Aha Radio partners with Subaru and Honda, brings social media to 2013 vehicles

At last year's CES, Aha Radio brought its hyper-connected social media ways to two high-end Pioneer head units. This year, however, the service is about to make a bigger splash by announcing it'll be built into select 2013 Subaru and Honda vehicles. Equipped autos will have access to "thousands of personalized, web-enabled stations" like MOG, Rhapsody and Slacker, appearing as a selectable source alongside more traditional AM, FM and satellite radio options. And naturally it'll integrate with Aha's iPhone and Android apps. If a new vehicle isn't to your liking, Kenwood will also start integrating the service into head units later in 2012. We'll get hands-on with the above system in a Subaru's new BRZ soon, but to tide you over, two PRs await the break.

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Aha Advances Driver Connectivity
With Web-Connected "Fourth Band" of Radio

Honda, Subaru and Kenwood join Pioneer in integrating with Aha's Cloud-based Infotainment Platform that Now Includes Tens of Thousands of Stations of Web Content

Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Las Vegas, NV – January 10, 2012 – AhaTM by HARMAN, an interactive platform that makes web content safe for drivers today announced new automotive and content partnerships that will bring web-connected infotainment safely to millions of drivers, right through the radio. Honda and Subaru are currently working with Aha to integrate with the Aha platform starting with model year 2013 vehicles. Kenwood has also announced that it will begin shipping Aha-integrated aftermarket head units this Spring. Honda, Subaru and Kenwood customers will be able to access all of Aha's stations right from the car's infotainment system. Aha also announced partnerships with top content providers to expand Aha's platform to tens of thousands of personalized, web-enabled stations that cover everything from music, news and social streams to travel and audiobooks.

"Drivers want easy access to their web content in the car, publishers want to get their music, news and information to drivers, and car companies want to give drivers a safe and up-to-date experience. Until Aha, it was very hard to do any of these, much less all three," said Robert Acker, HARMAN VP and General Manager of Aha. "By partnering with companies like Honda, Subaru, Kenwood, CBS, Rhapsody, and NPR in addition to our existing partners like Pioneer and Slacker, Aha has become the web-connected "fourth band" of the car radio, alongside AM, FM and satellite radio. Aha's platform uniquely enables drivers to safely and easily access great audio content from around the web, and transforms non-audio web content into radio stations. This is just the beginning of the automotive and content deals we'll announce this year."

Aha announced partnerships with Honda and Subaru that will seamlessly bring Aha into Honda and Subaru vehicles to let drivers interact with web-based content right through the radio. Honda and Subaru are among the first automotive manufacturers to integrate Aha's service into their vehicles.

Kenwood will also integrate Aha in its next generation of aftermarket head units for the car. It joins Pioneer which began integrating Aha into aftermarket units in 2011 and is expanding Aha to additional aftermarket units in 2012. A number of other car manufacturers are integrating Aha but have yet to make announcements.

Aha and CBS Radio jointly announced today a partnership that will bring CBS's stations to drivers and other users of the Aha Radio platform. This partnership allows Aha Radio to distribute CBS Radio content via mobile devices and directly into vehicles. CBS Radio will join a wide breadth of content already available on Aha including Slacker, Facebook, and Twitter. Aha has also recently signed content deals with NPR, Entertainment Radio Network, MOG, Rhapsody, and AOL SHOUTcast Radio, which will become available this year. In total these new partnerships expand Aha's offerings from hundreds of stations to tens of thousands of personalized stations.

In addition to the content and car deals, Aha has also announced that it will launch a new Android app and update its iPhone app in the first quarter of 2012.

Aha is a part of HARMAN International (NYSE: HAR) the premium global audio and infotainment group.

About Aha by HARMAN
Aha, a unit of HARMAN International Industries, is the first interactive platform that makes web content safe for drivers. Aha organizes content from the web into personalized, live and on-demand radio stations that consumers can listen to from anywhere – at home, on the go, or safely from the driver's seat. Aha is currently working with five automotive manufacturers who will be launching model 2013 vehicles with consumer services based on Aha's cloud-based platform. The Aha Platform and Service was started in 2008 by a group of web and multimedia veterans with a shared passion for delivering an "always-on" audio experience to connect drivers to the content they really want. HARMAN, the company that designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, acquired Aha in September 2010. For more information, visit www.aharadio.com.

