Integrating your phone into your car isn’t clean.  For most of us, power cords, FM transmitters and dashboard holders are all involved to get the job done, only to have to futz with the FM station during lengthy drives.  Thankfully, a new stereo is on the market that is smart enough for us to take notice: the Parrot RKi8400.

This Parrot stereo looks brilliant and a smart match to the iPhone.  Packed with smart features like, upon first-time connection, the stereo copies your contacts to memory allowing users to add a feature that Apple left off the 3G iPhone: voice dialing.  Simply by speaking to the included microphone, users can dial from their iPhone contacts without fumbling.  The unit will store up to 8,000 contacts and pair with up to 10 phones.

Created for specific integration with the iPhone, the stereo displays cover art accessed through the phone for a nice touch.  Controls look to be a simple tuner and one handed operation looks to be a design hallmark.

The Parrot connects to the iPhone’s dock allowing the phone to be charged or the phone can connect via Bluetooth for A2DP streaming.  The faceplate of the stereo removes to reveal a storage spot for your phone or player.  The stereo also accepts SD cards, USB flash drives or other MP3 players.

The unit is available now and sells for $399 on the company’s site.

Product page: [Parrot] via [Slashphone]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

HD radio, the standard that is slightly more exciting than shoelace technology, is coming to more BMWs standard.  The 2009 6 and 7 Series already had HD Radio.  Now the Z4 Roadster, the 1, and 3 Series will get HD Radio standard.  BMW joins Ford in pushing HD Radio. 

Don’t know anything about HD Radio?  Let’s fill you in.  The HD does not stand for “high definition.”  In fact, it used to stand for “hybrid digital,” but now it stands for nothing in particular.  The name is a trademarked term for higher quality audio like 5.1 surround sound sent over the air.  What does this really mean?  If your town has a HD Radio station and you have a HD Radio receiver, you get better audio quality. 

Read: [PR Newswire]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Super-premium electronics manufacturer Bang & Olufsen is partnering up with super-premium automotive brands Aston Martin and Audi to bring custom sound systems to some fancy cars.  The Aston Martin Rapide (Rapide - because it’s a sports car, get it?) will pick up a Bang & Olufsen designed BeoSound system.  What distinguishes the 15 speaker, 1000 watt amp B&O system?  B&O says the system has “smoothly contoured, aluminum loudspeaker grilles that integrate seamlessly into the hand crafted interior.”  The car costs only $260,000, so it’s a nice bonus to get a decent audio system in it. 

Audi’s R8 Spyder gets a custom Bang & Olufsen sound system as well.  This system is also supposed to match the R8 Spyder in design (see picture below).  B&O says that the 12 speaker, 465 watt audio system can detect when the Spyder’s roof is closed or open and will adjust the audio to the conditions so you have a pleasant audio experience. 

Audi R8 Spyder Interior

Company Site: [Bang & Olufsen]

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Harman will be providing car tech for Merceds-Benz thanks to a new deal between Harman and Daimler AG.  What can you expect in your next Mercedes?  Of course there will be navigation and wireless connectivity, but there is also Internet access.  The system will be hard drive based and you will be able to upload your music to it as well.  The Harman system will use Harman’s “GreenEdge” technology which aims to reduce the amount of power consumed as well as keep weight low.  You’re probably familiar with Harman’s technology even if their name may sound unfamiliar.  Here are a few of their brands:  Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity, AKG, and Mark Levinson.

Company Site: [Harman]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Today I was shown this convenient device for those of us that hate the look of Bluetooth ear pieces to mate with our cell phones.  This entry by Funkwerk called the Ego Cup, sits in your cup holder and can use FM modulation to bring the voice of your caller to your car’s sound system.  They unit connects to your phone via Bluetooth.

The system will be on sale at Best Buys in the “near future” for approximately $79.

The company also had similar products that integrated more professionally into your car’s system.  These products will be available through installers.

Company site: [Funkwerk]

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The president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach, announced today that the company and Ford are updating SYNC.  SYNC was announced at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show and is touted as a mobile entertainment and communication platform for your mobile devices and digital audio players.  Later this year, the companies are adding real-time traffic and location information into the mix as well.  In addition, users’ customizations will now stay with them when they move from SYNC car to car.  Apparently the new real-time services will be free for the first 3 years, but are going to cost you beyond that time frame.  No word yet on what those subscription fees will be like.

The updated SYNC features will launch later this year on “select 2010 models” of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles, and will hit all of their autos by 2011.

·      SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information provides personalized, real-time information to help drivers get to where they’re going with information they need. New services come with no monthly subscription fees for the first three years.

