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iPodNN: Sony on Wednesday revamped its AV receivers for 2011 with four seven-channel models that lean heavily on the purely digital side of media. Aside from the entry DH520, the DH720, DH820 and DN1020 all take in iPhone or iPod audio through at least USB and, with the DH820 and DN1020, through a bundled dock. The DN1020 as the flagship is also designed for Internet radio from the start and will pipe Slacker or vTunes when linked up over Ethernet.

The Internet connection gives the range leader support for Sony’s iOS and Android remote control apps.

Features scale rapidly between models and spread from basic home theater support. The DH520 puts out 100W of power per channel through its 7.1-channel output and will take in 3D and standby mode delivery through any of its four HDMI inputs; two component inputs are also available. Along with iPhone and iPod USB support, moving to the DH720 ups the power per channel to 105W and adds upgraded sound processing, auto calibration, as well as a Faroudja DCDi Edge that upscales analog video to 1080i.

The DH820 increases power again to 110W per channel and can support a second subwoofer. It bundles the expected dock and adds a third component input. Output is improved a second time with a Digital Legato Linear audio component, automatic phase matching and support for a second zone of audio with synchronized output for parties.

At the top, the DN1020 has the same power as the DH820 but brings in the networking and a sound optimizer.

All but the DN1020 will be available in March at prices of $230, $300 and $400 starting from the low end. Sony is anticipating shipping its best model a month later for $500.

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iPodNN: Sony Japan has introduced over-ear headphones that features the largest drivers so far available — 70mm, or 2.75 inches in diameter — called the MDR-XB1000, aimed at fans of music with deep bass and boasting an incredible 2-30,000Hz frequency range. The company also brought out two different lines of earbud-style headphones available in a range of colors and called the MDR-XB41EX and MDR-XB21EX, also with extra bass response. The new models will be released in Japan on February 10th, and hopefully appear in the US and other countries shortly afterward.

The MDR-XB1000′s incredibly low frequency range — topping even the XB700′s 3Hz bottom end — is well beyond the range of human hearing, but helps to add punch to bass notes, the company says. The drivers are padded with elastic polyurethane foam “cans” to isolate the sound, resulting in a top sound pressure of 106 decibels with a 24Ω impedance.

The MDR-XB41EX in-ear headphones feature a 13.5mm (.53 inch) driver, while the MDR-XB21EX uses a 9mm (.35 inch) driver, but both deliver sound pressure of over 100 decibels with a 16Ω impedance. Top sound pressure reaches 105 dB for the 41s and 103 db for the 21s. The 41s use an angled design to allow the driver to be larger than normal as well as act as an isolating “umbrella” that partially covers the ear canal, allowing for more focus on the sound, where the 21s are more conventionally-designed earbuds with a smaller driver. Both come in various colors, including black, blue and red, along with some multi-color combinations.

Retail price for the large MBR-XB1000 headphones in Japan translates to approximately $377, while the MDR-XB41EX sells for around $75 and the MDR-XB21EX costs $45.

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In the midst of a hall packed with countless car audio and multimedia devices were the latest offerings to come from major brands such as Pioneer, Kenwood and Sony. While some brands appear to have followed more of an evolutionary path than revolutionary, others, like Sony, have revealed new head units with substantially more technology than was available just last year.

Sony teams up with TomTom
Sony’s flagship navigation unit for 2011 comes in the form of the XNV-770BT, which is an all-new device that features fully integrated TomTom-based navigation and maps and a removable cartridge. This is an example of a revolutionary product for Sony, as there was no product in 2010 that shared the XNV’s approach to navigation.

This unit is also motorized for flip-out action, but still takes up a full two-din space and features a seven-inch WVGA touch screen. As expected, this model also features iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as four-volt pre-outs and a built-in amp.

The XNV-770BT retails for $1,299.95 and is available now.

Pioneer goes bananas for Apple
While Sony decided to team up with TomTom for its latest navigation head unit, Pioneer decided to turn its flagship navigation units into extensions of the iPhone – essentially creating user-friendly docking stations that can make use of the many apps already developed for the mobile phone.

While iPhone’s navigation feature might function well for a walk downtown, or in the hands of a passenger relaying the information, Pioneer decided to integrate the iPhone into its AVIC-Z130BT and AVIC-X930BTin-dash navigation models so that the driver could utilize smartphone connectivity to Aha Radio for Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, traffic, podcasts, Pandora internet radio and App Mode.

