Sync Applink?

[182RG]

Looks like now it is confirmed. No Applink.

 

[TripFoeYa]

AppLink will not be available on MFT; please do not shoot the messenger.

Wow! Why even continue to manufacturer your most advanced tech (MFT) if it will never support your most advanced features? Seems to me that Ford is shooting themselves in the foot on this one from a marketing and consumer perspective. This field is only going to accelerate. Unless Ford does a complete revamp of their tech interface they will have to continue living a double life with SYNC and MFT and AppLink being separate.

I couldn't be more disappointed.

 

[peterk9]

Wow! Why even continue to manufacturer your most advanced tech (MFT) if it will never support your most advanced features? Seems to me that Ford is shooting themselves in the foot on this one from a marketing and consumer perspective. This field is only going to accelerate. Unless Ford does a complete revamp of their tech interface they will have to continue living a double life with SYNC and MFT and AppLink being separate.

I couldn't be more disappointed.

I can understand the disppointment you and many others may feel but not everyone NEEDS Applink. I don't. Ford recently hired ex Cadillac VP, Don Butler to lead a new Connected Vehicle and Services division so who knows what may be available in the near future.
http://fordauthority.us2.list-manag...d9e661ff88d81afbf2&id=4416ca4eb4&e=c08d6cad1d

Peter

 

[TripFoeYa]

I can understand the disppointment you and many others may feel but not everyone NEEDS Applink. I don't. Ford recently hired ex Cadillac VP, Don Butler to lead a new Connected Vehicle and Services division so who knows what may be available in the near future.
http://fordauthority.us2.list-manag...d9e661ff88d81afbf2&id=4416ca4eb4&e=c08d6cad1d

Peter

I get that not everyone needs and/or wants AppLink, each persons situation is different. But we are in 2014 now and the advancements in technology are moving faster than ever. For someone who keeps their purchased vehicle for 8-10 years and knowing now and much more so in the future how advanced the technology will be. My vehicle will be outdated before I even know it. And being a tech person, that just plain old sucks. Maybe Don Butler will realize this and throw us MFT guys a bone.

 

[davlee88]

I get that not everyone needs and/or wants AppLink, each persons situation is different. But we are in 2014 now and the advancements in technology are moving faster than ever. For someone who keeps their purchased vehicle for 8-10 years and knowing now and much more so in the future how advanced the technology will be. My vehicle will be outdated before I even know it. And being a tech person, that just plain old sucks. Maybe Don Butler will realize this and throw us MFT guys a bone.

MFT is already outdated. disappointed indeed. Even hyundai has applink in their cars. I guess people dont know how difficult it is to change a station on pandora or slacker from you smart phone while driving.

 

[anonymous]

This technology was probably developed in the early 2000's. Car architecture determines what is feasible. This vehicle was first introduced in 2011 and it has a lot of features for for cars that were introduced in that timeframe IMO.

The 2010 Equinox was all new and doesn't even have dual zone air conditioning and that was on a newer platform. GM can't easily add it to that vehicle due to the limitations of that platform. I'm sure they'd love to add it since most of its competition has dual zone, but it's not easy to do given the constraints of the platform that SUV currently sits on.

It's not as simple to update that stuff as most people think.

I think Ford has done a great job with what they have. Would applink be cool, sure. Would I use it much... probably not.

 

[alex101]

Any apps available for Ford Explorer 2014?

Are there any apps available for Ford Explorer 2014?
I noticed that it is possible to install apps by yourself.
Not sure where I am supposed to get those apps.

I wish there was a marketplace of such apps...

 

[ARS1]

I too wish they would get this going. I use pandora on mine a lot and wish I could change stations and such as well as switching tracks. Its a pain to grab the phone and do it. Personally I think a $40k+ vehicle should have the "latest" technology not just some of it.

 

[Lewisra]

I you have MFT, no apps. Just SYNC, Google it.

 

[peterk9]

Are there any apps available for Ford Explorer 2014?
I noticed that it is possible to install apps by yourself.
Not sure where I am supposed to get those apps.

I wish there was a marketplace of such apps...

As indicated in my PM, I have merged your thread with this one that should answer your question.

Peter

 

[ieee_raider]

It's not as simple to update that stuff as most people think.