·      Users’ customizations stay with their phone and can be used in other SYNC-equipped vehicles and can be upgraded free as new services are available.

·      New features launch later this year on select 2010 models and will roll out across the entire Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury lineup by 2011.

·      SYNC sales expected to top 1 million in 2009.

Full Story » | Written by Doug Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Like always Sony has made us trek all the way over to the convention center for their press conference. We are expecting the regular announcements LCD TVs, new OLED displays, cameras, new computers include the teased P series, new Blu-ray players and more. The one catch will be that Howard Stronger, Sony CEO, will be offering a keynote tomorrow morning and will surely save something for that time—so this can end up being a bit dry. Either way stick around to this page for live coverage of all the announcements (you can reload the page by hitting Ctrl+R or F5).

For more CES press coverage head over here or check out our 2009 CES page for all the CES news, CES keynotes, CES photo galleries/booth tours, and more!

Full Story » | Written by Adam Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Blaupunkt introduced the World’s First Internet Car Radio at CES.  The company partnered with miRoamer to create the radio which will give users access to a substantial amount of Internet radio content previously not available through an in-car stereo.  Dr. Gerhard Pitz, Head of the Car Stereo Product Center at Blaupunkt said “Integrating Blaupunkt stereos with miRoamer technology was a logical step in creating a truly multimedia driving experience . . . Drivers will be able to use all the features they’re familiar with, such as phone, address book, Bluetooth and navigation, but with the first Internet radio, driven by miRoamer, we are able to offer them the ability to tune into the world.”  The radios will be released as built-in original equipment.  No word yet on what vehicles, or when we could see the radios officially hit the market.  The image above is of a prototype which will be shown off at CES 2009.

Full Story » | Written by Emily Price for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Reigncom has recently introduced a new and more upgraded version of iriver’s NV PMP, with one of the main upgrades being GPS. 

It comes with normal PMP specs such as 4GB hard drive, and playing audio and video in various formats.  It also comes with many GPS characteristics such as a 3.5-inch touch screen with 320 x 240 resolution, runs Windows CE 5.0, and the maps are provided by Gini. 

One of the less attractive features in the NV is its battery life - a rather small 2.5 hours on a single charge.  A good enough battery for small navigation trips, but if you’re going on a long trip, you may want to opt in getting the car charger. 

It is currently available in the Korean market for 188,000 KRW, or about $131.

Via [Hallyutech]

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Satellite radio took a hit this past week as WorldSpace filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Only two weeks ago, both Chief Operating Officers resigned.

WorldSpace is a subscription-based service that broadcasts news, sports, music and educational programming to over 150,000 people.  They charge $5.00 - $10.00 per month for their plans and provide more than 100 channels.  WorldSpace offers the only satellite radio service outside the U.S. (except Japan and South Korea).  Sirius XM is the licensed provider of satellite radio here.  Judith Pryor, Senior Vice President of Worldspace, told me that they do not expect for the U.S. to ever be in their market.  With a reorganization and probable sale in its immediate future, it is uncertain who their audience will be.

Chapter 11 allows WorldSpace to continue on with business while these changes are being made.

Worldspace’s objective is to come up with a way to pay back some outstanding debts.  Pryor says, “This we expect to do by either a sale of the Company or its assets or a recapitalization of the Company.”  Worldspace had a decent 2006 with major relationships and agreements made with CNN and ESPN.  That was followed by a disastrous year financially in 2007 with a shareholder lawsuit, and with this year looking even worse, the call for change should not come as a surprise.

Worldspace highlights:

• Worldspace pioneered broadcasting from company-owned and launched satellites.
• Worldspace was one of the principal founding shareholders of XM Satellite Radio.
• Worldspace’s Global Content and Programming Department puts out four of the original content channels heard on XM Satellite Radio.
• Worldspace technology is used in every XM receiver.
• Worldspace’s receivers act as modems and are capable of downloading data, video, and other media content.

Sirius Too?

Sirius XM is having a pressured year also, not nearly as bad as Worldspace, but they did cut 50 jobs last week.  Sirius is seeking approval for a reverse stock split in order to increase their stock value and to avoid getting delisted from Nasdaq.  Sirius is also under scrutiny for inhumane working conditions for women in their factory in Korea who assemble the satellite radios.  A press conference is supposed to be held today (Tuesday, October 21) to discuss some very scary discrimination and abuse accusations.

Good news for both companies: both their stocks at closing yesterday were up (a little).

