You've got the internet on your phone, your watch, your laptop, your ipod...but what about your car?

The internet is everywhere! And now, you can access it while you're on the road.



New York Times Blogger on the Ford Sync Service
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/01/07/technology/1247466433766/ces-2010-the-internet-in-your-car.html

Official Site:
http://www.fordvehicles.com/innovation/sync/?searchid=426441%7C28125565%7C205373340




-Updated Sync Service to the interent: Summer 2010
-Price of Taurus Sho: $37,995
-Julius Marchwicki: Product Manager with FORD, connective services division
-Passengers Cellphone into a gateway to the internet
-Everything is coming from the phone itself via Bluetooth wireless link
-USB Inputs
-Cars that have SYNC services: Lincoln, Mercury, Ford, Kia
-Created with Microsoft
-three screen console
-Reads tweets aloud via OpenBeak, Doesn't have approvable to respond to tweets
-Internet Radio Services: Pandora and Stitcher
-Up and coming services: Audio/temp settings. MyFord Touch
-Buttons are placed on steering wheel
-Ford's sync service was developed by Microsoft, which came out in 2007. In 2007 it made phone calls, GPS
-Ford CEO Alan Mulally
-Presented at Consumer Electronics Show in New York City January 7th


Services:
*Traffic, directions, information services provided by IVRIX
*911 Assist
*Voice-activated, hands-free calling
*audible text messages
*advanced calling features including caller ID, call waiting, conference calling, list of contacts, signal strength icon, phone batter charge icon
*Voice activated music
*Instant Voice recognition
*Automatic phonebook transfer
*Multilingual: Spanish, French, and English
*Vehicle Health Report

Kurt Schwitters

The importance of marketing and design

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jan2010/id20100120_303529.htm?chan=innovation_special+report+--+the+value+of+design+2010_special+report+--+the+value+of+design

The article,The Value of Design to Startups by Dave McClure, talks about how design and marketing are more significant to startup internet companies than engineering. There are exceptions such as Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Bill Gates who were and are "god-like"....but what he's trying to say here is that if you want to appeal to the audience you must know the principles of design and marketing otherwise you've got a body with no face on it.

Raising the stakes!

It fascinates me to read up on all of these blogs about how competitive technologies are getting.... has it always been this bad? Maybe I just didn't pay attention before, but every time I go to a design site they're talking about a different company trying to trump the iPad. Are these companies THAT afraid of it? Personally..it doesn't fascinate me any more than the iPhone did..anyways!

So I read this blog on the nytimes.com about a company that originated at a Media Research lab at New York University called Touchco. Amazon's kindle e-reader has acquired Touchco as a way to upgrade. This is a company that focuses on touch screen technology that "uses a technology called interpolating force-sensitive resistance, which it puts into displays that can be completely transparent and could cost as little as $10 a square foot". According to the article, the touch screens used in the new iPad and the old iPhone are more expensive. Along with the cheaper cost that Touchco provides, their touch screens are able to detect different touch points. (Amazon Said to Buy Touch Start-Up, NICK BILTON and BRAD STONE, February 3, 2010).

Do people actually pay attention to all of this? Steve Jobs is someone we trust with technology nowadays.... so...big deal if the iPad is a little bit more expensive, right? We want what's in!

Competition in the workplace. It never stops.

There are not enough hours in the day...to tweet

I stumbled upon an interesting blog by seth godin (sethgodin.typepad.com) about how much time we waste on these communicative websites such as twitter, facebook, and other forms of "digital networking". It's funny to think about....I mean sometimes we just go on these websites with the intent of just checking whether or not someone has left us a message or not, but then we end up being sucked in to it for a good hour or two. Don't get me wrong, these forms of "digital networking" are certainly a helpful way of getting in touch with people, but he's got a good point about how it is all that is procrastination.

Competition at its best

At this point in time, every American has heard of the new iPad. Some wonder whether or not it will kill PC sales or if it will crush other apple best sellers for that matter. Aside from the fact that the new iPad is convenient, sleek, and just plain...cool, it comes with its OWN memory chip! Wow. I went to www.nytimes.com and found an interesting article about the A4 memory chip created by Apple. With most computers, the memory chip inside the computer is created by microprocessor companies alone, but in this case, Apple has specifically designed a memory chip that will work to keep the iPad running up to ten hours with high speed.

Innovation

I find www.core77.com to be a very interesting design site that houses a lot of ideas even with the simplest of things. I stumbled upon this kinetic ring, which is made from "high quality matte stainless steel" and although it seems like such an ordinary idea, it's still something that I find creative. It proves that with the simplest of things, design and innovation is possible. Anything can be brought to life.

Kinekt Design's Gear Ring from Glen Liberman on Vimeo.