Bologna. It's just software. The bluetooth interface is already there.
It might not be a 5 minute project, but it shouldn't be a 3-year project.
I can understand and appreciate that they initially wanted to spend time refining and fixing MFT. But at this point, that honeymoon is over. Make AppLink work.

 

[anonymous]

If it were THAT easy i'm sure it would already have been done. I assure you it's not THAT easy. You think Ford doesn't see it as a black eye that their premiere system doesn't run something that their "lessor" systems can run.

 

[kaelin]

If it were THAT easy i'm sure it would already have been done. I assure you it's not THAT easy. You think Ford doesn't see it as a black eye that their premiere system doesn't run something that their "lessor" systems can run.

The hardware is there. They already have software written to interface with their cheaper systems. The user interface is the easy part. I have worked with some poor software architectures that were just a pain to implement anything new into. Maybe that is the problem. Or it could be contract issues with XM. It would just be nice to know what the issue is and if we are ever going to see it. I'm afraid the answer is we are not going to see it but they can't tell us that as it would hurt sales.
MFT has been very stable for me since the last release but so many other auto companies are quickly passing Ford tech-wise. A MFT update would help put my confidence back in Ford even if it were just to catch back up to the other companies.

 

[anonymous]

Where do you feel these companies are passing Ford up? Apps that prolly won't be used anyway. I don't see myself ordering a pizza anytime soon from an app on my headunit and I damn sure don't want several other million people doing that.

 

[13Sport]

Where do you feel these companies are passing Ford up? Apps that prolly won't be used anyway. I don't see myself ordering a pizza anytime soon from an app on my headunit and I damn sure don't want several other million people doing that.

Navigation apps, radio apps, car diagnostic and gauge apps, apps for things like dining/reservations/hotels, apps for finding and reserving parking, apps for event directions and guidance, apps for auto tours, apps for companies that have fleets, apps for many other things that haven't been thought of yet. Very myopic to only consider what is currently available when thinking about the possibilities of what it could be used for. Creativity and innovation is being stymied by the lack of support for MFT vehicles.

 

[ieee_raider]

I'm really beginning to think it's an agreement with SIRIUS/XM ... The only reason I have a subscription is because I can't have my streaming radio (pandora, tunein, etc.) integrated into MFT.

 

[broken strut]

I'm really beginning to think it's an agreement with SIRIUS/XM ... The only reason I have a subscription is because I can't have my streaming radio (pandora, tunein, etc.) integrated into MFT.

BINGO!!!!! We have a winner. Wait? Don't the lesser systems also have Sirius XM as well?

 

[ieee_raider]

BINGO!!!!! We have a winner. Wait? Don't the lesser systems also have Sirius XM as well?

Hmmm.

 

[182RG]

I'm really beginning to think it's an agreement with SIRIUS/XM ... The only reason I have a subscription is because I can't have my streaming radio (pandora, tunein, etc.) integrated into MFT.

Meh..I think it's hardware shortcomings. Regular Sync has Sirius/XM AND Applink.

Not enough memory or CPU or both to drive both MFT and AppLink. APIM was underspec'd (think cost cutting), and MFT software is too bloated to share resources (this is known). Even today, with 3.6.2, MFT is slooowww. Stable, but slow. I'll take stable....

I'm guessing as big of a PR problem that the MFT caused (performance, stability), Ford doesn't want to do anything to degrade performance. Or they simply can't make it work with the configuration.

Mount an iPad, run it through bluetooth, and be done. Sad but true....

 

[13Sport]

Meh..I think it's hardware shortcomings. Regular Sync has Sirius/XM AND Applink.

Not enough memory or CPU or both to drive both MFT and AppLink. APIM was underspec'd (think cost cutting), and MFT software is too bloated to share resources (this is known). Even today, with 3.6.2, MFT is slooowww.

I'm guessing as big of a PR problem that the MFT caused (performance, stability), Ford doesn't want to do anything to degrade performance. Or they simply can't make it work with the configuration.

The hardware is more than sufficient (has been discussed at length in other posts), MFT is very inefficient though, still based on Flash. It's possible that in order for applink to work with MFT they would have to scrap flash and start over (something they should have done a long time ago anyway).