Ford Sync version 3 at Detroit Telematics 2009

optikalefx · 06-18-2009, 12:43 PM

mp3Car's Rob Wray interviews Mark Schunder about Ford Sync Version 3

In this video we take a ride with one of Ford's engineers to give you the technical side, and much less the marketing pitch for Ford Sync.

Ford sync version 3 will give you the ability to speak to your vehicle and get services such as turn by turn directions, sports and weather.

2k1Toaster · 06-18-2009, 01:37 PM

So none of the tech is in the car... It piggy backs your cell phone's voice plan, and just dials some call centre with an automated line. I see nothing new or innovative about this. Voice recognition is nothing new and the car is not even doing it, some server on the other end of the phone is.

Does it at least display the data on the screen? Like when it announced the NHL scores, did the display in the car show the score and teams, or was it just the voice link?

Fiberoptic · 06-18-2009, 04:05 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

So none of the tech is in the car... It piggy backs your cell phone's voice plan, and just dials some call centre with an automated line. I see nothing new or innovative about this. Voice recognition is nothing new and the car is not even doing it, some server on the other end of the phone is.

Does it at least display the data on the screen? Like when it announced the NHL scores, did the display in the car show the score and teams, or was it just the voice link?

I know it isn't news worthy compared to other stuff happening on the forums, but here is why I think i is interesting:

Mp3car users have been doing this in the car for 5 years or more. It is finally reaching mass market. It is great to have one of ford's engineers give us a tour.
It is a great example of cloud type servics deployed in the car.
They are leveraging existing low cost consumer products for a very rich experience
In the past it took car companies a decade to bring stuff like this to markeet. This is a great example of how car companies are speeding up their technical product life cycles to be more in line with consumer product life cycles. It is also in indictor of what I belive is a trend towards a lot of the rich feature processing leaving the car (phone, and cloud of services)

HiJackZX1 · 06-20-2009, 11:17 AM

If that is the Taurus the interior sure is ugly. They try to make it look so futuristc with so many buttons and cheap plastics.

The car companies will take a longggggggggggggggggg time to come even close to us. There isnt even a decent screen, just a cr@ppy LCD on whats supposed to be Fords flag ship Car. I will admit though, its cool that it can connect to all that stuff. $95.00 dollars a year, I dont know about that, Im not that lazy, so I dont mind picking up a keyboard and going to a site and getting the same info. I am curious if Sync 3 had that same garbage for phone, where when in a phone conversation when you talk, you have to hold in the voice button, or did they actually come out with a Echo cancellation system, like Salmizar did for Centrafuse.

Fiberoptic · 06-21-2009, 11:27 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by HiJackZX1

I am curious if Sync 3 had that same garbage for phone, where when in a phone conversation when you talk, you have to hold in the voice button, or did they actually come out with a Echo cancellation system, like Salmizar did for Centrafuse.

I didn't try that part. They really had push to talk for hands free in the past?

HiJackZX1 · 06-21-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Fiberoptic

I didn't try that part. They really had push to talk for hands free in the past?

It was a rumor everyoneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee would tell me. In Ford's defense, all the people that told me could be full of it.

They told me that the Ford Focus Sync was like that. When the person stopped talking, you have to hit a button so they can here you.

BigIg · 06-23-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

So none of the tech is in the car... It piggy backs your cell phone's voice plan, and just dials some call centre with an automated line. I see nothing new or innovative about this. Voice recognition is nothing new and the car is not even doing it, some server on the other end of the phone is.

I agree. There is nothing really impressive about that. Hasn't there been phone services like that before anyway?

2k1Toaster · 06-23-2009, 09:20 PM

All that R&D money spent on early 90's tech... It's no wonder they're dieing.

JohnWPB · 07-03-2009, 02:48 AM

$95 a year? I have been doing this in my car for FREE for a couple of years now

Simply connect your hand free blue tooth, and dial 1-800-555-TELL. That's it! Now you can say sports (Will get the EXACT same thing as in the video) as well as movie's (Get movies playing and show times) weather (Just say a city and state), news and tons of other options.... even driving directions!

When I hop in the car in the morning, I hit the speed dial, say news and hear the latest up to the minute news. The news report is usually like 5 minutes long!

Did I mention.. it is ABSOLUTELY FREE

optikalefx · 07-03-2009, 02:52 AM

BUt does it also give you turn by turn with automatic re routing? And can it display it's info on your console? I think those are the important innovations here not the cell network as a data hub

JohnWPB · 07-03-2009, 04:00 AM

No, of course the automated phone call can't give you turn by turn, but my CarPC does that already, as well as my iPhone now. As far as the cell network data bub, that seemed to be what the entire focus (Bad punn) of the whole video section was. The Ford rep getting hockey scores.

HiJackZX1 · 07-03-2009, 10:11 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by optikalefx

BUt does it also give you turn by turn with automatic re routing? And can it display it's info on your console? I think those are the important innovations here not the cell network as a data hub

Honestly if your driving on the road anyways, why would you even look at the display? Its already speaking to you!

I just dont think that SYNC is any type of big deal. The Car PC is just way ahead. We have plugins that can easily do what the sync does. I am sure someone will create a plugin that tells you scores on the phone and then displays it on the screen. I mean most of use voice control, I am sure that someone will make something that we simply go to a sports site, then tell the PC to read it aloud for us. There are just so many routes the PC can go.

Vchat20 · 10-13-2009, 06:32 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by JohnWPB

No, of course the automated phone call can't give you turn by turn, but my CarPC does that already, as well as my iPhone now. As far as the cell network data bub, that seemed to be what the entire focus (Bad punn) of the whole video section was. The Ford rep getting hockey scores.

Decided to idle-necro here to cover this as someone who has been closely looking at Ford's implementation and ultimately passed on the idea of a custom built CarPC in favor of their OEM implementation.

With the latest 2010 models with 911 assist, vehicle health reporting, and whatnot, the non-navigation vehicles that call out via cell to the automated voice response number DO offer real turn by turn directions. The cars come with built in GPS even without the navigation system. Ford has licensed tech from Airbiquity which basically acts as a modem over the cellphone voice channel so once you have went through the voice prompts and determined a destination it will mute the audio and go into the data transfer mode (capable of 800 baud, good enough for the nav data Sync needs). This is noticeable when the voice switches over to the Sync prompt saying 'Downloading'. Once the data is downloaded it will disconnect the call and then the Sync interface in the car will do the navigation by audio and through the minimalist character display on the radio. So you don't need an expensive nav system, just a bluetooth phone and enough voice minutes.

Those vehicles with Navigation systems of course do the work internally (other data such as sports scores and gas prices are provided via Satellite through Sirius. Known as the Travel Link option.).

There's a few videos on youtube that actually demonstrate this functionality with the turn by turn directions provided via phone.

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