Sync Bugs and Enhancements

[Mutnat]

I would like to see better communication with my Microsoft Zune. I originally had an ipod in my Flex for all my music needs, but SYNC treats it like a dumb hard drive. I thought that a Zune, being a Microsoft product, would interface better with SYNC, also a Microsoft product, giving me Zune like usability. I was disappointed to find that SYNC treats the Zune like a dumb hard drive as well. I think Microsoft would sell more Zunes if the two devices communicated like they were made by the same manufacturer. Just a thought!

 

Uhm, what is it you want Sync to do differently in regard to your Zune/iPod?

[bonefizz]

For starters, it would be nice to see the Label "Microsoft Zune" instead of "User Device" when I plug it in. I know, I'm nitpicking on that one! I would like the interface on my Sync to mimic the interface on my Zune just a little. For example, I can get to a Podcast on my Zune in a couple of clicks. It is very cumbersome to even find my podcasts using the Sync system, if I can find them at all.

 

I've had car stereo's in the past that would emulate the ipod interface and it was very easy to use. Just a little of that would be nice with my Zune or Ipod on the Sync system, that's all.

[enormus]

For starters, it would be nice to see the Label "Microsoft Zune" instead of "User Device" when I plug it in. I know, I'm nitpicking on that one! I would like the interface on my Sync to mimic the interface on my Zune just a little. For example, I can get to a Podcast on my Zune in a couple of clicks. It is very cumbersome to even find my podcasts using the Sync system, if I can find them at all.

 

I've had car stereo's in the past that would emulate the ipod interface and it was very easy to use. Just a little of that would be nice with my Zune or Ipod on the Sync system, that's all.

 

Genre -> Podcast -> "Artist" (i.e., Chicago Public Radio), "track" (Wait Wait Don't Tell Me). It's just not that hard . . .

[bonefizz]

You don't need to be a jerk about it. We are all brothers and sisters here.

 

Perhaps there is something wrong with my Sync because when I chose Genre, Podcast, there is nothing there even though I subscribe to six different podcasts. I have to find them through the Music then Artist.

 

Also, it would be nice to have Sync pull the Artist name off of my Zune or Ipod, I'm getting tired of seeing "Unknown Artist". The info is there, it just isn't being displayed.

[Mutnat]

Also, it would be nice to have Sync pull the Artist name off of my Zune or Ipod, I'm getting tired of seeing "Unknown Artist". The info is there, it just isn't being displayed.

 

This part seems odd... are you seeing this on music tracks or podcasts? In my experience, if the artist tag is set in the mp3 file, it always shows during playback with Sync. I know that itunes sometimes does some "funky stuff" where it only updates its own internal database (and your iPod's database) with tag edits and doesn't bother writing them back to the actual mp3 files, which might explain the problem with an iPod. I don't know how things work with the Zune though...is it similar in that it maintains its own database and doesn't refer to mp3 tags after the files are loaded onto the device initially?

[bonefizz]

I've been using both an Ipod and a Zune, I'm trying to decide which one I like better. The "unkown artist" is mostly on the music files with my Zune, but I have seen it on my Ipod occasionally. My podcasts display "unknown artist" on every podcast, when I can even find it (Zune).

 

I'm not sure if the Zune maintains its own database or not. That might be the missing link right there. I'll have to do some research.

[suttonb1]

I've been using both an Ipod and a Zune, I'm trying to decide which one I like better. The "unkown artist" is mostly on the music files with my Zune, but I have seen it on my Ipod occasionally. My podcasts display "unknown artist" on every podcast, when I can even find it (Zune).

 

 

sounds like none of your files have the proper tags set. even though the file may be named "artist - song title" this doesnt mean the file contains the proper artist and song title tags INSIDE the file.

 

check the file on your computer... right click it and go to properties.. click the details tab at the top.. make sure there is info in the proper tags there.

[bonefizz]

Hey, thanks for the tip! I'm gonna check that out when I get home! This forum is great!

[jason16]

How do I turn the "in privacy" feature off in the sync window. When I make a call it comes up and I can only hear the call on the cell phone. The sync dials the number ok but stays in privacy mode so I can't hear anything in the car. Thanks.

[vaillancourt88]

That's right. Only the Nav systems can control the radio and satellite radio, from what I hear.

 

 

Oh, WTF? So a $2500 upgrade gets you a few extra lines of code? Yes, I understand the NAV system does additional things, too, but were talking about a software issue here, like something that could be handled by an additional "IF-THEN" statement...

 

OK, going out on a limb here, but why not have a whole SYNC user interface, like something accessible by laptop...this is a Microsoft-designed application, why not be able to customize it like I can with Windows?

• Customize buttons (like change the steering wheel button from preset seek to a regular seek (without having to hold button down))<---actually one of my biggest pet peeves...
  
• Voice recognition training, a la MS Word 2003, where you would read a few passages so it would be more accustomed to YOUR voice (although I admit I'm not sure if Word 2007/2010 still have/need this)
  
• Customizable voice commands (My phone can do it, why not SYNC?)
  
• Ability to change sound of computer voice (I remember playing with computers capable of this at Toronto Science Center back in the 80s!)
  
• User-specific settings, like a login, for above mentioned button settings, etc.
  
