Dearborn,
Mich. – The 2011 Ford Fiesta has become the first Ford vehicle to offer
hands-free voice control of select Internet-connected smartphone apps, and more
Ford vehicles will offer the capability in 2011, Ford announced.
In
revealing the name of the first vehicle with the long-awaited capability, Ford
said 2011 Fiestas already on the road with a Sync system can be upgraded by
consumers to add the feature. Drivers go to
to download an AppLink app, transfer it to a USB stick, then plug the stick
into their Ford Sync system. The upgrade enables Sync voice control over select
apps on Android and BlackBerry Smartphones via Bluetooth. In early 2011, the
capability will be extended to select apps on cable-connected iPhones, the
company also announced.
Fiesta’s
Sync system delivers voice control over a vehicle’s entertainment systems,
Bluetooth-connected cellphones for hands-free calling, and USB-connected MP3
players.
Voice-controllable
apps compatible with the Fiesta’s Sync system are Pandora for Android v 1.5.3
and higher and Pandora for BlackBerry v 1.1.6 and higher. A Fiesta-compatible
Pandora app for iPhones will be available in early 2011.
Also available now for the 2011 Fiesta Sync
system is the OpenBeak app for BlackBerry v1.4 and higher. OpenBeak is a Twitter-streaming
app with text-to-voice conversion.
The
Stitcher app for the Fiesta is coming in early 2011 for Android phones and the iPhone
and will be available later for BlackBerry. Stitcher is an Internet news and
podcast app.
