Ovi Maps has been a focal point for Nokia in the last few weeks since they gave it all away for free, so it’s not surprising a hardware company wants to use their turn-by-turn navigation for cars. More »
newVideoPlayer("alpineixaw404ho.flv", 475, 286);Alpine’s iXA-W404 with its 4.3-inch QVGA touchscreen and iPhone compatibility is fully capable of navigating all your iPhone’s music, movies, tv shows, and more by the touch of your finger.
Alpine is rolling out their new lineup of receivers, with the iXA-W404 leading the charge. It features a 4.3-inch QVGA touchscreen monitor that more or less mimics coverflow.
Something weird must be going on in the Alps, because alien structures keep popping up like circles in the English crops and people insist on doing jacuzzi parties at 15,700 feet. Take this shiny Alpine Capsule, a beautiful–if not eerie–26-feet in diameter mountain shelter designed by Studio Lovegrove that seems to be made of mercury.
Some men build skyscrapers. Some men build pyramids. And some men, really, really great men, build gigantic BBQ trailers. The winner of Crutchfield’s “You Dream It We’ll Help You Build It” contest, Michael Seville took his late father’s three metre long galvanised propane tank and mounted it as the chief component of this 5.2 metre mobile BBQ. Then he stuffed the rest of the platform with electronics.
The Basics: Alpine’s IDA-X100 is a foreign affair coming stateside in the spring. Not only does the 2.2-inch touchscreen mime the iPod’s UI, but it has Bluetooth audio streaming, a USB port for memory stick audio playback, HD/Sat radio readiness, a “Tag and Sync” function that allows for keying of HD radio songs for later purchas eon iTunes, AAC and WMA support. It also has IMPRINT tech for mapping a car’s acoustical peculiarities and overcoming. The line, a follow up to the IDA-X001, includes X200 and X300 models lower down the food chain that lack the nice screen. A pity they don’t get that cool flip clock.
The Skinny: Alpine’s entire 2008 catalog was just leaked, and this is their MSN navigator with the same slow-ass movies, gas, and traffic data that Garmin and others have been rocking for over a year. No word on size of the wide touchscreen display. There’s a PND-K3 model without MSN direct. The Good stuff: Actually, this is one of the first models I’ve seen to allow sorting of gas by location or price, and I like the zoom into intersection functions that make complicated turn scenarios simple. [via AudioJunkies]
Like the Venturi Mini, the eX-10 includes an FM transmitter, along with support for the A2DP stereo Bluetooth profile, and can pair with up to four devices simultaneously. However, the Alpine device ups the ante by packing in an iPod cable and a larger display (but sadly it’s not a touch screen). We also liked the fact that the eX-10 has a detached mic that clips onto your visor for clearer calls. However, we’re skeptical about the device’s remote control interface and think that the remote just begs to be lost. The hub simply connects to the cigarette lighter and can be mounted to your dash with the built in suction cup. The Alpine eX-10 should be available in about three weeks and will retail for $200. [Alpine]
I’m not sure why you’d want HD DVD in your car, but just in case, Toshiba and Alpine have created this car-friendly duo which brings HD DVD straight to your dashboard. The player is accompanied by Toshiba’s touchscreen, which has the brains to sense when your finger’s shadow is hovering above the panel (that way you won’t smudge or grease up your screen). The unit is expected to come out in 2008. – Louis Ramirez
