Robert
Premium
join:2002-03-11
South Dildo, NL
 ·Bell Sympatico
 ·Rogers Hi-Speed
| Ford has the worst luck
I grew up in a Ford Family, I love the Mustang and wish the company well (I own Toyotas now).
However, with their innovations you'd think they'd be doing better. They have the Sync system all to themselves for another year, and now they are looking at "Child Keys" for their cars. I think it is brilliant!
quote:
Ford helps parents control teen's driving
The pedal won't go to the metal on the 2010 Ford Focus and that is likely to make the parents of many teenagers happy.
Parents will be able to limit their children's top speed, the volume on the car stereo – but not the bass level – and even regulate the chirping of the seat-belt monitor with a new device that Ford Motor Co. plans to make standard equipment on all of its vehicles after it debut on the Focus next year. The compact car will come with a new device called MyKey, which allows parents to program a top speed for the car – 129 kilometres an hour – and also keep the music a little less loud by limiting the sound system to 44 per cent of its total volume.
That is higher than the speed limit on just about every road in Canada and most U.S. highways, but some states let drivers whip along at 80 miles per hour (the equivalent of 129 kilometres an hour), said Ford Canada spokeswoman Christine Hollander.
The special key can be programmed to remind young drivers every six seconds for five minutes to put on their seat belts and actually keeps the audio system mute until the seat belt is fastened.
»www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/···ont/home
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It's one thing to listen to an idiot talk. As soon as you respond, there are now 2 idiots having a conversation. |
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Anav
Sarcastic Llama? Naw, Just Acerbic
Premium
join:2001-07-16
Dartmouth, NS
| Concur, now we are seeing some innovation that may eventually save lives and keep insurance costs lower. Speaking of which that top speed setting is way to high.
Unless they are going to be driving on a highway I would like to have an adustable cap setting or at least more choices. 65 / 75 / 95 / 115 for example. Why you would want higher is beyond me??. Personally, where I live, I would probably set it at 75kmph.
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Ain't nuthin but the blues! "Albert Collins".
Leave your troubles at the door! "Pepe Peregil" De Sevilla. Just Don't Wifi without WPA, "Yul Brenner"
LlamaWorks Equipment |
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Robert
Premium
join:2002-03-11
South Dildo, NL
·Bell Sympatico
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| Apparently you can set a chime for lower speeds, in hopes of annoying the teenagers. It is a start, and bringing it to market will only make it better.
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It's one thing to listen to an idiot talk. As soon as you respond, there are now 2 idiots having a conversation. |
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theninjasqua
join:2007-09-26
Oakville, ON | reply to Robert
What does this have to do with bad luck?
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-theninjasquad |
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Robert
Premium
join:2002-03-11
South Dildo, NL
·Bell Sympatico
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| said by theninjasqua  :What does this have to do with bad luck? Despite innovations out of Ford the past few years, their sales have tanked.
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It's one thing to listen to an idiot talk. As soon as you respond, there are now 2 idiots having a conversation. |
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theninjasqua
join:2007-09-26
Oakville, ON
| That's because their only focus has been on trucks and SUV's. If they had brought over some of the great cars they have in Europe they may be better off. It took too long for them to realize this. Have you seen the Euro Focus that they have?
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-theninjasquad |
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Robert
Premium
join:2002-03-11
South Dildo, NL
·Bell Sympatico
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| said by theninjasqua :That's because their only focus has been on trucks and SUV's. If they had brought over some of the great cars they have in Europe they may be better off. It took too long for them to realize this. Have you seen the Euro Focus that they have? Yes I have, and it is fantastic. In the past 3/4 years, they have been moving their focus to the car (Except the Edge and derivatives). If they bring the Mondeo over I would be very tempted to move back into the fold.
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It's one thing to listen to an idiot talk. As soon as you respond, there are now 2 idiots having a conversation. |
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vue666
join:2007-12-07 | Ford has one thing Toyota will never have.
Heritage!
IMHO that is worth a lot more then people consider...
Cheers
V666 |
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HiVolt
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs:
·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to Anav
said by Anav :Concur, now we are seeing some innovation that may eventually save lives and keep insurance costs lower. Speaking of which that top speed setting is way to high. Unless they are going to be driving on a highway I would like to have an adustable cap setting or at least more choices. 65 / 75 / 95 / 115 for example. Why you would want higher is beyond me??. Personally, where I live, I would probably set it at 75kmph. Real innovation would be using GPS, and adjusting the speed limiter to 10km/h over the posted speed limit on the road you're driving on.
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GO LEAFS GO! |
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Robert
Premium
join:2002-03-11
South Dildo, NL
·Bell Sympatico
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to vue666
said by vue666 :Ford has one thing Toyota will never have. Heritage! Umm, Toyota has a long heritage. It created its first car in '36, and the Toyota Hilux is legendary for reliability. Start your own thread, as this one is about Ford and their innovations.
