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Dish Network has had Sling integrations before, but they just dropped a brand new HD-DVR with remove Sling capabilities built in along with a redesigned SlingGuide interface.

If you have Dish network (are they any of you out there?), the ViP 922 will let you schedule, manage and view your recordings (and plenty of 'em on the 1TB drive) from any web-connected machine; there's also a nifty new touchpad remove for when you're at home. Could have used that for Top Chef tonight—no Bravo at the Wynn. WTF??

It's available via your friendly Dish service man come Spring 2009 for an undisclosed sum.

DISH NETWORK® INTRODUCES WORLD’S FIRST
“SLINGLOADED” HD DVR AT 2009 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

New 1 Terabyte High Definition DVR with Integrated Slingbox, Touchpad Remote Control and Tile-based User Interface

Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 8, 2009 – DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the digital transition leader, today unveiled the world’s first
SlingLoaded™ HD DuoDVR™, the award-winning ViP® 922. The ViP® 922 is the first high definition digital video recorder that incorporates placeshifting technology.

The ViP® 922 was built by EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), and developed for DISH Network as an entertainment centerpiece that – combined with the only 1080p Video on Demand and 100 percent, all-HD suite of programming packages available today – will revolutionize the way consumers watch and enjoy their favorite programming. DISH Network will offer the ViP® 922 to customers in Spring 2009.

“DISH Network is pleased to add another award-winning product to our suite of MPEG-4 HD DVR ViP receivers: a groundbreaking set top box that offers consumers the true experience of TV everywhere,” said DISH Network Chairman, CEO and President Charlie Ergen. “By integrating Sling Media’s Slingbox technology into our industry-leading HD DVR, DISH Network is providing even more ways for our subscribers to view their TV programming – through their television sets, their desktops at home, their laptops on the road, and their smartphones including Blackberrys, iPhones and more.”

The ViP® 922 allows TV enthusiasts to watch and control their favorite TV shows and sporting events from anywhere in the world via a broadband Internet connection on their laptop or mobile phone. With five video sources, including satellite, broadband and optional over-the-air tuners, viewers will never run out of shows to watch. The ViP® 922 also features a multi-tuner DVR with up to 1,000 hours of recording time and supports connecting external hard drives for even more storage capacity.

An innovative touchpad remote control accompanies the ViP® 922, which eliminates half the buttons of a standard remote control and provides cursor-like navigation on a TV screen. With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of the new user interface: on-screen widget-like tiles and pop-up menus. All features are selectable by an underside index finger trigger selection on the radio frequency-controlled remote, which offers two-way learning of codes from other AV equipment remote controls.

The ViP® 922 can also be controlled using SlingGuide™, a new way for consumers to control their TV viewing experience over the Internet. SlingGuide features a powerful search engine for the TV along with the ability to schedule the ViP® 922 DVR timers remotely.

Other ViP® 922 features include:
• News feeds located on the home screen, giving viewers instant access to national news, weather, sports, and stock quotes.
• Ability to organize channels by channel name or number.
• 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i and 480p support.
• Internet-delivered DISH On Demand including 1080p content.
• Ability to move one day in the guide while browsing full screen EPG or partial EPG.
• Connections to home networks via Ethernet, HomePlug Turbo (the next generation of HomePlug that allows for faster in-home transfer of content using home power lines), or WiFi (with optional WiFi adapter).
• Powerful search capability across all available video sources, including IP, VOD, satellite or DVR.
• Intuitive timer creation and DVR management, allowing users to categorize programming by groups (video source, title, genres) or by content description (date, length, ratings and more).
• Ability to load photos, MP3s and selected Internet content.
• Future upgrades such as photo sharing, movie ticket purchases, family calendars, instant messaging, streaming audio, and the ability to transfer content within a home network.

EchoStar’s new user interface and remote control for the ViP® 922 were selected as CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award honorees. Demonstrations of the ViP® 922 will be available at DISH Network’s Booth No. 14438, located in the Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Jan. 8-11. For more information about DISH Network, visit www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).

written by iPhone Fan

PogoPlug is a little conduit box that plugs into your router on one end via ethernet, and mates with your hard drive via USB on the other.

The Good: A quick and easy way to turn your barnacle-ridden USB drive into a young and fresh network-attached storage device—something no good home should be without.

The Bad: Why not just put that money toward one of the many, many routers that already have a USB input to begin with? Many of them aren't much more than $79, and definitely not much more than $99, which is the PogoPlug's price without the introductory discount. You'll see talk of an open API below, but since when do USB dongles need to rely on developers to make them worth the price?

Still, if cost-benefit works out in your setup's favor, turning any USB disk into a network share for $80 isn't bad.

Pogoplug Debuts at CES 2009, Uniting External Hard Drives
With The Internet to Enable a Truly Connected Lifestyle

Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, Nev. and San Francisco, Calif. – January 8, 2009 – Cloud Engines today unveiled the Pogoplug, a small device that connects external hard drives to the Internet, making personal files instantly shareable and accessible. Pogoplug enhances the mobile lifestyle by providing seamless access to digital content from any computer or mobile device around the globe.

“Consumers are buying millions of external drives to store their personal content, yet extending this content outside the home is overly difficult.,” said Daniel Putterman, chief executive officer of Cloud Engines, Inc. “Pogoplug makes this possible for anyone, with no network setup or configuration.”

Pogoplug is designed for simplicity. .Setup takes seconds and requires no networking configuration or installation. Users simply plug the Pogoplug into an electrical outlet, connect the supplied Ethernet cable to their home network router, and attach their external hard drive. Lastly, the product's registration code is entered at my.pogoplug.com, after which the Pogoplug is online and ready for use. The device is compatible with any external USB 2.0 hard drive or memory stick. Content is accessible with any Web browser, Microsoft Windows® Explorer, Mac Finder, and through the Pogoplug iPhone application.

According to the NPD Group, consumers have purchased over seven million external hard drives in the past year alone. The Pogoplug is the perfect accessory to any external hard drive or USB thumb drive, adding desirable functionality at an affordable price, with no monthly service fees.

Key Features and Accessories
- Easy Installation – The Pogoplug connects directly to any home network and requires no special technical knowledge to setup firewalls or other configurations.
- Full Web Access – All the files from an external drive can be viewed or downloaded through any Web browser, with no need to download or install extra software.
- Access Your Data Anywhere – As long as you have an Internet connection, access your files with Windows Explorer or Mac Finder while the drive stays safely at your home.
- iPhone Application – Access all your media from an iPhone, and even send new pictures from your iPhone straight to your home with a single click.
- Safe and Simple Sharing – Easily share personal content, including video and photos, with friends and family with no uploading. No software download or registration is required by recipients.
- Open API – Pogoplug is expandable over the Web. Developers can use our open Web services interface to build new features. Soon, Pogoplug will connect directly to popular sites that offer backup, file synchronization, photo printing and more.

Pricing and Availability
The Pogoplug has a suggested retail price of $99, with no additional service fees. For a limited time, the company is offering an introductory price of $79. In the United States, the product can be ordered directly at www.pogoplug.com.

written by iPhone Fan

Fulton Innovations showed off their eCoupled induction charger with an iPhone that was able to recharge by simply placing it on a surface, no adapters necessary. It was a modded iPhone, sure, but cool nonetheless.

They also talked about batteries that they would soon be offering for phones that, you know, actually let you swap the battery out. This would allow you to buy a new battery for your phone and never plug it in again. It sends a good amount of power through that little amount of air, too, as they had a 2kW blender running with no cords attached. Eventually, phone companies will get on board with this technology, which uses internal coils to pick up the charge, and we won't have to go aftermarket to ditch the wires, but until then it's pretty cool to see this tech in action.

written by iPhone Fan

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window.jstiming.load.tick ( 'prt') < input type = hidden name = value hl = en"> Google Home - About Google Translate � 2009 Google var gaJsHost = ((” https: “== document.location.protocol)?” https: / / ssl. “:” http://www. “); document.write (unescape (”% 3Cscript src = ' “+ gaJsHost +” google-analytics.com/ga.js' type =' text / javascript '% 3E% 3C/script% 3E “));< / script> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker ( “UA-1043770-1″); pageTracker._initData (); pageTracker._trackPageview ( “/ translate_t? hl = en & ie = ISO-8859 = -1 & langpair en | de “); Detect languageArabicBulgarianCatalanChineseCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHindiIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishUkrainianVietnamese > ArabicBulgarianCatalanChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHindiIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishUkrainianVietnamese swap h = new _History();ctr = new _TranslateForm(new _LanguageSelector(’old_sl’,’sl_select’),new _LanguageSelector(’old_tl’,'tl_select’),’old_submit’,’submit_button’, h,’source’,'result_box’,'dict’,'autotrans’,'/translate’,'/translate_t’,undefined);window.jstiming.load.tick(’prt’)Suggest a better translationThank you for contributing your translation suggestion to Google Translate.We'll use your suggestion to improve translation quality in future updates to our system.</ div> </ td> </ tr> <td <tr> class=submitcell> <div style=float:left> <select name=sl id=old_sl tabindex=0> <option class = line below value = "auto"> Detect language </ option> <option value="ar"> Arabic </ option> <option value="bg"> Bulgarian </ option> <option value="ca"> Catalan </ option> < option value = "zh-CN"> Chinese </ option> <option value="hr"> Croatian </ option> <option value="cs"> Czech </ option> <option value="da"> Danish < / option> <option value="nl"> Dutch </ option> <option SELECTED value="en"> English </ option> <option value="tl"> Filipino </ option> <option value = "fi" > Finnish </ option> <option value="fr"> French </ option> <option value="de"> German </ option> <option value="el"> Greek </ option> <option value = " iw "> Hebrew </ option> <option value="hi"> Hindi </ option> <option value="id"> Indonesian </ option> <option value="it"> Italian </ option> <option value = "yes"> Japanese </ option> <option value="ko"> Korean </ option> <option value="lv"> Latvian </ option> <option value="lt"> Lithuanian </ option> < option value = "no"> Norwegian </ option> <option value="pl"> Polish </ option> <option value="pt"> Portuguese </ option> <option value="ro"> Romanian </ option > <option value="ru"> Russian </ option> <option value="sr"> Serbian </ option> <option value="sk"> Slovak </ option> <option value="sl"> Slovenian < / option> <option value="es"> Spanish </ option> <option value="sv"> Swedish </ option> <option value="uk"> Ukrainian </ option> <option value="vi"> Vietnamese </ option> </ select> <span class=langselect id=sl_select> </ span> <span class="arrow" onclick="ctr._swap()">> </ span> <select name = id tl old_tl tabindex = = 0> <option value="ar"> Arabic </ option> <option value="bg"> Bulgarian </ option> <option value="ca"> Catalan </ option> <option value = " zh-CN "> Chinese (Simplified) </ option> <option value="zh-TW"> Chinese (Traditional) </ option> <option value="hr"> Croatian </ option> <option value =" cs "> Czech </ option> <option value="da"> Danish </ option> <option value="nl"> Dutch </ option> <option value="en"> English </ option> <option value = "tl"> Filipino </ option> <option value="fi"> Finnish </ option> <option value="fr"> French </ option> <option SELECTED value="de"> German </ option> < option value = "el"> Greek </ option> <option value="iw"> Hebrew </ option> <option value="hi"> Hindi </ option> <option value="id"> Indonesian </ option > <option value="it"> Italian </ option> <option value="ja"> Japanese </ option> <option value="ko"> Korean </ option> <option value="lv"> Latvian < / option> <option value="lt"> Lithuanian </ option> <option value="no"> Norwegian </ option> <option value="pl"> Polish </ option> <option value="pt"> Portuguese </ option> <option value="ro"> Romanian </ option> <option value="ru"> Russian </ option> <option value="sr"> Serbian </ option> <option value = "sk "> Slovak </ option> <option value="sl"> Slovenian </ option> <option value="es"> Spanish </ option> <option value="sv"> Swedish </ option> <option value = "uk"> Ukrainian </ option> <option value="vi"> Vietnamese </ option> </ select> <span class=langselect id=tl_select> </ span> <a class = swap href = "" onclick = "ctr._swap (); return false;"> swap </ a> </ div> <div style=float:right> <span class=subbutton id=submit_button> </ span> <input type = submit id = old_submit value = "Translate" tabindex = 0> </ div> </ td> <td> </ td> <td id=dict> </ td> </ tr> <td <tr> colspan=2> < script> h = new _History (); ctr = new _TranslateForm (new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_sl', 'sl_select'), new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_tl', 'tl_select'), 'old_submit', 'submit_button' h, 'source ',' result_box ',' dict ',' auto trans', '/ translate', '/ translate_t' undefined); window.jstiming.load.tick ( 'prt') </ script> </ td> <td align = right> <span id=zippyspan onclick="_rolldown()"> <img src = "http://www.google.com/mb/plus_sm.gif" style = "margin-right: 0.33em; visibility: hidden "id = zippyicon> </ span> </ td> </ tr> </ table> </ form> <table id=suggesttable> <tr> <td colspan=3> <div id = thanks style =" height: 0px; display: none "> <span style="padding:2px; background-color:#ff9" id=sug_thk> </ span> </ div> <form action =" / translate_suggestion "target = hidden_iframe method = post-id = suggestion_form style = "height: 0px; overflow: hidden; display: none" class = highlight onsubmit = "_submitroll ()">< input type = hidden name = value hl = en"> <input type = hidden name = oe value = "ISO-8859-1"> <input type=hidden name=text value=""> <input type=hidden name=langpair value="en|de"> <input type = hidden name = gtrans value = " "> <table id=suggesttable> <tr> <td width=49%> <span style="float: right; font-size:smaller" id=sug_exp> </ span> </ td> <td width = 2 rowspan = 2%> </ td> <td id=utranscell width=49%> <textarea name=utrans wrap=SOFT dir="ltr" rows=5 id=suggestion> </ textarea> </ td> </ tr > <tr> <td> </ td> <td ALIGN=RIGHT> <input type=submit value="Contribute"> </ td> </ tr> </ table> </ form> </ td> </ tr> </ table> <div class=footer> <a href="http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en"> Google Home </ a> - <a href = "http:/ / www.google.com / intl / en / help / faq_translation.html "> About Google Translate </ a> <br> <br> � 2009 Google </ div> <iframe name = hidden_iframe style =" display: none "> </ iframe> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = ((" https: "== document.location.protocol)?" https: / / ssl. ":" http://www. "); document.write (unescape ("% 3Cscript src = ' "+ gaJsHost +" google-analytics.com/ga.js' type =' text / javascript '% 3E% 3C/script% 3E "));< / script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker ( "UA-1043770-1"); pageTracker._initData (); pageTracker._trackPageview ( "/ translate_t? hl = en & ie = ISO-8859 = -1 & langpair en | de ");</ script> </ body> </ html>Google Home - About Google Translate©2009 Googlevar gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ?”https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);document.write(unescape(”%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost +”google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(”UA-1043770-1″);pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview(”/translate_t?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&langpair=de|en”);

