SYNC Stuff - News & Info

[MagicMtnDan]

I'm waiting for the geeks to start hacking into SYNC and giving us more control, options and power!


FORD’S NEW ‘SEND TO SYNC’ SERVICE LETS USERS BEAM DESTINATIONS FROM MAPQUEST TO CAR
Send to SYNC
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• Drivers can download the destination information into the vehicle via their mobile phones
• Send to SYNC launches later this year and will be available for existing 2010 SYNC-equipped Ford vehicles, with no additional hardware or costs required

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2010 – Drivers who enjoy the convenience of Ford SYNC with Traffic, Directions & Information soon will be able to select a destination on MapQuest (owned by AOL Inc.) and send it to their Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicles.

The Send to SYNC feature is a new capability added to the Ford Service Delivery Network, making SYNC’s plug-and-play “cloud computing” architecture accessible through a customer’s mobile phone.

“With the enormous growth in navigation system popularity, we want to make life simpler for our customers,” said Doug VanDagens, Ford director of Connected Services Solutions. “With Send to SYNC, you can search a destination while you’re at work, at the coffee shop or home – wherever you have connectivity. When you get to your car, it already knows where you want to go. That’s the very definition of convenience.”

When users visit MapQuest to get directions, they will have the option to send a selected destination to SYNC via a “send to” menu on the site. Once in the vehicle, the driver downloads the destinations the mapping site has sent, and route guidance via the map-based navigation system (where installed) or SYNC’s voice-guided turn-by-turn directions begins.

The SYNC Traffic, Directions & Information application leverages a customer’s existing mobile phone and the vehicle’s integrated GPS receiver to connect customers to real-time turn-by-turn driving directions, traffic reports and business searches. The new Send to SYNC functionality requires no vehicle updates and will be available to all owners who have Traffic, Directions & Information installed on their vehicles.

“Send to SYNC is another key SYNC improvement, answering customer requests and keeping Ford at the forefront of in-vehicle communications,” said VanDagens. “The feature requires nothing additional to function. It eliminates the waste of printed paper directions. Most importantly, the system minimizes distraction because it provides step-by-step voice guidance, letting drivers keep their eyes on the road rather than a stack of directions or a map.”

Source: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=31710

 

[MagicMtnDan]

OPENBEAK, PANDORA AND STITCHER ARE FIRST TO USE FORD SYNC API, BRINGING TWITTER, INTERNET RADIO CONTROL INTO VEHICLES

• Ford SYNC® application programming interface (API) allows SYNC to harness the power of smartphone mobile operating systems to access and control apps in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles
• Orangatame’s OpenBeak (formerly TwitterBerry), Pandora Internet music service and Stitcher “smart radio” apps are the first SYNC-enabled mobile applications to use the new SYNC open API
• SYNC-enabled applications were created by partners in as little as three days using SYNC software development kits, marking a new era where apps can be delivered in weeks, rather than months or years

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2010 – Ford Motor Company today announced Pandora, Stitcher and Orangatame’s OpenBeak (formerly TwitterBerry) are the first partners to enable their apps to be controlled in the car by SYNC using the new application programming interface (API) in the SYNC software development kit.

“SYNC’s open platform approach is unique in the industry and allows us to capitalize on the ever-improving capabilities of mobile devices,” said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford Connected Services Solutions Organization. “Smartphone mobile apps are experiencing explosive growth, and consumers are becoming dependent on them for news, entertainment and information, so we’re excited to be working with some of the most popular apps on the market, OpenBeak, Pandora and Stitcher, to showcase the potential of the SYNC API.”

The SYNC API is being created in conjunction with a related software development kit (SDK) and associated hardware that will include a Ford radio head and related SYNC components configured to operate outside of the vehicle. The entire package is planned for broader rollout later this year and will allow developers to modify existing mobile applications and create all-new apps that can interface with Ford’s popular SYNC voice-activated in-car communications system.

By enabling developers to integrate the SYNC API into their apps, Ford is providing customers with the capability to access the applications they use most while in the car. Leveraging SYNC’s safer voice commands and steering wheel controls, drivers are able to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Using an open API model allows Ford to leverage the mobile device as an operating system and processor, while using SYNC to access the vehicle controls.

“To use OpenBeak, Pandora or Stitcher in the car right now, drivers have to take their eyes off the road and manually control the device,” explained VanDagens. “Recent research shows that activity that draws drivers’ eyes off the road substantially increases the risk of accidents. By allowing drivers to control the app through SYNC’s voice commands and steering wheel buttons, we can hopefully reduce distraction for millions of drivers wanting to enjoy these apps during their commutes.”

Ford is joining millions of customers in embracing the app marketplace. Studies show what was a nonexistent niche just three years ago is expected to blossom into a $4 billion industry by 2012. The App Store, run by Apple, is one of dozens of application marketplaces and already boasts more than 100,000 mobile apps and more than 2 billion downloads.

Similar sites serving other mobile operating systems, such as Android and BlackBerry®, have experienced the same explosive growth. Analysts predict the mobile device will become the No. 1 source for Internet access by 2020, surpassing the home computer. Ford and SYNC will answer the consumer demand by offering the only platform available for drivers to safely manage their mobile applications.

