Available Vehicles
SYNC is available on the following vehicles
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• Ford – Focus, Fusion, Edge, Taurus, Taurus X, Explorer, Sport Trac
• Lincoln/Mercury – MKX, MKZ, Sable, Milan, Mountaineer
What is SYNC
Ford Sync™, the in-vehicle voice-activated technology and entertainment system developed in partnership with Microsoft, is this year's "People's Voice" award winner at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Sync allows consumers to bring nearly any mobile phone or digital media player into their vehicles and operate them by voice command, or by using the steering wheel or radio controls.
STOP BY AN DONLEY DEALERSHIP TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SYNC
AWARDS AND MAJOR RECOGNITIONS TO DATE
Detroit Free Press – “Best Gizmo at the 2007 North America International Auto Show”
CNET – People’s Voice Award, January 2007
Popular Mechanics – Editor’s Choice Award at CES 2007, January 2007
Telematics Detroit 2007 – Best Audio or Audio-Visual Entertainment Product, May 2007
PC Magazine – Digital Life “Best of Show”, Automotive Category, September 2007
Popular Mechanics – Breakthrough Award, November 2007 issue.
Maxim – Best Listener Award, November 2007 issue
Forbes – “The Gadgets We Love”, November 12, 2007 issue
Popular Science – “Best of What’s New” Award for 2007, December 2007 issue
Popular Mechanics – Automotive Excellence Award 2008 in the category: “Technical Innovation,” November 2007
SAMPLING OF MEDIA COVERAGE TO DATE
Popular Mechanics magazine / October 2007 issue / by Chuck Tannert / “Detroit's New In-Car Tech: Comparison Test.”
"The system is as flexible as a Romanian gymnast. Since its functionality is software based, adding capability simply entails downloading a file. Voice command is another sweet spot—the best we’ve tried."
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Wall Street Journal / posted November 8, 2007 / by Walter Mossberg / “Ford, Microsoft Create Car System That Lets You Ask for a Song”
Now, Ford Motor, working with Microsoft, has come up with a system that’s a big step forward in integrating cellphones and portable music players into cars. It’s highly versatile and works with numerous devices on a wide range of Ford models.
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Chicago Sun Times / posted October 4, 2007 / by Al Vinikour, Special to the Pioneer Press / “Ford Improves its Focus”
"This industry-first technology developed in a joint venture with Microsoft offers incredible levels of connection, control, simplicity and personalization for electronic devices inside a car. It's a cutting-edge way to use cell phones and media players inside the vehicle."
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Gizmodo.com / posted August 30, 2007 / by Brian Lam
"...Jalopnik got a tour of the voice command system's final release and it's pretty damn cool. Apparently, it can play MP3s off a thumbdrive, and search for artists by voice command. Nuts! And you can receive and send preset text messages by voice over Bluetooth to your cellphone. Wow. Microsoft and Ford, making decent systems together. Those Apple/VW rumors have a lot to live up to."
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LA Times / September 22, 2007 Martin Zimmerman / “Ford moving to get in SYNC”
"Digital music, Bluetooth-enabled cellphone, text messages you can hear -- all in one integrated package. The latest pricey gadget from Apple? Nope, it's the latest car from Ford Motor Co. The automaker, in partnership with Microsoft Corp., is rolling out what it hopes will be a game changer in the world of mobile connectivity."
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Hartford Courant / October 3, 2007 / by Jim Macpherson / “When You're In Focus, You're In SYNC”
"Sync allows an unprecedented level of communication among the car, the driver and his or her Bluetooth-formatted cell phone, iPod or other MP3 media source. The system is so good and its operation so intuitive (reducing basic training to about five minutes), that it can even cut through accents or sloppy speech. Simply take advantage of the Bluetooth technology and USB communications link at the base of the instrument panel's center stack, and the system is ready to go."
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The Auto Channel / posted October 8, 2007 / by Thom Cannell / “2008 Ford Focus Sync Review”
If you have patiently waited for the techno-news about Ford’s Sync, the technology it developed with Microsoft and based on Windows CE. I have to say, Sync is stunningly useful technology for anyone who spends more than five minutes a day driving and I can’t wait for it to be available in the aftermarket for our current family cars. Today you’ll have to buy a 2008 Ford Focus, but in a few months there will be eleven other Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models featuring Sync.
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