Hasta La Gadget!

We’re still not 100 percent clear what Apple’s next move is, but we do know they’re a little more than nonplussed about Pre’s ad hoc iTunes syncing methods. Despite Cupertino’s update to its support site last night, Palm seems unconcerned, as relayed by a spokesperson to Digital Daily. In a statement, the company said disabling the sync “will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience” and that “there are other third-party applications we could consider.” In other word, it’d be Apple’s loss. We’re not quite sure we agree there, nor would we really think “stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Pre” method is really the best suggestion, but hey, we’re not the multimillion dollar phone manufacturer here. We anxiously await to see if and when this cold war is turned up a few notches.

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm responds to iTunes / Pre statement, defiant and unfazed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford announced that its next-generation SYNC 3.0 application with traffic, directions, and information (TDI) is now available for early-launch 2010 Ford Mustang, Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ, Mercury Milan, and Milan Hybrid vehicles.

TeleNav, the company behind AT&T and Sprint cell phone GPS navigation (and now a standalone unit), is powering the traffic system in Ford TDI. TeleNav PR manager Mary Beth Lowell said in a blog post that the new version of SYNC will offer personalized traffic reports, precise turn-by-turn driving directions, and up-to-date business listings, news, sports and weather information. Traffic conditions will also influence turn-by-turn directions–meaning that owners may hear different routes for the same trip at different times or on different days.

Ford SYNC lets drivers of equipped cars connect their cell phones via
Bluetooth and control their in-car entertainment and navigation system
with voice commands. Current owners of the aforementioned vehicles can visit www.syncmyride.com to download and install the latest application at home at no cost.

If you were around for our 2009 CES coverage you might have caught our ears-on demonstration of the future of Ford and Microsoft’s SYNC technology, which delivered traffic, directions, and weather over a Bluetooth-tethered handset — no monthly fee or even a data plan required. It was said the update would be included in 2010 Fords, which is still true, but owners of older models can also get in on the fun with an update coming early next week (installable via thumb drive). That’s hot, but even hotter is talk of what’s planned for the next update: internet radio, and Pandora is on the short list for hopeful inclusion. Have you streamed in a Ford, lately?

Update: As pointed out by commenter ericr34, it actually sounds like owners of earlier SYNC cars may not be able to get in on all this goodness. Here’s to hoping that Ford enables pre-recession car buyers to experience the upgrade fun.

Filed under: Transportation

The future of Ford’s SYNC starts on May 26, future of US auto industry still uncertain originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 08:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google just announced a new service for pushing Gmail contacts and Google Calendar updates to mobile devices. For iPhone and Windows Mobile devices Google is using Exchange ActiveSync with some limitations due to the beta nature of the service, but it’ll also work on many other devices that support SyncML (a vendor list is here). Google Sync works automatically, and replaces all existing contact and calendar information on the device, so sync-er beware — we wouldn’t let Google get close to our contacts without some serious preflight cleanup and maintenance. Google Apps users can enable the service per domain. There’s an explanatory video after the break.

Update: SyncML doesn’t “officially” support calendar sync, though experimental types can add “calendar” as a remote database. Sounds like a thrill ride! [Thanks, Nikolay]

Continue reading Google Sync debuts for iPhone, Windows Mobile and SyncML devices

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Google Sync debuts for iPhone, Windows Mobile and SyncML devices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

There’s plenty of automotive tech on display at CES this year (amps and kickers for miles, dawg) and, while Microsoft is talking up its enhanced Sync for 2010 autos, Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally took an opportunity to direct our gaze a bit further down the road with an interesting demo of what he imagines the rear-view mirror of the future will look like. Ford calls it Emotic Voice Activation, or EVA, basically an integrated AI that can read you your e-mail, check the news, and even, apparently, detect what kind of tunes you’re in the mood for. At this point we don’t know anything about when or even if this sort of thing will be available in the real world, but, based on the video, we expect EVA to become standard equipment roughly when steering wheels lose their spokes and people actually start pulling over to check their e-mail. Soothing video below.

Continue reading Ford teases the future of Sync, plans to bring disembodied heads to dashboards everywhere

Filed under: CES, Transportation

Ford teases the future of Sync, plans to bring disembodied heads to dashboards everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments