Well, I couldn’t resist one last rant.
I saw a first-hand demonstration of this technology from Ford at the Nashville Auto Show about three weeks ago. It’s good. Really, really good. So good that Saab should copy it.
- Eggsngrits.
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I know that all of you remember the discussion about our wish list for the new 9-5. Several more astute readers mentioned that the new Saabs needed a USB port for connecting and charging MP3 players, as well as an integrated Bluetooth strategy to complement Saab’s standing as an automotive innovator.
As a techie, I completely whiffed on those ideas. I surprised myself at how little I’d thought about how personal technology can change and enhance the driver experience. I’m a digital guy, a power user even, and these ideas from others opened the door to a new way of thinking about what a car should do.
And then I was really blown away. By a Ford SUV no less.
Ford Motor Company will introduce a very complete, well-thought-through digital connectivity package this fall in twelve of their newer generation vehicles. Called simply Sync, this technology allows for digitial interaction with mobile phones via Bluetooth and digital audio devices via USB or Bluetooth. It will also support USB device charging for long trips. (Just think, Swade — your camera batteries would be fresh!)
The demonstration at the Nashville Auto Show, set up in a Ford Edge SUV, was impressive. The marketing staff on hand demonstrated the use of voice commands, Bluetooth and USB for iPods and mobile phones. The connections were seamless, and the user could easily toggle back-and-forth between external devices and the internal stereo system installed in the Edge. There was even a small caller ID window on the central display and text message audio translation!
Visit the ‘Sync My Ride’ website for a (depressing) flash video demonstration. I hope that Saab engineers are flogging their keyboards hard to make this a reality for Saabs.
As the self-proclaimed local expert on the integration of new media into our beloved sleds, just remember that their system is Microsoft-based… Sometime down the line, I am planning on offering an open-source “upgrade” to the audio system that will look and feel like the stock system, but be so much more. Stay tuned…
CL
If the Ford system is the same Microsoft system as found in Alfa Romeos Swade previously reported on, as Carl’s comment above would allude to, I’d be very worried about the future.
Microsoft has proved time and time again they use one of their technologies to gain an unfair advantage in other technologies. In the post you mention that it works with Apple iPods and Bluetooth right now, but I’m sure Microsoft will design-in something later to make sure that their own Zune digital media player (an iPod challenger) integrates better than anything else.
As you mentioned in an earlier post, Eggs: why can’t GM simply make it easy to slap-in an aftermarket audio system if you don’t like the Delphi one that comes in SAABs? That’s another issue as to why GM’s audio systems suck: they’re bound to buy them from Delphi, hardly an audio leader. If they were able (or willing) to break that constraint we might see some decent electronics in future SAABs. Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen…
Good comments.
As someone that makes his living in the Microsoft arena, I’ll say this: Microsoft does use their market dominance to their advantage. They are even sometimes pig headed about it.
On the other hand, open source has no dominance.
I have yet to hear an argument that clearly puts open source software as superior to Microsoft, Apple, Sun or whomever you choose. In fact, the only inherent advantage that I see with open source software is a general advantage in initial cost.
My point is this: the digital system in anything (automobile, PC, ATM, etc.) must reliably perform and provide as much function as the user requires. If open source does the trick and can be supported (one of the weaknesses of open source), great. If it takes Microsoft, great. Just give me the system that works.
In this case, it seems that Microsoft got there first. And, if they put better hooks in there for Zune, more power to them. Didn’t Apple do the same for the iPod with iTunes and Macs? Yes, they certainly did. Did it create in advantage for the iPod? It certainly did. If Microsoft builds it faster and better, they should be rewarded, just as in any other business.
Some folks would say that the car business is the same way!
Boooo!!!! [tomatoes being thrown]
Where’s Swade?! Ahh!!!
Yeah, dempnstrations on shows are usually impressive. I know, I have also done some in my job.
But it doesn’t mean that it will be so impressive in real life situations.
Even a simple connection of PDA/mobile with a BT headset can be problem sometimes.
And even I’m a gadget-maniac, I’m not sure that the continuous high frequency radio wave radiaton from close distance has no negative biological side effect to the human body.
So, I’m not a big fan of the BT in cars.
My special course in the technical college was the embedded microprocessor systems. Unfortunately, I moved far from my original profession since I graduated but I have a strong feeling based on my 25 years experiences using computers: even the speed and memory are getting higher quickly, the size is getting smaller, the reliability of the computer systems is getting worse.
More complexity also means more possibility of problems and less chance for the deep testing and troubleshooting.
Nowdays the lifetime of digital systems is very short. The developers are under the pressure of the marketing and business leaders. Each new products are more a beta-version than a well made device. After entered to the market there comes many bugs, problems, errors and they need patches, firmware updates, etc. Within a few year it could become a decent product, but the new series come and the previous is not any more supported…
I hate this marketing-generated unnatural and wastful way of the production.
I don’t think that a car should be converted to a moving media and communication center…
I was looking through a magazine this weekend and came across a print ad for the 2008 Dodge Avenger. The ad shows a Firewire and USB port Photoshopped onto the bumper of the car. It advertises the optional “MyGig” system in the new Avenger.
http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/avenger.html
This car is a mid-size sedan and is the replacement for the fleet car my company issued me, the Dodge Stratus. It’s pretty inexpensive but incorporates some features I’ve stated before I’d like to see make their way to our “premium” SAABs in the future.
The MyGig system allows one to connect their MP3 player via USB.
The car also has heated and chilled cupholders and even has a separate drink refrigerator (not combined with the glovebox, as in the SAAB).
http://www.allpar.com/images/dodge/avenger/2008/cars.jpg
So what I’m trying to point out is if this technology is inexpensive enough to incorporate in a car which starts at less than USD20K, surely it can make its way into USD40K future SAABs.