about-electronics.eu

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Tech Digest: Leaving your iPod sitting there in the ashtray while you are out shopping is a definite no-no – so keep it safely hidden from view by ramming it right down into the stomach of the Fusion Electronics CA-IP500 music player.

The deep unit swallows an entire iPod, just like an old cassette-based car player, leaving it hidden from the view of opportunist thieves who want your iPod player for its potential eBay resale value and not your artistic tastes in music.

Although saying “IPOD” in blue LEDs perhaps isn’t the best way of keeping it hidden…

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iPodNN: Kenwood introduced its I-K50 in-car head unit with support for Apple’s iPod players and the iPhone 3G via its front-mounted USB port.

The I-K50′s CD drive will play back MP3, WMA and AAC-encoded files, while the USB port will allow users to plug in USB flash memory keys loaded with the same supported types of audio formats.

Plugging in iPods, including the classic, nano or touch, will allow users to control them via the head unit’s controls instead of the music player’s own controls, making it easier for drivers to focus on the road. Users can search the music collections stored on their iPods, iPhones or USB keys alphabetically via the head unit.

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Engadget: They’re far from common, but we’ve definitely seen modular GPS concepts before.

If this leaked FCC documentation is any gauge of reality, however, TomTom will be making those wild, wild dreams into something entirely more tangible.

The DUB1 is an up and coming navigator which is designed to operate in a snap-in portal located in your nearest dashboard or in the palm of your nearest hand.

It’s likely that said portal will be a double-DIN aftermarket accessory, but we suppose TomTom could nail down contracts with automakers to provide it from the factory.

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Electricpig: They’ve been out on the market for a few weeks now, but Pioneer’s been keeping very quiet about its latest range of NavGate satnavs cum-in-car-entertainment centres.

If you want a device that’ll get you from A to B without too much difficulty, buy a TomTom. But if you want a system that’ll keep keep the kids quiet in the back, not get stolen when you leave it in the car and tell you where your favourite shops are enroute as well, you need a NavGate installed.

There are three models in the range, the AVIC-F500BT, 700BT and 900BT. All pack European maps on the flash memory inside, grab tunes from an iPod and adjust sound levels on their 5.8 inch touch screens, while the high end models pack DVD playback support and the entry-level, the 500BT, can be taken out of the car and carried around.

All boast Bluetooth to automatically sync your car stereo with your phone for the ultimate hands-free kit. Add a USB and SD card slot for extra memory and you’ve got an impressive entertainment unit with satnav thrown in.

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eMercedesBenz: Mercedes has announced that starting in the summer of 2009, S-Class models will feature a new technology they’re calling SPLITVIEW. Developed in collaboration with Bosch, SPLITVIEW will allow both the driver and passenger to view two separate programs via the same COMAND display. 

For example, let’s say the vehicle’s operator is in the process of viewing navigation directions, the front passenger can simultaneously watch a film on the exact same 8-inch display.

You may be wondering what magic lies behind the SPLITVIEW system, and the answer lies in pixel placement.  The COMAND screen shows two different images simultaneously by placing pixels adjacent to one another, after which a filter masking the display divides this mixed image so that depending on seating position, either one image or the other can be seen.

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SlashGear: Panasonic are withdrawing from the European satnav business, after drastically falling prices have made it economically unfeasible. 

While no official release has been made, UK site The Register is reporting that Panasonic will now instead focus on in-car entertainment hardware that will be marketed at car manufacturers rather than individual end-users.

The standalone satnav business has been highly competitive in Europe, particularly over the past twelve months, with some highstreet retailers halving prices of their entire range in the run-up to the holidays. The proliferation of OEM devices, plus the absence of key differentiation features between models, has resulted in an unstoppable race to the bottom line.

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NaviGadget: Mercedes-Benz was just showcasing myCOMAND, an internet-based infotainment system at the Los Angeles Auto Show. However you have to keep in mind that this is still a research project for the Stuttgart-based premium manufacturer to demonstrate what functions drivers can access in future.

Here are some of the main features of myCOMAND:

- Navigation: Uses the latest maps, but also takes the traffic information available on the internet into account for route selection.
- Trip Assist: Provides up-to-date information and services in the car such as the weather along the route and informs the user about the hotels and leisure facilities at the destination.
- World Radio: Radio over the internet
- Internet telephony: Enables putting calls through free of charge or sending short messages via internet and simultaneously transmitting voice and data.

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Car Tech: The Aston Martin DBS is a beautiful car, and sitting in one is a very special experience. Sitting in a DBS and listening to a Bang & Olufsen audio system takes that special experience and adds a choir of angels. The high-end Danish audio components maker lends its expertise to Aston Martin with its Beosound DBS system, now coming as standard in the new DBS.

Bang & Olufsen’s priorities are staging and imaging, making the sound come from a distinct place, as if you had the best seat in the house, right in front of the stage.

 To accomplish this effect in the Aston Martin DBS, the company found places for 13 speakers, including two pop-up acoustic lenses at opposite ends of the dashboard, just like in the Audi A8.

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