Earlier this week, the guys at Pioneer let me drive around in one of their cars for a couple of days to test out the AVIC-F10BT in-dash satnav entertainment system. And now that I’ve tasted the supple delights of the AVIC, my own car’s stereo system seems old and tired, like a Hollywood starlet who’s let herself go. My satnav – once the pride and joy of my glovebox – now seems clunky and cumbersome. If I could, I’d take my car and the AVIC system to Vegas and get them hitched, because the simple fact is that they belong together. More »
Pioneer’s just announced their latest AVIC in-dash satnav system, and considering it’s got an RRP of just $1,199, it made me wonder why we aren’t seeing more companies getting behind the in-dash satnav option. More »
Mercedes-Benz new myCOMAND system has appeared at the Los Angeles Auto Show, taking on the fourth-generation BMW iDrive. Whereas the latter has an Xbox 360 feeling, this one gets some clues from Apple, especially Coverflow and the menu navigation, which reminds me of the first version of the Apple TV and Front Row. One big difference is that myCOMAND is connected to the web, grabbing information wirelessly and presenting it through their own on-screen apps. Looking at the high resolution screens and the feature list, it seems very good:
We can’t believe it, but Fusion CA-1P500 is apparently the first head unit that allows you to dock and hide your iPod directly inside the face. The thing costs £149.99 (US$278), which isn’t too bad for a head unit that has an OLED menu, a knob that corresponds to the iPod’s scroll wheel, and SRS Wow. It fits the classic, touch and nano, but supposedly not the iPhone. Weird, aren’t the touch and iPhone about the same? In any case, what we’d love is for it to take in the iPhone and give us full handsfree calling capabilities through a mic in the head and output through the speakers. [Fusion via T3]
German car manufacturer Mercedes is buying the iPhone-is-God credo, and has come up with a designated piece of gear to allow Benz drivers to integrate their iPhones into the car system. The US$249 gadget works with the C-, E-, CLK-, CLS-, S-, CL-, SL-, M- and R-Class cars, as well as the forthcoming GLK-Class. It connects your phone to the car’s audio system via either the optionally available Media Interface or the retrofittable iPod® Interface Kit. Full press release below.
Japanese company Green House is always coming up with nifty little accessories for us gadget lummoxes, and this FM transmitter for your car is no exception. Utterly reminiscent of a stick shift, you plug it into your car’s cigarette lighter and tune into the radio. It connects to your entertainment system via an audio cable, and there’s also a USB connection. Cost is US$28 and it’ll be available in Japan in the middle of this month. [Impress]
I love high-fidelity audio. There’s nothing quite like being able to hear every note in your favourite piece of music. I’m also a big fan of red-hot molten lava. So these new Pioneer speakers will need to make their way into my car sooner rather than later.
Of course, they’re not actually made from molten lava, but from volcanic rock. In particular, the cones are made from basalt, which is ideal for speaker cones because “it’s rigid, heat resistant and delivers more detailed and accurate sound”.
