Ford says SYNC base is now 4M, will reach 13M by 2015
Filed under: Technology, Ford
Ford SYNC is a success. The connectivity software has found its way into four million cars since its introduction in 2007. With European and Asian buyers getting SYNC for the first time this year, and North American offerings like the Fusion and Flex getting it as standard equipment, Ford expects to add nine million more users by 2015.
The prediction isn't solely based car buyers' increased access to SYNC; even in the U.S. the uptake continues to grow, from 80 percent of buyers in 2010 to 82 percent in 2011. The percentage of those recommending SYNC has remained stable at 80 percent, but that might also rise with more features and apps on the way. You can read all about it in the press release after the jump.
Continue reading Ford says SYNC base is now 4M, will reach 13M by 2015
Ford says SYNC base is now 4M, will reach 13M by 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord extending MAP text support to more models
Filed under: Safety, Technology, Ford, Infotainment
In the sixth major software update to Ford's SYNC system, the automaker is extending Message Access Protocol (MAP) Bluetooth support to select 2011 and 2012 models, giving drivers the ability to have text messages and emails read aloud in their SYNC-equipped vehicles.
MAP Bluetooth support has been available on a number of Ford vehicles since its introduction this year, but the software update (G1 V3.2.2) extends the functionality to supported a number of bluetooth equipped smartphones to allow users to hear SMS, MMS and email messages over the stereo. The update is set to roll out later this month and you can get all the details in the press blast below the fold.
Continue reading Ford extending MAP text support to more models
Ford extending MAP text support to more models originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord making live operators standard with Sync service
Filed under: Technology, Ford
After a successful round of beta testing, Ford is ready to put you in touch with a live operator by way of its Sync Services system. Should you feel the need to speak to an actual person, Ford will put you in touch with an operator who is standing by, as it will henceforth be included as a standard feature in Sync's suite of functions.
Live operators can assist with turn-by-turn direction while also sending any relevant information about your destination to your phone. According to Ford, relaying the live information will help drivers keep their eyes on the road while the person on the other end does the data digging. Customers who are new to Sync will receive 60 complimentary sessions, while current Sync customers will receive a set number of complimentary sessions based on how much time is remaining on their agreement. Full details posted after the jump.
Continue reading Ford making live operators standard with Sync service
Ford making live operators standard with Sync service originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord slashes Sync price by $100, coming to all models in three years
Filed under: Safety, Technology, Ford, Infotainment
With Ford stepping up to become the first automaker to support the Safe Drivers Act of 2011, the Blue Oval is putting its money where its mouth is by dropping the price of its Sync system from $395 to $295.
The updated pricing will extend first to the 2012 Explorer and Edge, and will be available on all trim levels of the Edge, with the SEL, Limited and Sport models coming standard with the system and the SE now available with Sync as an option. The pricing will later extend to the 2013 Escape, Flex, Focus and Taurus.
In addition to the standard infotainment and navigation functions, Ford is touting the hands-free capabilities of Sync as a safety feature, along with 911 Assist and the Sync Services subscription plan which includes turn-by-turn directions, traffic reports and business searches, all of which can be performed without ever taking your eyes off the road.
Ford plans to make Sync and the new pricing strategy available on every North American model by 2014, and expect a host of upgrades and refinements to happen in the process. Hit the jump for the full details.
Continue reading Ford slashes Sync price by $100, coming to all models in three years
Ford slashes Sync price by $100, coming to all models in three years originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsOnNotice? Ford beta-testing live operators through Sync
Filed under: Technology, Ford, Lincoln, Infotainment
Sync Services - Ford's lesser-known on-demand, voice-activated news and information service - has begun running a very OnStar-like beta. The new system allows registered Sync customers to connect with a live operator to fulfill business searches and address entry, but don't think of it as a replacement for the standard cadre of voice-activated features.
Ford has found that 70 percent of all Sync Services calls are for business searches and address input, and in the latter's case, the system is best used if Sync's voice-translation function doesn't input the proper address. All owners have to do to use the service is ask for "Operator" and the Live Operator Assistance feature connects them with a living, breathing human being. Addresses can be sent to the car for turn-by-turn navigation, along with POI searches, and for the time being, it's free for all Sync Services customers. Make the jump for the full details.
Continue reading OnNotice? Ford beta-testing live operators through Sync
OnNotice? Ford beta-testing live operators through Sync originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord talks Sync tweaks, adding airbag seatbelts to more models
Filed under: Etc., Technology, Ford, Lincoln
Ford says that it's in the process of responding to customers who feel that the company's Sync and MyFord Touch systems are cumbersome or difficult to use. According to the Detroit Free Press, the company's internal quality evaluations have discovered a few issues. While speaking to reporters, Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas, said that the automaker is committed to improving the connectivity options in its vehicles, adding that by and large, customers enjoy the features. So far, it's unclear exactly what changes Ford will make to Sync and MyFord Touch/My Lincoln Touch moving forward, but we'd wager that software engineers will focus on further improving the software's voice-recognition system, though many Autoblog staffers hope they also reevaluate MyFord Touch's control scheme.