“By providing a larger touchscreen unit installed in the dash that features a user interface specifically designed for the automotive environment and complemented by voice control features, we reduce the risk of distraction while driving,” said Ted Cardenas, director of marketing for the car electronics division of Pioneer.

The higher-end model of the two, the AVIC-Z130BT, also features 4 GB of flash memory, a seven-inch WVGA touch screen display, a 3D graphics accelerator, DVD playback and more.

The AVIC-X930BT will be available in March, while the AVIC-Z130BT will be available in April for suggested prices of $800 and $1,200, respectively.

Kenwood kicks it up a notch for 2011
For its 2011 lineup Kenwood has a broad range of models, with traditional single-din units as well as double-din navigation devices. Kenwood decided to take a similar route to both Sony and Pioneer – combined – by creating the DNX9980HD flagship navigation unit that features both iPhone integration as well as outside help from a navigation specialist or two with Germin navigation and Navteq Traffic integration.

Other key features for the device include a 6.95-inch WVGA motorized screen, voice recognition, HD radio, five-volt pre-outs and a 5.1-channel surround sound processor with DTA control.

This unit will retail for $2,00 and is expected to hit shelves in March of this year.

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iPodNN: Urbanears today brought out its limited-edition Tanto headphones at the Wired Pop Up Store in New York City. The retro styled over-the-ear headphones are assembled with parts of random colors, including the headband, earpads, cord, remote, jack and speaker. An inline remote and microphone are integrated into the cord of the headphones, which ends in a 3.5mm audio jack.

Like the regular Tanto headphones, they sport 40mm handmade drivers with a frequency response of 20-20kHz, a sensitivity of 112dB and an impedance of 32 Ohms. Their max input power is 40mW. The multi-colored Tanto headphones cost $45 at the Wired Pop Up Store and online for a limited time, though exactly for how long is unknown.

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iPodNN: Marshall today finally launched its two inaugural headphone sets with promises of both the outer design as well as their sound. The over-ear Major is designed the most closely to recall Marshall’s amps and uses both the vinyl from its stacks as well as a guitar-like coiled headphone cable. They have an optional quarter-inch plug for amps and stereos and have a collapsible design that folds the ear cups into the headband area.

Each cup has an 0.6-inch moving coil dynamic speaker that can handle a 115dB signal-to-noise ratio and a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. It costs $99.

The Minor caters to in-ear listeners and has a unique shape designed to keep the earpieces in place without having to go to in-canal designs. They also use fabric anti-tangle cords and have an in-line microphone and remote that supports typical iOS (and some other smartphone) features. Although it puts out less power due to its size, the Minor shares similar speakers to the Major and has the same signal-to-noise and frequency range as its larger sibling.

The Minor comes with an adapter to support devices that don’t properly recognize two-way headphone plugs and costs $59, although it’s currently listed as “sold out.”

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iPodNN: As part of the same launch that brought the Ziio tablets, Creative today put out both a sequel to its Zen Touch MP3 player and a new set of Bluetooth headphones. The Zen Touch 2 is a rare Android-based MP3 player and outputs Bluetooth audio with the same apt-X compression as the Ziios, theoretically supplying lossless wireless sound over Bluetooth. Equally unique is the option of GPS in some models that lets them use stand-alone GPS apps without having to use a cellular connection.

All versions of the new Zen Touch have a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 802.11n Wi-Fi and a two-megapixel camera. They carry microSDHC slots to add to the built-in storage and have their own RCA video out for viewing on a TV. The plain version without GPS comes in 8GB and 16GB capacities at the equivalent prices of $217 and $248 in Singapore; GPS is only available with an 8GB model and costs $232.

The WP-300 headphones can recognize apt-X but are platform-independent and should work with iPads, iPods and other devices that can send out stereo Bluetooth audio. It can charge up from USB and has its own physical controls on an ear cup to skip through tracks. Creative hopes to charge $116 for a pair.

Both the Zen Touch 2 and the WP-300 should be available in Singapore by the end of the year, although they should get an international launch not long afterwards.

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TechRadar: Mobile navigation has put on a huge growth spurt in the past 12 months, with 44 million people using their mobile phones to get from a to b – a 57 per cent increase from last year.

The rise and rise of GPS-enabled mobile phones has seen a massive growth spurt for mobile navigation, as people begin to move onto platforms like Android and Apple’s iOS 4.

According to Berg Insight’s figures, the use of mobile navigation in the first half of 2010 increased by close to 60 per cent compared to the same period in 2009, and that number is set to grow further.

