Ford’s new C-Max minivan will get Sync, MyFord Touch, a hands-free auto-open liftgate, a four-cylinder turbocharged Ecoboost engine, and seven-passenger seating in a swoopy package the same size as the aging Ford Escape SUV. It’s one of 10 vehicles Ford will produce based on the chassis created for the 2011 Ford Focus. The C-Max targets young families looking for something less SUV-like.
Hey, new Ford Fiesta owners: did you realize that your plebeian family hauler is actually one of the most geek-awesome vehicles on the road today? We were just reminded of that today on news that the latest version of Pandora for Android supports Ford Sync’s AppLink technology, a protocol that lets smartphone apps chat with your car’s entertainment system. In short, that means that you’ll be able to control Pandora with your car’s physical buttons, knobs, and doohickeys along with voice controls, hopefully giving you another great reason to keep the phone firmly planted in your pocket (or storage compartment) and your eyes on the road. The update’s available now — and while you’re downloading, you might as well start gathering paperwork for the dealer to run your credit report.
Pandora for Android adds Ford Sync AppLink compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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About time, eh? Wintel users have been enjoying the spoils of WiFi music sync on their BlackBerry handsets for the past few months now, but if you’re still stickin’ with RIM (through the thick and thin), and you just so happen to roll primarily on OS X, there’s a new piece of software that you should consider. BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS has just been let loose, and it’s a pretty substantial update. Aside from supporting WiFi music sync in official fashion, there’s also a new device switch wizard and the ability to import and sync photos and videos with iPhoto and iTunes. She’s waiting for you there in the source link — all 39.713 megabytes. You know what to do.
BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS brings WiFi music sync, broader iPhoto / iTunes support originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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MyFord Touch, the extension of Ford Sync to an 8-inch LCD touchscreen with control of phone, audio, navigation, and climate control, was intended to make life easier and less distracting for drivers and front seat passengers. Now comes a story in industry bible Automotive News that says “some industry safety experts are unconvinced” whether the Ford and Lincoln touchscreens are easier and less distracting.
AirSync, a new feature in doubleTwist, lets you sync your music, movies and photos wirelessly between your computer and your Android phone. It’s like a wireless iTunes, only without the slowdowns, hangs and general frustration of Apple’s “solution”.
DoubleTwist is a media-manager that lets you get content on and off your devices, offering the same seamless iPod experience you get from Apple, only for pretty much any phone, Kindle or even iPods. It comes from DVD Jon, the legendary hacker who cracked DVD encryption all those years ago.
Air sync, currently $1 in the Android Marketplace (doubleTwist itself is free) let’s you beam your photos, movies and music to your phone or tablet over a Wi-Fi network, relegating the cable to mere charging duties. If all your devices use 802.11n connections, then this should be as fast as hooking up to USB. If not, then you might not be cutting the cord quite yet.
AirSync is available now.
Introducing doubleTwist AirSync [doubleTwist]
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Been looking for the perfect thing to boast to your iPhone-owning friends about? Well brace yourself, because doubleTwist has just gone wireless with its latest update, introducing a feature called AirSync which allows Android users to keep their media collection simpatico sans cabling. The new app for PC and Mac boxes couples with its Android counterpart (along with a new AirSync component) and lets you do most of your management without needing a wire between your phone and computer. The desktop application and DoubleTwist player for phones won’t cost you a thing, though AirSync itself is $0.99 on the phone for the first 10,000 buyers, and then jumps to $4.99 a shot.
Setup is relatively painless, requiring just a passcode from your phone which is input on the PC side. From then on, whenever you’ve got the app open and your device in range, the content stored on the phone will appear in your DoubleTwist list just as if you’d plugged the phone in (similar to the Windows Phone 7 / Zune wireless sync). We took AirSync for a ride with our Mac and Droid Incredible, and everything seemed to work fine, though we did notice a few bugs (one that was pretty major) that need worked out. Firstly, you’ll probably want to just start fresh with syncing your collection — we made the mistake of trying to pick up where we’d left off and accidentally wiped the content stored on the phone. We also noticed issues with the application trying to sync or update your database while listening to music; more than once our playback abruptly stopped when the app was attempting to talk to the phone. Syncing can also be pretty slow depending on your connection — really slow if you’ve got a big collection.
Despite those complaints, AirSync (and both the doubleTwist Android app and desktop client) are incredibly slick solutions to a problem plaguing lots of smartphone users. The company obviously has just begun its work with the app — and it’s clear that there are kinks to work out — but the dream of a wireless future for Android users just got a lot closer to reality.
AirSync for doubleTwist brings wireless syncing to Android phones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
We know how patiently you’ve been waiting for this day, but it’s here. It’s really here. Microsoft Windows Embedded Automotive 7 is out, appearing in the download queues of “select car makers and suppliers in the automotive industry.” What does it offer? Why, Silverlight support for fancier UIs, real-time text-to-speech technology, and better expandability for third-party plugins. In bigger news, Microsoft is confirming that it is the brains behind the Nissan Leaf‘s Information Hub, which not only handles infotainment duties but also gives charging status and power consumption figures. Finally, the MyFord system is going global, shipping to Blue Oval vehicles in Europe and Asia in 2011. That’s after 2.5 million Sync-equipped cars have hit the road. Highway domination? Nearly complete.
Continue reading Windows Embedded Automotive hits version 7, powers Nissan Leaf, takes MyFord global
Windows Embedded Automotive hits version 7, powers Nissan Leaf, takes MyFord global originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Even though we kind of saw this coming, it’s still nice to hear. Microsoft has gone and done the (nearly) unthinkable, announcing this evening plans for a Mac compatible sync client for its soon-to-be-launched Windows Phone 7 devices. According to a statement from the company issued late in the day, beginning some time “later in 2010” Mac users will be able to live the dream along with their PC counterparts by downloading a beta OS X application which will allow you to sync “select content” from a Mac of their choosing to a Windows Phone. The company was short on details, but hopefully we can pry more info out of the big M in the coming days. For now, we can all bask in the shocking open-mindedness of this news, and give the folks in Redmond a golf clap for finally acknowledging that yes, some Mac owners may actually want to get in on the Windows Phone party. As for Hell, there haven’t been any reports of recent temperature changes, but we’ll keep you posted as we get more information. For your perusal, the full statement:
Later in 2010 Microsoft will make a public beta available of a tool that allows Windows Phone 7 to sync select content with Mac computers.
Microsoft announces Windows Phone 7 sync software for Macs due this year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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So, you can go and nab Zune 4.7 right this minute. Also, Microsoft is showing off Windows Phone 7 right now behind semi-closed doors (sorry, public). Can we bring these two beautiful stories together? Turns out we can, and we did. Now, if you’ve ever used a Zune before, this isn’t going to be that revelatory of an experience, but there are enough minor tweaks and one major one (the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace) that we thought were worth a quick video walkthrough. Find it after the break. Don’t be a square!
Continue reading Zune 4.7 in cahoots with Windows Phone 7, caught on camera
Zune 4.7 in cahoots with Windows Phone 7, caught on camera originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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With OnStar’s “Responsible Connectivity” announcement Tuesday that it’s enhancing mobile phone links and possibly adding Facebook and text messaging hooks, there’s a tacit admission that the old OnStar model – sell safety for $15 a month, sell safety, navigation, and operator services for $30 – needs updating in the era of cellphone navigation, free crash notification at Ford, and Facebook everywhere including, soon, the car.
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