back to article Ford offers natter-interface car software in Europe

Ford will offer voice-operated controls on its European models, using software provided by Nuance, it was announced yesterday. Nuance, which merged with ScanSoft in 2005, offers a range of voice-control and text-to-speech solutions. The company's VoCon® speech recognition and RealSpeak™ text-to-Speech platforms are being …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. AD

    !new

    This isn't new tech- my 2006 Mondeo has the bluetooth and voice control module. Press the voice button on the end of one of the stalks and then I can tell it to change cd track/disk, radio, make phone calls, change the aircon settings, control the satnav. Is this news because Ford has changed supplier?

  2. leslie
    IT Angle

    not new really

    CarPc users/builders have used voice control of some functions for years now, it may be new in a sold (car)product, but its not breaking ground

  3. JRallo
    Coat

    Here in the states...

    It's an offering from M$ that powers the voice control....

    Tho, will be interesting when a virus infects the Windows Powered Focus and it takes over the world! (Tho, then we could just switch to hydrogen fuel and the Focus would just starve to death.)

  4. Timbo
    Unhappy

    ...and still no DAB as standard

    When is Ford going to make fitting combination DAB/FM radio's as standard? It was supposed to happen ages ago...but still it hasn't....

  5. Paul Howie
    Thumb Up

    My new model Mondeo has this already

    It comes along with the integrated Bluetooth handsfree kit.

    It's pretty good too. Controls the radio, cd changer, climate control, phone and satnav with simple prompted voice commands. No training needed, either for the software or the user.

  6. Paul

    Wonder why...

    ...they didn't use the same Microsoft powered software as in the US models? Or better, why didn't they use the non-MS version the Euro models will apparently have in the US models?

    Because we all know how reliable Microsoft software can be. Yet Ford are proudly telling us all that it's a Microsoft system in their adverts here. Sure makes me want to rush out and buy...anything BUT a new Ford/Lincoln/Mercury.

    [click][bing-bing]Play artist Dave Matthews.

    ...pause...

    "General protection fault in MSVOXCTL.DLL. Please take your vehicle to the nearest Ford stealership to be rebooted."

    Classic cars are looking better and better...

  7. heystoopid
    Joke

    Say

    Say they obviously did not learn from the Japanese when they installed this device on their cars as an extra of the moment as they normally do !

    Most end users were so tired of being nagged by their mobile play toys that the speakers attached to the device were usually permanently disconnected for some unfathomable reason ?

This topic is closed for new posts.