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Pioneer.eu: Pioneer has introduced its new line-up of Champion Series car subwoofers, combining high power output, clean and punchy bass and sharp new cosmetic design. They use technologies derived from our world record-breaking SPL and Competition-grade models.

New models include the 30 cm TS-W309, TS-W309S4, TS-W309D4 and the 25 cm TS-W259S4 and TS-W259D4, in shops as of mid January 2011. Available in single 4-Ohm and dual 4-Ohm, the subwoofers offer greater installation flexibility.

Each new model features a seamless composite IMPP woofer cone that has been enlarged by 14% to generate greater air movement. Together with an improved magnet structure, air vents in the basket under the spider and holes in the aluminium former that both work to reduce the mechanical resistance, this combination of innovations results in smooth response and clean, solid bass sound.

The subwoofers’ surround is constructed of a sophisticated dual-layer elastic polymer that is much lighter than rubber, decreasing the weight of the moving parts to improve control and speed, whilst guaranteeing high durability.

Additional performance features across the range include:

• Integrated one-sided terminals: to allow for greater flexibility and easy installation, all Champion Series speaker terminals have been placed on one side of the subwoofer rather than both sides like conventional subwoofers.
• Cupper wire voice coil with aluminium former: the aluminium used for the former improves heat radiation which eliminates the need for a heavy voice coil, decreasing its weight by 7%. In addition, the holes in the former reduce distortion.

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Engadget: Looking for a bit more integration than your usual iPhone car dock or FM transmitter can provide? Then you might want to consider Oxygen Audio’s new O’Car head unit, which packs a swiveling iPhone dock that’s considerably discreet than some other similar units out there. It’s also, of course, a full-fledged car radio, and it packs a 4x55W amp that Oxygen says delivers “perfect quality sound” to your car’s speakers. If that’s all a bit too much for you, however, Oxygen has also announced the decidedly more standard-looking O’Dock unit that simply mounts on your dash or windshield. Unfortunately, there’s still no word on pricing or availability for either unit, but we’re assuming those details will be made available at CES next month.

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Newlaunches: Manufacturers just love designing stuff around the iPhone and the lasts comes from Oxygen Audio. Come CES 2011, the company will be showcasing their latest O’Car audio system that allows you to snap your iPhone onto the front docking port and use the corresponding apps to play music, access GPS information or do other stuff. The O’Car audio system also comes with a cantilever that allows the iPhone to be swiveled into portrait or landscape mode. You can pick up an app from the store that will give you control over the system and offers AM/FM/RDS radio and even provides seamless app multi-tasking. The system includes Bluetooth handsfree calling and an audio dimming option for when you’re accessing programs on your phone that also have audio output functionality like getting turn-by-turn directions or on calls.

Now this device isn’t going to be specifically for the iPhone, the aftermarket manufacturer is even developing adapters for Android devices. Sadly the system doesn’t integrate steering wheel controls. Oxygen Audio’s O’Car audio system is priced at $299 and should be out in first quarter of 2011, but word is that Europe just might see it a lot sooner.

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Automotive news: Smartphones present drivers with both a useful enhancement and a dangerous distraction.

Consumers accustomed to being connected wherever they go don’t want to give that up when they get into a car. Drivers stuck in traffic want to put that time to productive use.

So automakers and suppliers are devising innovative and safe ways to pair cars and smartphones so consumers can monitor the condition of the vehicle as well as new postings on Facebook.

“The automobile is no longer a communications dead zone that prohibits drivers from staying connected to friends and family,” said Anna Buettner, an analyst at iSuppli, a consulting firm that specializes in automotive electronics.

“With the expanding array of communications options, many drivers are willing to take the risk of an accident simply because they want to read or reply to a text message or check and update their preferred social media site,” Buetner wrote in a recent report. “Finding and implementing a way to safely integrate social networking and other apps in the car is more feasible than fighting the trend.”

Differing strategies

Multimode wireless connectivity–Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular–governed by flexible programmability is speeding the integration of smartphones into vehicles. But even when the goal is the same, approaches differ among automakers. The integration strategies of General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., for example, are dramatically different.

Ford’s strategy centers on its Sync voice-activated system. Sync, developed with Microsoft Corp. and launched late in 2007, provides multiple hard and wireless connections with smartphones and other mobile devices that drivers might bring into the vehicle.

Sync revolutionized the control of MP3 players and cell phones by allowing drivers to control them through the vehicle’s existing audio controls and structured voice commands. Ford says its research has shown that Sync makes using these devices less distracting. The automaker has improved and expanded the Sync interface several times.

“We know we can do better things for our customers by allying with the companies that provide the devices and services customers already use,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president for global product development. “What we see emerging is a mutually beneficial collaborative community where our shared customer–anyone who drives a car and owns a smartphone–is the true beneficiary.”

