Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:31 pm
In my Ford is this technology called "Microsoft Sync" that allows me to use my Bluetooth-capable phone over the car's speakers. I can use it to talk on the phone hands-free (microphone is in the steering wheel), access my phone book in the radio console, even supposedly do texting (though I haven't tried that yet).
But the thing I enjoy the most is that I can play the mp3's I have on my Blackberry over the car's audio system, wirelessly. I can use the radio's buttons to control it, skipping to the next song, etc. When I get an incoming call, the music cuts out and the phone audio takes over for the duration of the call. And everything is voice activated, no buttons to hunt for while driving. I can say "Call-Wife-Cell" and it will do so. If I just say "Call-Wife" it will ask me if I want her work or cell number. I can tell it to shuffle the music, skip to the next track if I am too lazy to push the skip button on the radio console, etc. It takes about 8 hours of playing music to drain the battery of my phone. Not an issue if I have it plugged into to a charger/laptop. On long trips I typically have my laptop on for GPS, so it works out well.
So it's a neat technology. When I first bought this thing I wondered why it didn't have an "auxiliary input" jack on the radio, for iPods and such. It's a 2008 vehicle. Now I know why... the thing is blutoothed.
I don't know if this is Ford-only. I wouldn't think so, but I don't know.
But the thing I enjoy the most is that I can play the mp3's I have on my Blackberry over the car's audio system, wirelessly. I can use the radio's buttons to control it, skipping to the next song, etc. When I get an incoming call, the music cuts out and the phone audio takes over for the duration of the call. And everything is voice activated, no buttons to hunt for while driving. I can say "Call-Wife-Cell" and it will do so. If I just say "Call-Wife" it will ask me if I want her work or cell number. I can tell it to shuffle the music, skip to the next track if I am too lazy to push the skip button on the radio console, etc. It takes about 8 hours of playing music to drain the battery of my phone. Not an issue if I have it plugged into to a charger/laptop. On long trips I typically have my laptop on for GPS, so it works out well.
So it's a neat technology. When I first bought this thing I wondered why it didn't have an "auxiliary input" jack on the radio, for iPods and such. It's a 2008 vehicle. Now I know why... the thing is blutoothed.
I don't know if this is Ford-only. I wouldn't think so, but I don't know.