Customers will be able to download SYNC-enabled mobile apps through the same app store interfaces consumers currently use. As SYNC-enabled versions of existing apps are released into the app stores, users will be prompted to download the latest version upon connection. Also, as developers grasp the notion that the vehicle interior has opened to them, a new dimension of apps designed from the outset to maximize the unique in-car environment will follow.

OpenBeak
OpenBeak is a mobile client for posting updates and reading messages on Twitter. It works over the data network, so users don’t need to use Short Message Service from their mobile phones. OpenBeak is the evolution of the original Twitter app for BlackBerry smartphones, TwitterBerry, which was launched in 2007. OpenBeak reflects the app’s expansion beyond its original functionality.

The SYNC application will take the Twitter experience to a whole new level, with safety while interacting in the vehicle as the main goal. Timelines, direct messages and friends can be read out loud. While listening to a particular tweet, the display indicates the user and elapsed time since the tweet was written. Also planned is the capability to retweet a post, be notified when new messages are received or tweets appear in a user’s timeline and, upon startup, present the total number of new tweets. Steering wheel controls will skip to the next tweet or go back to the previous item in the timeline.

Pandora
With more than 40 million users, Pandora is the most popular Internet radio service in the world. Users simply enter a favorite song or artist into Pandora and the app quickly creates personalized radio stations, based on that musical style. The use of Pandora’s thumb up/thumb down feature allows listeners to further curate their stations and enjoy a stream of great music, perfectly suited to their taste – new and old, well known and obscure.

Pandora’s mobile audience, 17 million strong and growing rapidly, is ripe for the SYNC application, which will allow them to further extend their listening into the car. With the SYNC-enabled Pandora app, listeners can use vehicle controls to pause and skip songs, and use voice commands to thumb up or down songs, switch between Pandora stations, or create a new station from a currently playing artist or song.

Stitcher
Focusing on the mobile market, Stitcher allows listeners to create personalized, on-demand Internet radio stations with news, talk and entertainment programming. Within the Stitcher app, users choose the programs they want “stitched” together, and the app then streams that content to the user’s mobile device. Stitcher also will recommend new programs that come online if they match with the types of programs the user already has chosen.

Since its release in 2008, Stitcher has received numerous awards including a People’s Choice Webby award for mobile news, a Best of ’09 award from San Francisco magazine and a PC Mag Top 10 App of 2009.

Additional apps to come
Working with new partners, Ford is completing beta-testing on the SDK. Once the kits are out of the beta-testing stage, a broader release of the development tools is planned for late 2010. Initial reports have been positive, with one of Ford’s development partners creating a SYNC-enabled version of its app just three days after receiving the development tools.

“We’re really encouraged by the rapid development time and positive feedback we’ve seen from our first partners,” said VanDagens. “Getting app functionality inside the vehicle, controllable through vehicle interfaces, will be huge for customer convenience and for helping drivers complete their tasks while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

Source: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=31712

 

[MagicMtnDan]

The Ford SYNC "App" EcoSystem

Brought In
Leveraging the SYNC API, mobile apps stored on a user’s
smartphone will soon be enabled for control by SYNC,
thus creating a new category of “Brought In” apps. Ford is
joining millions of its customers in embracing the mobile
app marketplace with three SYNC-enabled apps under
development: Pandora, Stitcher and OpenBeak. Studies
show what was a nonexistent niche just three years
ago is expected to blossom into a $4 billion industry by
2012. Analysts are predicting that the mobile device will
become the number one source for Internet access by
2020, surpassing the home computer. Ford and SYNC
will answer the consumer demand by offering the only
platform available for drivers to safely access their mobile
applications while in the car.

Beamed In
In early 2009, Ford created the
Service Delivery Network (SDN),
a plug-and-play architecture
connecting six data centers for realtime
information and leveraging a
customer’s Bluetooth-paired mobile
phone for data-over-voice exchanges,
thus adding “Beamed In” apps to
the SYNC ecosystem. Ford SYNC
customers with the Traffic, Directions
& Information (TDI) app can now
access real-time turn-by-turn driving
directions, traffic, business searches,
and favorite news, sports and weather
without the need for a full on-board
navigation system. In the future, new
services can simply be “plugged”
into the SDN, instantly adding new
features and capabilities for SYNC
owners.

Built In
Vehicle Health Report and 911 Assist are examples of
“Built In” Ford-developed SYNC apps, installed on the
system when the vehicle is manufactured or available
to previous model year owners through a visit to a local
dealer for software download and engine calibration.
The SYNC USB port allows for easy-to-install
software upgrades and updates through download at
www.syncmyride.com and installation by the owner.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Ford Mini Sites here: http://media.ford.com/mini_sites/10031/MyFord/

Includes SYNC stuff and more

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Ford's My Touch System Bring WiFi and Apps to Cars

Ford's My Touch System Bring WiFi and Apps to Cars

Ford Unveils the latest iteration of their in-car telematics SYNC system with much-improved voice commands, three LCD screen and, yes, WiFi.

