Microsoft Employee Dusts Steve Ballmer, Alan Mulally

As Ballmer and Mulally toured Microsoft HQ yesterday to tout the SYNC system they met with a Jalopnik reader and MicroFord fanboy in his Mustang. You can guess what happened next. More »

Forza Motorsport 3 Logo Revealed

It's no surprise the Forza Motorsport franchise has garnered such a following in the console racing game wars. The newest incarnation, Forza Motorsport 3, is coming right around the off-cambered, dual-apex corner. More »

Kooky Oldsmobile Art Car Spotted Outside Microsoft Research Center

This eccentrically modified mess of an Oldsmobile was spotted parked out front of Microsoft's new Research building. That sound you're hearing? That's a million Apple fanboys squealing delightedly as they each draw a smug metaphor. More »

Leaked Forza Motorsport 3 In-Game Artwork Reveals In-Game Race Posters

Are you still trying to eek out that last achievement in Forza 2? Hurry up because Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport 3 is filling your rear view mirror.

Google, Yahoo And Microsoft Are Not The New GM, Ford And Chrysler

Bernstein analyst Jeffrey Lindsay thinks Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are the equivalent of GM, Ford and Chrysler of 60 years ago. Our quick response is "Umm. No."

Microsoft Shills Its SYNC To Hyundai, Kia

Microsoft is again shilling its technology out to the masses, but this time offering up its car infotainment system, better known as SYNC, to the Hyundai-Kia Auto Group. The 2010 models will be the first to include the Microsoft entertainment system that still remains nameless as Ford has the name SYNC locked down by the balls. For the time being, the system used by Hyundai and Kia will be similar to that offered by Ford, FIAT and most recently with Suzuki (who decided on the Suzuki TRIP name), but the group is looking at new capabilities that could be added like navigation and emergency call services. Press release below the jump. More »

HuaTai Auto Comes Up With Most Suetastic Logo Ever

Microsoft and BMW are both companies that have been willing to bend to governmental pressure to move product, but we don't see the companies abiding by the logo above from China's HuaTai Group. The company is about to launch a new line of SUV's at the Beijing Motor Show and has been purchasing expensive billboard space. The keen eyes of China Car Times noticed the clever compound logo. Let's see if BMW notices the HuaTai logo when walking by their stand at the show. Awkward! [China Car Times]

Microsoft Uses Artificial Intelligence To Address Traffic

Microsoft is taking a stab at the traffic problem with a new service called Clearflow. Clearflow is part of Microsoft's Live Maps service and it uses artificial intelligence to try to one-up the other traffic solving competitors. Rather than just watching the major highways and freeways, Clearflow also addresses the side streets that serve as the most common detour routes when traffic is heavy on the highways. More »

Aftermarket Manufacturers Go Sync, Next-Gen Also On The Way

We knew that Microsoft was going to look to hawk its Sync system elsewhere—especially with its booming popularity and the soon-to-be expired Ford contract. Now we know who is first to the free market table Alpine and Continental, two aftermarket manufacturers, are already working on integrating the voice command and entertainment system into their own products. Perhaps even more interesting, due to its early popularity, Microsoft is already working on the next generation of Sync and it has a super-exciting codename! More »

Microsoft Has A Vision For Automotive Electronics: Advertising

It's no secret that cars are becoming more connected to the virtual world (as drivers are becoming dangerously divorced from the real one), and the price of all that connection isn't going to be absorbed by automakers or the companies responsible for providing the technology. The current model for in-car services like OnStar and XM/Sirius is based on the cell phone business plan, which can offer the technology at little or no cost to most consumers while charging for the service. Microsoft, for its part, is considering advertising as a possible income source. More »

Expect Microsoft To Get Sync-y With Other Automakers

Ford's exclusive rights to the Microsoft Sync system are set to expire at the end of this year. As a result, Microsoft will be looking to work with more automakers to incorporate its Sync system, which I recently reviewed the hell out of. Martin Thall, general manager of Microsoft's automotive business, told the Freep of Microsoft's plans to extend Sync to the greater automotive world. More »

Life, Like The Focus, Can Be Made Better With Sync

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Maybe instead of calling it the "Ford Focus," they could have just renamed it the "Ford Sync, now with a car!" [Freep]

Jalopnik Plays With The Ford Sync System Again, Shows Off USB And Text Messaging Capabilities

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Ford Offers Sync System For $395

If you'll be buying one of the 12 vehicles in the Ford, Lincoln or Mercury brands with the option to get your music, phone and text messaging all in Sync via bluetooth, we've now found out you'll be able to get the Microsoft-Ford accessory for less than the cost of an iPhone and just a bit more expensive than a Zune. Ford just released information on pricing and the vehicles the system will be initially available in, and we've got the whole scoop below the jump. If you remember, we had the chance to do an exclusive hands-on with the Sync system back in January before the Detroit Auto Show, and we've got to say again there's no in-vehicle integration system that works better out on the market. At least one of us would gladly pay $395 for the system — there's only that one catch — we're not planning on buying a Ford anytime soon. Rats — foiled again! More »

How To Draw a Murcielago

A few of Los Jalopniks have art and design experience. One of us has an art degree, one spent some moons arranging important market research in QuarkXPress, and one spent a decade in advertising in and publishing. And we will admit this — none of us ever found MS Paint to be an exceptionally awesome tool for illustrating things. Apparently, this guy didn't know any better and spent Lord knows how many hours capturing the process of drawing a Lamborghini Murcielago in that wretched program. We'd offer to take up a collection to buy the man a copy of Illustrator, but we're too wracked with anxiety after watching the clip.

