Ford_News
11-30-2010, 04:28 PM
Filed under: Technology (http://www.autoblog.com/category/tech/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/), Fiat (http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/blue-and-me.jpg (http://www.freep.com/article/20101128/COL14/11280448/1331/BUSINESS01/Ford-may-soon-lose-a-competitive-Sync-edge)
It recognizes hundreds of voice commands. It will interface with your Bluetooth-enabled smart phone. It was co-developed with Microsoft. Sounds like Ford's (http://autoblog.com/make/ford/) popular SYNC tech, right? Sure does, but it also smacks of Fiat's (http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat/) Blue & Me system that has been in production in Europe since 2007. The technology will be available stateside when the tiny Fiat 500 (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/fiat+500) goes on sale early in 2011. The cost? $500 in a base 500, and the system is standard on uplevel Sport and Lounge models.
Like the Fiat 500 itself, Blue & Me certainly sound compelling, but it's one small niche product in a sea of cars, trucks and crossovers. Perhaps more significant is the fact that Fiat's infotainment tech could be available in Chrysler products as early as 2012. And while B&M apparently doesn't do everything as well as SYNC, it also carries some advantages of its own. For instance, 500 Sport and Lounge buyers can shell out an extra $400 for an optional Tom Tom navigation system that interfaces with the voice command system. Fiat also enables drivers to download their driving habits to a USB stick and load it to a website called Eco:Ville. The site will process the data and give drivers tips for more efficient driving.
So will Blue & Me become as popular as SYNC? Who knows, but at the very least it's nice to see that competition for Ford's system is on the way.
Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Fiat 500 (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/002011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578720)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/012011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578722)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/022011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578723)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/032011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578725)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/042011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578726)
[Source: Detroit Free Press (http://www.freep.com/article/20101128/COL14/11280448/1331/BUSINESS01/Ford-may-soon-lose-a-competitive-Sync-edge)]Will Ford's Sync lose ground to Fiat's Blue & Me? (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/30/will-fords-sync-lose-ground-to-fiats-blue-and-me/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Read (http://www.freep.com/article/20101128/COL14/11280448/1331/BUSINESS01/Ford-may-soon-lose-a-competitive-Sync-edge) | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/30/will-fords-sync-lose-ground-to-fiats-blue-and-me/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19737318/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/30/will-fords-sync-lose-ground-to-fiats-blue-and-me/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/30/will-fords-sync-lose-ground-to-fiats-blue-and-me/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/blue-and-me.jpg (http://www.freep.com/article/20101128/COL14/11280448/1331/BUSINESS01/Ford-may-soon-lose-a-competitive-Sync-edge)
It recognizes hundreds of voice commands. It will interface with your Bluetooth-enabled smart phone. It was co-developed with Microsoft. Sounds like Ford's (http://autoblog.com/make/ford/) popular SYNC tech, right? Sure does, but it also smacks of Fiat's (http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat/) Blue & Me system that has been in production in Europe since 2007. The technology will be available stateside when the tiny Fiat 500 (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/fiat+500) goes on sale early in 2011. The cost? $500 in a base 500, and the system is standard on uplevel Sport and Lounge models.
Like the Fiat 500 itself, Blue & Me certainly sound compelling, but it's one small niche product in a sea of cars, trucks and crossovers. Perhaps more significant is the fact that Fiat's infotainment tech could be available in Chrysler products as early as 2012. And while B&M apparently doesn't do everything as well as SYNC, it also carries some advantages of its own. For instance, 500 Sport and Lounge buyers can shell out an extra $400 for an optional Tom Tom navigation system that interfaces with the voice command system. Fiat also enables drivers to download their driving habits to a USB stick and load it to a website called Eco:Ville. The site will process the data and give drivers tips for more efficient driving.
So will Blue & Me become as popular as SYNC? Who knows, but at the very least it's nice to see that competition for Ford's system is on the way.
Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Fiat 500 (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/002011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578720)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/012011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578722)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/022011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578723)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/032011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578725)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/042011fiat500_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/la-2010-2011-fiat-500/#3578726)
[Source: Detroit Free Press (http://www.freep.com/article/20101128/COL14/11280448/1331/BUSINESS01/Ford-may-soon-lose-a-competitive-Sync-edge)]Will Ford's Sync lose ground to Fiat's Blue & Me? (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/30/will-fords-sync-lose-ground-to-fiats-blue-and-me/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Read (http://www.freep.com/article/20101128/COL14/11280448/1331/BUSINESS01/Ford-may-soon-lose-a-competitive-Sync-edge) | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/30/will-fords-sync-lose-ground-to-fiats-blue-and-me/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19737318/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/30/will-fords-sync-lose-ground-to-fiats-blue-and-me/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/30/will-fords-sync-lose-ground-to-fiats-blue-and-me/)