written by iPhone Fan

Detect language Arabic Bulgarian Catalan < option value = "zh-CN"> Chinese Croatian Czech Danish < / option> Dutch English Filipino Finnish French German Greek Hebrew Hindi Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian < option value = "no"> Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian < / option> Spanish Swedish Ukrainian Vietnamese > Arabic Bulgarian Catalan Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Filipino Finnish French German < option value = "el"> Greek Hebrew Hindi Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian < / option> Lithuanian Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Ukrainian Vietnamese swap < script> h = new _History (); ctr = new _TranslateForm (new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_sl', 'sl_select'), new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_tl', 'tl_select'), 'old_submit', 'submit_button' h, 'source ',' result_box ',' dict ',' auto trans', '/ translate', '/ translate_t' undefined); window.jstiming.load.tick ( 'prt') < input type = hidden name = value hl = en"> Google Home - About Google Translate � 2009 Google var gaJsHost = ((” https: “== document.location.protocol)?” https: / / ssl. “:” http://www. “); document.write (unescape (”% 3Cscript src = ' “+ gaJsHost +” google-analytics.com/ga.js' type =' text / javascript '% 3E% 3C/script% 3E “));< / script> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker ( “UA-1043770-1″); pageTracker._initData (); pageTracker._trackPageview ( “/ translate_t? hl = en & ie = ISO-8859 = -1 & langpair en | de “); Detect languageArabicBulgarianCatalanChineseCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHindiIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishUkrainianVietnamese > ArabicBulgarianCatalanChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHindiIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishUkrainianVietnamese swap h = new _History();ctr = new _TranslateForm(new _LanguageSelector(’old_sl’,’sl_select’),new _LanguageSelector(’old_tl’,'tl_select’),’old_submit’,’submit_button’, h,’source’,'result_box’,'dict’,'autotrans’,'/translate’,'/translate_t’,undefined);window.jstiming.load.tick(’prt’)Suggest a better translationThank you for contributing your translation suggestion to Google Translate.We'll use your suggestion to improve translation quality in future updates to our system.</ div> </ td> </ tr> <td <tr> class=submitcell> <div style=float:left> <select name=sl id=old_sl tabindex=0> <option class = line below value = "auto"> Detect language </ option> <option value="ar"> Arabic </ option> <option value="bg"> Bulgarian </ option> <option value="ca"> Catalan </ option> < option value = "zh-CN"> Chinese </ option> <option value="hr"> Croatian </ option> <option value="cs"> Czech </ option> <option value="da"> Danish < / option> <option value="nl"> Dutch </ option> <option SELECTED value="en"> English </ option> <option value="tl"> Filipino </ option> <option value = "fi" > Finnish </ option> <option value="fr"> French </ option> <option value="de"> German </ option> <option value="el"> Greek </ option> <option value = " iw "> Hebrew </ option> <option value="hi"> Hindi </ option> <option value="id"> Indonesian </ option> <option value="it"> Italian </ option> <option value = "yes"> Japanese </ option> <option value="ko"> Korean </ option> <option value="lv"> Latvian </ option> <option value="lt"> Lithuanian </ option> < option value = "no"> Norwegian </ option> <option value="pl"> Polish </ option> <option value="pt"> Portuguese </ option> <option value="ro"> Romanian </ option > <option value="ru"> Russian </ option> <option value="sr"> Serbian </ option> <option value="sk"> Slovak </ option> <option value="sl"> Slovenian < / option> <option value="es"> Spanish </ option> <option value="sv"> Swedish </ option> <option value="uk"> Ukrainian </ option> <option value="vi"> Vietnamese </ option> </ select> <span class=langselect id=sl_select> </ span> <span class="arrow" onclick="ctr._swap()">> </ span> <select name = id tl old_tl tabindex = = 0> <option value="ar"> Arabic </ option> <option value="bg"> Bulgarian </ option> <option value="ca"> Catalan </ option> <option value = " zh-CN "> Chinese (Simplified) </ option> <option value="zh-TW"> Chinese (Traditional) </ option> <option value="hr"> Croatian </ option> <option value =" cs "> Czech </ option> <option value="da"> Danish </ option> <option value="nl"> Dutch </ option> <option value="en"> English </ option> <option value = "tl"> Filipino </ option> <option value="fi"> Finnish </ option> <option value="fr"> French </ option> <option SELECTED value="de"> German </ option> < option value = "el"> Greek </ option> <option value="iw"> Hebrew </ option> <option value="hi"> Hindi </ option> <option value="id"> Indonesian </ option > <option value="it"> Italian </ option> <option value="ja"> Japanese </ option> <option value="ko"> Korean </ option> <option value="lv"> Latvian < / option> <option value="lt"> Lithuanian </ option> <option value="no"> Norwegian </ option> <option value="pl"> Polish </ option> <option value="pt"> Portuguese </ option> <option value="ro"> Romanian </ option> <option value="ru"> Russian </ option> <option value="sr"> Serbian </ option> <option value = "sk "> Slovak </ option> <option value="sl"> Slovenian </ option> <option value="es"> Spanish </ option> <option value="sv"> Swedish </ option> <option value = "uk"> Ukrainian </ option> <option value="vi"> Vietnamese </ option> </ select> <span class=langselect id=tl_select> </ span> <a class = swap href = "" onclick = "ctr._swap (); return false;"> swap </ a> </ div> <div style=float:right> <span class=subbutton id=submit_button> </ span> <input type = submit id = old_submit value = "Translate" tabindex = 0> </ div> </ td> <td> </ td> <td id=dict> </ td> </ tr> <td <tr> colspan=2> < script> h = new _History (); ctr = new _TranslateForm (new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_sl', 'sl_select'), new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_tl', 'tl_select'), 'old_submit', 'submit_button' h, 'source ',' result_box ',' dict ',' auto trans', '/ translate', '/ translate_t' undefined); window.jstiming.load.tick ( 'prt') </ script> </ td> <td align = right> <span id=zippyspan onclick="_rolldown()"> <img src = "http://www.google.com/mb/plus_sm.gif" style = "margin-right: 0.33em; visibility: hidden "id = zippyicon> </ span> </ td> </ tr> </ table> </ form> <table id=suggesttable> <tr> <td colspan=3> <div id = thanks style =" height: 0px; display: none"><span style="padding:2px; background-color:#ff9" id=sug_thk></span></div><form action="/translate_suggestion" target=hidden_iframe method=post id = suggestion_form style = "height: 0px; overflow: hidden; display: none" class = highlight onsubmit = "_submitroll ()">< input type = hidden name = value hl = en"> <input type = hidden name = oe value = "ISO-8859-1"> <input type=hidden name=text value=""> <input type=hidden name=langpair value="en|de"> <input type = hidden name = gtrans value = " "> <table id=suggesttable> <tr> <td width=49%> <span style="float: right; font-size:smaller" id=sug_exp> </ span> </ td> <td width = 2 rowspan = 2%> </ td> <td id=utranscell width=49%> <textarea name=utrans wrap=SOFT dir="ltr" rows=5 id=suggestion> </ textarea> </ td> </ tr > <tr> <td> </ td> <td ALIGN=RIGHT> <input type=submit value="Contribute"> </ td> </ tr> </ table> </ form> </ td> </ tr> </ table> <div class=footer> <a href="http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en"> Google Home </ a> - <a href = "http:/ / www.google.com / intl / en / help / faq_translation.html "> About Google Translate </ a> <br> <br> � 2009 Google </ div> <iframe name = hidden_iframe style =" display: none "> </ iframe> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = ((" https: "== document.location.protocol)?" https: / / ssl. ":" http://www. "); document.write (unescape ("% 3Cscript src = ' "+ gaJsHost +" google-analytics.com/ga.js' type =' text / javascript '% 3E% 3C/script% 3E "));< / script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker ( "UA-1043770-1"); pageTracker._initData (); pageTracker._trackPageview ( "/ translate_t? hl = en & ie = ISO-8859 = -1 & langpair en | de ");</ script> </ body> </ html>Google Home - About Google Translate©2009 Googlevar gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ?”https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);document.write(unescape(”%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost +”google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(”UA-1043770-1″);pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview(”/translate_t?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&langpair=de|en”);

written by iPhone Fan

Ah, ha! Now we're cooking with gas. iriver teased us here at CES with a few ho hum offerings, but the real punch comes courtesy of its new networked line of devices. The outfit is getting super official with its long (long!) awaited W10 WAVE WiFi phone, which will boast a 3-inch WQVGA (480 x 272) touchscreen, 4GB of NAND memory, USB 3.0 connectivity, an FM radio module, web browser and all the usual cellphone amenities. Moving on, we've got the P35 PMP, which brings with it a 4.3-inch WQVGA touch panel, the outfit's SPINN platform, built-in mic / speaker, TV output, 16GB of storage, a microSD slot, USB 2.0, WiFi, DMB mobile TV (in certain regions) and support for basically every file format imaginable. Lastly, we've got the totally intriguing D50N Multimedia Networking Device. The MID-like unit serves primarily to surf the web and facilitate IM conversations, as it touts a 4.8-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, 16GB of NAND Flash and an e-dictionary (among other things). Pricing / availability have yet to be announced, but all the other juicy details are just beyond the break.

Continue reading iriver gets proper with WAVE WiFi phone, D50N PMP and P35 MID

Filed under: Cellphones, CES, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Networking

iriver gets proper with WAVE WiFi phone, D50N PMP and P35 MID originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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written by iPhone Fan

It seems that we see tiny projectors often, but never in actual phones or in devices I can imagine myself using. The tradition continued tonight with more prototype pico projectors from 3M.

