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Audio Junkies: The 2008 El Kameleon KD-AVX44 is probably one of the best looking new head units we have seen this year. The DVD receiver retains its roots with the oldschool blackout faceplate to keep thieves at bay, but the faceplate is still detachable for those who feel better removing it completely. That faceplate looks like it has no buttons for reason, it utilizes “electrostatic technology” to sense touch and even a proximity sensor to illuminate the face panel when you put your hand near it.

The Kameleon comes prepared for HD radio and satellite radio, with built-in controls for a CD changer and rear-view camera. The 3.5″ (9cm) monitor is a decent size for a single-DIN unit, and the receiver also comes Bluetooth equipped and iPod ready. JVC slathered on the iPod functionality with this unit. The KS-U20 cable used for the iPod USB 2.0 connection charges the iPod while displaying album artwork on the headunit.

More features:
- Animated 3D Graphic User Interface
- Headphone surround sound in Dolby 5.1
- MOSFET 50W x 4
- 7-Band iEQ
- 5V line and subwoofer preouts
- Gold-plated A/V input and output RCAs
- Multilingual display

The El Kameleon KD-AVX44 is expected to be available this Summer.

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GPS Business News: Navigation device manufacturer TomTom today launches the industry’s first content-sharing platform for TomTom devices that allows users to easily download, upload and share navigation content with other users for free.

The platform will be made available from today on the latest version of TomTom HOME, which has been unveiled for both PC and MAC users. As of January 2008, the amount of registered TomTom HOME users has grown to 4.25 million.

“TomTom HOME is a key tool to emphasize our commitment to the constantly growing TomTom community,” said Harold Goddijn chief executive officer at TomTom. “Our users tell us all the time how much they enjoy personalizing their devices with content they can get from one another. However, this content has always been spread out and unorganized across the web and on users’ devices. With the new version of TomTom HOME, TomTom brings personalization and user-generated content together in an all-in-one, easy-to-use application unlike anything else in the navigation industry.”

The full portfolio of content available to share and download includes personalized images (appearing when a TomTom device is turned on or shut down), vehicle icons, warning sounds, funny voices, colour schemes, Points of Interest and Routes.

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PMP Today: Citibank thinks Apple will release the 3G version of the iPhone in the following 6 months. Apple’s iPhone inventory is very low right now and there is a strong demand for 3G connectivity in the iPhone coming from Europe. The lackluster European sales may also have influenced the decision of finally putting 3G connectivity on the iPhone.

“We believe that lack of 3G has been a significant headwind for iPhone in Europe where 3G is already pervasive,” the Citibank analyst said. The iPhone may come to three more European countries in the coming months. A rumored price cut for iPhone suggests a new version is coming. The iPhone with 3G could be released to Europe first before the U.S., Citibank thinks.

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E-Gear: Want to learn all about car audio systems, even with next to no prior knowledge of the subject? A new book should go a long way towards helping you out.

California-based writer and E-Gear magazine contributor Doug Newcomb has written “Car Audio For Dummies,” the latest entry in Wiley & Sons popular series, and the book teaches all the basics on how to “plan, buy, install and enjoy” car audio and video systems.

Topics covered in the book include where to buy equipment, whether to go professional or do-it-yourself for installation, sound quality, iPod integration, accessories, and safety, both through anti-theft protection and safeguarding of your hearing. And much more beyond that.

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The Canadian Press: LG.Philips LCD Co. said Tuesday it plans to change its name in line with a reduction in shares held by Royal Philips Electronics NV of the Netherlands.The flat panel maker’s new name will be LG Display Co., LG.Philips said in a release. The company plans to register the new name on March 3 following approval at its shareholders’ meeting Feb. 29, according to the release.

“The new corporate name reflects the companys business scope expansion and business model diversification, the change in corporate governance following the reduction of Philips’ equity stake, and LG’s commitment to enhanced responsible management”, LG.Philips said.

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The Korea Times: Full High-Definition LCD televisions are increasingly becoming the mainstream in the bullish TV industry amid faster technology development and rising demand for more realistic images.

Samsung Electronics said that it will introduce 32-inch (81cm) full HD LCD TVs this month in a pre-emptive measure to take the “niche” but “promising” segment.

“We have finally decided to release the mid-sized full HD television set as sales of video sources and contents including games made for Sony’s PlayStation 3 console have been increasing at a solid pace,” a Samsung spokesperson said.

According to DisplaySearch, a market research firm, the demand for full HD LCD televisions will reach about 20 million this year, compared with some 98 million LCD TVs projected globally. Industry estimates show that the full HD LCD TV sector will expand to 57 million by the end of 2011.

The current HD-TV standards pertain to three separate display resolutions: 1280X720p, 1920X1080i and 1920X1080p, all measured in terms of pixel count. The third mode is commonly dubbed full-HD and has the best quality, enabling users to connect and take advantage of full capabilities of advanced home theater components, such as Blu-ray players or gaming systems.

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FOX Business: Nokia and Google yesterday announced that Google’s popular search engine will be integrated with the Nokia Search application. The integration will begin in select markets with the Nokia N96, Nokia N78, Nokia 6210 Navigator and Nokia 6220 classic. Google search will be extended to additional Nokia handset models in the future. Ultimately, Nokia will make Google search available to its customers in over 100 countries around the world, serving mobile owners speaking more than 40 languages.

Nokia Search, now with Google, offers fast and easy access to web information from the handset. In addition, Nokia Search also makes it possible for users to search content on their device and use local search engines for a complete search experience. Nokia Search is available on many devices and provides direct access with one click from the active standby screen, saving users time and steps in their searching. Once users have found the information they are seeking, Nokia Search enables users to act on that information by engaging device assets such as maps, messaging or the browser with just one click.

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phonemag: It might not be quite the multimedia maven as the Z10, but Motorola’s newly announced Z6w still has plenty going for it; with both EDGE and WiFi b/g, Motorola are claiming you can seamless cross between cellular and 802.11 networks without calls or web browsing being interrupted.  In fact, they’re positioning it as a replacement to both your current mobile and home handsets.

Of course the spectre of the carrier hovers over any such VoIP access, so perhaps we should concentrate instead on the 2-megapixel camera capable of recording 14fps video, microSD slot that supports up to 4GB cards, stereo Bluetooth (with Motorola’s EasyPair) and integrated Windows Media Player 11.  Motorola have also preloaded an IM client onto the Z6w. 

The Motorola Z6w weighs 110g and measures 45.25 x 105.47 x 17.3 mm; battery life is claimed to be up to 420 minutes talktime or 400 hours standby.  It should be available in Q2 2008.

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NaviGadget: Nokia 6210 Navigator was just announced yesterday. It is the first GPS phone from Nokia that includes integrated compass for guiding users on foot. Unlike the 6220, 6210 Navigator does come with navigation software – specifically Nokia Maps 2.0 – so you will be able to get turn by turn guidance right out of the box; for only 300 €.Other cool features on Nokia 6210 Navigator is the addition of an accelerometer – which can actually turn the map in the correct direction depending on the direction you’re heading.

Other features include:

• 3.2MP camera
• local maps on 1GB card
• MP3 player
• FM radio
• 3.5G HSDPA technology

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TradingMarkets.com: When comparing organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) to liquid crystal display (LCD), OLEDs remain a relatively new technology in the flat panel display (FPD) market, notes Frost & Sullivan.

With advanced technology, improved energy efficiency and superior viewing angle, OLEDs have become the technology of the future, the consulting firm adds. While also formidable, the gradual saturation of the LCD market will positively affect the uptake of OLEDs and some market experts anticipate that the OLEDs market revenues will reach the billion dollar mark by 2009.

Frost & Sullivan finds that the Opportunity Analysis in the OLED Display Markets earned revenues of $475 million (327 million euros) in 2006 and estimates this to reach $1.4 billion in 2013 (nearly 1 billion euros).

OLEDs promise to be one of the key technologies of the future, especially with respect to display and lighting applications, said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Abhigyan Sengupta. The key advantage of OLED displays is that they are based on an emissive technology, besides which the absence of back light units gives OLEDs certain advantages over LCDs.

The absence of the backlight in OLEDs makes them much lighter and extremely thin compared to LCDs, which tend to be large due to the presence of these backlights. In addition, reduced power consumption also makes OLEDs superior to LCDs, which require more power due to the backlight of the display module. Being emissive in nature, OLEDs offer significant power-saving capabilities that reduce the long-term application costs.

Already popular, OLEDs are commonly used in MP3 players and mobile phones, said Sengupta. As the technology advances, they will have tremendous potential in a range of applications including thin TVs, flexible displays, transparent monitors and white-bulb replacement.

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Phonemag.com: Nokia have officially announced the N96 smartphone.  An update to the popular N95, over 7 million of which were sold, the N96 adopts the manufacturer’s current high-gloss style while updating the long spec-list that prompted so much interest in its predecessor. 

Quadband GSM & HSDPA(WCDMA/HSDPA 900/2100, EGSM 900, GSM/EGPRS 850/1800/1900 MHz) together with WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR and GPS are joined by Assisted-GPS for improved accuracy and, in certain markets, a DVB-H mobile TV receiver.

A 5-megapixel autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED camera flash (which does double duty as a video light) can capture images up to 2592 x 1944 and MPEG-4 VGA video footage at 30fps.  These can be geotagged, stored and organised on the N96’s 16GB of internal memory (which can be augmented with a microSD card), uploaded to online galleries such as Flickr or Nokia’s Ovi service, or streamed to a computer or compatible TV using a TV-out cable or wireless UPnP.

Nokia Maps 2.0 features strongly on the N96, offering navigation and multimedia city guides as well as user-downloadable maps and satellite imagery.  Options are available for voice-guided car navigation or pedestrian-optimised turn-by-turn instructions.

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Audio Junkies: Phoenix Gold (a division of Rodin) is now shipping their new ATI515 two-way LCR in-wall home theater speakers. The speakers utilize a MTM configuration with dual 5.25″ (13,4cm) woofers and a pivoting silk dome tweeter. PG claims they are “ideal for either center channel or three piece front channel home theater audio applications.”

Phoenix Gold ATI515 LCR in-wall home theater speaker specs:
• Power Handling: 15 to 150 Watts continuous
• Sized to fit between two studs
• Mid, tweeter, mid (MTM configuration)
• Woofer: dual 5.25-inch carbon filled poly cone w/butyl surround
• Tweeter: 1-inch swivel mounted silk soft dome
• Magnetically shielded
• Frequency Response: 60 Hz to 20 KHz
• Impedance: 8 Ohm
• Sensitivity: 92dB@2.83V
• Spray-paintable frame and grill
• Outer Dimension: 15.35 inches x 8.30 inches (39cm x 21cm)

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