Wakejunky

Seems with better applications available for the car ie Carplay from apple, that somebody would have gone and hacked the Ford My Touch and interfaced an iPhone or Android device. Will as many Fords that have been sold, somebody with the skills would have done it (I certainly don't have the skills)
Ford My Touch seems so archaic compared to other systems.

fordtruckman2003

Because people put a tablet in the dash instead.

BulletsForFingers

I don't mean this in a condescending manner, but it's because "hacking" doesn't mean anything. It's not as if someone goes to hacking school and can suddenly put any functionality onto any proprietary system.

MFT is based on an embedded operating system called Windows CE. Windows CE is a distinct operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of Windows. iPhones get jailbroken and Androids rooted because they're Unix based systems with a huge, active community of knowledge and users. I had to google MFT to even understand what operating system it runs on. The SDKs (important for modding/hacking) are only open to Ford. There is no community, no resources, and no public SDK. As such, no one is likely to ever hack MFT when replacing the hardware with the desired functionality is much easier and cheaper.

Hope that helps!

EDIT: MFT seems archaic because Ford has to balance the desire for functionality with the need to always work. Sure, people have issues with MFT but it is absolutely more stable than any Windows, Android, or even Mac computer. People are generally accepting of bugs in our consumer gadgets, but when the software is in your vehicle it needs to work 100% of the time, 365 days a year, in -30 or 120 degrees year after year. Also, MFT can't be updated with a quick patch to every F150 in North America as easily as Apple can send out an update. Because of this, the developers need to spend way more time testing and they can't afford to be risky with new features.

Hopefully with the growth of data-connected vehicles the automakers can speed up their software cycle. Android and Apple release a new major version every year. Ford currently takes about 4-5 years because of the reasons I mentioned.

torinalth

BFF - you missed the part where ford dropped microsoft for quinix (i believe that was the right company) and so updates are forgotten, just like the nav for the ford Sync systems and sync OS in general for MFT, and then MFT dropped microsoft for quinix.... thus ford no longer cares about the old.

dosman

Fabulous explanation. You clearly know what you are talking about.

I go back to DOS 1.1 and Windows 1.04, so I know a fair amount. MFT does it's job and all the controls function as advertised, including voice (admittedly gets infrequent use). Everything works ... and if you go back very far into MS history, you learn quickly that everything doesn't always.

Sure, there will be changes as Ford switches from Microsoft. Will the successor be an improvement?

I would like to get an A5 SD map card (currently A4). Dealer quoted $142. Anyone have updates on A5?

13Raptor

I got the A5 card on ebay for alot less. My stealership also wanted an insane amount for it..

Robob

The only hacking you will see done of MFT is the options offered by the LockPick guys @ coastaletech.com that offer many ways to hook aux cameras or inputs into the system.

Pac-audio.com is another place that offers bypass modules for GPS unlocking and DVD in motion however do not give you any extra inputs (I use this option on my 1st Gen SYNC)

Stu Cazzo

Just go to the dealership and pull one out of the slot in the showroom. Every truck in the showroom at my dealership has the nav card in the slot.
Is this considered theft?

GriffFX4

I would think so...

13Raptor