Apple’s talks with Volkswagen have created a frisson of excitement about a possible “iCar”, but Microsoft will be first to embed itself into auto entertainment through its partnership with Ford.

The two companies drove an SUV model and a Ford Focus into San Francisco this week to demonstrate their Sync system, which will debut in a Focus model next month.

Sync’s main strengths are its sophisticated phone functions and a USB connection on the dashboard that can turn any portable music player into an in-car entertainment system.

The in-car phone uses Bluetooth to tap a connection from the user’s cellphone and also drags contacts and “previous call” lists from it. Voice commands are recognised allowing users to speak contacts’ names and order calls, plus incoming text messages will be converted and read out by the system.

Any music stored on the phone can also be streamed via Bluetooth and one Microsoft engineer successfully managed to stream a UK internet radio station through the browser on his smartphone.

Anything containing music that has a USB connection can be played over the system, including a simple memory stick. Sync reads the metadata on the music files and displays titles on the dashboard. It also allows the driver to speak commands such as “Play Album Back to Black”, “Play Playlist Dancemix” and even “Play Genre Jazz” or “Play Similar Music.”

Sync’s software and connections will come as standard on all Ford’s Lincoln cars and a $395 option on other models. Ford has exclusive rights for 18 months to the software and sees it as giving it a big advantage over other systems such as Chrysler’s MyGIG.

The research firm iSuppli said today that the global auto infotainment market was worth $32bn last year and will grow to $52bn in 2012.

Despite a recent meeting between Apple CEO Steve Jobs and his Volkswagen counterpart Martin Winterkorn, it predicts any iCar would be three or four years away, going on the standard production timetable of the auto industry.

September 12th, 2007 in Digital media, Mobile | Permalink