Ford also has introduced an application programming interface for smartphones that allows smartphone apps to run and be controlled through Sync.

The first programs to use the new Sync API are OpenBeak, Pandora and Stitcher. The vehicle’s center screen mimics each app’s smartphone appearance and function. OpenBeak provides a direct link to the Twitter social media site, while Pandora and Stitcher are popular Internet radio applications that compete with satellite radio.

Additional apps are expected to become available through the online stores operated by Apple, Android and BlackBerry.

Built-in, not brought

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Car Tech/Cnet: Parrot, makers of the previously reviewed and highly rated Minikit Slim Bluetooth speakerphone, has just announced the latest in its line of hands-free car kits, the Parrot Minikit Smart. However, the Smart has a trick up its sleeve. It’s not just a speakerphone, it’s also a universal phone cradle and a USB charger.

The Minikit Smart attaches to the vehicle’s windshield with a suction cup and connects to any handset that supports Bluetooth wireless, acting as an external speaker and microphone for for hands-free calling. If it sounds anything like the Minikit Slim, we’re sure that call quality will be quite good. Thanks to support of PBAP, the unit will sync address books when paired with compatible phones for easy access via voice activated dialing. Up to 2,000 contacts can be synced per phone, and up to 10 phones can be saved in the unit’s memory.

A2DP audio streaming is also supported, so users are able to stream music through the Smart’s loudspeaker. However, this feature is most handy when used in conjunction with, for example, navigation apps, where the boosted audio output can help users to hear critical turn-by-turn directions over road noise.

Like most Bluetooth speakerphones we’ve tested, the Minikit Smart features a rechargeable battery–this one boasts 10 hours of talk time or a week of standby–but can also be powered by its included 12-volt car charger. The Smart also features a powered USB port for connecting and charging your handset of choice and even ships with three 3-inch pigtails for connecting phones that use Mini-USB, Micro-USB, or Apple 30-pin dock connectors.

Parrot Minikit Smart will be available in November 2010 at an MSRP of $129.99 through BestBuy.com, Crutchfield.com, 6th Avenue Electronics, Car Toys Al & Ed’s, ABT Electronics, Car Toys, Fry’s Electronics, Bell Canada and ParrotShopping.com.

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Car Tech/Cnet: Dual Electronics is no stranger to taking risks with oddball gadgets that combine features in interesting ways (just take a look at its XGPS300 car kit/GPS receiver/battery extender for the iPod Touch), so we’d like to say that we weren’t surprised when it revealed a car stereo that rolls in its own iPod dock at the 2010 SEMA Show. In truth, however, we’re still a bit confused by the oddity of it.

The Dual XML8150, as the stereo head unit is called, is a mechless car audio receiver. By omitting the CD transport, Dual was left with a good deal of open space within the chassis of the single-DIN receiver, so the manufacturer decided to build an adjustable iPod cradle into the unit. Folding out from behind the XML8150′s faceplate, the cradle connects to the chassis with a flexible arm and can be pivoted into a portrait or landscape orientation. At the base of the cradle is a 30-pin dock connector that interfaces with any iPhone or iPod (with the exception of the Shuffle), while at the top is a ratcheting arm that expands and collapses to accomodate and hold any iDevice from a Nano to an iPhone with a case.

The arm itself seemed a bit awkward to move into and out of the chassis, but we were only given a brief demo with a loose, unmounted receiver. Perhaps when anchored into a vehicle’s dashboard, the articulating arm will be easier to position.

Once connected, users can control playback directly from the iPod itself, using the Dual receiver to manage volume and send audio to the vehicle’s speakers. The unit also supports Bluetooth wireless connectivity for hands-free calling and A2DP/AVRCP audio streaming. For users who may be connecting an iPod and using a separate, the unit features dedicated buttons on its faceplate for answering and ending calls, as well as PBAP support for syncing phonebook contacts for retrieval via its control knob.

There’s also USB connectivity and an analog-audio input with a pair of front facing ports, as well as an SD card reader, but if you’ve come this far and there’s not an iPod in that cradle, you’re doing it wrong.

The Dual XML8150 is not available just yet, but will be sometime later this month at an MSRP of $149.

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Crave: Want your music to dynamically change in reaction to your driving style, tweet while you’re on the move and update Facebook on the motorway? There’s an app — and a car — for that.

Those who buy a new Mini with the navigation system fitted will be able to take advantage of the Mini Connected app. This allows iPhones and iPods to link directly to the car using the iPod Out feature, which places the gadget’s menus directly on to a display in the centre of the speedometer.

From here, drivers can use the car’s media controls to choose music for playback on the car’s speakers or select the Dynamic Music function, which selects tracks based on your driving style.

Fling your Mini around like a bat out of hell and it’ll select rousing, high-tempo tracks to spur you on. Amble around in traffic, however, and it’ll choose slower tracks that better fit the mood.

