Skalnek Ford

Feel out of sync with the world when you're without your cell phone or digital music player? Personal devices have become indispensable extensions of our lives, but the experience of using them while driving is often less than you'd expect.

To keep you connected, even when you're on the road, we partnered with Microsoft to bring you Sync. Offered exclusively on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products in North America, Sync is a voice-activated, hands-free, in-car communications and entertainment system that fully integrates your Bluetooth®-enabled mobile phone and digital music player.

Voice-Activated, Hands-Free Calling

To initiate a call, simply press the "voice" or button on the steering wheel, then say "Call" and the name of the person in your contact list you wish to call. Sync will automatically connect with the names in your mobile phone's contact list.

To answer incoming calls, one touch of the Telephone button on the steering wheel is all it takes. Other calling options include saying "Dial" and speaking the digits of the number you are calling.

Other Sync calling features include the following:

• Seamless connections-In the middle of a phone call while entering your car? No need to hang up and call again to resume your conversation-Sync will instantly connect to your Bluetooth phone. The system can also transfer the call back to your phone as you exit your vehicle.
• Audible text messages-Should you receive a text message while driving and you have a Bluetooth-enabled phone capable of Bluetooth text messaging, touch the Telephone button on your steering wheel and Sync will read it to you out loud. The system is even smart enough to translate commonly used text messaging expressions such as "LOL" and ":)". You can even reply with any of 15 predefined responses.
• Advanced calling features-With Sync, you'll enjoy many of the same features offered on your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone, including caller ID, call waiting, conference calling, a caller log, a list of contacts, a signal strength indicator, and a phone battery charge indicator-all conveniently located on your radio's display screen (note: requires phone with this capability).

Sync Your Car with Your Digital Media Player

Sync shifts your digital music into overdrive with hands-free, voice-activated access to every song on most popular digital music players and/or USB drives.

Sync music features include the following:

• Voice-activated music-Browse your music collection by genre, album, artist and song title using simple voice commands such as "Play genre [genre]," "Play artist [artist]," or "Play Track [track]." You can also operate your music player with controls on the steering wheel and radio console.
• Support for popular players and formats-Sync is capable of hosting most digital media players, including iPod®, Zune^tm, "Plays for Sure" players and most USB drives. Supported audio formats include MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC and PCM.
• USB device charging-Long trip? You may run out of gas, but you'll never run out of music. That's because your media player automatically charges when it is plugged in to the system's USB port and the car is running.
• "Similar Music" feature-In the mood for more music in the style of your current selection? With the simple voice instruction: "Similar Music," Sync will create a virtual playlist based on the genre and style of the current song.
• Podcast and audio support-Subscribe to Podcasts? Listen to them as you drive. Or make the most of your time on the road by listening to your audio books.
• Bluetooth streaming audio-If you've got tracks stored on your Bluetooth-enabled phone or media player, Sync will wirelessly stream the music to your car's sound system