Ford gives its maps a much-needed update in the MyFord system, and stores it on SD Card.
(Credit: Ford)
LAS VEGAS - Ford built up a good cabin tech lead amongst its competitors when it adopted Sync and Sirius Travel Link in 2008, and we didn't think the company could come up with something new for CES 2010. But boy, were we wrong. Ford radically redesigned its cabin tech interface while at the same time adding new features and completely revamping its navigation systems, branding the whole shebang as MyFord.
Ford vehicles equipped with MyFord will get two 4.2-inch color LCDs, one mounted in the instrument cluster and one in the center of the dashboard. The instrument cluster display shows vehicle information such as engine speed, temperature, and trip data, and the one in the dashboard shows audio, phone, and navigation information.
This system can be upgraded to MyFord Touch, which puts the two 4.2-inch LCDs on either side of the speedometer and adds an 8-inch touch-screen LCD to the center of the dashboard.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid served as a test-bed for this new interface, as it has similar LCDs in the instrument cluster, although they don't show nearly as much information. What both allow is driver customization, letting you choose to view the tachometer as an analog gauge or as a simple bar graph, for example.
Ford's old interface was legible, but ugly.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)In designing the new interface, Ford aimed to flatten the menu structure, making it safer for drivers to choose music or place phone calls without having to dig through multiple screens. MyFord also uses a color scheme so the driver can easily see which function is on display, with orange for the phone, green for navigation, red for music, and blue for climate control. These four major menu areas also get a touch-screen button at each corner of the 8-inch LCD, letting driver or passenger quickly access each one.
Another big change involves switching map storage from hard drive to SD card. Ford had been an early adopter of onboard hard drives, which allowed quicker map access for the navigation system than DVDs could. But moving from hard drive to SD card, with a navigation application and maps from Telenav, will be cheaper to manufacture, make it easier for an owner to update the maps, and be more durable, as a hard drive is more likely to fail in an automotive environment than an SD card.
... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blogLAS VEGAS--Ford Motor is making its vehicles an Internet application platform by giving drivers access to streaming media and other smartphone applications.
During a keynote on Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show, Ford CEO Alan Mulally plans to show off the latest high-tech touches to the interior of Ford vehicles, including a redesigned driver interface that will let drivers access smartphone applications through the voice-command feature of the Sync in-car software. Cars equipped with the latest Ford interface, called MyFord Touch, will be available in certain models later this year, according to Ford.
The first three available applications are the Pandora streaming music service, Stitcher news and audio service, and Twitter, said Jim Buczkowski, director of global electrical and electronics systems engineering at Ford.
The MyFord Touch user interfaces includes an eight-inch touch screen which also lets drivers use voice commands to make phone calls.
(Credit: Ford Motor)So instead of fiddling with a BlackBerry or iPhone while driving, consumers can use voice commands to navigate through the applications, he said. The connection to the ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
Sony's XAV-70BT may not look like much in photos, but that's because it's nearly all screen!
(Credit: Sony)Sony has announced a new flagship XAV-70BT in-dash A/V receiver center. The unit is built around a 7-inch WVGA motorized panel display and Sony's new graphic user interface.
Behind the sexy touchscreen is a reasonable amount of audio processing horsepower including Center Speaker Organizer (CSO), which aims to create virtual 5.1 channel surround from stereo sources; SensMe music software, which creates custom music playlists and channels based on the user's music library; and the Advanced Sound Engine (ASE) which is a collection of Sony's sound processing technologies. Users can connect their iPods, iPhones, and other digital media players to the rear USB input or utilize the Bluetooth wireless technology to stream audio or make handsfree calls.
Stepping down a tier, the Sony XAV-60 features nearly all of the functionality of the XAV-70BT, but drops the Bluetooth wireless technology and reduces the screen size to 6.1 ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
(Credit:
Autocar.co.uk)
Having spent time behind the steering wheels of the BMW X6 M, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the Infiniti FX50S, and the Range Rover Sport, I was fairly certain that I could predict the outcome of Autocar's drag race between the four sporty SUVs (is that a bit redundant?). And for the most part, I was right. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I can't help but to think that the outcome would be decidedly different and much more interesting if this race where held off-road! I mean, these are SUVs after all.
Place your bets and check the video below to see how the contenders stack up in what may be the world's heaviest drag race:
In as few as 10 minutes, you can give yourself directions on your Garmin.
(Credit: Screenshot by Antuan Goodwin/CNET)LAS VEGAS--Even with the advent of robotic text-to-speech turn-by-turn directions, I still really enjoy playing with the different prerecorded voices on the GPS devices that I test. There's something about getting directions in a funny accent that's just comforting to me, which is why Garmin's new Voice Studio software is so intriguing.
