Hasta La Gadget!

A couple days ago here at CES 2013, Ford held their presser and announced a few new things, specifically concerning the company’s Developer Program for its in-car Sync AppLink API. Ford announced open and free availability of the SDK to any mobile app developer. We ended up stopping by the company’s booth to find out more, and got some quality hands-on time with the platform.

First off, Ford ended up opening its Sync AppLink Developer Program to all developers for free, whereas in the past, the company kept it closed to only a handful of mobile app developers. The SDK and APIs will allow app devs to add voice-control features to their apps to work exclusively with Ford vehicles. The company has already worked with the likes of iHeartRadio, MOG, MLB, Pandora, and more, but they’re not bringing more apps into the mix, including USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Rhapsody, and Amazon Cloud Player.

Ford Sync works by connecting your iOS or Android smartphone to your vehicles entertainment system. From there you can control your smartphone with your voice, as well as apps that come loaded with the technology. There’s nothing special that users need to do to get the Sync technology on a compatible app — the update will come as usual through the iTunes App Store or Google Play.

It’s pretty self-explanatory at this point, and thanks to Ford’s announcement of bringing the technology to anyone, we should be seeing a lot more mobile apps that will come with Ford Sync support built-in, making it even more tempting to go ahead and get that new Ford Fusion. Currently, iPhones have to be connected through USB in order to sync it with the vehicle’s entertainment system, while Android devices can utilize Bluetooth.

Ford Developer Program now open to all, we go hands-on with new apps on Sync is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

[CES 2013] Here is yet another LCD eWriter that you might want to take a closer look at if you are currently on the lookout for a device that allows you to cut down on the use of paper, and yet is durable enough to withstand the rigors of everyday use, even at the hands of your children! This is where the shatter-proof plastic used to make the Reflex LCD of the Boogie Board comes in handy, and the Boogie Board Sync 9.7 LCD eWriter is said to bring note-taking to a whole new level.

Imagine saving up to hundreds of pages on a single SD memory card, transferring what you have written and doodled over to a computer, tablet, smartphone or other mobile device in the blink of an eye – sans wires, too, thanks to the wonders of Bluetooth connectivity. Sporting a 9.7-inch, pressure-sensitive writing surface that delivers the precision and control of a fine tip pen, the Boogie Board Sync 9.7 eWriter is fully compatible with Windows and Mac OS platforms, not to mention other popular applications/technology suc as Evernote, OCR, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Razer Edge Gaming Tablet Gets Launched, OLPC XO-4 Arriving This March,

While we’ve got all sorts of cool little gadgets to check out here at CES, a number of car manufacturers are also showing off whats new with their vehicles. One of these car manufacturers is Ford, which today announced that Rhapsody will soon be available in Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC AppLink. This is the first time Rhapsody has been fully integrated with vehicles, so this is certainly pretty big for the popular music streaming service.

SYNC AppLink has a number of benefits for the Rhapsody user who wants to use the streaming service in the car. While it was definitely possible to use Rhapsody in your car before this integration with Ford and Lincoln vehicles, AppLink will let you sync the app to your car, thus allowing you to control the app using the SYNC touch controls or the radio buttons on your steering wheel. This, in turns, lets you keep your eyes on the road, which means that you get the best of both worlds – you get to listen to Rhapsody while at the same time keeping the chances of a potentially nasty crash low.

Setup seems pretty easy too, with Rhapsody’s mobile app connecting to AppLink via Bluetooth as soon as its started up. This partnership will probably be a big win for Rhapsody, as the company recently polled its users to find out what they did for entertainment while driving in the car. 40% of them said they stream Rhapsody while only 13% listen to the radio, so if Rhapsody can make the streaming process easier for Ford and Lincoln owners, we might see that number rise.

In addition, Rhapsody has found that the number of users accessing the service through mobile devices is growing year after year, so this new team up with Ford could help that percentage grow as well. Given the fact that SYNC AppLink is available on 1 million different for vehicles (including the 2013 Fiesta, Mustang, Expedition, and F-150, among others), there should be a fair number of Ford users who can take advantage of this new functionality. Be sure to check out our CES portal for more from the show here in Las Vegas!

Rhapsody comes to Ford and Lincoln vehicles through SYNC AppLink is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’ve been shopping around for a new car, it’s understandable that the Ford Fiesta might not be at the top of the list. However, today Microsoft and Ford are giving us a reason to take a second look at the 2014 Fiesta, announcing that it will come equipped with MyFord Touch. This isn’t exactly the same MyFord Touch we’ve seen in other vehicles, as it will make use of a new 6.5-inch touchscreen.

That’s exciting enough, but Microsoft and Ford have also made a few improvements to SYNC. This includes “more natural” voice recognition, which means that you’ll no longer have to say things like “Radio” or specify the genre when you tell the system to play music. Instead, you’ll be able to simply say the frequency or Sirius name of the station your after, which is a pretty handy tool to have on board.

Add streamlined Bluetooth connectivity and improved navigation controls that make it easier to enter the address of your destination, and you’ve got a new version of MyFord Touch that’s worth getting excited about. Of course, we’re sure that new 6.5-inch screen will make on-screen navigation easier in general, so that’s something to consider too if you’ve been thinking about getting a connected car.

Sadly, this new technology is a little while off, as it will be making its debut in the 2014 Ford Fiesta, which won’t be arriving until next year. The good news is that the Ford Fiesta is a pretty affordable car all things considered, so you shouldn’t have to break the bank just to get a car that has a pretty cool feature in MyFord Touch. We’ll undoubtedly be hearing more about this as the 2014 Ford Fiesta gets closer to release, so keep it here at SlashGear for additional details.

2014 Ford Fiesta to come equipped with MyFord Touch is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

They grow up so fast, don’t they? It was almost six years ago that we saw Ford SYNC step into the world, and the automaker has just handed the keys to the owner of the 5-millionth SYNC-capable vehicle. While we haven’t been told what model had the distinction, the milestone represents another million SYNC cars, SUVs and trucks than we saw in May last year. The most striking aspect between then and now may just be the shift in focus (pun entirely intended) — where we started off just happy to hook up our Zunes in a world of CD changers, we’re only content today if we can control seemingly every mobile app known to humanity through a touchscreen. Ford might not want to look too fondly at its rear-view mirror, however, lest an abundance of technology-laden competition close in too quickly.

Continue reading Ford sells its 5-millionth vehicle with SYNC: that’s a lot of media-savvy cars

Filed under: Transportation, Microsoft

Ford sells its 5-millionth vehicle with SYNC: that’s a lot of media-savvy cars originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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