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Sync adds turn-by-turn, traffic reports for some 2010 Fords
Ghost riding a wave of success with the in-car Sync, Ford has unveiled expansions to its Microsoft-fueled communications system. The biggest addition here is turn-by-turn directions and traffic reports (sound familiar?), but it'll also offer news, weather, and sports. The updates will first appear in some 2010 Ford models later this year and will be assimilated into all Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models by 2011. Services will be free for three years, but no word on the cost after that. Peep the full press release after the break.
We spy Ford's future Sync plans, nab a Sirius Travel Link hands-on
Ford invited us to its swanky Premier Auto Group headquarters in Irvine, California to talk about the future of Sync and demo the latest iteration of their infotainment platform coupled with Sirius Travel Link. According to the company, Sync v2.0 debuts in November, bringing tighter integration with Ford's syncmyride.com portal, providing owners with in-depth online vehicle health reports. Also in the cards is E911 support, which automatically places an emergency call as soon as the vehicle detects airbag deployment. Sync 3, scheduled to debut "sometime in 2009," will bring traffic, news, sports and weather to Ford vehicles without requiring navigation or a monthly subscription. On the infotainment front, however, 2009 Ford vehicles with the navigation option can subscribe to Sirius Travel Link for $7 a month, enabling real-time traffic info, coast to coast weather, local gas station listings sorted by price, movie show-times and sports scores. Peep the gallery below for a smorgasbord of screens.%Gallery-30685%
2010 Ford Fusion features 8.5-inch touchscreen
We already saw a demo of the next-gen version of Ford Sync, but it looks like what we saw was just a taste -- our friends over at Autoblog scored some shots of the 2010 Ford Fusion's interior, and it features a monster 8.5-inch touchscreen, which will also apparently make it into the 2009 F-150 pickup truck. It's not clear how much the system will control or how much it'll cost, but you can bet it's not nearly as sweet as the 1979 Atari Riviera. Hit the read link for a couple full size shots.
Microsoft to bring Sync to other carmakers as Microsoft Auto in November
Our experiences with Microsoft's Sync in Ford cars has been mostly a comedy of voice-recognition errors (we'll never forget our rental at CES blasting NWA in response to "Play artist: David Bowie"), but it looks like other automakers will be able to join in the confusing fun in November, when Microsoft's exclusive contract with Ford runs out. Hyundai and Kia are the first to sign up for what's now being branded Microsoft Auto, and while it's not exactly clear what their versions of the system will look like, you can expect the same basic features as Sync, as well as some new capabilities like navigation and emergency-response services. Microsoft also says that Auto will be available for "general release to the automotive community," which could lead to the inclusion of the OS on aftermarket gear as well. Let's just hope they tune the system to figure out the difference between Ziggy Stardust and Eazy-E, eh?
Free, fresh and fun Ford Sync downloads
These were released earlier last week, but we just came across them on the XBLM and they're so darn nifty that we figured we'd share. Available as free downloads to our U.S. Live friends are a set of two Ford Sync Youth picture packs and a Ford Sync Youth theme. Normally, we don't get excited for Ford Sync content which has already produced green, orange and pink Marketplace downloads, but these gamer pictures are teh awesome. If you enjoy what you see above, give the gamer pics a download and enjoy a ten-fold increase in your gamercard's overall appeal.
Keyspan intros iPod Sync Cable for Ford Sync media system
Ford's Sync infotainment platform may not be helping/distracting all that many drivers just yet, but Keyspan isn't ignoring those early adopters out there, with it now introducing what may well be the first accessory for the platform. That distinction, as you might expect, goes to the company's new iPod Sync cable, which'll work with everything from the first generation iPod mini to the recently-released iPod touch. In addition to displaying iPod content on the Sync's screen, the cable will also let you control the iPod from the Sync media system, and it'll even charge the iPod while it's connected (although only when the vehicle is running). You will have to fork over a somewhat hefty $50 for that convenience, however, which Keyspan will gladly take from you right now.
Hands-on with the Ford Sync infotainment platform
With Microsoft having injected itself into almost all aspects of our daily lives -- from work to play to communication -- it only makes sense that the software giant would try to own those rare stretches of time when we're not using a Windows product or playing on our Xbox. The most obvious contender for the firm's next conquest are those automobiles we tend to spend so much time in, and so Microsoft decided to team up with Ford last year to develop a standardized in-car infotainment platform called Sync. As with most of the company's products, there's not a ton of innovation here -- except for maybe the Zune compatibility -- but what it will probably succeed in doing is bringing higher-end features like navigation and Bluetooth calling to a more mainstream audience. We got to spend a little time with a (non-moving) Sync-equipped Ford Edge at last night's DigitalLife kick-off event, and what surprised us most was not the functionality, but rather the complete lack of Microsoft-branding on any of the screens. No Start menu, no Windows logo, no Clippy -- no nothing. Not that we're complaining: we just would have liked to be at that meeting where Detroit reminded Redmond whose name was on the vehicle. Check out the gallery below for some more pics, and then head over to Autoblog for even more in-depth Sync action along with a video walkthrough.... %Gallery-7818%