Blue & Me and Fiat 500

Fiat Auto, Microsoft and components developer Magneti Marelli whipped up the "Blue & Me" system gracing the Fiat 500's furnishings (along with those of other Fiat models). The tech platform uses Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system to manage a network that integrates voice activation, steering wheel control buttons and the dashboard display and any Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. The setup is similar to Ford's Sync system; It reads incoming SMS messages aloud to the driver and incorporates music stored on a mobile phone, smart phone, MP3 player or USB memory into the audio system via console-mounted USB port. For a few extra webdollarz, Blue&Me Nav adds navigation and telematics services like emergency management, service info and as-yet indeterminate insurance services. A next evolution, Fiat says, will include interactive navigation and information services like addresses, weather and traffic forecasts, satellite localization in case of theft. The whole dealy underscores the company's tech-urban positioning of the 500, which will likely squeeze higher profit margins out of the Euroeconobox. Click through for corporate-release details. – Mike Spinelli More »

Microsoft Live Truck Spotted Prowling On The Highway

It looks like Microsoft's upping the street view ante in the cold map war against Google. Tipster The Red Monkey just sent us the shot to the right. We'll let him continue:

"This morning on my way into downtown I spotted the Microsoft live "street view" truck. I only had time to grab one picture before my exit onto J street. Its a cameraphone pic so its not great but you can see the cameras on top of the truck and the Microsoft Live logos on the back. I did not catch the name of the company out on the prowl for them either."

So get ready all you sketchy guys coming out of strip clubs, nose-pickers and pissing rednecks — it's Microsoft's turn and the Live truck's a comin' to get you on digital film for your 15 minutes of fame. Or at least 30 minutes or so of time spent on the front page of Digg. – Ray Wert More »

iPhone "Should" Synch With Ford's Sync Infotainment System

We've just heard from Jason Farmer, Microsoft's project manager for the Sync infotainment system, (yes, the one we just had the exclusive first hand-on with on Sunday) that "it looks pretty good...it has bluetooth and USB, so it should work." Just wanted to make sure you all were the first to know — if you buy a Ford with Sync installed later this year, the magical phone-plus-"i" from Apple you buy just before that will work with it. But if you're looking for more info on the smarter-than-smart phone, you might want to cross the street for some of Gizmodo's day-long coverage of the cool-as-hell device. – Ray Wert More »

Ford And Microsoft Get In "Sync" To Offer Wireless Internet In Your Car

The Wall Street Journal's confirmed Bill Ford's FoMoCo and Bill Gates' MicrosoftNotMoCo will be unveiling a joint project next weekend at both the Detroit Auto Show and the Consumer Electronic something-or-the-other. We're assuming it's the same one we were talking about before — the one supposedly modeled after the software maker's joint project with Fiat called "Blue & Me" it's a system that:

" will allow for hands-free cellphone communication and other wireless information transfers inside the car, including the ability to receive email and download music."

We're also hearing... More »

Detroit Auto Show Preview: Ford And Microsoft Scheming, Making Plans — Doing The Bluetooth Thing?

Autoblog's sister site EnGadget is of the opinion FoMoCo and the big software behemoth out in Redmond, WA are scheming on some sort of joint project to win over the hearts and minds of the nations motorists. Supposedly said heart-winning is to come via Bluetooth connectivity a la Chrysler's uConnect feature and it'll be jointly (or not-jointly) announced at CES and the Detroit Auto Show. We don't know if that's exactly what it'll end up being that FoMoCo/MSFT will end up showing, or even if they'll end up showing anything at all. But now we're curious as to what other announcements may be on the horizon — an Apple and General Motors Chevy iSuburban perhaps? Keep your eyes tuned here via the Detroit Auto Show page or the RSS feed all the way through the end of the show on January 10th for more deets as we learn them. – Ray Wert More »

Windows 2.4-Liter: McLaren and Microsoft Officially Team up on ECU for F1

When Formula One drivers round Hockenheim or Sepang or Bahrain in 2008, it'll be under the electronic wing of McLaren and Microsoft. As the two companies announced this week — though the deal's been known since mid-year — they've jointly bagged the contract to provide engine control units (ECUs) to all F1 teams starting in 2008. The venture's called "Microsoft MES," and it pairs the pasty geeks from Redmond with the 10-intelligence druids from Woking on the systems, which have the potential to gather 1GB of data during a typical Grand Prix run. It'll probably turn out fine, as long as no one winds up sitting on hold with customer support during a late-race shootout. All that faux-pleasantness can break a man's will in 30 seconds. – Mike Spinelli More »

Formula One Reboot: Microsoft To Supply Racing Electronic Control Units

The big news from the racing front today for most fans was the selection of Bridgestone as the exclusive tire supplier for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons of Formula One racing. The selection came after Michelin's opposition to a single tire supplier and its subsequent withdrawal from F1 racing at the end of the year. But some of us who have a geekier older brother (still geekier even with an all-new look) — know the big news is the decision by the World Motor Sport Council to make Microsoft the official supplier of electronic control units (ECUs). The control units are designed to regulate and manage the engine and ensure the ban on traction control is followed by sometimes-naughty mechanics. Hmm...sounds like a good plan — until Schumacher goes into a wall because his engine gets a blue screen of death. More »

Follow that Ghost!: Microsoft Applies to Patent "Phantom Car" Technology

TransportTrends reports on a patent Microsoft recently filed for a new, virtual-reality navigation technology that won't require drivers to take their eyes off the road. The system would project (on a vehicle's windshield) the image of cartoon "lead car," fed by information gleaned from a satellite nav system. The driver would then "follow" the avatar's lead to a requested destination. We have no clue how close Gates and Co. are to making something like this a reality, but we do know it'll either completely redefine the sat-nav industry or be the most assinine digital flop since Gazoontight.com [or Microsoft Bob — thanks Chris!]. More »