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Ford's AppLink to support iPhone voice control of apps
My, how far we have come since Ford offered a "standard" iPod jack in its 2008 Ford Escape. Starting this month (and next depending on the model), SYNC-equipped Ford Fiesta owners with iPhone, Android or BlackBerry smartphones will be able to use free software from Ford called AppLink, which gives SYNC users voice control over several apps on their phones. Available for download over at owner site www.syncmyride.com, the first apps compatible with AppLink are Pandora (internet radio), Stitcher (news radio) and OpenBeak (for listening to Twitter posts). While AppLink was initially only supposed to be for Android and BlackBerry phones, Ford decided to add the iPhone to its list of supported devices. By using Bluetooth streaming with Android and BlackBerry devices and a USB port for the iPhone, users just press the VOICE button on their steering wheel to enable voice command control of their apps. Currently only for SYNC-equipped Ford Fiestas, Ford says that additional vehicles and controllable apps are coming in 2011. Just 12 months ago Ford started offering iTunes tagging in their cars with HD Radios, giving users the ability to tag songs for later purchase in iTunes. While that's a neat idea and something I am sure we will see more of in the future, it's really encouraging to see more work being done on the voice control front in the automobile world. With more and more people taking advantage of their smartphones while driving, and with Apple looking to hire more voice recognition specialists, anything that can make the roads a little safer to drive on is all right by me.
Ford to offer iTunes tagging in their cars
Just as 2009 was ending, Ford announced that they'll be offering a new option in their cars for 2010: the ability to "tag" any songs you happen to hear on the radio for later purchase in iTunes. It'll be an option, so it won't come standard in the new Taurus you buy, but if you opt for the HD Radio, the stereo will have a "tag" button that will capture the information of whatever you're hearing, sync it to your connected iPod and then bring it up for purchase in iTunes the next time you're at your computer. It sounds like a win-win for everybody: Ford gets to sell HD Radios, radio stations get more listener involvement, and Apple and the music companies get your sales (presuming you complete the purchase). It'd be nice to have the song automatically sent to iTunes (or even transmitted via Bluetooth to your iPhone -- maybe even via an official app -- next time it happens to be near the car), but one step at a time, I guess. Don't forget that you don't even need this option to mark any music you happen to hear: if you have an iPhone, you can use Shazam's iPhone app to listen in, tell you whatever the song is, and save it for purchase later if you want. It's a free download in iTunes, lots cheaper than a brand new car.
