Ford Sync drops Microsoft for Blackberry.
I'm Bridget Carey, and this is your CNet update.
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The Ford Sync in car system has been around for almost eight years now.
But in the latest update, Ford is dropping Microsoft and rebuilding it completely with Blackberry QNX software.
And you can relax.
It will still work with your iPhone and Android.
It's just that the interface is different.
Sync 3 isn't coming out until late next year, but Ford is offering an early peek now.
And in our first impression we found it's noticeably faster and easier to navigate.
It also has better voice recognition.
And supports Wi-Fi connectivity.
So when you're parked at home at night you can hook it up to your home network to automatically update the software.
It'll also be updated to work with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Now Ford may have dropped Microsoft from Sync, but there's still plenty in store for Microsoft next year.
The company announced its ready to show off Windows 10 at an event on January 21st.
Windows 10 promises to save us all from the nightmare of Windows 8 by bringing back the Start Menu and other familiar navigation from Windows 7.
We still will have to wait until the fall for the official release.
This is really just a big tease, but there is something new Microsoft is offering right now.
You can pay for apps and games using bitcoin.
If you're adding credit to your Microsoft account to pay for media on Windows on on the X-Box, you now have the option to add money from your bitcoin wallet.
If you own bitcoins you just have to scan a code on the screen with a bitcoin wallet app to make the transfer.
In other news, the Google Search app has been redesigned and updated for iOS devices.
Google's hope is that you'll use this app for all your searching, replacing the Safari browser.
And if you're unfamiliar with the Google app, it always has some interesting perks beyond search.
It gives you notifications about the weather and upcoming sports games and you can track flights or incoming packages.
Set reminders even.
In this update you can use the magic words, okay Google, to start a voice search at anytime during your browsing.
Before you had to be on the Home screen to do that.
It also folded in Maps into the search and you can review your recent search history quickly with the tap of an icon.
The past searches show up as a stack of cards that you can scroll through.
Also on the topic of voice command.
The elusive Amazon Echo smart speaker now has an app for iPhones, so you can sync with the speaker to answer your questions, and it tells you news and weather updates.
It also can be set to stream music.
You need an invite from Amazon to even buy the Echo.
We have a review now up at CNET if you want to check it out.
That's your Tech News update.
Stay updated by following me on Twitter.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridgette Cary.
