Microsoft SYNC Version 3 Video

Microsoft SYNC Version 3 Video Transcript

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>> Hey it's Brian Cooley here at CES 2009 with a First Look at the innovations in the third generation of Microsoft Sync which you find on Ford and Lincoln Mercury vehicles. This is what is called Version 3 and couple of things are going on. Before I even show you the features check it out--it works through a tethered data connection on your phone, that's where the connectivity comes from; but even if you don't have a data plan it still use your voice connection to create the data--that's interesting--that's done with a company called Airbiquity [assumed spelling] and their technology. Now once you have that connection here's what you can do--several new buckets of things; one is the ability to get traffic read to you by the vehicle even without an LCD screen. Notice I've gotten a simple display but I can still get these advanced services. Check this out.

>> Sync: Please say a command.

>> Connect.

>> Connecting.

>> Services. Which service do you want?

>> Traffic to airport.

>> Traffic to airport right?

>> Yes.

>> Great. Hang on while I get your traffic. Here's your traffic. Take 815; there's an accident at Flamingo Road. Traffic is heavy with a drive time of about 25 minutes. Press the voice button.

>> So as you can see it's giving me a red out text to speech report on the traffic because there's no display here to give me a map. That's a different kind of vehicle; but this is kind of lowest common denominator which is sort of democratizing of this technology. Let's try another feature here.

>> What service is that?

>> Directions to Hoover Dam?

>> Directions to Hoover Dam. Hang on while I get your directions. Just a moment while a route is sent to your vehicle.

>> Downloading. Destination is 25 miles away and it takes approximately one hour and 35 minutes to get there. Download complete. You may now use your phone.

>> There's also business search here so you can search for businesses in the area and then when you pick one, say take me there using the same turn by turn navigation--and we've also got a favorites ability here. So you can save places you go or request information about regularly. You also can get news and sports updates, a whole bunch of information services that you can put into sort of a cloud set of bookmarks on syncmyride.com or you can do it here verbally and here's what you get.

>> Sync: Please say a command.

>> Connect.

>> Connecting.

>> Services: Which service do you want?

>> News.

>> News. Say a news category or say tell me my choices.

>> Top stories.

>> To interrupt this report, press the voice button. Top stories--here's your national news update for Friday, January 9. The latest unemployment report is a stark reminder that urgent action is needed to jolt the ailing economy. That's how President-Elect Barack Obama reacted.

>> So what you've got there is a report that's being read to you on a custom on-demand basis. It's kind of like on-demand, Internet delivered, text to speech radio if you can get your head wrapped around that. So a lot of things are going on in this vehicle but the key take-aways are a variety of connected services now a part of Sync in this new Version 3, the GPS technology making those turn by turn directions available, and the whole thing is powered by a data connection tethered from your phone whether you have a 3G fancy data plan or just voice--that's pretty cool as well. Pricing stays the same--it's either standard on a car you buy from Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, or it's $400 if its optional, and they include the service for three full years before you have to pay. I'm Brian Cooley checking out Ford Sync Version 3 here at CES 2009.