about-electronics.eu

AVReview: Sony Ericsson has launched its AB900 Bluetooth car speakerphone that may look like a simple handsfree mobile add-on, but is actually a speaker that plays and streams music over a car’s audio system.

It features RDS, which Sony Ericsson claims means no complex installation, easy frequency searching and quick access to your phone numbers should you need to make a call.

Streaming music wirelessly via Bluetooth, the AB900 is ideal for anyone who spends plenty of time in the car but is sick of listening to local FM radio stations.

read more

PR Newswire: Webwag, a France-based expert in mobile Internet widgets, announced they have created the first widgets for the automotive industry.

This solution allows access to the Internet from the multifunction screen of a car or from any portable Portable Navigation Device (PND).

Already some car and PND manufacturers are working on the integration of widgets into their products. The widgets platform is available to of the automotive business players.

read more

TWICE: Ford said its Sync radios reduce driver distraction compared to using MP3 players and other devices while on the road, according to research conducted by Ford.

The Sync is a voice-controlled car radio that also uses voice commands to call up music on devices that link to the car radio, such as iPods or cellphones. The study participants spent an average of 25 seconds with their eyes off the road to select a song on an MP3 player compared with two seconds to perform the same task via the Sync.

The study included 25 regular Sync users who were tested using a driving simulator. The participants were asked to dial a number on their cellphones and retrieve a name from their cellphones’ phonebooks and other tasks. Ford then measured any deviation in their lane position, speed changes plus eyes-off-the-road time.

Ford said its voice interface reduced distraction. Reading a text message on a handheld phone typically required 11 seconds of eyes off the road compared to 2 seconds with the Sync, which “reads aloud” text messages from a cellphone.

read more

Engadget: Anyone’s who’s bought a car with a built-in nav system knows the pain of seeing their expensive accessory totally eclipsed by even the cheapest external GPS units just a year or two later — everything from UI to multimedia integration progresses so fast it’s almost not worth it.

That might change soon, though — Harman and Mercedes are working on a “hybrid” nav system that combines the easy replaceability of an external PND with the integration and sleek looks of a built-in system.

The goal is to build a standard design that can upgraded quickly so the screen and controls will be mounted on the dash in a cradle, while a second hidden “processing box” will handle the actual GPS system, music storage and playback, and Bluetooth connectivity.

read more

TotalPDA: TomTom recently released two new accessories to complement their latest TomTom GO 540, GO 740 and GO 940 sat nav units.

The new Active Dock Mount Kits both feature an iPOD connection to allow you to listen to music from your iPOD and control it through your TomTom GO. They also feature an audio out connection so you can listen to your music and voice connection through your car stereo.

The more expensive of the two kits features an inbuilt RDS-TMC traffic receiver, allowing you to receive traffic updates straight to your device via the dock, without the need for additional antennas.

read more

GPS Business News: In an online chat with the French press , TomTom and Renault have unveiled more details about their common low-cost in-dash navigation system: Renault Carminat TomTom.

This navigation solution completely integrated into the dashboard will feature a non touch 5.8 inch display activated by a central command or a remote control (depending on the vehicle).

Unlike what many might have expected, this navigation device will not be connected in real-time. All online services will be available through a SD card and a computer software called Renault TomTom Home, the equivalent of the existing TomTom Home. Traffic information will be downloaded via RDS-TMC, where this service is available.

The first car to offer this navigation system will be the new Clio.

read more

TechDigest: Pioneer revealed its latest in-car entertainment solution for the businessman trapped in a snow drift with no mobile signal or radio reception – the DEH-P4100SD.

The big selling point of the P4100 is its SD Card slot, allowing you to do away with the middle man (DJ, CD writer, iPod, cable) and load up your MP3 collection to a cheapo SD Card and whack it straight into your car via the slot hidden behind the removable faceplate.

Pioneer’s “rotary commander” dial-slash-joystick lets you navigate through tunes while still managing to pay some attention to the road, while there’s also full support for iPod playlists if you’re the sort of person who likes to spend your spare time painstakingly sorting all your music into very tightly-organised groups…

The P4100 also has a USB2.0 cable connector, letting it read music from any MP3 player you have that uses standard USB format, plus there’s support for that old whirly silver “compact disc” hardware music format.

read more

GPS Business News: Switzerland-based SVOX, a provider of text to speech (TTS) solutions to the automotive and wireless industries announced today the acquisition of the Professional Speech Processing Group of Siemens AG. This unit, specializing in speech recognition and Voice dialog engine, has a staff of about 20 people and was working for customers such as Volkswagen and Continental.

The intellectual property acquired from Siemens was developed over 25 years and include more than 60 patent families.

“In the past SVOX has only been providing technology for making cars and portable devices talk
to you,” explained Volker Jantzen. “As a result of this deal, we are now able to make those devices also understand what you are saying. A real dialog between you and the machine is therefore now possible”.

read more

T3: Let’s be honest, DAB radio hasn’t really taken off in the car, so what hope for internet radio? Very little right now we suspect, but that doesn’t stop the Blaupunkt miRoamer-powered internet car radios being stylish pieces of kit.

Newly-introduced into the US market (and likely to hit the UK too), the radios use your Bluetooth-connected mobile phone for connectivity to stream any of the 16,000 radio stations from the miRoamer portal.

Just don’t stream via your PAYG handset, unless you’ve got a very understanding bank manager. And don’t even think about getting a continual stream of Bulgarian folk or Swedish pop once you leave a built-up area.

Mind you, when you do leave the big city, there’s always the option of traditional radio, CD or a USB-connected music player as back-up.

read more

NaviGadget: Clarion NX509 is a new addition to Clarion’s in car entertainment line-up. NX509 is a 2-DIN system that has built-in navigation and supports media from CDs, DVDs, and USB sticks and can read MP3 and WMA formats.

It has a 7″ touch screen LCD monitor however also does 2 zone entertainment. There’s a USB port in the back for iPod Control in addition to being ready for XM Satellite Mini Tuner.

You can also soup up your Clarion NX509 with optional additions such as the steering wheel remote, bluetooth connectivity, and more.

read more

DVICE: OEM innovator Bosch is looking to bring 3D to your dashboard for GPS applications, replace your mechanical gauges with a customizable LCD and allow for driver and passenger to simultaneously share a screen for disparate uses.

The 3-D effect is achieved through the clever arrangement of a pair of LCD’s sandwiched atop one another and a special screen built into the display. It wasn’t the brightest or sharpest display, but it looked very cool and had tangible depth.

Their instrument display panel technology is already in use by Mercedes, and as panels fall in price, more new cars might benefit from the technology. Because it’s just a display, manufacturers will be able to create completely customizable instrument panels for their customers.

Their dual view display uses the viewing angle limitation of LCD screens as a feature, making it possible for the driver to see one thing while the passenger sees something completely different.

read more

TWICE: Bosch, the parent of car stereo company Blaupunkt USA, said the division has been sold to the Aurelius Group, a German holding company, that specializes in the acquisition of medium-sized companies in the midst of restructuring. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Under the agreement, Blaupunkt’s aftermarket and audio components business will become an independent company, while Bosch will continue to produce OEM car electronics.

The new company will retain the Blaupunkt name and will continue to be located in Germany.

Dr. Dirk Markus, chairman of the directors of Aurelius, said, “We believe that the business we have acquired is sound, with significant potential for future development.” Blaupunkt will continue to focus on car infotainment, said the company.

read more