Electronista: DVR maker TiVo and UK-based cable provider Virgin Media on Tuesday said they have agreed on a partnership that will see TiVo develop Virgin’s next-generation TV platform.

TiVo will use its expertise to create a custom interface for Virgin’s upcoming HD boxes. In return, Virgin will be the exclusive distributor of TiVo service and hardware in the UK.

Virgin Media uses a fibre optic network throughout the UK, which would offer high speeds when interacting with the video-on-demand service.

Thus far, TiVo is available in the US, Canada and Australia. TiVo will power Virgin’s DVR and non-DVR set-top boxes, with the first co-branded product expected to debut sometime in 2010.

TIVO virgin media

Engadget: One could argue that the Motorola Droid is in fact the first-ever Android-based in-car navigation solution, but we’re surmising that ArcherMind would disagree.

Over at the Embedded Technology 2009 trade show in Yokohama, the outfit has demonstrated an Android-laden navigation system that could actually be inserted as a factory option; curiously enough, it looks an awful lot like the AutoLinQ initiative that hit our radar back in June.

The outfit is reportedly shopping the system — which includes a 7-inch, 800 x 480 display — to a variety of Chinese automakers, and given that it can browse the web via WiFi or 3G, connect with music players and phones over Bluetooth and even play back audio files stored on the HDD or SD slot, we can’t imagine it being a tough sell.

andriod archermind droid

BornRich: There are some good speakers, some great speakers and then there’s the “Grand Master” of all the speakers.

Hansen Audio has created a 10 driver, 3 way, floor standing speaker for audio resurrection.

Engineered to perfection by the Hansen Audio, the “Grand Master” has four woofers and four mid band drivers to perfectly match the two high precision tweeters.

Hansen Audio is overachiever with respect to driver technology with their use of exotic multi-layer composite sandwich cones.

Finished in piano black, the “Grand Master” stands at 650 pounds with over six feet in height to instantly catch eye, wherever it sits in your home. Priced at $239,000 (€158,500), the loudspeakers will be official unveiled at CES in January.

hansen audio speakers

Electronista: TomTom on Wednesday introduced a special edition of its TomTom XXL 540S navigator, the World Traveler Edition.

The main difference of the new product is the inclusion of maps of the US, Canada and Europe thanks to 4GB of total memory, whereas the standard XXL 540S contains full maps of Canada, the US and about a third of Mexican maps.

Otherwise, there is the same 5-inch touchscreen and TomTom’s routing technology. This includes the company’s IQ Routes, which calculates routes based on historical speed measurements for the time of day users are travelling and the type of road they’re travelling on.

Using Map Share, users can modify street names, street direction, points of interest and more on their own device, or download changes made by other TomTom users. TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition will cost $350 (€232) when it is released in early December.

mapshare TomTom

NewLaunches: Maxell (Hitachi) has announced the MXSP-D240 iPod dock.

The drum shape emits the sound more efficiently while delivering extra bass.

The 53mm wide speakers are powered by a digital amplifier which delivers an output of 2.5W×2ch and a playback frequency of 60Hz - 20kHz.

The iPod dock connector sits on top of the unit and is compatible with all the fourth generation iPods. Available in black and white the dock will sell for around €73.

hitachi iPod ipod dock iPod speaker system

Electronista: The California Energy Commission has approved a new set of efficiency standards aimed at regulating televisions sold in the state, according to CNET News.

The rules apply to displays 58-inches or smaller, requiring retailers to stock TVs with 33 percent less energy consumption by 2011.

The terms increase once again for 2013, with mandatory reductions in consumption by an average of 49 percent.

The Commission claims the mandate will reduce electricity costs by up to $8.1 billion. The group also expects the rules to eliminate the need for building a natural gas power plant of 615 MW capacity.

The Consumer Electronics Association has opposed the bill, arguing that the regulations will effectively kill the plasma TV market in California.

The Commission, however, claims that CNET and Energy Star test data shows that plasma screens utilizing new phosphors with enhanced gas mixtures will be able to meet the 2011 and 2013 standards, especially if the technology is paired with automatic brightness control.

consumption lcd tv Plasma TV