See Stock Information
See Sirius accusations
Read Worldspace News Release

Full Story » | Written by Heidi Crossman for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Normal POIs in GPSs can do only so much, such as letting you know when you come near a place that many find interesting.  This new Sat Nav software takes basic POIs to the next level.  This software will provide audio whenever you travel near a historically famous place in France, and will last about two minutes. 

Developed by RoadTour, the software will work with most GPSs, such as GPSs by Garmin.  For 19.95 pounds, or only about $27, you can get a concise historical background on nearly 620 French attractions.  Many European countries are rich with culture, so a tourist will definitely benefit from something like this.  RoadTour spent over 3 years developing accurate historical information for every piece of audio they have. 

RoadTour worked with ZeVisit, a leading French tourist agency, who helped with famous attractions.  Yann Le Fichant, CEO of ZeVisit, had this to say about their product:

“At ZeVisit, we strongly believe that audio is the only media that can make you feel strong emotions. What better than making every journey an emotional journey full of stories and imagination as well?”

In addition, Daniel Taylor, RoadTour’s leading inventor, had this to say about their product and ZeVisit:

RoadTour’s inventor, Daniel Taylor found that driving the roads of Europe could be a highly frustrating experience; “Sat Navs are great in getting us from A to B but hopeless at connecting us with the rich heritage of Europe.  There are times driving France’s clear motorways, when you might as well be driving through England for all you’re finding out. Our goal with our French partner, Zevisit, is to bring France’s fascinating history, beautiful environment and rich culture to the millions of people who sometimes just drive straight to Provence, barely stopping for fuel on the way.”

Every time the GPS voice starts speaking about a historical place, you can expect to hear about and see pictures of towns, castles, battlefields, and related attractions.  Additionally, the audio will play automatically, so the driver or passenger will not have to do anything if they wanted to hear about a historical place.  In case you were worrying about the historical audio being distracting when you’re trying to get around France, well you will be happy to know that directional audio will be played over historical audio.

Lastly, here’s an example of something you can expect to hear:

“Alsace became part of Germany in 1871, when a far reaching city planning project was set in motion. The German empire decided to move its political and administrative headquarters to the old city centre of Strasbourg, close to La Place de la Republique…this is truly several cities in one. It is a city that is Catholic, Protestant and Jewish all at once and the three architectural styles co-exist marvellously.  According to local, Roger Siffert, Strasbourg is like a very beautiful woman wearing a superb tuxedo but with tennis shoes or boots on her feet…in Alsace, they would say ‘pretty like a punch in the eye’!”

Overall, this seems to be a great product, I only hope that more GPSs will include something like this for tourists. 

Read [RoadTour] Via [Webitpr]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Product: Jabra SP700.
Price and Availability: $99 out now
Pros: Doesn’t make you look like a tool.  Easily answer calls in your car.  Makes not upgrading to the expensive new cars “tech package” a lot easier to live with.  Sound is great, surround sound through speakers is even better.
Cons: no air of superiority that comes with a headset (wait, maybe that should be in the Pros?)
Overall: I’ve already ordered two for my cars.  I give it 10/10

If you are like me, you’ll go to almost any length not to wear your bluetooth headset.  An incoming call when I am in the car sends me fumbling around my front seats for the tiny headset, the awkward install into my ear and then my eyes are back on the road.  Surely that is safer than just answering the phone?

This is my new solution: the Jabra SP 700.  I love this darn thing.  I had my doubts this would work for me, as despite my feelings on the look and overriding “tool-i-ness” of a bluetooth headset, there is something almost fun about being plugged in like that.  But this Jabra piece changed my mind.

Form
Almost hiding on my visor, the unit looks good as its buttons are hidden on the sides.  A sexy almost Scandinavian voice announces settings like “power on” or “connected” keeping my eyes on the road.  I’ve not tired of her yet, but I am sure that is coming.  Set up, as with most bluetooth devices, is super simple.

Better yet, the unit comes with a built in FM transmitter that pumps your callers voice through your cars sound system.  It creates a very warm environment that is more like talking in person than on a call.  I really dig it.  Jabra can also send music on your phone to the cars.  The SP700 will even search for the best frequency for you to transmit over, very cool.

Function
The sound quality is indistinguishable from just using the phone.  Callers sounded clear to me and me to them.  Road noise was swept away and people were amazed I was driving around, much less on a dirt road.  Jabra says the SP700 has echo cancellation and noise reduction all aimed at making your conversation as natural as possible.

I let my wife borrow it this morning.  She phoned more from the road after a couple of uses and wanted to let me know she was keeping it.  She was headed into the office to show it to her friends.

All calls are announced by that sexy Scandinavian voice, keeping me focused on the traffic, not searching around for my phone.  Taking the call is as easy as tapping the visor-mounted unit.