Fields also made it clear that the Blue Oval plans to expand its Sync AppLink service to the 2012 Fusion, F-Series, Expedition and even the Mustang. Currently, the $395 option is only available on the Fiesta, and it allows buyers to download various smartphone applications straight to their vehicle.
Finally, the Dearborn-based automaker said that we can also expect to see more seatbelts with integrated airbags crop up across is Ford and Lincoln lines. Right now, the safety device is only an option on the 2011 Ford Explorer.
Ford talks Sync tweaks, adding airbag seatbelts to more models originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsDesignated Distraction? SYNC begins offering Fantasy Baseball updates
Filed under: Technology, Ford, Lincoln
The Ford SYNC hands-free tech has proven to be a well-liked commodity over the past several years, in part because the automaker continues to update the feature-packed system. Now the automaker is catering to the estimated seven million fantasy baseball fans with on-demand weekly statistic updates right from the comfort of the driver's seat of a SYNC-equipped Ford or Lincoln.
To access hitting and pitching stats, the driver needs only say "Sports," then "Baseball," then "Fantasy Update" from Services. The system will then read off the leaders in batting average, home runs, RBIs, wins, strikeouts, saves and other relevant categories. Of course, the SYNC system will need a paired Bluetooth-enabled phone with a SYNC Services account, which is free for the first three years of vehicle ownership.
Ford is hoping fantasy baseball owners will use this new feature to get up to speed on the latest fantasy baseball news, but we're a bit torn on this one. As fantasy baseball team owners, we're always up for any news and analysis that will help us win. Typically, though, we want that information in front of us when we set our lineups, and we can't do that sort of thing while driving.
Then again, we're sure many fantasy baseball fans will take whatever info they can get when they can get it. We'll just have to see how the new feature works in person. Hit the jump to read over the Ford press release.
Continue reading Designated Distraction? SYNC begins offering Fantasy Baseball updates
Designated Distraction? SYNC begins offering Fantasy Baseball updates originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsPaging Dr. SYNC: Ford developing in-car monitoring of motorist health [w/video]
Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology, Ford
Ford bringing healthcare to your car - Click above to watch video after the jump
Ford believes that in-car diagnostic information could be expanded beyond the health of your vehicle. In fact, the automaker is researching ways to make sure you stay healthy. Using its Sync technology and in conjunction with medical professionals, Ford is developing monitoring services and applications for drivers who might suffer from chronic illnesses that range from diabetes to allergies.
Bluetooth, cloud services and Ford apps can work together with medical devices and services, keeping you abreast of a multitude of important health-related information. Ford hopes to provide glucose monitoring services, alerts for allergy sufferers and a connection to the WellDoc platform.
Ford is hoping to go even deeper into the realm of health monitoring and information. The automakers believes that it's not far from having the ability to bring the allergy alerts and glucose monitoring systems to production vehicles. Down the road, Ford hopes to offer systems that monitor the driver's heart rate and stress levels. That information would be useful for the automaker to determine how to make driving a less stressful event. Click past the jump to watch a clip that provides a bit more insight into this research.
Continue reading Paging Dr. SYNC: Ford developing in-car monitoring of motorist health [w/video]
Paging Dr. SYNC: Ford developing in-car monitoring of motorist health [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 May 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord’s second-gen SYNC system off to a buggy start *UPDATE
Filed under: Safety, Technology, Ford, Lincoln
In 2010, Ford reinvented its SYNC system with the launch of the refreshed Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX. But the new integrated system - MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch or what's known as "SYNC generation 2" - has been plagued by more than a few bugs. And part of the problem is due to its design.
If one of its various functions trips up - navigation, phone or entertainment, among others - the system can restart. This can leave the driver faced with a blank display and a restart procedure that can take two to three minutes. Double bummer: It usually wipes out your paired phones and indexed music.
After talking with several colleagues who have experienced similar issues (including one where the volume was stuck on max while the A/C continued to blow cold air in 42-degree weather) and experiencing these issues first hand for ourselves, we called up Ford's Head of Technology Communications, Alan Hall, and got on the phone with one of the Blue Oval's engineers to see what's causing the issues and how the automaker is addressing them.
Continue reading Ford's second-gen SYNC system off to a buggy start...
*UPDATE: Official statement from Ford added after the jump.
Continue reading Ford's second-gen SYNC system off to a buggy start *UPDATE
Ford's second-gen SYNC system off to a buggy start *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord’s SYNC now in three million vehicles and counting
Filed under: Technology, Ford
Sync first showed up in 2007, when it was offered as a $395 option in the 2008 Ford Focus. Since then, the Sync system has gone on to find a home in nearly all of Ford and Lincoln's vehicles. The infotainment system has helped raise the average transaction price of Ford vehicle sales, and, after installing the three millionth system, there appear to be no signs of a Sync slowdown.
The customer has spoken and they want Sync. It comes standard on the Lincoln lineup but 80 percent of Ford customers spend the extra dough if Sync is available for their vehicle. As issues with distracted driving continue to rise to the forefront of safety discussions, customers will continue to gobble up products like the Sync system. If a driver is able to stay connected while keeping his or eyes on the road (or at least consumers believe that to be the case), it may not be long until Sync celebrates its 10 millionth unit sold.
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Ford's SYNC now in three million vehicles and counting
Ford's SYNC now in three million vehicles and counting originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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