Automotive companies keep shoving more high-tech monitoring devices and software into our vehicles with navigation systems, real-time fuel economy gauges, mp3 players, cell phone connectivity, satellite radio and ever more service and safety reminders making their way into all vehicles, not just your high-end sedans. With in-car WiFi just around the corner—and the ensuing apps and upgraded software capabilities—the problem then revolves around how the driver can control everything safely and simply.

At CES 2010, Ford gave its answer—the MyFord Touch, a compelling new system that uses three screens, enables WiFi, opens cars up to third-party apps and runs on the second generation of Microsoft's SYNC system.

The My Touch consists of two 4.2-inch LCD screens that flank an analog speedometer along with an 8-inch touchscreen that sits at the top of the center stack. To control the system, there are two five-way switches on either side of the steering wheel.

The left display is controlled by the left controller, toggling info on fuel economy, mechanical status and safety features, while the right display is controlled by the right, taking charge of audio settings, climate control, phone communications and navigation menus. All of the right-hand functions also appear in the 8-center stack's 8-inch touchscreen, in reach of any curious passenger. In the 2011 Lincoln MKX, the first vehicle to have the system (it will be standard tech on all Lincolns starting this year), the center stack applications will have a touch controls for audio and fans—doing away with knobs completely.

The second generation of SYNC helps the drive take their eyes of My Touch's three LCD displays and put them back on the road with much-improved voice commands. In the first generation, SYNC's voice commands were clunky, at best. The system had a mere 100 commands programmed making even the most basic act, such as dialing the phone, an awkward task (To start a call, you would need to say "phone," wait for the prompt, and then, "dial so and so.") The upgraded SYNC has around 10,000 commands, giving drivers multiple ways to ask for commands—smoothing out the process with less of a need for an in-depth course from the user manual.

Of course, the third, 8-inch touchscreen isn't just a redundant system—in park, this screen will take advantage of Ford's new WiFi abilities, with an integrated browser that supports tabbed page navigation, a 3-D carousel for bookmark browsing, on-screen and USB-connected keyboards and text-to-voice readers. In-car WiFi is made possible through USB-installed air cards, a USB mobile broadband modem or by tethering wireless in a limited selection of phones (not the iPhone, possibly a Blackberry, Ford tells me).

With the WiFi also comes the ability to install apps—now Pandora, Stitchure and OpenBeak (a twitter client) are available with more to come, promises Ford, which will act as a gatekeeper for apps to make their way into the vehicles. WiFi access will also allow for software upgrades—no more DVD installations for the latest in-car software—and remote-access diagnostics (while you're driving, we would hope) are surely just around the corner. Ford is not planning on wi-fi hardware to be pre-installed just yet; in-car wi-fi is made possible through USB-installed air cards or a USB mobile broadband modem.

Starting with the 2011 Lincoln MXK, all Lincoln models will have My Touch and in the future, all Ford and Mercurys will follow suite with some version of MyFord. Ultimately, Ford hopes to offer My Touch in 80 percent of their fleet within 5 years, bringing high-end telematics to everyone.

By Tyghe Trimble
Published on: January 7, 2010
Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/4341692.html

 

[frogslinger]

nice... I know you could do the mapquest export with onstar, but it was cluncky... hopefully the ford system is better... the other stuff sounds cool.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

SYNC question

I know you can't enter destination info into the NAV's touchscreen when the vehicle is rolling. But I heard it can be done when the vehicle is rolling by voice command.

If this is true (I'll try to remember to verify this later today) then products like LockPick are less interesting.

In regard to LockPick, I understand it allows us to enter destinations and use all the NAV functions while the vehicle is in motion and the rear view camera can be accessed at any time and of course, movies can be watched while the vehicle is in motion.

Is this all correct?

 

[NoCaDiver]

In regard to LockPick, I understand it allows us to enter destinations and use all the NAV functions while the vehicle is in motion and the rear view camera can be accessed at any time and of course, movies can be watched while the vehicle is in motion.

Is this all correct?

To my knowledge everything you stated about LockPick is correct.

In order for your GPS to work with LockPick the GPS antennae cable must stay connected to the factory location and not the LockPick unit.

It is a mod I am still debating on. I would only use it so MY WIFE can watch DVD's when we travel. The NAV input may come in handy every once in a while.

 

[Falcon]

Question about phones

My contract is up on my Cell... I have a "dumb" phone now (No cracks Dan <G>). For those of you that have smart phones, can you give me the pluses and minuses of the different offerings? The wife wants I-phones, and I like them, but as far as SYNC goes is that the best phone?

Any help you can offer will be appreciated!

Falcon

 

[MagicMtnDan]

My contract is up on my Cell... I have a "dumb" phone now (No cracks Dan <G>). For those of you that have smart phones, can you give me the pluses and minuses of the different offerings? The wife wants I-phones, and I like them, but as far as SYNC goes is that the best phone?

Any help you can offer will be appreciated!

Falcon

We can help with the phone info but not with your wife

If you go with your wife's phone she'll be happy.

If you go with another phone she won't let you be happy.

So you have two choices: make her happy or make her happy.