They had two prototypes on view: one played video off SD cards, the other plugged into an iPhone and played videos off that. Unlike other pico projectors, these have an RGB LED inside rather than a straight white LED, which is a significant step forward. Both were very nice looking, but alas, both were mere prototypes. The projector the prototypes were based on is smaller than ever, which is great, but until we see these things built into actual phones rather than in relatively bulky separate devices, I don't know how far they'll go.

written by iPhone Fan

Detect language Arabic Bulgarian Catalan < option value = "zh-CN"> Chinese Croatian Czech Danish < / option> Dutch English Filipino Finnish French German Greek Hebrew Hindi Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian < option value = "no"> Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian < / option> Spanish Swedish Ukrainian Vietnamese > Arabic Bulgarian Catalan Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Filipino Finnish French German < option value = "el"> Greek Hebrew Hindi Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian < / option> Lithuanian Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Ukrainian Vietnamese swap < script> h = new _History (); ctr = new _TranslateForm (new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_sl', 'sl_select'), new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_tl', 'tl_select'), 'old_submit', 'submit_button' h, 'source ',' result_box ',' dict ',' auto trans', '/ translate', '/ translate_t' undefined); window.jstiming.load.tick ( 'prt') < input type = hidden name = value hl = en"> Google Home - About Google Translate � 2009 Google var gaJsHost = ((” https: “== document.location.protocol)?” https: / / ssl. “:” http://www. “); document.write (unescape (”% 3Cscript src = ' “+ gaJsHost +” google-analytics.com/ga.js' type =' text / javascript '% 3E% 3C/script% 3E “));< / script> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker ( “UA-1043770-1″); pageTracker._initData (); pageTracker._trackPageview ( “/ translate_t? hl = en & ie = ISO-8859 = -1 & langpair en | de “); Detect languageArabicBulgarianCatalanChineseCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHindiIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishUkrainianVietnamese > ArabicBulgarianCatalanChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHindiIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishUkrainianVietnamese swap h = new _History();ctr = new _TranslateForm(new _LanguageSelector(’old_sl’,’sl_select’),new _LanguageSelector(’old_tl’,'tl_select’),’old_submit’,’submit_button’, h,’source’,'result_box’,'dict’,'autotrans’,'/translate’,'/translate_t’,undefined);window.jstiming.load.tick(’prt’)Suggest a better translationThank you for contributing your translation suggestion to Google Translate.We'll use your suggestion to improve translation quality in future updates to our system.</ div> </ td> </ tr> <td <tr> class=submitcell> <div style=float:left> <select name=sl id=old_sl tabindex=0> <option class = line below value = "auto"> Detect language </ option> <option value="ar"> Arabic </ option> <option value="bg"> Bulgarian </ option> <option value="ca"> Catalan </ option> < option value = "zh-CN"> Chinese </ option> <option value="hr"> Croatian </ option> <option value="cs"> Czech </ option> <option value="da"> Danish < / option> <option value="nl"> Dutch </ option> <option SELECTED value="en"> English </ option> <option value="tl"> Filipino </ option> <option value = "fi" > Finnish </ option> <option value="fr"> French </ option> <option value="de"> German </ option> <option value="el"> Greek </ option> <option value = " iw "> Hebrew </ option> <option value="hi"> Hindi </ option> <option value="id"> Indonesian </ option> <option value="it"> Italian </ option> <option value = "yes"> Japanese </ option> <option value="ko"> Korean </ option> <option value="lv"> Latvian </ option> <option value="lt"> Lithuanian </ option> < option value = "no"> Norwegian </ option> <option value="pl"> Polish </ option> <option value="pt"> Portuguese </ option> <option value="ro"> Romanian </ option > <option value="ru"> Russian </ option> <option value="sr"> Serbian </ option> <option value="sk"> Slovak </ option> <option value="sl"> Slovenian < / option> <option value="es"> Spanish </ option> <option value="sv"> Swedish </ option> <option value="uk"> Ukrainian </ option> <option value="vi"> Vietnamese </ option> </ select> <span class=langselect id=sl_select> </ span> <span class="arrow" onclick="ctr._swap()">> </ span> <select name = id tl old_tl tabindex = = 0> <option value="ar"> Arabic </ option> <option value="bg"> Bulgarian </ option> <option value="ca"> Catalan </ option> <option value = " zh-CN "> Chinese (Simplified) </ option> <option value="zh-TW"> Chinese (Traditional) </ option> <option value="hr"> Croatian </ option> <option value =" cs "> Czech </ option> <option value="da"> Danish </ option> <option value="nl"> Dutch </ option> <option value="en"> English </ option> <option value = "tl"> Filipino </ option> <option value="fi"> Finnish </ option> <option value="fr"> French </ option> <option SELECTED value="de"> German </ option> < option value = "el"> Greek </ option> <option value="iw"> Hebrew </ option> <option value="hi"> Hindi </ option> <option value="id"> Indonesian </ option > <option value="it"> Italian </ option> <option value="ja"> Japanese </ option> <option value="ko"> Korean </ option> <option value="lv"> Latvian < / option> <option value="lt"> Lithuanian </ option> <option value="no"> Norwegian </ option> <option value="pl"> Polish </ option> <option value="pt"> Portuguese </ option> <option value="ro"> Romanian </ option> <option value="ru"> Russian </ option> <option value="sr"> Serbian </ option> <option value = "sk "> Slovak </ option> <option value="sl"> Slovenian </ option> <option value="es"> Spanish </ option> <option value="sv"> Swedish </ option> <option value = "uk"> Ukrainian </ option> <option value="vi"> Vietnamese </ option> </ select> <span class=langselect id=tl_select> </ span> <a class = swap href = "" onclick = "ctr._swap (); return false;"> swap </ a> </ div> <div style=float:right> <span class=subbutton id=submit_button> </ span> <input type = submit id = old_submit value = "Translate" tabindex = 0> </ div> </ td> <td> </ td> <td id=dict> </ td> </ tr> <td <tr> colspan=2> < script> h = new _History (); ctr = new _TranslateForm (new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_sl', 'sl_select'), new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_tl', 'tl_select'), 'old_submit', 'submit_button' h, 'source ',' result_box ',' dict ',' auto trans', '/ translate', '/ translate_t' undefined); window.jstiming.load.tick ( 'prt') </ script> </ td> <td align = right> <span id=zippyspan onclick="_rolldown()"> <img src = "http://www.google.com/mb/plus_sm.gif" style = "margin-right: 0.33em; visibility: hidden "id = zippyicon> </ span> </ td> </ tr> </ table> </ form> <table id=suggesttable> <tr> <td colspan=3> <div id = thanks style =" height: 0px; display: none "> <span style="padding:2px; background-color:#ff9" id=sug_thk> </ span> </ div> <form action =" / translate_suggestion "target = hidden_iframe method = post-id = suggestion_form style = "height: 0px; overflow: hidden; display: none" class = highlight onsubmit = "_submitroll ()">< input type = hidden name = value hl = en"> <input type = hidden name = oe value = "ISO-8859-1"> <input type=hidden name=text value=""> <input type=hidden name=langpair value="en|de"> <input type = hidden name = gtrans value = " "> <table id=suggesttable> <tr> <td width=49%> <span style="float: right; font-size:smaller" id=sug_exp> </ span> </ td> <td width = 2 rowspan = 2%> </ td> <td id=utranscell width=49%> <textarea name=utrans wrap=SOFT dir="ltr" rows=5 id=suggestion> </ textarea> </ td> </ tr > <tr> <td> </ td> <td ALIGN=RIGHT> <input type=submit value="Contribute"> </ td> </ tr> </ table> </ form> </ td> </ tr> </ table> <div class=footer> <a href="http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en"> Google Home </ a> - <a href = "http:/ / www.google.com / intl / en / help / faq_translation.html "> About Google Translate </ a> <br> <br> � 2009 Google </ div> <iframe name = hidden_iframe style =" display: none "> </ iframe> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = ((" https: "== document.location.protocol)?" https: / / ssl. ":" http://www. "); document.write (unescape ("% 3Cscript src = ' "+ gaJsHost +" google-analytics.com/ga.js' type =' text / javascript '% 3E% 3C/script% 3E "));< / script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker ( "UA-1043770-1"); pageTracker._initData (); pageTracker._trackPageview ( "/ translate_t? hl = en & ie = ISO-8859 = -1 & langpair en | de ");</ script> </ body> </ html>Google Home - About Google Translate©2009 Googlevar gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ?”https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);document.write(unescape(”%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost +”google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(”UA-1043770-1″);pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview(”/translate_t?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&langpair=de|en”);

