Ford President and CEO Alan Mullaly, one of the keynote speakers during 2010 CES (and somewhat perplexingly, wildly popular with the CES crowd), today introduced a team from Sync for the launch of Sync mobile apps. OpenBeak (formerly TwitterBerry), Pandora Internet music service, and Stitcher "smart radio" are the first SYNC-enabled mobile applications to use the new SYNC open platform application programming interface (API).
Many of the commands that are used during operation of these apps can be controlled by well-mapped vehicle controls or Sync voice commands. For example, when listening to Pandora, click on the "Thumbs Up" icon on your phone to indicate you like a song. But using Sync, say it instead and you'll get a confirmation of the vehicle's screen (bottom pic.) This is quite a bit safer than pressing those tiny phone buttons while driving.
Yes, this is yet another mobile app post, but that's the big story for 2010 CES in-vehicle technology.
Ford's research has shown that there are 17M Pandora users alone, with 55% of those listening in the car.
In addition to the recent posts on Continental and OnStar mobile apps, Pioneer and Alpine announced today their own Pandora apps.
The motherlode of in-vehicle mobile apps is of course, Facebook, so expect to see that on Sync and other platforms in the near future.
Albert Austria, Senior Engineer, Edmunds, Inc.
dougtheeng says:
06:12 AM, 01/ 8/10
someone's got a droid? how is it?
jederino says:
04:10 PM, 01/ 8/10
I would really like the Pandora app, and probably the only reason I'd get an expensive phone. How's the sound quality?