Nearly 200m

“The subscriber base is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.1 per cent to reach 195 million users worldwide in 2015,” added the report.

“Broad availability of GPS handsets and attractive pricing are key factors for widespread adoption of mobile navigation services.

“In the US, where GPS handset penetration is above 70 percent, navigation services for mobile phones has already reached about 8 percent of the total mobile subscriber base.”

As mobile phones with aGPS chips become prevalent, the pressure on the sat nav industry is growing, although many of the companies involved insist that there is still a need for a dedicated device.

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TechRadar: Europe’s mobile phone users are still well behind people in Japan and the US when it comes to using their phones to connect to the internet, according to the latest data.

ComScore’s comparative date between the three regions found that a whopping 75 per cent of phones in Japan were used to access what it terms ‘connected media’ – namely web pages through a browser, applications that connect to a network or content that has been downloaded.

That was well in excess of the US, on 43.7 per cent and far ahead of the Europe region with 38.5 per cent.

Browser access

Nerarly 60 per cent of Japanese phone users accessed their phone’s browser in June, and 42.3 per cent an application compared to 25.8 per cent and 24.9 percent for Europe.

However, Europe does lead the way in text messaging – with 81.7 per cent of us sending an SMS compared to 66.8 per cent in the US and 40.1 per cent in Japan.

“Mobile media usage continues to accelerate across the globe, driven by advancing technologies and the growing number of content options available to consumers,” said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile.

Dramatic differences

“As we look across markets, dramatic differences in mobile media consumption, brand adoption and user behavior become evident,” he added.

“These differences are even more pronounced than they are for PC-based Internet usage due to the complex nature of mobile – including various device capabilities, operating systems and methods of accessing content.”

Of course, looping in the whole of Europe presumably gives a less clear picture than it would for just the Western European nations – with the UK likely to report figures that are considerably higher than some of the less developed nations.

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Electronista: Japan’s Logitec has released what is claiming are the world’s smallest stereo Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR earphones. The LBT-PCHP02 series are designed for PC users, while the LBT-AVHP02 are designed for portable audio players. The batteries in both models allow for four hours of playback, while they weigh just a third of an ounce and are just 1.3 inches long and 0.23 inches thick.

Like most in-ear buds, they come with a range of bud sizes from small, medium to large to suit all wearers. The earphones can support two different Bluetooth sources simultaneously, and so could connect to an audio player and pair with a phone. They have been iOS 4.1 tested and will support Apple’s recent implementation of AVRCP on top of A2DP.

They will be released in Japan in mid-October, but can be shipped to the US. They come in four colors, black, gold, pink and silver, for the US equivalent price of $54.

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Übergizmo: Nokia might be the number 1 cellphone manufacturer in the world at the moment, but their market share is eroding slowly but surely no thanks to newcomers to the scene. Well, in a move that could see them claw back what used to be theirs, we have word that Nokia has agreed to partner with Alpine to offer integrated Nokia handsets alongside free Ovi Maps navigation into vehicle dashboard systems. Apart from that, you will be able to interact with widgets that monitor your fuel level as well as engine condition while you’re on the road. This development ought to see action in the near future, and we’re stoked.

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PC World: As competition in the mobile phone market heats up, two companies with flagging momentum are teaming up to try to compete better with the market leaders.

Microsoft and LG on Monday said that they plan to work closely together, collaborating on research and development, marketing, applications and services for converged mobile devices. The announcement came from Seoul, Korea, LG’s base, during a trip there by Steve Ballmer.

The collaboration is not a first for the companies. LG has already been making phones that run Windows Mobile. But the agreement could signal a stepped up effort by both companies to try to beat the competition.

While LG has had some hot sellers, such as the Chocolate, it now faces challenges from new competitors Apple and Google which are generating more excitement. Google just two weeks ago introduced the first phone to run on its Android software, HTC’s G1. Apple’s iPhone continues to build momentum.

Microsoft too has been affected by the new competitors. Both companies have slipped in rankings recently.

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Engadget: The United Nations communications chief has boldly predicted that half of planet Earth’s population will be hooked on some sort of mobile phone before 2009 dawns.

Granted, the numbers he’s talking about do look strictly at subscriptions, so a small percentage will be skewed by those with multiple accounts (and thus, multiple numbers), but really, the forecast isn’t all that outlandish.

After all, we already hit 3.3 billion mobile phone subscriptions back in November of last year (and 4 billion lines overall). As predicted, it’s growth in developing regions such as Africa and the Middle East which will boost the overall figure the most.

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