written by iPhone Fan

Detect language Arabic Bulgarian Catalan < option value = "zh-CN"> Chinese Croatian Czech Danish < / option> Dutch English Filipino Finnish French German Greek Hebrew Hindi Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian < option value = "no"> Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian < / option> Spanish Swedish Ukrainian Vietnamese > Arabic Bulgarian Catalan Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Filipino Finnish French German < option value = "el"> Greek Hebrew Hindi Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian < / option> Lithuanian Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Ukrainian Vietnamese swap < script> h = new _History (); ctr = new _TranslateForm (new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_sl', 'sl_select'), new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_tl', 'tl_select'), 'old_submit', 'submit_button' h, 'source ',' result_box ',' dict ',' auto trans', '/ translate', '/ translate_t' undefined); window.jstiming.load.tick ( 'prt') < input type = hidden name = value hl = en"> Google Home - About Google Translate � 2009 Google var gaJsHost = ((” https: “== document.location.protocol)?” https: / / ssl. “:” http://www. “); document.write (unescape (”% 3Cscript src = ' “+ gaJsHost +” google-analytics.com/ga.js' type =' text / javascript '% 3E% 3C/script% 3E “));< / script> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker ( “UA-1043770-1″); pageTracker._initData (); pageTracker._trackPageview ( “/ translate_t? hl = en & ie = ISO-8859 = -1 & langpair en | de “); Detect languageArabicBulgarianCatalanChineseCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHindiIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishUkrainianVietnamese > ArabicBulgarianCatalanChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHindiIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishUkrainianVietnamese swap h = new _History();ctr = new _TranslateForm(new _LanguageSelector(’old_sl’,’sl_select’),new _LanguageSelector(’old_tl’,'tl_select’),’old_submit’,’submit_button’, h,’source’,'result_box’,'dict’,'autotrans’,'/translate’,'/translate_t’,undefined);window.jstiming.load.tick(’prt’)Suggest a better translationThank you for contributing your translation suggestion to Google Translate.We'll use your suggestion to improve translation quality in future updates to our system.</ div> </ td> </ tr> <td <tr> class=submitcell> <div style=float:left> <select name=sl id=old_sl tabindex=0> <option class = line below value = "auto"> Detect language </ option> <option value="ar"> Arabic </ option> <option value="bg"> Bulgarian </ option> <option value="ca"> Catalan </ option> < option value = "zh-CN"> Chinese </ option> <option value="hr"> Croatian </ option> <option value="cs"> Czech </ option> <option value="da"> Danish < / option> <option value="nl"> Dutch </ option> <option SELECTED value="en"> English </ option> <option value="tl"> Filipino </ option> <option value = "fi" > Finnish </ option> <option value="fr"> French </ option> <option value="de"> German </ option> <option value="el"> Greek </ option> <option value = " iw "> Hebrew </ option> <option value="hi"> Hindi </ option> <option value="id"> Indonesian </ option> <option value="it"> Italian </ option> <option value = "yes"> Japanese </ option> <option value="ko"> Korean </ option> <option value="lv"> Latvian </ option> <option value="lt"> Lithuanian </ option> < option value = "no"> Norwegian </ option> <option value="pl"> Polish </ option> <option value="pt"> Portuguese </ option> <option value="ro"> Romanian </ option > <option value="ru"> Russian </ option> <option value="sr"> Serbian </ option> <option value="sk"> Slovak </ option> <option value="sl"> Slovenian < / option> <option value="es"> Spanish </ option> <option value="sv"> Swedish </ option> <option value="uk"> Ukrainian </ option> <option value="vi"> Vietnamese </ option> </ select> <span class=langselect id=sl_select> </ span> <span class="arrow" onclick="ctr._swap()">> </ span> <select name = id tl old_tl tabindex = = 0> <option value="ar"> Arabic </ option> <option value="bg"> Bulgarian </ option> <option value="ca"> Catalan </ option> <option value = " zh-CN "> Chinese (Simplified) </ option> <option value="zh-TW"> Chinese (Traditional) </ option> <option value="hr"> Croatian </ option> <option value =" cs "> Czech </ option> <option value="da"> Danish </ option> <option value="nl"> Dutch </ option> <option value="en"> English </ option> <option value = "tl"> Filipino </ option> <option value="fi"> Finnish </ option> <option value="fr"> French </ option> <option SELECTED value="de"> German </ option> < option value = "el"> Greek </ option> <option value="iw"> Hebrew </ option> <option value="hi"> Hindi </ option> <option value="id"> Indonesian </ option > <option value="it"> Italian </ option> <option value="ja"> Japanese </ option> <option value="ko"> Korean </ option> <option value="lv"> Latvian < / option> <option value="lt"> Lithuanian </ option> <option value="no"> Norwegian </ option> <option value="pl"> Polish </ option> <option value="pt"> Portuguese </ option> <option value="ro"> Romanian </ option> <option value="ru"> Russian </ option> <option value="sr"> Serbian </ option> <option value = "sk "> Slovak </ option> <option value="sl"> Slovenian </ option> <option