Ford Archive

Yesterday we took a look at the new 2011 Ford Edge which has the Ford MyTouch software. Today’s video will show how Ford wants to interact with developers. The program is named Sync Mobile App Connectivity and will allow mobile app developers the ability to interact with the Sync interface inside Ford cars.

In the video below, the Ford rep shows us how the Sync Mobile App Connectivity works with Pandora. Basically you can control the Pandora iPhone app using your voice inside the car. The music is played through the car speakers and when you want to change the station you hit the speak button and say, “play station Justin Bieber”. Pandora has built the Ford Sync SDK into their general application available in the iTunes app store.

We also tried to take a look at a Twitter application built with the Sync SDK but it didn’t load correctly. Had it worked, the app would read the Twitter messages in your stream and/or your replies and direct messages. How exciting would it be to travel to grandma for Thanksgiving and be able to listen to this:

• I just ate a bologna sandwich – Peter R 7240
• I am the mayor of Taco Bell – MaryLou14
• In reply to PinkFluff24 – yes

I wonder if the apps will be able to use the 8″ display on some of the Ford cars for display.
Continue reading “Ford Wants Developers With Their Sync Mobile App Connectivity (video demo)” »

Last year at the NY Auto Show, I met with Ford’s social media director Scott Monty to find out more about their Ford Fiesta movement program. This was the program where they gave out a whole bunch of free Ford Fiesta cars in return for a ton of paid media impressions and reviews.

This week is the 2010 NY Auto Show at the Javits Center. I stopped by a Ford dealership earlier this week to find out how their 2011 cars will have more technology inside than ever before. It’s pretty amazing how far cars have come in terms of how they use technology. I wonder what comes first – the car or the technology? I am also wondering when Apple will enter the auto market.

One of Scott’s colleagues provides the video demo below of the Ford Sync technology inside the 2011 Ford Edge. I can’t comment about the quality of the car as we only spent time looking at the technology, which was quite impressive. The Sync technology that Jennifer demonstrates in the video is available in the mid- and high series models, with a smaller package of tech on the entry-level models.

I learned that Sync was actually built by Ford on top of the Microsoft Auto platform. Before this I was under the impression that Sync was built by Microsoft and Ford installed it inside their cars. Ford is calling their new Sync offering, “MyFordTouch”.

Continue reading “2011 Ford Edge – Sync Internet Features MyFord Touch” »

Over the past few days I’ve written about startups who put all their eggs in one basket and what it could meet for their ability to continue as a going concern. Today I noted that TwitterMass is up for auction — what happens if you buy the app and then Twitter announces the same offering?

Last night I spoke with a friend and most of the discussion centered around the issues the auto industry is facing today. My friend asked if anyone would have thought five years ago that Chrysler would be in bankruptcy and Daimler would partner with a valley startup. What about GM we wondered – the company has just announced 1,100 dealers will close and tens of thousands will be out of jobs. Oh yea, Chrysler is closing 800 dealerships around the country next month as well.

Am I suggesting that people shouldn’t open car dealerships or create applications on Twitter/Facebook/etc.? Of course not. What I am suggesting is that you do the homework to calculate the risk involved with the business plan. If an application takes little effort, the point of risk calculation is moot. In the TwitterMass example, the app took two weeks to build. If the application was to grow and staff or funding was required, at that point the risk calculation should take place.

The percentage of risk goes down when you can build your application to leverage a technology or platform in addition to your unique offering. In the car dealer business, an example might be offering used cars along with new to minimize risk of losing a new-car dealer license as has happened with GM and Chrysler.

Guhmshoo with yet another great comic showing how bloggers are like Nascar racers by putting ads and sponsorships all over their websites.

The topic of paid social media is something I’ve been thinking about a lot of the past few months. When I met with Scott Monty of Ford, I mentioned the idea of assuming that all social media is paid. Perhaps you already do assume that what you read is already paid or sponsored although I’ve tried to think that what I read is genuine unless otherwise noted. For the purposes of this discussion, I am leaving the “is paid social media good or evil” on the side for another day.

Scott noted that the 100 paid reviewers of the Ford Fiesta will disclose that they are part of the “movement”. That’s great that there will be disclosure – it’s something that many of the paid reviews systems have moved to. And while I am using Ford as an example, they are by no means alone with regards to my question. Whether it’s Izea, Magpie, in-house ad sales, etc, the question continues to grow in importance. And I haven’t even mentioned pimping by investors, friends, family members, etc.

Disclosure is easy on a blog, but what about as the blog entry is pushed around. Does the disclosure travel with the blog entry? And more importantly, what about all of the social media services like Twitter, Friendfeed, Facebook, Plurk, etc.? How do we define disclosure on these networks?

Continue reading “Should We Assume All Social Media is Paid?” »

This week Ford announced a new “social media” campaign named the Fiesta Movement around the upcoming launch of their new Ford Fiesta automobile. Ford will give 100 special “digital influencers” a European-spec version of the new Ford Fiesta for six months and seek their feedback. Unlike your normal test drive and feedback form type deal, here they have decided to get these so-called digital influencers to complete missions each month. While I don’t know what the missions are, you can be sure they will lead to lots of media mentions for Ford and the Fiesta.

Continue reading “Ford Fiesta Movement Chat With Scott Monty (video)” »