Ford Sync|sync

When it was first introduced in 2007, there was nothing like the original Ford Sync system, since it allowed car owners to connect and use a portable device better than anything that came before it. It took competitors awhile to catch up. But now Ford is the one playing catchup.

Here's what we appreciate, and the things that need rethinking.

When work calls, you'll have no excuses.

This is the same open-source system being adopted by Toyota and other automakers.

This means apps like Spotify and AccuWeather will be easier to integrate than ever before.

Current Ford CEO Mark Fields allegedly cracked his Edge's infotainment screen in frustration after yet another MyFord Touch error.

The all-new infotainment system is a huge step forward over the previous and much-unloved MyFordTouch. This update includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Ford announced a partnership with one of the country's leading technology companies Tuesday at CES. It just wasn't the one everybody expected.

Ford's new Sync 3 infotainment system launches for the 2016 model year. Today, the company announced that the first vehicles to get this tech will be the 2016 Escape and Fiesta.

Ford isn't completely abandoning its partnership with Microsoft. The tech company will supply the wireless updates to models equipped with the new Sync 3 infotainment system.

MyFord Touch has been among the most widely disdained automotive infotainment systems on the market, practically since its introduction in 2010. Consumer Reports was among the most vocal critics, all but advocating its lynching by an angry mob armed with torches and pitchforks. Not surprisingly, then, after such a critical walloping, Ford has finally decided to say goodbye to the unloved tech, declaring the end of MyFord Touch branding in favor of Sync 3 for its upcoming, all-new system.

When the 2015 Ford Mustang hits dealers, it will be with a new batch of features that will power up Sync's 911 Assist feature, and provide an even greater degree of information to first responders in the event of an accident.

Episode #369 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing and Michael Harley talk about the 2015 Porsche Macan, what slow global sales of the Toyota GT86 may mean for performance upgrades, Ford moving to BlackBerry's QNX platform for the next version of Sync, and a possible new wave of head-up displays. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the ti

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #369 this evening, and you can check out the topics below, or drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module. And don't forget to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so. To take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Ask the average consumer – at least, those who follow the goings-on in the automotive industry – which carmaker they'd most closely associate Microsoft, and the answer you'd most likely get would be Ford. The Blue Oval automaker, after all, was at the forefront of bringing Microsoft technology into cars with its pioneering Sync system, and, though reality didn't turn out as such, Ford's CEO was recently touted as a potential future head of the Redmond-based software giant. But that r

When Don Butler made the decision to leave his post as Cadillac's VP of global strategic development, it was a surprise. Citing a desire to "recalibrate, reassess my priorities" in that August announcement, it wasn't entirely clear where Butler – a virtual General Motors lifer after spending nearly 30 years with the company – would end up. Turns out he took a trip to Dearborn.

That Mulally was seriously being considered says a great deal about Microsoft and Mulally.

Ford is doing well. It can't make enough examples of its new Fusion, it can barely make enough of the aging F-150, it's getting good brand rankings, people like its turnaround story, it's selling oodles of product and its quarterly profit numbers end in the word "billion." As other high-flying examples have demonstrated over the past few years, though, big numbers can come with problems that aren't exactly small.