value="es"> Spanish </ option> <option value="sv"> Swedish </ option> <option value = "uk"> Ukrainian </ option> <option value="vi"> Vietnamese </ option> </ select> <span class=langselect id=tl_select> </ span> <a class = swap href = "" onclick = "ctr._swap (); return false;"> swap </ a> </ div> <div style=float:right> <span class=subbutton id=submit_button> </ span> <input type = submit id = old_submit value = "Translate" tabindex = 0> </ div> </ td> <td> </ td> <td id=dict> </ td> </ tr> <td <tr> colspan=2> < script> h = new _History (); ctr = new _TranslateForm (new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_sl', 'sl_select'), new _LanguageSelector ( 'old_tl', 'tl_select'), 'old_submit', 'submit_button' h, 'source ',' result_box ',' dict ',' auto trans', '/ translate', '/ translate_t' undefined); window.jstiming.load.tick ( 'prt') </ script> </ td> <td align = right> <span id=zippyspan onclick="_rolldown()"> <img src = "http://www.google.com/mb/plus_sm.gif" style = "margin-right: 0.33em; visibility: hidden "id = zippyicon> </ span> </ td> </ tr> </ table> </ form> <table id=suggesttable> <tr> <td colspan=3> <div id = thanks style =" height: 0px; display: none "> <span style="padding:2px; background-color:#ff9" id=sug_thk> </ span> </ div> <form action =" / translate_suggestion "target = hidden_iframe method = post-id = suggestion_form style = "height: 0px; overflow: hidden; display: none" class = highlight onsubmit = "_submitroll ()">< input type = hidden name = value hl = en"> <input type = hidden name = oe value = "ISO-8859-1"> <input type=hidden name=text value=""> <input type=hidden name=langpair value="en|de"> <input type = hidden name = gtrans value = " "> <table id=suggesttable> <tr> <td width=49%> <span style="float: right; font-size:smaller" id=sug_exp> </ span> </ td> <td width = 2 rowspan = 2%> </ td> <td id=utranscell width=49%> <textarea name=utrans wrap=SOFT dir="ltr" rows=5 id=suggestion> </ textarea> </ td> </ tr > <tr> <td> </ td> <td ALIGN=RIGHT> <input type=submit value="Contribute"> </ td> </ tr> </ table> </ form> </ td> </ tr> </ table> <div class=footer> <a href="http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en"> Google Home </ a> - <a href = "http:/ / www.google.com / intl / en / help / faq_translation.html "> About Google Translate </ a> <br> <br> � 2009 Google </ div> <iframe name = hidden_iframe style =" display: none "> </ iframe> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = ((" https: "== document.location.protocol)?" https: / / ssl. ":" http://www. "); document.write (unescape ("% 3Cscript src = ' "+ gaJsHost +" google-analytics.com/ga.js' type =' text / javascript '% 3E% 3C/script% 3E "));< / script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker ( "UA-1043770-1"); pageTracker._initData (); pageTracker._trackPageview ( "/ translate_t? hl = en & ie = ISO-8859 = -1 & langpair en | de ");</ script> </ body> </ html>Google Home - About Google Translate©2009 Googlevar gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ?”https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);document.write(unescape(”%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost +”google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(”UA-1043770-1″);pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview(”/translate_t?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&langpair=de|en”);

written by iPhone Fan

Ford and Microsoft's Sync is already pretty great—and the new generation Sync that S-Balm's revealing at this very moment at his keynote is better—turn-by-turn voice direction and more, cooed by Sync's lovely Samantha.

Sync has never tackled nav info, so it'll be interesting to see how this pans out. The traffic service will send you a text message with alerts along your route, which is then read aloud by the system. Ford reckons this will save you gas and time.

The turn-by-turn feature sounds great: say the name of a business, category of business or address and get turn by turn directions spoken to you. You can also call up the business found via your Bluetooth phone.

And better yet, your Sync settings and info is all saved to your phone, and can be used in any Sync vehicle you climb into, all the while keeping the grade-a iPod/iPhone/musicphone integration.

Pictured: Sync 1.0, via our friends at Jalopnik, who have more on the next-gen Sync as well.

NEW FORD SYNC FEATURES HELP DRIVERS SAVE TIME, FUEL WITH PERSONALIZED NEWS, TRAFFIC DETAILS

• SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information provides personalized, real-time information to help drivers get to where they’re going with information they need. New services come with no monthly subscription fees for the first three years.
• Users’ customizations stay with their phone and can be used in other SYNC-equipped vehicles and can be upgraded free as new services are available.
• New features launch later this year on select 2010 models and will roll out across the entire Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury lineup by 2011.
• SYNC sales expected to top 1 million in 2009.

LAS VEGAS, JAN.7, 2009 – Ford is expanding its connectivity leadership by introducing exclusive new SYNC real-time information features that deliver personalized news updates to drivers’ mobile phones while helping them navigate around trouble spots, saving time and fuel.