• A "restore defaults" option
  

 

Now, I'm thinking of this from the angle of my experience with programs like Firefox, Windows, Office, etc, that allow you to customize toolbars and the like. I've also had some experience with programming user interfaces through mentoring a FIRST Robotics team (programming the robot control module to recognize and interpret joystick position, button presses, get status readings from 'bot, etc.) It should be able to be done quite easily with existing technology. Anyone who has played a home video game in the last decade has done most of these things anytime they fire up the XBox, PS3, or Wii (selecting a profile, building an avatar, changing control settings...)

 

So what's the deal? Granted, this is a relatively new system (as a Ford option, anyway), but why not open up the customization spigot a bit? Is it fear of litigation, that some setting might get changed and cause a distraction-induced crash? No more than trying to find the right button on the radio proper , nor any more than changing powertrain settings using currently available aftermarket chips (could even be covered by the same disclaimer warning against 'tweaking'.) Is it Microsoft? They have a long standing reputation of 'letting us have it their way', but even they have become more user-friendly (Windows 7 was my idea...Windows ME was my idea on drugs...any questions?) Maybe it's just a way to avoid tripling the tech-support call volume ("Foolproof systems to not take into account the ingenuity of fools."--Gene Brown)

 

Still, SYNC is pretty darn cool, it will most likely be included in the options of every car I subsequently own...I just want to make it better.

 

See how technology enriches our lives? :P

[LarryQW]

...this is a Microsoft-designed application, why not be able to customize it like I can with Windows?

• Customize buttons (like change the steering wheel button from preset seek to a regular seek (without having to hold button down))<---actually one of my biggest pet peeves...
• Voice recognition training, a la MS Word 2003, where you would read a few passages so it would be more accustomed to YOUR voice (although I admit I'm not sure if Word 2007/2010 still have/need this)
• Customizable voice commands (My phone can do it, why not SYNC?)
• Ability to change sound of computer voice (I remember playing with computers capable of this at Toronto Science Center back in the 80s!)
• User-specific settings, like a login, for above mentioned button settings, etc.
• A "restore defaults" option

 

OK, first the radio was already controlled by Pioneer's Nav system in the past, so MS SYNC worried about the other things. They made a hand-off to MS voice control when you go to the User Device or Phone sub-menu. You can tell because the sound level suddenly starts blasting.

 

As for customized voice recognition, you can indeed set voice profiles for Pioneer's commands. You say a few phrases and it trains to understand your voice as you suggested. You can set profiles for different people and call them up. (To learn how, say Help.) I found the voice training helps considerably for Pioneer's commands, raising accuracy from say 75% to 95%.

 

The MS voice commands don't have custom voice profiles, but don't need it . It's already 98% accurate for many different voices.

 

Customizable buttons would be good. But what if someone else drove your car? You'd need some sort of default settings. I could be confusing to a driver and distraction if not done right.

 

SYNC is now working on opening up their system to independently developed "Apps". But unlike a cell phone, the Apps have to be helpful and not distract from driving in their operation. As such, there will always be a very careful selection process much more stringent than anything Apple does.

 

Many GPS and other systems allow changing of the navigator voice. At some point Ford may do this as well. (I want a voice to make my wife jealous of my car...) But for now the Navigation systems in the Fords are way out of date. My cheap hand held Garmin GPS has 6 Million Points of Interest. My Pioneer/Ford Nav system only has maybe 2.3 Million POIs. I can't even find local stores like an REI on Ford's system. So I look up the store on my handheld GPS, or now days, my Droid smart phone and punch the street address into the Ford Nav.

 

The big advantage of the Ford/Pioneer Nav system is better integration, bigger screen, and all sorts of side advantages of the Nav Control, like being able to see Phone information and control the rear DVD from the front. It also will keep navigating based on wheels and steering wheel position when there's no satellite reception, like in big cities, tunnels and parking decks. It also nicely lowers the radio sound only on the front speakers when giving Nav commands. An external GPS would need to blast to be heard over the radio.

[RandyW]

I've got a 2011 Mustang with the navigation system. I love it, I'm happy I got it, but there are some enhancements that would make it nicer.

 

1. If you have the non-nav Sync stereo you can use the Search and Refine commands. If you bought the nav system, you don't get those commands for MP3's, although you do have them for the jukebox.

 

2. If you rip albums to the jukebox and the built in database has album art, it will display this art when you are playing a track. But if you are playing an MP3 with embedded album art from your flash drive, no picture. The code exists for displaying artwork, so why not from my MP3's?

 

3. If I'm listening to satellite radio and have the map displayed, the status bar at the bottom will display the current artist and track name. Good. But if I'm playing MP3's, that same status bar will display something like "Track 3 of 14". I don't care about a track number. It should display the track and artist, or give me the choice of what to display.

 

4. When I save a radio station in the presets, it would be nice if I could also enter a "nickname" for that station. I can use Sync to call a station by frequency, but there are stations whose frequency I don't remember but I remember that the station is called WKRP or "The Mongoose". It would be nice to be able to hit the Sync button and say "Radio KFGO" or whatever.

 

I should think that these four things could be done without major feats of reprogamming.

[vaillancourt88]

Customizable buttons would be good. But what if someone else drove your car? You'd need some sort of default settings. I could be confusing to a driver and distraction if not done right.

 

 

User-specific settings, like a login, for above mentioned button settings, etc.