Are you driving around in a car swirling with extra wires and gadget-filled cup-holders? There will be a solution soon! I asked Jody Victor to fill us in on Ford's new Microsoft-developed Sync system.
Jody Victor: Ford's new factory-installed Sync in-vehicle entertainment and communication system developed in conjunction with Microsoft, promises to free your car's cockpit from a tangle of wires and help keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
The Sync provides a means to operate almost any Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and portable music player seamlessly and safely. Sync will read messages aloud and also translate emoticons, such as "LOL" and "XOXO," as well as allow the driver to reply to a text message with preprogrammed responses such as "Meeting Cancelled" or "Can't Talk Right Now."
All of this can be done by voice-activation and steering wheel controls, or by controls in the dash when appropriate. Sync operates in English, French or Spanish, and Ford claims it doesn't need to "learn" special commands or individual voices, as is the case with some voice-activated systems.
The new technology is being offered on entry-level cars such as the Focus, instead of waiting to trickle down from the luxury segment, because the people buying entry-level cars are generally more technology savvy than the luxury car buyer.
Look for the Sync in about a dozen Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles this fall, including Edge, Explorer, Ford Five Hundred (soon to be Taurus), Focus, Freestyle (soon to be Taurus X), Fusion, Milan, MKX, MKZ, Montego, Mountaineer and Explorer Sport Trac.
Thanks, Jody! What a great innovation!