“Our vision with SYNC is to be a leader in connectivity, making it affordable for millions – just as Ford has done with safety and fuel-saving technologies,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “In less than 18 months since we launched SYNC, Ford has delivered two more major new features, and we have more in store.

“We are a car company that through market-driven, customer-focused innovation is learning to think and act like an electronics company, leveraging partnerships with fresh, innovative technology leaders,” added Mulally, who delivered the Consumer Electronics Show keynote address on Thursday.

The success of SYNC – the award-winning communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft – continues to grow. Ford’s game-changing vehicle connectivity model and affordability have helped make it one of the widest technology introductions in the industry, launching on 12 vehicles simultaneously.

SYNC-equipped Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles sell nearly twice as fast as those without, and a Ford survey of SYNC customers showed nearly 80 percent of respondents “definitely would” recommend it to a friend.

Since the introduction of SYNC in the 2008 Ford Focus, Ford quickly has integrated the technology. By summer 2009, Ford’s entire North American lineup will offer this must-have technology, demonstrating its rapid, consumer-driven adoption. Ford expects to have 1 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road by the third quarter of 2009.

“We define connectivity as a way to keep people moving through their lives – not simply as an on-board computer,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “Our approach focuses on connecting people to the information they need, whenever and wherever they need it. These new features are aimed at enhancing the driver’s entire quality of life.”

Ford’s next-generation system – SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information – leverages industry-leading voice-recognition software, integrated GPS technology and a customer’s Bluetooth-capable mobile phone. Debuting this spring, it will provide simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise turn-by-turn driving directions and up-to-date information including business listings, news, sports and weather.

The new services will be available on nearly all 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models with no initial monthly subscription fees, thanks to three years of service included with a new vehicle purchase.

“Ford is unique because we continue to build on the power of the SYNC system that lets customers connect to off-board services through their own mobile devices,” said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford’s Connected Services Organization. “With that foundation, there is no limit to the data we can offer. Working with our partners – the best of the best in the technology world – we will continue to provide new services in a timeframe on par with the consumer electronics industry.”

According to 2008 year-end data, Smartphones were a clear consumer must-have, offering such advanced capabilities as a keyboard, Web browser and some PC-like functionality. Research findings suggest that growth in this industry is expected to continue at 40-percent year-over-year.

SYNC’s new suite of services allows customers the ability to integrate with off-board services and provide a personalized infotainment experience to the driver by utilizing the customer’s own phone. That powerful match is what differentiates SYNC in the marketplace and what will expand Ford’s connectivity leadership long-term.

“Today, Ford leads the industry leader in infotainment,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development. “As we transform our vehicle lineup, we intend to continue making smart technology a key differentiator for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products.”

Ford is partnering with Microsoft and other recognized companies – INRIX, TeleNav, Tellme (a Microsoft subsidiary), M/A-COM and Airbiquity — to enable the new services to connect to real-time data.

“We’re excited to see Ford's great innovations developed on top of our Microsoft Auto platform that continue to improve how people spend time in their car,” says Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division.
“The combination of software and services, including the industry leading technology from Microsoft Auto and Tellme, are delivering entirely new voice-enabled experiences that make the time spent in the car more entertaining and more productive,” Bach added.

To take advantage of Traffic, Directions and Information, customers simply have to pair their Bluetooth-enabled phone with SYNC and activate the service via www.syncmyride.com.
Once that’s complete, the feature becomes “portable,” meaning customers can access the information in any Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle equipped with SYNC and the Traffic, Directions and Information function.

TRAFFIC
SYNC’s new traffic feature will literally save drivers time and money by providing personalized traffic reports based on best-in-class content.

“We are able to provide traffic speed, flow and incident information to drivers in 95 markets nationwide,” said VanDagens. “In addition, drivers can personalize the system to alert them of changing road conditions.”

In a text message to the user’s device, drivers will get the location and severity of accidents or new road construction causing areas of heavy congestion. Users can personalize the system to send them an alert before they leave home or have SYNC read the text message in their vehicle.

“SYNC is working for you before you’re even out of bed,” VanDagens said. “That’s what we mean by a quality-of-life experience.”

DIRECTIONS
According to Telematics Research Group, Inc., navigation-enabled mobile phones are becoming consumers’ top choice for navigation services. This shift will open up new applications and services – and SYNC is positioned to take full advantage of this market shift using its powerful partnership network.

Drivers requesting directions now can use a variety of search criteria including a 14-million-plus business directory to find their destination, be it a favorite coffee shop or the location of a business meeting.

Turn-by-turn directions are downloaded to the vehicle and are spoken to the user over the vehicle’s audio system and displayed on the radio.

Like the new traffic service, directions incorporate real-time traffic information. Through a set of more conversational voice commands, the user need only speak the name, category or “nearest.”

The new directions service also offers users a choice of how they’d like to receive the information:
• Automatic connection to business telephone using the driver’s personal device;
• Turn-by-turn directions to the business location using the vehicle’s audio system; or
• Text message to user’s device with business listing and map.

Information
Another new feature of SYNC will help drivers’ personalize and categorize their favorite media topics, such as sports, weather and news using voice commands or through www.syncmyride.com.

Examples include:
• Personalized sports reports featuring scores and highlights for any professional or college team;
• Current weather conditions and forecasts based on city, state or zip-code; and
• News of all types – entertainment, business, top stories and technology.

“SYNC has been developed to allow users to create their own experiences,” said VanDagens. “Some people may wish to check their stock portfolios; others might want their hometown baseball scores. With SYNC’s unique architecture and the powerful Tellme voice service, there are no boundaries to the information users can access.”

New short-cuts added
SYNC has gotten smarter as well, and is providing a variety of new “short-cut” commands. Users recall comments such as, “Call Joe at work,” and, “Play artist ACDC.” New commands include, “traffic to work,” and, “directions to home.” Using the website, users can save a variety of locations such as home, office and airport – any location in the U.S.

These new capabilities are in addition to SYNC’s established hallmark suite of services, from hands-free, voice-activated cell phone, text messaging and digital media player integration to the more recent security and convenience additions of 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report.

“We understand how important it is for customers to feel connected to their lives – even on the road,” Kuzak said. “Ford is committed to continue working with the top technology companies in the business to deliver even more of the features consumers really want.”

written by iPhone Fan