Ford Sync

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.

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 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.

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.

Ford hasn't had the best luck with its MyFord Touch and Sync systems, as the finicky infotainment system has been subject to a critical whooping while customer issues have helped sink Ford's IQS scores. The automaker has made a concerted effort, though, to try and fix MyFord Touch. And while the results have been mixed, The Blue Oval is hoping its latest free update, set to go live next week, will make things better.

Maybe so. The online retailer and digital media monolith recently announced the Amazon Cloud Player, an application for Ford Sync that allows users to stream media from their Amazon Cloud account directly to a Ford vehicle. This foray into automotive technology got the minds at Gigaom.com thinking about what could be next for Amazon. As Kevin Fitchard writes, the logical step is to make audio versions of your Kindle library selections available in your car. As he points out, Amazon has already l

Automakers aren't necessarily known for their sharing skills unless some sort of mutual agreement is in place, but it seems that Ford is looking to create a universal architecture based on its Sync AppLink on which other companies (including rival automakers) can run in-car apps free of charge. With the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show going on, Wired sat down with Ford's Doug VanDagens, director of connected services, who talked about what such a tech-sharing plan could do for Ford and the indust

It's pretty amazing how much in-car technology has advanced in recent years, and Ford's Sync system has been at the forefront of vehicle connectivity and infotainment. Since its debut on the 2008 Ford Focus, Ford says more than five million of its vehicles have been equipped with Microsoft-developed technology.

Wouldn't it be great if your car alerted you to nearby deals as you drove by them? Austin Gayer and Danny Newman's Roximity app will appeal to you, then. The duo explains it as "a location-based alert system that allows merchants to sign up for geo-aware location deals." In other words, when you're near a place offering a deal, you get an alert on your iPhone, and since Roximity is integrating with Ford Sync, that functionality extends to Ford cars and trucks as well.

We didn't even know there was a Computer History Museum, but that didn't stop the Mountain View, California institution from inducting Ford's SYNC infotainment system into its permanent collection. The seven-year-old in-car technology, first made available as an option on the 2008 Ford Focus for $395, has since found more than four million takers and is expected to add five million more over the next three years as it gets offered worldwide.

At four years old, the original Ford SYNC is already a relic in the rapidly changing subculture of automotive connectivity. And it's being recognized as such.

In the olden days, a car was never going to be newer than it was at the moment a customer drove it out of the dealership parking lot.

Most of us don't quite understand why we'd want Facebook in our cars, but during a recent Hackathon at Facebook's Palo Alto campus, the Blue Oval and the new Big Blue combined forces to go beyond status updates and photos sharing.

Ford SYNC is a success. The connectivity software has found its way into four million cars since its introduction in 2007. With European and Asian buyers getting SYNC for the first time this year, and North American offerings like the Fusion and Flex getting it as standard equipment, Ford expects to add nine million more users by 2015.