MyFord Touch gets faster and easier to use, existing customers can upgrade for free
Okay – it’s no joke that FoMoCo’s MyFord Touch infotainment touch sensitive system was a total failure for the automaker. The glitches in the system even ended up hurting the way the company’s vehicles were recommended by Consumer Reports. Well, Ford heard the complaints of the media and its customers and is unveiling a new MyFord Touch system that will be faster and easier to use.
The upgraded MyFord Touch system will debut at the 2011 LA Auto Show and will first be offered with the new 2013 Ford Escape (which will also debut in LA), Flex and Taurus.
Existing MyFord Touch owners will be able to upgrade their system for free.
“SYNC has clearly been a game-changing technology and now we’re changing the game again, showing how quickly we can deliver more of what customers really want,” said Graydon Reitz, director, Ford Global Electronics and Electrical Systems Engineering. “Our strategy to create the SYNC software platform and add the customizable screens of MyFord Touch gives us a level of flexibility and speed to respond to customer input like never before seen in the auto industry.”
Ford says the new system’s touchscreen interface features simpler graphics and controls that are easier to use.
Hit the jump for the list of new features and a video of the new MyFord Touch system in action.
New features
Ford also took the opportunity to update the performance of the system and add new features for customers to help them keep pace with the fast-moving consumer electronics market.
Faster touch-screen response time, for example, was a key request from owners. Initial testing shows that touch and voice response is at least two times faster than the current system.
Also, the software upgrade includes the following enhancements:
- Improved voice recognition experience powered by Nuance
- Quicker voice recognition upon startup and faster command prompt when the voice button is pushed
- Voice commands used in conjunction with navigation are simplified through elimination of the need to provide street direction, e.g., “Main Street” instead of “North Main Street”
- Music requests are simpler by removing the need to include the additional song, album or artist information often found at the end of a name in parenthesis or brackets
- Customers can find their favorite sports team in action via new Sirius Game Finder simply by saying a command such as “Tune to Detroit Lions game”
- Music and other media content from most popular tablet computers like the Apple iPad can now be accessed through a simple USB connection
- Listen to Audible.com content using voice commands or the easy-to-use touch-screen controls
- Updated map views are richer and feature more 3D landmarks
- Views of freeway junctions and signs are enhanced through photorealistic screen images
- Smart routing options are provided based on a database of historical traffic patterns
- Automatic Bluetooth® connection upon vehicle entry has been improved
- Noise and echo cancellation during phone calls has been improved to enhance call quality
- Inclusion of the latest music metadata available enhancing the music playback experience
- Improved voice recognition for music search allowing drivers to pinpoint artists with hard-to-pronounce names or nicknames
– By: Omar Rana
