MyFord Touch Gets Upgrade

Ford has upgraded its MyFord and MyLincoln Touch systems to be faster and simpler to use, according to the automaker.

Prominent differences are simpler graphics and larger, bolder fonts used throughout the interface. We have images of the old and new screens below. It might be hard to judge if the newer versions are indeed an upgrade until people actually use them. What you can’t see is a noticeable jump in performance. The new software is at least two times faster than the current system, Ford says.

The upgraded system will launch early next year on the 2013 Ford Escape, Flex and Taurus. Existing owners of MyFord and MyLincoln Touch are eligible for upgrade at no charge.

Motorola H17txt Review: Headset Reads Texts

We’ve spent a lot of time on KickingTires on the topic of distracted driving. We even recently rated the best apps for reading text messages to you. But the latest headset from Motorola, the H17txt, does the same, and with amazing quality.

It costs $99 — a plain H17 headset without the text-to-speech ability costs around $40 — and you need to download the free MotoSpeak app for your Android or BlackBerry smart phone to use it. Once paired, I found the H17txt changed my perceptions about getting texts in the car.

Voice-to-Text App Review: Nearly Hands-Free Texting

We have to preface this post with a small PSA: You should not text message while driving. You also shouldn’t apply makeup, read a novel or eat anything with a utensil while driving. While those and other unsafe habits aren’t directly policed, laws are being enacted nationwide to penalize texters who endanger others while using their phones in traffic.

That’s part of the reason why Dragon Dictation for the iPhone was created. The free app records what you say and converts it to text that’s copied to your phone’s clipboard for texting, emailing or even just saving for a later time.

Yes, it could have great applications for students and journalists for transferring someone else’s speech, but right now it is best used for short bursts of text, like text messages.

I tried the app for the past few days and was left beyond impressed with how well it worked.

Magellan RoadMate Navigation: iPhone Review

The world of personal navigation devices is rapidly changing, and the big players are adding full-featured software applications for devices that don’t bear their names. Magellan is the latest to offer a serious navigation app for the iPhone. It’s not cheap, but it’ll make you shun those clunky nav units.

What We Like
Rapid auto-fill keypad, Points-of-interests lists are clear and customizable, Uses iPhone contacts, Screen clarity

What We Don’t
Huge file size, Slow-moving between screens, No traffic reports, Long loading time

Price: $79.99 for a limited time

2010 Chevy Equinox iPod Interface Tested

The all-new 2010 Chevy Equinox has a terrific new interior design and, in most models, an all-new stereo with a USB iPod interface. I spent some time testing the new system, and in most ways it shows that GM is at the forefront of utilizing this type of setup. Of course, with others like Hyundai and especially Ford fielding strong competition, GM better be at the top of its game.

Sirius XM for iPhone Review

Last week, we rounded up and reviewed a number of free music applications for the iPhone as an alternative to the just-announced Sirius XM app. Now that we’ve had a few days to test what Sirius has to offer, we’ve definitely made up our minds as to whether it’s worth the $12.95 per month fee for non-subscribers, $2.95 a month for Sirius XM Satellite Radio subscribers and the $0 a month for Sirius XM internet subscribers.

First let’s tackle the two most important aspects of any music app: sound quality, and selection and variety of songs.

Sirius XM Finally Here for iPhone; We Rate the Competition

This morning, Sirius XM launched its much-anticipated application for the iPhone. The app is free to download, with a free seven-day trial to the service’s lineup. After that, you’ll have to pay the full $12.95 internet subscription fee for Sirius to keep it running. Current subscribers to Sirius XM in their cars have to pay an additional $2.95 a month to get internet and iPhone access. Unfortunately, Howard Stern’s stations will not be available on the iPhone app even though they are available to regular internet radio subscribers via a web browser.

We've been testing a slew of free music apps for months in our test cars, at our desks and walking around town, and from that experience we’ve brought together an assortment of alternatives to Sirius XM for iPhone owners looking to expand their in-car entertainment options.

We’ll have a full review of the Sirius XM app on the blog soon, but for now see what else is worth downloading to your iPhone or iPhone 3G S.

TomTom Navigation for iPhone Coming Soon

Alongside today’s announcement of the new iPhone 3G S (the new, faster, more feature-rich iPhone) comes the June 17 release of the iPhone 3.0 software, which allows application developers to create apps that take full advantage of the device’s features.

At the same time, TomTom announced the creation of a navigation app for the iPhone. Company officials said iPhone users will be able to download TomTom’s new full-featured navigation app from the iTunes App Store some time after the new iPhone operating system launches. Also, TomTom will sell a mounting kit that includes a dock connector for power (using a 12-volt outlet) and audio connectivity for the iPhone (using a standard MP3 jack).

How much will it cost? We don’t know yet, but we’ll keep our ears open.

TomTom for iPhone Video (TomTom via YouTube)

Jawbone Prime Bluetooth Headset Review

Bluetooth headsets aren’t just for the jerk behind you at the ATM anymore. As more and more cities pass laws requiring hands-free cell phone use, these kinds of units aren’t just the best solution, they’re a necessity. Jawbone by Aliph quickly became a top-rated player when it introduced the original Jawbone 2 in May 2008. One year later, it’s hoping to have another hit. The Jawbone Prime has taken the best of the Jawbone 2 and improved it in every way possible.

Telenav GPS Navigator for Android Review

Everyone knows Google, if only as the omnipresent internet search engine. Last year, the company took a huge step into the mobile arena with the release of its open-source mobile platform, Android. Last October, HTC, Google and T-Mobile teamed up to create the G1, the first Android-based mobile phone. Quickly after its release, thousands of applications were available for the G1. We at Cars.com got word of Telenav GPS creating a G1 application for turn-by-turn real-time navigation and right away looked to get our hands on it. We took plenty of time testing the G1 and Telenav GPS Navigator, and came away very impressed with the software but convinced that the G1 and Android have lots of room to grow. Later this summer, more Android-based smart phones from other manufacturers and mobile carriers will hit the market. Telenav’s GPS Navigator will be available for all of them. 

Ease of Use: 14 of 15 pts
In most cases, I’d have to say that ease of use and safety go hand-in-hand. The easier a device is to use, the safer it is to use while driving. Once the Telenav application is launched on the G1, navigating to your destination could not be much easier to do. Large on-screen buttons, easy-to-read text and voice commands make navigating the application a breeze. Entering points of interest and addresses is just as easy thanks to the built-in voice recognition software. I was truly impressed with how easy it was to use the application while driving.