[GoGoGadgetTruck]

I saw this over on a Mach-E forum (Ford announces Sync 4W, the next generation of infotainment) but I'm thinking it will apply to the Lightning as well:

DETROIT - April 1: In a surprising move, Ford announced today that Sync 4W, the next generation of infotainment, is available immediately to all Ford Mustang (TM) Mach-E (R) owners through a convenient Over-the-Air update process or through an easy 155 GB download to USB.

But what is Sync 4W? Ford CEO Alan Mulally, seen here in front of an obsolete not-a-Mustang:

explained it as follows:

Going back to the first version of Ford Sync, Ford has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with our friends at Microsoft. Although there was that brief time when we thought QNX or Google would be valuable partners, we have now learned from our mistake. Thus, we are moving to a new Microsoft-backed platform, "Windows for EVs" (TM)(R)(C).

The system is still in early development, but some sample UIs were shown:

Mulally continued:

Although I was passed over for CEO of Microsoft, I don't hold any ill will against the company. Instead, we will leverage their decades of experience with touch interfaces and online updates, as well as their cloud platform, to make our vehicles the envy of the industry.

As seen in the mock-ups above, Internet connectivity is included through a modern web browser, as is a full selection of games, to be enjoyed while charging or, at a future time, while driving in autonomous mode.

BlueCruise 2.0 Service Pack 3 will include full on-screen visualization of the system as well as interactive experiences to keep things lively for our drivers!

A UI mockup for that experience was included as well:

But, that's not all - the press release included information on voice assistant functionality as well:

Ford's exclusive "Cartana" interface will supply the best-in-class assistant functionality while just barely avoiding the uncanny valley through the use of Ford Blue throughout assistant visualization.

Given that Microsoft invented the idea of mass end-user operating system updates in Windows 95, which also brought plug-and-pray plug-and-play to the mainstream for computer users anyway, it seems pretty clear the system has a lot going for it!

The car's Start button will function as a Windows Start button as well for the on-screen UI, allowing easy access to the in-car application launcher:

User customization will include a large number of selectable themes (not just a "light" or "dark"), including one that Ford is calling "Hotdog Stand", sure to be a hit with those with Cyber Orange GTs:

Although the system will initially ship without CarPlay or Android Auto support, Miracast support will be included "day one". Also, Ford said that FordPass will be ported to the popular Windows Phone platform, with a companion Microsoft Band application to follow shortly.

We've reached out to Ford for clarification on some questions but so far, we just have the press release to go off of. But if the press release is any indication, exciting times are ahead for Mach-E owners!

(source)

 

[GDN]

Sorry to blow it so quickly, but that is what you call an April fools joke. I started reading intently through the first paragraph, but it didn't take too long.

 

[GoGoGadgetTruck]

Sorry to blow it so quickly, but that is what you call an April fools joke. I started reading intently through the first paragraph, but it didn't take too long.

Yes, it is. 😉