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Clarion Next Gate hands-on (video)
CTIA, while focused on mobile technology, often gives us the chance to peek at other devices that bridge into our beloved mobile world. Clarion's Next Gate is one such device, running on a 7-inch WVGA display and interfacing with your iPhone via the dock connector. Once you're hooked up -- which should be straightforward as it only needs plugging in -- the Next Gate allows control of apps on your device. First off, we like the idea that your iPhone is controlled by the Next Gate -- in fact when firing up an app in the demo you can see it cycle open on the iPhone display -- but its lower resolution screen, hung adjacent to an iPad, made us immediately yearn for an upgraded panel. The selection of usable apps includes such niceties as Twitter, Facebook, streaming radio and of course navigation. All the apps we saw seemed to perform quite well, though we weren't on the open road in bright sunlight with the top down and the quadruplets screaming bloody murder in the back seat, thankfully. If you're jonesing for one of these distraction-inducing gizmos, it can be all yours beginning June 1st for $270. Have a peek at the video and gallery below for a tour of the interface and some of its functionality.