The downloadable software will allow users to record and upload their own voice prompts to compatible Nuvi GPS devices, so that they can hear turn-by-turn directions in their own voices. The software guides users through recording replacements for the 65 words and phrases that the device uses to give directions, which can then be previewed in the application before packaging for download to your or your friends' devices.
I can see all kinds of ways that this could be dangerous in the wrong hands. I could confuse my parents by swapping the audio prompts for left and right; replace all ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
(Credit:
Garmin)
LAS VEGAS--Most of our readers are pretty familiar with Garmin's Nuvi line of in-car GPS navigators, but most have never heard of the manufacturer's Zumo line of motorcycle GPS devices. At CES 2010, Garmin has added a new top-of-the-line model, the Zumo 665.
The 665 replaces the previous Zumo flagship, the 660, but almost matches the previous unit spec for spec. Both units have the same 4.3-inch WQVGA touch screen, removable, rechargeable lithium ion battery, and waterproof construction. Both feature Bluetooth hands-free calling with A2DP stereo audio streaming.
Dig a little deeper and you'll find that the new 665 boasts a better battery life (up to five hours versus the 660's three), but the biggest change is the switch to XM NavTraffic and weather from the soon-to-be-defunct MSN Direct network used by the older unit. A cool byproduct of the XM traffic integration is that the Zumo 665 can also stream XM Radio programming through its integrated speaker or to Bluetooth-connected headphones or helmet headsets.
Combining an XM ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
The U220 is designed to fit in a glove box or center console.
(Credit: Pioneer)LAS VEGAS--The AVIC-U220 is an add-on module that features a built-in GPS receiver, allowing you to add turn-by-turn navigation to Pioneer's AVH line of AV receivers. The detachable U220 is also compatible with Pioneer's AVIC Feeds software (but not with the iPhone app) and can be removed from the vehicle and attached to a PC to download or upload POIs and custom routes using the application.
Using the AVIC Feeds software and an SD card, users can also download the Clock and Photo View applications. These applications give users access to five different clock views and a slideshow of personal photos, complete with transition effects for use as alternative screensavers to the map view.
The jury is still out on the finer details, but with an MSRP of about $400 on top of at least $450 for an AVH receiver and no built-in capability to access live traffic data or fuel prices, we can see the U220 being ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
The TomTom Ease features simpler hardware and software.
(Credit: TomTom)LAS VEGAS--TomTom is attempting to lower the learning curve for the entry-level GPS buyer with its new Ease line of GPS navigation devices. The Ease is remarkably similar to the TomTom Start, which debuted in European markets last year, and may well be the same device but with North American maps.
For users unfamiliar with the Start, the Ease is a smallish device, built around a 3.5-inch color touch screen with either a black or white chassis. TomTom's EasyPort mount is recessed into the back of the device, resulting in a flat profile with none of the suction cup bulge of other EasyPort devices. However, the Ease is also small on the inside, with a lowish 320x240-pixel resolution and only 2GB of flash memory onboard, most of which is occupied by TomTom's new Tele Atlas map data. However, the benefit of this simple hardware is that the price can be kept at an easy-on-the-pocket MSRP of about $100.
We wonder if the
LAS VEGAS--On CES 2010 press preview day, in-car electronics vendors have less than 24 hours to set up their high-powered, often-thumping and pulsing booths in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. By show open Thursday morning, these displays will be complete.
While some of these exhibitors simply drive their biggest attractions (Lamborghinis! Classic Cadillacs!) onto the show floor, many others piece together elaborate walls of speaker systems, amplifiers, GPS systems, and various forms of safety and entertainemnt tech. Flip through our slideshow for a behind-the-scenes look at CES 2010's car tech.
Pioneer drops the CD drive with its MVH line of receivers.
(Credit: Pioneer)LAS VEGAS--Pioneer is taking steps into a segment of the car audio market that up until now has been monopolized by Alpine, with its first ever mech-free receivers, the MVH-P8200 and the MVH-P8200BT.
The V in MVH means these receivers can play back video.
(Credit: Pioneer)Tossing out the often-unused CD drive, the single-DIN MVH-P8200 has no moving parts--hence the designation "mech-free." The receiver was designed to work best with Apple's iPhone and iPod, but it should play back MP3, WMA, and iTunes AAC music files via USB and SD memory card. The USB port is located directly on the front face of the receivers and the SD memory card slot is located behind the removable front face.
In the case of the P8200BT, A2DP Bluetooth stereo audio-streaming and hands-free calling are also added as audio sources. Users can browse their media libraries on the P8200's 3-inch color TFT display using Pioneer's seven-way rotary encoder, which is a knob-joystick-button ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