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It's one thing to listen to an idiot talk. As soon as you respond, there are now 2 idiots having a conversation. |
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Robert
Premium
join:2002-03-11
South Dildo, NL
·Bell Sympatico
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to HiVolt
said by HiVolt : Real innovation would be using GPS, and adjusting the speed limiter to 10km/h over the posted speed limit on the road you're driving on. How possible is this on an economy car? I know the GTR has this in Japan, but that car is uber expensive.
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It's one thing to listen to an idiot talk. As soon as you respond, there are now 2 idiots having a conversation. |
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HiVolt
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs:
·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| said by Robert :said by HiVolt : Real innovation would be using GPS, and adjusting the speed limiter to 10km/h over the posted speed limit on the road you're driving on. How possible is this on an economy car? I know the GTR has this in Japan, but that car is uber expensive. Have you seen how cheap portable GPS units are? The car does not have to have full blown GPS navigation with a huge screen, dvd plyaback etc...
Just a small receiver that will simply report to the car computer what the current speed limit is on the road/area that you're driving thru.
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GO LEAFS GO! |
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shaner
Premium
join:2000-10-04
Calgary, AB
| Plus the GPS could be used for vehicle tracking.
Are engine kill switches standard now? That would be a great insurance discount.
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The opinions in this post are wholly my own and in no way reflect the opinions of, or are influenced by my employer. |
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Robert
Premium
join:2002-03-11
South Dildo, NL
·Bell Sympatico
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to HiVolt
said by HiVolt : Have you seen how cheap portable GPS units are? The car does not have to have full blown GPS navigation with a huge screen, dvd plyaback etc... Have you seen how crappy the maps are on even the most expensive units, when it comes to outside the major cities? I have lived in my house for 3 years and it has just recently been added to Google Maps. To ensure all streets are covered and updated would require a lot of data entry. It is not just having a cheap box, it's having a cheap box with good maps inside.
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It's one thing to listen to an idiot talk. As soon as you respond, there are now 2 idiots having a conversation. |
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quanta
Premium
join:2002-05-07
Toronto, ON
| said by Robert :said by HiVolt : Have you seen how cheap portable GPS units are? The car does not have to have full blown GPS navigation with a huge screen, dvd plyaback etc... Have you seen how crappy the maps are on even the most expensive units, when it comes to outside the major cities? I have lived in my house for 3 years and it has just recently been added to Google Maps. To ensure all streets are covered and updated would require a lot of data entry. It is not just having a cheap box, it's having a cheap box with good maps inside. It's difficult but not impossible. Managing the massive amount of constantly fluctuating data would be a hard thing for a car company to tackle though. I'd say a partnership between a car company, a GPS manufacturer and a tech team like Google Maps/Google Earth or MS Virtual Earth would make this dream possible.
I'm still surprised no major GPS manufacturer has incorporated Google Maps yet. GPS maps *ARE* ugly. |
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Robert
Premium
join:2002-03-11
South Dildo, NL
·Bell Sympatico
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| I agree it's not impossible. I suppose the best option of such a marriage is a GPS company getting together with Microsoft and their Sync product.
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It's one thing to listen to an idiot talk. As soon as you respond, there are now 2 idiots having a conversation. |
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Anav
Sarcastic Llama? Naw, Just Acerbic
Premium
join:2001-07-16
Dartmouth, NS
| The cost would be on the govts to implement their side of the systems. When they can't even keep the potholes filled, I doubt their budgets can easily incorporate babysitting technologies. No argument what you say makes sense. GPS and tracking and controls are here now in a small form factor and low cost. Bit of engineering to tie it together in the vehicle. Of course it would be foolish to stop a car cold in the middle of the 401!!!
I like the tracker show on TV cops thing where they can do it all to bait cars.
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Ain't nuthin but the blues! "Albert Collins".
Leave your troubles at the door! "Pepe Peregil" De Sevilla. Just Don't Wifi without WPA, "Yul Brenner"
LlamaWorks Equipment |
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CigaR
Premium
join:2004-08-24
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to HiVolt
said by HiVolt :Real innovation would be using GPS, and adjusting the speed limiter to 10km/h over the posted speed limit on the road you're driving on. Keep in mind that GPS satellites are controlled by the military. They control the sensitivity and can change it at any given moment. |
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bluebaron2
Stuff Happens
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-01
North of 44 | OK my tin foil hat is firmly in place....
So?  |
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dirtyjeffer
Beauty
Premium
join:2002-02-21
London, ON
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to Robert
hehehe...i was just reading this at lunch, but thought no one would care about Ford...i thought it was a neat idea too.
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Best Marketplace Ever: »www.cbc.ca/marketplace/speed_bumps/
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