Jabra has put out an excellent option for hands free communications in the car.  I highly recommend.

Product page: [Jabra]

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Its been a while since we first saw the Nokia N78 begin to show up online, it hit the FCC back in mid-March and since then it has always been touting a built-in FM transmitter as an included feature. Considering the music capabilities of the N78, that should be a welcomed feature, while playing music through an FM transmitter over your car stereo is not always a perfect solution, its easy to set up and very convenient. Sadly new details are beginning to surface that are claiming that at least some of the Nokia N78’s will not include the FM transmitter.

While Nokia has not offered up any official comment, it is speculated that it was left off due to legal reasons as it is against the law to operate a radio transmitter without a license in some areas. From what we can tell, the Nokia N78’s will ship without the FM transmitter in France, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland and Italy.

Via [IntoMobile]

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Software giant Microsoft and Korea-based car company Hyundai reportedly have partnered so the former could provide music for the latter’s cars. By 2010, Hyundai cars to be distributed in North America only are expected to feature a voice-controlled system that is connected to the vehicle’s stereo and other mobile devices.

No official specs have been revealed yet but it is safe to say that Bluetooth connectivity will be present aside from the direct cable connections that we usually find in car’s audio system to play portable devices such as the MP3 players and mobile phones. SlashGear even made a prediction that text messages could be read out loud by the system.

This isn’t the first time that Microsoft is partnering with a car company since they’ve already joined forces with Ford with the Sync system. Microsoft-Ford’s Sync system is a currently a $395 option that connects the iPod or mobile phone and features a voice-control. Not many details have been given by Microsoft or Hyundai but from the looks it seems to be something similar to what Microsoft did for Ford and Fiat.

Via [SlashGear]

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One of the best and most expensive GPS’ in the industry, plus the most expensive GPS’ Magellan has to offer, the Maestro 5340, will be ready for pre-order for $1200. If you want the basic version, meaning internet will not be included, then it will only cost $1000. You’re probably thinking, who in their right mind would buy such a GPS, but really if you have the money, then it’s worth it.

Basically, it comes with a 5-inch touch screen, text-to-speech capabilities, live traffic updates, Bluetooth connectivity, better voice command options for menus and addresses, 3D landmarks and 1,400 other buildings which are also 3D. Furthermore, it acts like a PMP because it comes with a MP3 player, video playback, new and better screen and case, and OneTouch interface. Now, the most notable feature of this GPS is its GPRS technology, basically it will deliver advanced Google local search and internet access.

Like previously mentioned, it sells for $1200 if you include all above features and only $1000 if you take out the GPRS option. No word on how much exactly the GPRS services will cost, but it is set to ship in late April, so expect more details then.

Via [NaviGadget]

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Taiwan based GPS manufacturer, Marbella, recently announced their new and exciting GPS, the NAV-8800. The main difference of this GPS and the others in the series is that this model comes with a little bit bigger screen at 4-inches. Also, like many other GPS units, it uses the SiRF Star III GPS receiver.

Additionally, this GPS acts a lot like a PMP in the sense that it displays photo albums - which can be cool to show off whenever you are going to a relative or a friend’s house. Also, it has an MP3 player and can play videos, however, no word on formats as of yet. What’s more is that it comes with a really nice integrated 2-megapixel camera. Lastly, it comes with a digital TV tuner, an optional DVB-t box, and support for rear view cameras.

For a great GPS like this, I would imagine it would be a little bit on the expensive side, however, if you are looking for a good quality GPS and live in Taiwan, I would definitely consider this one. No word on pricing or availability as of yet.

Via [NaviGadget]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Just yesterday in Europe, the Pioneer AVIC-F500BT, which is now known as the NavGate 500 was announced officially. This new GPS is a very nice one but is sure to cost you a lot of Euros, but if you’re looking for a high end model, this is definitely one to consider.

It starts off with its nice, big touch screen, which measures in at 5.8-inches. It has a 800x480 pixel WVGA resolution, which is similar to the HP iPAQ 310, and the Garmin Nuvi 5000. Other features include Bluetooth capability, RDS/TMC module for live traffic information, voice prompts, a 600 MHz processor, and a SiRF Star III GPS chip.

Maps are provided by TeleAtlas, which includes maps of 30 European countries - including Greece, Poland, the Czech republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania and Turkey. Also, it will be able to connect to your car stereo, comes with AV, USB port, a handy iPod connect, and an SD card.

Furthermore, expect this to be shipping in May costing around 699 Euros (I warned you), or about a little over a $1000 US.

Via [NaviGadget]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »