Getting in Sync

The economy sucks. This isn’t news to most people, but it’s why I’ve spent the last two years paying off my credit cards instead of buying all the toys I wanted for myself and my family. So naturally as soon as I get my credit cards paid off, something bad happens. As usual I’m getting ahead of myself…

I awoke Monday morning to a winter wonderland. Virginia typically doesn’t get much snow each winter, so everytime it does happen, it’s an event. Starting Sunday afternoon, the skies darkened, the temperature dropped, and snow began falling. Not much at first, but through the night it was pretty steady and by Monday morning we had close to 5-inches. Those of you (ahem) blessed by more regular snowfall would look at 5 inches of this stuff and carry on with your day-to-day routine. In Virginia this ALMOST qualifies as an apolocolyptic event. So schools were closed, local governments had their liberal leave policies activated, and local grocery stores soon ran out of milk, bread, and toilet paper.

For me it was just another day. OK, the kids (aged 12 and 14) couldn’t go to school but my wife and I trust them to probably not do any permanent harm to either themselves, our home, or the general surrounding area for the 7-9 hours we wouldn’t be there. My wife had already left by the time I trudged out to my 11-year old Ford Explorer expecting to just put it in 4-wheel drive for maybe the 7th time since I’ve owned it (like I said it doesn’t snow much here) and go to work. It started up fine and when I put it in reverse it moved maybe 6-inches when a heartstopping THUD noise sounded from the vehicle and it refused to back up. Yes, my transmission (at least reverse) just died and it would cost me somewhere between 3-4 thousand dollars to get it fixed. Not happening with an 11-year old car that was already nickel and diming me to death.

So it was time to get a new car. I had already halfway been looking and it was down to three vehicles all highly rated. Two were Fords (the Flex and the Edge) and the other was a Scion (the XB, essentially a Toyota Camry with a different body). All three had much going for them but we decided on the Flex. Not out of any Flag-waving, only buy American patriotic duty, but because we needed a larger family vehicle since my wife has an older Nissan that holds about 4 people (5 if they’re REALLY friendly). So off to a local Ford Dealer who was truly desperate to make a deal and sold me the car almost 1/4 off sticker between incentives and few other discounts.

The Flex is truly a nice vehicle. Very solid, nice “not exactly neck-wrenching” acceleration and seating for up to 7-8 people. One of the few options this car had out of the normal was the stereo. Ford has entered into a Partnership with Microsoft to use what is called “Sync”. This aptly named system syncs to your phone and digital music player for hands free, voice activated communication and entertainment. The two available for my Flex are at pretty extreme different price points. One is built into a DVD/Satellite updated navigation system that also streams video to either two headrest mounted screens for the rear or one center mounted screen for over $2000. It has touch controls built into the screen along with voice activation and the demo I was given blew me away! Really impressive and totally not the one I got. For about 1/6th of THAT price, you get a more standard radio with mostly voice activated controls and the kids better know how to play most road-sanctioned card games because they aren’t going to be watching video from this system.

Syncing my phone was not too much trouble. Micosoft’s Sync system gives you a number to sync the system to your phone using BlueTooth. I currently use a Motorola Razr V3 and the controls on it really suck. I was able to turn on the BlueTooth without too much trouble, but trying to get to the screen to enter in the sync number was not intuitive. Eventually I got it to work. I then connected up my iPod to a USB port built into the center console and the system immediately saw that too. I activated Sync from my steering wheel and a friendly slightly robotic female voice asked what I wanted to do next. Now at this point I have three options, I can say “phone” and the system will ask me what to do from there. You know call someone from my address book (though if you have multiple listings it can be a lesson in frustration) or ask it dial a number from voice command. All the controls to turn this off or on or to hang up a call is right there on your steering wheel. Pretty slick. Where it gets weird is with your digital player. You can connect it to an aux port through your headphone jack and control it directly from the device. You can also connect it to the aforementioned USB port which has the added benefit of charging the device (if it charges in this way). If it’s connected to the USB port, you can select content by saying either the song or artist. This usually works but sometimes has some frustrating limitations. You have to say it EXACTLY right or the system will go off on a tangent and give you 3 or 4 options to choose from. OK, that’s fine but it will go through EVERY option before letting you speak. Usually none of the options are what you really wanted so you have to turn off voice requests and then turn it back on to try again.

It seems the system is well aware of Nirvana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Who, and selected comedy bits from Robin Williams (most of which are totally unappropriate for kids who naturally are in the car as it occurs). It doesn’t seem to like the Beatles. It DOES like AC/DC but not Jimmy Buffett. It will blast out Ozzy Osbourne, but ignore repeated requests for Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra. It does seem to get requests for the MyMac.com podcast, the Geekiest Show Ever, and Dawn and Drew. It seems to have a hate on for Leo Laporte because any request for TWIT or Mac Break Weekly is ignored for Heavy Metal or comedians talking about sex and drugs.

Much of this is most likely my fault in that I’m still mostly unfamiliar with Sync. Eventually we’ll come a truce and I’ll just learn to live with some of the odd suggestions of entertainment it has decided I need to listen to.