Tracks for all music styles can be pre-selected by the user. You simply create a couple of playlists for each mood and the car chooses the playlists based on how it’s being driven. At present, it’s not been confirmed how the car will make its music choices, but it’ll likely analyse engine revs, overall speed and feedback from the phone’s accelerometers.

Dynamic music is just the tip of the Mini Connected iceberg. The app will also allow drivers to stream Internet radio stations from the Web, which will hugely increase the choice of music available to the user, although it’ll eat into your phone’s data allowance. It will also allow the driver to send Twitter and Facebook updates on the go and get tips on the efficiency of their driving using a feature known as the Minimalism Analyser.

Mini’s given no precise date for the availability of the Mini Connected app, but it tells us this functionality will only work in Minis fitted with the navigation system or the forthcoming Mini Visual Boost enhanced radio display.

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Crave at CNET UK: Here’s a clever (and horribly overdue) idea–BMW’s set to install iPad mounting brackets in the rear of its next X3 compact 4×4. Three cheers for common sense!

The brackets–an optional extra–will allow users to mount their iPads in the rear of the vehicle, just behind the driver or passenger seats. A special hinge will let the wonder tablets swivel into vertical and horizontal positions.

With a system like this, the entertainment and productivity possibilities are pretty much endless. Passengers will be able to use their iPads to enjoy music, videos, books, as well as thousands of apps and games.

Read more of “iPad docks coming to BMW X3″ at Crave UK.

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Engadget: They may not have been the highlight of Sony’s IFA 2010 press conference, but the company’s new XNV head units deserve a place of their own, given they integrate full-blown TomTom GPS units and audio/video playback into their 7- and 6.1-inch WVGA touchscreens. Presently destined for Europe, the XNV-L77BT, XNV-770BT, XNV-L66BT and XNV-660BT will ship in November with TeleAtlas maps of 45 nations for a number of undisclosed prices, with each sporting Bluetooth, auxiliary and USB jacks, DivX playback and a DVD drive. The presumably-more-expensive “L” models also come with the usual array of traffic and weather alerts plus a Google-powered local search function, and all four decks sport a music recommendation engine that reportedly changes track based on your mood… though how the system measures your emotional attentions, we’re not quite sure, and hope to find out soon. Press release after the break.

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Pioneer.eu: Pioneer has been presented with three highly respected awards by the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) – Europe’s premier consumer technology awards association. The KODO XW-NAC3 digital speaker system was named “European Sound Station 2010-2011”, the AVIC-F20BT was recognised as “European In-Car Navi-Media System 2010-2011” and the TS SW3001 was awarded “European In-Car Subwoofer 2010-2011”.

EISA is the largest editorial multimedia organisation in Europe, with a membership of 50 magazines drawn from 19 European countries. Every year a panel of judges selects outstanding products and technologies across a wide range of audiovisual product categories.

European Sound Station 2010-2011: Pioneer KODO XW-NAC3
Commenting on the KODO XW-NAC3 the EISA jury said: “This compact and well-designed gadget sports no less than two docks that accommodate both iPods and iPhones. With its special shuffle function you can mix the libraries from two combined iPod/iPhones for a whole night of exciting entertainment. The XW-NAC3 includes Bluetooth capability together with a technology called ’Sound Retriever AIR’ that attempts to restore much of the audio quality before compression and transmission. There’s also a USB input for playback of popular formats including MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, FLAC and LPCM. Furthermore, you can connect to thousands of internet radio channels from all over the world.”

European In-Car Navi-Media System 2010-2011: Pioneer AVIC-F20BT
The EISA judging panel commented: “The Pioneer AVIC-F20BT is the new star among the AV navigation systems. Its genuine navigation software and new 3D user interface combines best performance with easiest usability. It offers accurate and clear road guidance, multiple multimedia functions and Bluetooth connection. Pioneer’s ingenious NavGate Feeds system allows data uploads from computers and smartphones. AVIC-F20BT easily handles huge music collections stored on CD, DVD, iPod, USB or SD offering high-end audio and video quality without compromise. The unique Music Sphere function helps you find and play the only song you want from thousands you have stored, to listen to right now!”

European In-Car Subwoofer 2010-2011: Pioneer TS-SW3001
The TS-SW3001 was praised for offering all the power and performance of a superior system, with only using a fraction of the space. “Pioneer’s unique Air Suspension Excursion Control System, which enables the subwoofer’s damper to be replaced with a sealed pocket of air, allows for a drastic reduction in enclosure size.” Commenting on the TS-SW3001 the EISA jury said: “High quality bass is not only for those who are prepared to sacrifice space in their cars. This technologically advanced subwoofer from Pioneer sets not one but two records of compactness. Not only is the driver so slim that it takes very little space inside the enclosure, the enclosure itself can be made surprisingly small. A few liters of volume is enough for this 12’’ driver to deliver really powerful, audiophile bass in the car.”

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