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Raw Bytes Computer News KPBX FM 91.1 Radio National Public Radio Network Frank Delaney Producer Broadcast on Wednesday Morning 7:35 AM During Morning Edition Support Public Radio ! The Theater Of the Mind |
In computer news this week
04/28/2010 Now even my car is computerized
... Ford/Microsoft Synch Technology My first
car was a 1930 Model A Ford, pearlescent pink, with a hotrod engine and a
stick shift on the floor. I did all my own tune up
work; changed the oil and the plugs and the points, and I knew most
everything about my car. Frank Delaney age 17 with 1930 Model A Ford, Seattle, WA
I just
bought a new car, a 2010 Ford Focus, and one look under the hood convinced me
I’ll leave all that to the new generation of automotive repair
specialists; they’re not even called mechanics anymore. I bought
this car with retirement in mind, so it has lots of safety features for the
grandkids and lots of convenience features for the grandparents. But what I
wasn’t aware of was the degree of computerization Ford has achieved in
their new cars. You see,
I talk to my car, and it talks back to me ............using Sync car voice control technology Microsoft developed Sync,
working closely with Ford. Sync lets you control a car’s electronics
with your voice. One of the key areas
where Sync pays off, and where Ford is investing more research, is in
minimizing driver distraction.
When I get in my car, Synch takes over control of my cell phone,
allowing me to make and receive hands free calls by pressing a button on my
steering wheel. If I want to call someone, I press the steering wheel button
and say “Call Joe”, and Synch calls Joe for me. I
can also tell it to dial a specific number, like 328-5729 during a pledge
drive. With Sync, you can select
a song on an iPod in 4.9 seconds and your eyes never leave the road. Changing
a song on a handheld device can take 30.3 seconds and the driver’s eyes
leave the road multiple times. Sirius satellite radio is
also included in my car’s package. It also has an Ipod and a USB port,
so I can plug in a usb drive with music. In the event of an accident, it will
automatically call 911. Another feature of Sync I
really like is the GPS and driving directions. I can verbally tell it the address I
want to go to, and it will give me turn-by-turn instructions on how to get
there. If I want to find a particular type of business, it will do a business
search and direct me how to get there. I can get traffic
information reports and find out how to avoid the problem spots. And at any
time I can request a vehicle health report and it will download a complete
inspection report of my car, including exactly how many miles I’ve
driven and when my next service is required. Alan Mulally, Ford chief
executive said in his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show that
the Sync technology has been critical in the sale of Ford vehicles. In
surveys, 32 percent of buyers said that Sync was important or critical in
their decisions to buy a Ford vehicle. Ford hit its target of selling a
million vehicles with Sync last May. So in past years
sometimes I yelled at my car when it didn’t run right, but now we just
have pleasant conversations ,,, |
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For Raw Bytes This is Frank Delaney (C) 2009 MTA Micro
Technology Associates http://www.mtamicro.com/kpbx.html PO Box 31522 Spokane, Wa 99223-1522 (509)624-7230 |
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