Ford Motor Company has made a remarkable turnaround over the past five years making the shift from industry laggard to one of its leaders. A big part of said turnaround has been a focus on innovation and technology and its ever increasing incorporation into our driving experience.
Earlier this month Ford announced that one of their tech initiatives, the AppLink platform is now available in over one million vehicles including several models. The progressive API allows developers to link mobile application to Ford’s SYNC platform, a Microsoft powered infotainment system. The apps are manageable via voice control and buttons located on the steering wheel.
Although the API is currently only available by invite, AppLink supports several well-known apps including Padora and TuneIn and is looking to grow by hosting an AppLink Developer Challenge. The event, to be held at the TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco Hackathon will see 10 teams receive access to the AppLink API. These companies will compete to bring the most out of AppLink, benefiting both the developers and Ford, who will showcase the app at CES 2013 come January.
According to the good people at TechCrunch, AppLink is currently available on 2013 models of the Fiesta and Mustang vehicles along with 2012 models of the Expedition, Fusion, F-150 and Super Duty.
SOURCE: TechCrunch
PHOTO: Ford-Life