Ford Unveils World's First Tweeting Car
By Ruth Manuel-Logan on Jan 13th 2010 12:06PM
Picture it, you're driving along, and suddenly, your vehicle reads all of your Twitter messages to you or you can compose replies all while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. Unheard of? Nah, it's only Ford at it again.
Ford Motor Company has plans in the works to launch vehicles with new technology that could allow drivers to use Twitter via voice recognition, stream online radio and search the web from behind the wheel. The system is called "MyFord Touch," and is powered by Ford's SYNC technology, designed with Microsoft. It was revealed last week by Ford's chief executive Alan Mulally at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
This latest technology from one of Detroit's major players, however, has drawn a few criticisms. AAA, the U.S. roadside safety organization, has some pretty valid concerns regarding driver safety and Twitter feeds in vehicles. "The more things that are going on in a vehicle, the more things can distract a driver," a spokesperson said. "You only have so much attention to give, and we really want everyone to keep their attention on the roadway for safety reasons."
Ford's response to AAA's concerns regarding this latest type of driver distraction? According to Doug VanDagens, Ford's global director of connected services, people currently read Twitter feeds while they're driving anyway: "We take what people do - they talk on the phone, they fumble with MP3 players, they look at maps, we take these activities and make them safer," he said.
Tweet, tweet!
http://autos.blackvoices.com/2010/01/13/ford-unveils-worlds-first-tweeting-car/
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