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SUBARU SELECTS AHA TO DELIVER WEB CONTENT SAFELY TO DRIVERS THROUGH THE RADIO

- Future Subaru vehicles will have optional web-enabled infotainment systems integrated with Aha -

Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Las Vegas, NV – January 10, 2012 – Subaru of America, Inc. and Aha by HARMAN, the first interactive platform that makes web content safe for drivers, have announced a partnership that will use the Aha platform to seamlessly bring Web-based content into Subaru vehicles, letting drivers interact with Web-based content right through their radios. Subaru is one of the first automotive manufacturers to integrate Aha's service into its vehicles.

Aha is powering the Web-connected "fourth band" of radio, alongside AM, FM, and satellite radio. Offered on future models, Subaru owners will have instant access to tens of thousands of stations of Web-based content such as: on-demand music from MOG® and Rhapsody®; Internet radio from SHOUTcast Radio, CBS RADIO™, and Slacker®; live news; the latest information, news and entertainment podcasts from NPR® and others; free audio books; personalized traffic reports; Facebook® and Twitter® newsfeeds; personalized restaurant recommendations from Yelp®; and much more. Aha will be easily accessed through the Subaru's optional in-car radio/infotainment system. Aha's app for iPhone® integrates with the vehicle, allowing Subaru owners to enjoy Aha while driving. In early 2012, Aha will launch an Android app, which will also integrate with future Subaru vehicles. Users will be able to customize their Aha stations from their iPhone, Android device, or the Web.

"Smartphone activity is at an all-time high and the consumer is looking for a safe interface to interact with the content in their vehicle. Subaru has been evaluating connected car solutions for some time, and Aha is the first product that meets our criteria for safety, great design, and broad content options that can be personalized for each driver," said David Sullivan, Car Line Manager, Subaru of America, Inc. "Without having to touch their smartphone, Subaru drivers will safely be able to access content like traffic, nearby restaurant information, music, and a growing wealth of web-based information now available through their Subaru optional infotainment system integrated with Aha."

"Buyers of new Subaru cars will be able to enjoy their favorite Internet content on-demand just as safely as selecting a radio station thanks to Aha," said Robert Acker, HARMAN VP and General Manager of Aha. "We have built a cloud-based platform that will be continuously updated in the future, so as the Web changes and new services emerge, Subaru drivers will always have access to the most up-to-date content through Aha. With an Aha-enabled radio at their fingertips, Subaru drivers will be among the most well-connected drivers on the road."

At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, booth # CP32 located in the CES central plaza, Aha and Subaru will demonstrate a concept implementation of the integration in a production 2013 Subaru BRZ. Media who would like to schedule a live demo can email press@aharadio.com to book an appointment.

Aha is currently available in aftermarket head units and as a free app for iPhone. Aha will soon update its iPhone app to include even more stations and content, and will also launch its app for Android™ smartphones. Aha is currently working with additional automotive and consumer electronics manufacturers on multiple integrations that will launch throughout the year.

Aha is a part of HARMAN International (NYSE: HAR) the premium global audio and infotainment group.

Follow the Subaru of America Facebook page and subaru_usa on Twitter.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

About Aha by HARMAN
Aha, a unit of HARMAN International Industries, is the first interactive platform that makes web content safe for drivers. Aha organizes content from the Web into personalized, live and on-demand radio stations that consumers can listen to from anywhere -- at home, on the go, or safely from the driver's seat. Aha has won new business with five premium car manufacturers to implement consumer services based on its cloud-based platform. The Aha Platform and Service was started in 2008 by a group of web and multimedia veterans with a shared passion for delivering an "always-on" audio experience to connect drivers to the content they really want. HARMAN, the company that designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, acquired Aha in September 2010. For more information, visit www.aharadio.com.