Posted May 16, 2011, by John Day
How does an automaker decide which smartphone apps can access vehicle resources, and how access should be enabled?
“More and more drivers will find a way to use their devices and their apps while in the car,” says Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. “They can do it unsafely, or they can do it through safer voice-activated solutions such as Ford SYNC – keeping their … Read More
Tags:
SYNC,
Robert Bosch Car Multimedia GmbH,
AppLink,
automotive apps clearinghouse,
Airbiquity,
in-car multimedia systems,
Nissan's LEAF Electric Vehicle,
Ford,
Hitachi Automotive Systems
Posted Jul 17, 2010, by John Day
I am decidedly not a big fan of automated voice-based customer support systems, so I will admit to being a mite skeptical about Ford’s focus on voice recognition as its primary user interface. But I understand that the company – like all other automakers – is between a rock and a hard place. Whatever features take a driver’s eyes off the road or hands off the wheel are potentially hazardous – and features, … Read More
Tags:
Nuance,
Sony,
Ford Edge,
Ford Motor Credit,
Bluetooth Message Access Profile,
SYNC,
iTunes Tagging,
Jim Buczkowski,
HD Radio,
iTunes
Posted Mar 12, 2010, by John Day
We form opinions quickly these days and increasingly we gravitate toward those who agree with us and tune out opposing arguments. It happens with political and social issues and it’s happening with Toyota as the company struggles to determine the cause(s) of unintended acceleration. Some have empathy while others delight in the company’s difficulties.
One problem with polarization is that details can … Read More
Tags:
GM,
GPS,
Ford,
Toyota,
Unintended Acceleration,
OnStar,
SYNC
Posted Dec 21, 2009, by John Day
Ford has its eye on millennials – born between 1979 and 1995 – because there are so many of them. It launched its voice-activated SYNC system on the Focus, rather than on a costlier vehicle, and its research indicates that millennials’ Internet on-ramp of choice … Read More
Tags:
Ford,
SYNC,
Apple iPhone
Posted Sep 16, 2009, by John Day
I was leafing through a national magazine recently and noticed a two-page ad for the Ford Taurus. I stopped to read the copy, and was pleased to see radar-based active safety features among the vehicle’s options – right up there with SYNC hands-free communications, a 12-speaker audio system, and several other enticements.
I subsequently learned that Ford offers active safety - adaptive cruise control … Read More
Tags:
Mercury Milan,
Lincoln MKT,
Sony,
Chrysler,
Chrysler Town & Country,
Blind Spot Monitoring,
SYNC,
Lincoln MKS,
Taurus,
Dodge Grand Caravan,
Ford