You've probably heard by now, but Ford has an all-electric Mustang out there in the wild. The Mustang Mach-E is a solid option for EV lovers, and now it's getting a bit more feature rich. Well, if you're an Apple Maps and CarPlay user, too, that is.
When Ford introduced its SYNC 4 infotainment system for its range of automobiles, the company confirmed that wireless CarPlay support would be included for some 2020 models.
In-car systems range from one brand to another, which is why some folks simply prefer to use Apple's option, CarPlay. And Ford is looking to make it even easier to use CarPlay starting in 2020.
As promised, Google-owned Waze has been updated with support for Ford's SYNC 3 protocol.
If you are driving a newer Ford vehicle, and are a fan of Waze, you've got something to be excited about. At CES 2018, Waze announced that it will be coming to Sync 3 infotainment systems to use right alongside CarPlay.
Oil giant ExxonMobil introduced basic Apple Pay support within its mobile Speedpass+ app in March 2016, allowing customers to pay for fuel at approximately 6,000 gas stations nationwide. Yesterday, the company announced that customers can now pay for fuel and car washes using their Apple Watch and Apple Pay at over 10,000 Exxon and Mobil refueling stations across the United States.
Users must launch the Speedpass+ app on their watch and select the pump they're at to authorize it for payment. Next, press the Side button twice to invoke Apple Pay and approve the payment. You can start fueling up your vehicle.
Other new features available within the app include support for Touch ID app protection and Ford vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 technology to easily authorize payments, making it the first fuel payment connected car app in the United States.
Ford owners can additionally use the Speedpass+ app to check how much fuel is left in the tank when they are away from their car. Customers even have the option to apply for an ExxonMobil-branded credit card issued by Citibank from inside the app.
Once your application has been approved, the card will be automatically added as a payment option within the app, and you can start using it right away. For a limited time, new accounts shall receive a savings of 20 cents per gallon for the first two months, then six cents on every gallon after that, the company said.
ExxonMobil's app now supports several payment methods, including major credit cards, debit cards, ExxonMobil Smart Cards, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.
ExxonMobile Speedpass+ for iOS is available for free on App Store.
Musa Tariq, Apple's executive, is leaving the company to join Ford, the car maker said Tuesday.
Tariq was Apple’s global marketing and communications director for retail for a little more than two years. At Ford, he will be Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, a new position created as the company focuses on new mobility services.
Car maker Ford said on Friday that a new Escape model is going to officially become its first vehicle with CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Ford's 2017 Escape puts emphasis on maintaining the quality that made the vehicle an award-winner and the second best-selling Ford product in the United States last year.
In addition to CarPlay and Android Auto, the new Escape also includes a capable driver-assist technology and all-new Sync Connect that supports features like remote start and door locking through the new FordPass platform.
CarPlay has slowly gained momentum over the last few years, but 2016 might be the year when it really breaks into the mainstream. That's because Ford has announced that all of the Sync 3-equipped cars in its 2017 North American lineup will feature CarPlay as an option.
Ford is offering CarPlay as a part of its Sync 3 infotainment package. Sync 3, at least in the current 2016 lineup, is an available add-on, but every new 2017 Sync 3-capable Ford will at least have the option of being equipped with CarPlay.
Spotify, the popular Swedish music-streaming startup, on Wednesday refreshed its free iPhone and iPad application with improved music discovery and support for the Ford SYNC AppLink platform.
When browsing albums in Spotify for the iPhone and iPod touch, you can now easily check out more releases from the artist in one tap.
More importantly, owners of Ford vehicles outfitted with the car maker's proprietary SYNC AppLink platform can now use Spotify in their car.
Not to be outdone by the popular Swedish streaming music startup Spotify, which a month ago updated its mobile client with support for Ford's SYNC AppLink platform, the online retail giant Amazon today issued a similar update to its Cloud Player mobile app.
The app integrates with AppLink vehicles so you can control music playback using your voice and the steering wheel buttons.
Other changes new accessibility features via improved support for the iOS VoiceOver features and an "improved experience" when adding songs to a playlist...
We love Spotify here at iDB as much as the next guy. Personally speaking, I rarely buy music files these days from iTunes and instead choose to pay ten bucks a month to stream my music. And with approximately twenty million songs available for streaming, Spotify pretty much has me covered.
With today's update, the popular Swedish music startup has become more useful, especially should you happen to listen to music while driving (who doesn't?) and own a Ford vehicle supporting the company's SYNC AppLink solution. Just like BMW's ConnectedDrive Apps platform, the AppLink platform from Ford allows iPhone, Android and BlackBerry devices to run approved applications using the car's steering wheel buttons, radio or voice commands...