Sure, Alec Baldwin and Missy Elliott can ask Alexa to have a dance party. But soon you may be able to tell Alexa to start your car.

By now you have seen the commercial below, which shows Amazon's Echo basic features. But did you know that more advanced features are coming soon? Ford announced Wednesday at CES 2017 that its newer vehicles will work alongside Amazon's popular Echo smart speaker and its voice assistant Alexa.

The move will allow select Ford owners to make voice requests via the Echo such as "Alexa, ask MyFord Mobile to start my car," provided they're within earshot of the smart home device.
Other capabilities include the ability to turn off the car, lock or unlock the doors and check a vehicle's battery power level. The technology could also be useful for those who want to loan a car to a friend without handing over a key. A car owner could ask its Echo to unlock and start the car, even if its miles away.

The partnership will come this month to three existing electric Fords - the Fusion Electric, Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi - as a free upgrade to its built-in Sync 3 tech platform. Ford will roll it out the upgrade to more vehicles later in the year.

Eventually, Ford drivers will be able to make Alexa requests from directly within the car. For example, a driver could ask the technology to play an audio book or turn off their smart lights at home.

In addition to an Amazon Echo, eligible Ford owners will have to pair an Android device to Amazon's Alexa app. Meanwhile, iOS users are required to connect to the car with a physical cord. Drivers can tap the existing voice recognition button on their steering wheel to speak to Alexa.

By embracing voice commands, Ford intends to make it easier for drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. The effort comes as motor vehicle fatalities spiked in 2015. Experts believe distracted driving is a key contributing factor.

Sorry Microsoft, Blackberry may take your place in the new Fords.

Millions of Ford cars are already equipped with smart technology, called Ford Sync. Since it was introduced in 2007, Ford has partnered with Microsoft to operate the system.

The automaker would not confirm if it was dropping Microsoft for Blackberry. Spokeswoman Susannah Wesley said: "Ford and Microsoft are longtime partners, and we continue working together for the future."

She said Ford works with a variety of companies for its in-car connectivity systems and that it does "not discuss details of our work with others or speculate on future products for competitive reasons."

Neither Microsoft nor Blackberry responded to requests for comment. Both companies work with automakers on providing similar technology.

Microsoft has partnerships with Fiat, Nissan and Kia.

The Blackberry-owned software system called QNX is used in Audi and BMW vehicles for navigation and music. Earlier reports suggested that QNX would operate future versions of Ford Sync.

If true, Ford would be one of QNX's biggest customers. The car company faced criticism in 2011 for the Sync system freezing and crashing. Ford said it expects to make its newest Sync version available on another 3.4 million vehicles this year.

Source: CNN

Own a Ford with Sync technology? Now you can order a pizza hands free!

Ford’s relentless push to add as many apps to its Sync portfolio has finally peaked. With pizza. Because everyone should be able to order a pie without taking their hands off the wheel.



Anyone with Ford’s ubiquitous Sync AppLink system in their dashboard and a Domino’s app on their phone can, through their Domino’s “Pizza Profile,” place an order with a few voice commands and pick up a steaming, cardboard-crust pie on the way home. The “Pizza Profile” stores your payment info and details on your favorite pie, so you aren’t repeating “large Brookyln-style with pepperoni, bacon and pineapple” over and over, trying to get Sync to recognize the command.



“This is, no question, one of the coolest in a long list of recent technology innovations for Domino’s,” Patrick Doyle, the pizza chain’s president and CEO, said with complete earnestness.



AppLink allows drivers to connect to supported apps using voice commands, and with dozens of apps optimized for Ford’s Sync system, it’s one of the most dominant players in the market.


Source: Wired