 14th 2010 12:19PM
posted July 14th 2010 12:19PM
Avid OnStar users received this here functionality a fortnight ago, and BMW owners have been bragging about it for years. But it looks as if the world's other automakers are finally coming around to one of life's undeniable facts: Google Maps is top-notch, and in almost every instance, trumps whatever factory mapping system that any given consumer has overpaid for. Today, drivers of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the US enabled with Ford SYNC can send business listings or addresses found on GMaps directly to their cars (from a web browser, naturally). With the new additions, Google's Send-To-Car feature is now active in 19 countries and across 20 brands, but we're guessing that your brand isn't one of them. Or maybe that's just us moping and looking for company.
I like the direction google/android is going with the "send the link" apps. Eliminating the redundancy makes everything so much more convenient.
@HotDog
Do they have a send to phone option? I haven't seen one, and that would be super useful.
Look up where your heading at home, send to phone, away you go.
@A25i
Froyo has this.
@A25i
They do have the option to send to phone. I am able to send a destination to my phone and get directions through TeleNav.
@HotDog
Isn't SYNC a WinCE 6 based system? I fail to understand how Android got the BRAVO!?!?
@A25i Yes froyo has push notifications enabled although it isn't a priority part of this version, the functionality all exists but its a flagship of gingerbread when it'll be heavily integrated -- nice of them to allow us to use it now though!
ie- if you go on google maps on pc you can push the location to your phone and it'll open up google maps navigation. pushing youtube videos opens video player app, and normal links open up the browser.
This is pure orgasmic shit. Bravo google!!
Google now want to know where you going too.
@techlord
I don't see why that's a legitimate complaint. Nothing is free, and Google's incentive for providing this service is anonymous location data from users.
I should point out that SYNC is Microsoft's technology. As you can see, MS doesn't ban the competition.
@ckeledjian making a comparison to apple?
@inspiron41 I have to compensate for the Bias. This news is actually about Google being able to use Microsoft's API to provide this feature on a Microsoft product. Microsoft was not mentioned, and the feature is fully applauded. If Microsoft had been even mentioned, there would be plenty of sarcastic criticism, as in this other article about SYNC:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/myford-touch-yields-three-screens-and-a-ford-from-microsoft-auto/
I have given credit where is due, have you?
@ckeledjian
I should point out that iOS is Apple's Technology. Google is well entrenched with maps, youtube, integrated gmail... and many apps.
So your point is?
@Altivec Those were integrated before Google squarely starting competing with Apple. After that, you can't even mention Google by name in the app description in App Store, they also banned Google Voice and ads... come on, guys, everybody knows this.
3rd world people like me will have to wait for years if not ever to be able to use this stuff.
@jackhu You can't buy Fords in the third world? You can obviously get to the internet.
I wish Garmin would use Google Maps for atleast the pc/mac route planning software.
they have a pluggin but it just sends you a business address.
funny, Garmin probably doesn't want to team up with google as they feel competetive, but linking the software is the one thing that would actually make me stick with garmin.
instead as soon as there's a cheap android based GPS I'll just get that and replace the Garmin.
@fyrebug i agree. if garmin came out with that sync with google map that would be an incentive for me to upgrade. i hate re-programing my garmin gps with new street addresses.
Just when I think there are no more ideas left
This is like, fricken amazing. It's about time, but still cool.
When they replace the Microsoft OS under Sync with Android or IOS, I'll buy my next Ford.
@wmd When they replace the Microsoft OS under Sync with Android or IOS, I'll buy my next Fragmentation ;)
Weird, I tried this feature out over the weekend, and I kept getting an error. Apparently my 2010 model year car (with the most current sync OS) isn't compatible with this feature because, get this... I have a navigation system.
And that's according to the help documents from Google I had to wade through to find out why it wasn't working, so this isn't a bug. If anyone else out there does have a Nav system and it's working for you, do share.
But mostly this just seems to be a "shortcut" for entering a destination in a Sync-equipped car that doesn't have a touch screen.
FYI: something else not made clear by google or sync in all their press announcements -- it doesn't send a route to your car. It only sends the address of the destination. i.e., it potentially saves you the trouble of entering it yourself in the car, but that's about it. it'll still go with whatever route Sync selects, not google maps.
@NoNameJim that'd be only for navigation systems that are built in, using the TDI service will use the route you selected in google maps
@NoNameJim
Sorry to be the one to burst your bubble. This feature is not for users who use the Touch Screen Navigation unit. It's only for users with the Non-Navigation Radio Head Unit. I have a 2010 Ford Fusion with the Non-Nav Head Unit. The way those vehicles obtain directions is through a BlueTooth Enabled phone which dials up Ford Sync Services. The directions are downloaded audibly to the car. The Nav Units do not have this capability.
@TheMan42 if that's the case, great (for TDI users). but i still can't get even a destination sent to my car from google and the car was just bought off the lot two weeks ago. the google help docs seem to imply that because I have a nav system built-in, i'm out of luck... the help docs are very badly worded, so it's hard to tell exactly what should work and what shouldn't. if someone has a link to a help page that actually offers help, it'd be much appreciated.
@coop486 ah, thanks coop. oh well... I guess I'll just have to make due with entering the address when I get in the car :)
@TheMan42
According to help pages, google maps just sends the destination. The following is taken from there website:
"Can I download a specific route that I generated on maps.google.com to my vehicle?
No, only the destination is sent to the vehicle. SYNC® or your navigation system will determine the route."
If this is the case, you can just type the address into the syncmyride website. I guess this may save a step or two, but I'm not nearly as excited about it as I was when I first heard about it.... Maybe add route info soon.
Surprising it isn't Bing send to car
How about send to phone for us Canadians?
Great idea,but somehow I can see that navi manufacturers won't be happy about that move plus I've got this feeling that an european union parlamentarian will feel bothered and add another lawsuit threat aka streetview to the pending ones since its a big "bad" company ... (or just bcs they are jealous that no eu company had that idea first and now they take "revenge")
Skynet continues it's slow trickle towards world domination.
Wait a second. Isn't SYNC done by Microsoft? Doesn't Microsoft have Bing Maps? And Ford is using Google's software? So confused...
@Padilla7921
Sync is "Powered by Microsoft". Just as most ATM Machine's are powered by XP Embedded OS. However Microsoft doesn't code the ATM software. Ford makes Sync, and the computer on board is running a version of Embedded Windows.
I wish aftermarket Stereo manufacturers like Kenwood, Alpine or Pioneer would start using google maps and navigation.
The bundled GPS apps are so outdated and all the cool Google features aren't available.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=5859307&id=654348832
Not so top-notch sometimes. :)
she's going awfully fast to have that Zoloft stare into outer space
Since this only applies to 2010 and newer model year cars with SYNC it's just another slap in the face to people who have been driving SYNC equipped cars for years. I'll never but SYNC in a car again. Every single model year Ford has changed the SYNC hardware and made all new features dependent on the very latest version. I don't like products that are not supported by the manufacturer and SYNC is the worst of the worst.
Ford is the Samsung of automakers. Every time Samsung launches a new phone, they stop supporting their existing phones. Every time a new model year comes around, a new version of SYNC comes with it and older cars are forgotten.
Can it just send an address (nice enough) or the entire route?
Because frankly the route is the much bigger banana.
It is a pain in the butt to change a route around particular roadways on tiny touchscreens but oh-so easy on google's map interface with a mouse.
Sending the whole route is what I want.