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"   CHICAGO \u2014 Ford trucks are about to get a whole lot more useful, thanks to a suite of four co-branded technologies that put new gear in motion for the DIYer and computer geek alike. Dubbed Ford Work Solutions (FWS), the package to be unveiled here today includes an in-dash computer, an RFID-enabled tool tracker, Web-ready small business management and a hardcore locking system\u2014all set for integration in the new F-Series trucks or E-Series vans.   By far the most innovative of the four platforms is the tricked-out computer that replaces the audio system space in the vehicle&amp;#039;s center stack. With a 6.5-in. touchscreen, 2GB of memory, Internet access over Sprint&amp;#039;s network, Windows CE and Windows Auto software, Garmin navigation, plus memory-card slots, a USB port and a wireless keyboard and mouse, this thing is a real computer, folks. The system allows trucks to become true mobile offices, capable of linking directly into a business owner&amp;#039;s main network or home computer via the cellular broadband connection. Users can open existing files on an office PC, make changes and then print them on a battery-powered, on-board inkjet printer that can print up to 450 pages from a single charge\u2014cool stuff. What&amp;#039;s more, the in-dash PC works with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, offering hands-free calling with push-to-talk voice recognition, access to user phonebooks and the ability to send and receive text messages.    In a partnership with DeWalt, the FWS package is also offering Tool Link, an RFID asset tracking system that lets you mark and scan tools, safety equipment, materials and more. Start up a truck or van, and a pair of antennas\u2014mounted in protected housings inside the pickup box\u2014use passive RFID tech to scan for items via a pre-programmed inventory list. The data is then transmitted to a reader inside the cab and displayed on screen, alerting the driver if any vital tools are missing. Tool Link will also save a snapshot of the first list of the day to reference against, making sure everything that was taken to the job site is back on the truck at the end of a workday.    Crew Chief, our third favorite element of the Work Solutions suite, provides fleet managers with a telematics and diagnostics system for real-time vehicle location and maintenance tracking. The data links to a Web-based application, but Crew Chief also communicates with the vehicle&amp;#039;s electrical architecture and can perform a number of diagnostic functions, from checking tire pressure to deciphering engine warnings. You can even program the data manager to identify manual alerts, such as unauthorized use of a vehicle or excessive idling. The system will also provide fuel calculations and fuel tax reporting.    Finally, Ford developed its Cable Lock security system with the gurus over at MasterLock to take care of items left in the pickup box during park. The 8-ft., 10-mm-thick steel cable comes wrapped in a protective plastic sheathing, and can be woven around toolbox handles or through and around items, then locked to the truck with a clasp that looks a whole like a handcuff. The clasp can be attached to any of the items in the box, to the tie-down cleats, or clamped back onto the cable itself. The retractable cable is stored in a corrosion- and impact-resistant housing mounted to the rear of the pickup box. It&amp;#039;s spring-loaded and uses a friction mechanism to retract the cable when not in use. Best of all? You can install the system on nearly any Ford pickup. Ford even says its dealers can integrate the whole FWS package into older trucks. All four options will be available this fall on the new 2009 Ford F-150 XL, XLT and FX4 trucks; F-Series Super Duty XL and XLT trucks; and all 2009 E-Series vans. Ford&amp;#039;s new Transit Connect vans will join the lineup in mid-2009. \u2014Jim McCraw   RELATED STORIES \u2022 PLUS: 6 New Car Technologies in Your Not-So-Distant Future   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a2577/4248153/>