2001: A Space Odyssey is just a movie, right? There aren't computers that will do things for you just because you told them to, right? If you haven't used Ford's Sync system, you might be inclined to believe the two previous statements. But don't worry; this computer won't try to kill you.
Developed by Microsoft, Sync is a voice-controlled infotainment system available on most new Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury products. Using voice commands, Sync can control navigation and audio systems (including satellite radio and connected portable music players), cell phones, climate functions, and a satellite service that delivers real-time traffic, weather, and sports information.
Sync is very easy to use and is fairly intuitive. Our test system is installed in our long-term 2010 Lincoln MKS test car, but is relatively the same for most vehicles. The system "talks" to users via voice prompts and guides them to understand and interact with the system. Spending a few minutes using it is all most users need to get a handle on its functionality. A push of the steering-wheel-mounted Voice button activates a gentle chime and the appearance of the Main Menu on the large dashboard-mounted screen, which displays seven commands: Audio, Travel Link, Climate, Phone, Navigation, Destination, and Climate Temperature.
A quick tone lets you know to speak your selection from this screen. No need to yell, Sync hears normal conversation-volume voices. When it correctly hears a spoken command, it sounds the chime and proceeds to the next screen. For example, after you say "Audio," you hear the chime, and the audio system menu appears on the screen. This time, the words on the screen have changed and read Radio, CD, DVD, Jukebox, Line In, Sirius, and Sync. The tone tells you its time to speak again; repeat the steps for the next screen. Other functions' procedures follow the same basic steps.
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