Ford SYNC AppLink Lets Your Car Control Android And BlackBerry Apps
The Jetsons made us confident that we would one day talk to our vehicles, and while we expected to be flying around in spaceships by this point, talking to cars will work as a concession. Ford has enabled drivers to speak to their automobiles for awhile now through Microsoft's SYNC system, but to this point, all of the chatter was simply controlling the car's internal systems. What if you could speak to your car, and have the car control something else? It's a crazy thought, but it's happening on every 2011 Ford with SYNC.
It will start with the 2011 Fiesta, which will be the first vehicle equipped with SYNC AppLink. This new system allows owners to access and control Android and BlackBerry smartphone apps with voice commands and vehicle controls. You speak to your ride, your ride controls your smartphone. No more fiddling with your phone when trying to get it to interact with your vehicle! The first apps to support AppLink will be Pandora (no surprise), Stitcher (a "smart radio" program as well) and Orangatame's OpenBeak.
Ford will be coaxing others to join their AppLink party with the launch of their "Mobile Application Developer Network" (www.syncmyride.com/developer), giving developers a pathway to partner with Ford on SYNC-enabled applications. Now, if only that auto-pilot feature would come standard, we'd have plenty of reasons to spring for a new automobile.
It will start with the 2011 Fiesta, which will be the first vehicle equipped with SYNC AppLink. This new system allows owners to access and control Android and BlackBerry smartphone apps with voice commands and vehicle controls. You speak to your ride, your ride controls your smartphone. No more fiddling with your phone when trying to get it to interact with your vehicle! The first apps to support AppLink will be Pandora (no surprise), Stitcher (a "smart radio" program as well) and Orangatame's OpenBeak.
Ford will be coaxing others to join their AppLink party with the launch of their "Mobile Application Developer Network" (www.syncmyride.com/developer), giving developers a pathway to partner with Ford on SYNC-enabled applications. Now, if only that auto-pilot feature would come standard, we'd have plenty of reasons to spring for a new automobile.
- Ford will first offer SYNC® AppLink, a downloadable software program, on the 2011 Fiesta, allowing owners to access and control Android™ and BlackBerry® smartphone apps with voice commands and vehicle controls
- Pandora internet radio, Stitcher "smart radio" and Orangatame's OpenBeak are the first SYNC-enabled mobile applications
- Ford to create SYNC developer community with launch of new "Mobile Application Developer Network" (www.syncmyride.com/developer), giving developers a pathway to partner with Ford on SYNC-enabled applications
- Ford's platform approach with SYNC is poised to harness smartphone app development and mobile web access; apps expected to be a $4 billion industry by 2012; analysts predict the mobile device to become the No. 1 source for Internet access by 2015
