We aren't suggesting that these problems are widespread or anything, but a fair number of users over at AVIC411 seem to be having all sorts of issues with their (admittedly pricey) F-Series navigators. According to owners, the issues range from complete lock-ups to distorted voice commands to quirky iPod interactions -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Have any of you taken the plunge only to find a litany of problems after installation? Or is your unit humming along just fine? Chime in below and let us know what's up.

Just two days shy of their one-year birthday, Panasonic is introducing a couple of successors in the Strada F-Class line. Announced in Japan, the June-bound CN-HX1000D and CN-HW1000D are both destined for gaping holes in dashes and possess a 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, built-in Bluetooth, iPod compatibility, AM / FM tuners, digital terrestrial TV tuner, DVD / CD player and an internal hard drive for storing map data and Sade jams. The only noticeable difference is the physical size; the former is a single-DIN unit while the latter touts a double-DIN frame. These two also allow for home control, so you can lock your doors, turn the heat down and flip off the porch light from the driver's seat. Sure sounds pleasant, if only they weren't ¥354,900 ($3,388) apiece.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Just in case you haven't had your fill of in-car audio news tonight, Eclipse is hitting us up with a brand spankin' new head unit of its own. The CD7200 mk II should slide right into any single-DIN gap, and it comes HD Radio / SAT radio-ready in case you grow tired of listening to those MP3 / WMA discs of yours. Additionally, this unit features a built-in USB port, eight-volt pre-amp, E-iSERV technology, iPod support and SRS Circle Surround to boot. Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to a price and release date, though, but we'd bet this one won't remain in the shadows for too much longer.

We've oh-so-little to go on right now, but initial impressions of the double-DIN MAX685BT are underwhelming at best. This in-dash AV center looks to sport a relatively ho hum display, integrated cellphone / navigation support and Bluetooth connectivity, but none of these totally expected features are likely to drop any jaws. Additionally, it plays nice with your dock-connecting iPod and offers up a built-in USB port, but unless Clarion reveals some earth-shattering addition that we're not yet aware of, we'll probably pass on this one.

Car AV enthusiasts, listen up. Panasonic has a new in-dash head unit that just might be worth waiting for -- if you'd enjoy Blu-ray in your dash, that is. At the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan, Panny was busy showing off a new single-DIN unit that played back Blu-ray discs, sported an HDMI output and is even set to support full surround sound / BD-Java. Unfortunately, that pretty much sums up the details: no price, no release date and no model number, but be sure to check out two more looks posted after the break.

[Via Blu-ray]

Pioneer's been known to unveil new navigators fairly frequently, but the firm is starting October off right by introducing no fewer than nine new units for you to choose from. Starting at the top, the AVIC-HRZ009G / AVIC-HRV002G both sport seven-inch displays, DVD playback, support for MP3 / AAC / DivX formats, a terrestrial digital TV tuner, built-in hard drive and a wireless remote, with the only real difference being the in-dash design of the former and the on-dash (mountable) design of the latter. As your budget tightens, Pioneer ratchets the specs down on seven other similar siblings, giving users a ¥126,000 ($1,094) to ¥262,500 ($2,278) window of alternatives. Hit the read link for all the juicy details on each.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Panasonic's just announced a new mid-range, Strada-brand, in-dash GPS unit for the hometown crowd, the CN-HDS710TD. Following the European-spec'ed CN-GP50N we just spotted at IFA, this rolling entertainment center offers almost all of the functionality you could ask for, with a 40GB HDD, DVD / CD player, SD slot, MiniDisc deck, and digital TV tuner all feeding a 480 x 234 pixel 7-inch LCD. In fact, the only things really missing here (besides a cassette player for your old mix tapes) are Bluetooth support and iPod connectivity, which can both be added on for an extra fee. The double-DIN 710TD will retail for 270,900 yen ($2,358) when it hits Japan a month from today, with two other models also available minus MD slots (700TD) and / or TV tuners (700D) for 249,900 yen ($2,176) and 189,000 yen ($1,645), respectively.

Less than a month after Pioneer loosed details on its AVIC-X3, along comes word that we can also expect an AVIC-N4 in the not-too-distant future. This single-DIN unit boasts a motorized, flip-out seven-inch touchscreen, optional iPod / Bluetooth compatibility, CD or DVD playback, XM / XM NavTraffic-readiness, and a Tele Atlas database for routing you around. Regrettably, the lack of an internal HDD means that you'll be forced to insert the map DVDs in order to access guidance, but users can feel free to toss in discs with MP3, WMA, AAC, or DivX files when the drive is clear. Furthermore, the unit can even accept tunes streamed in wirelessly from a mobile handset when utilizing the CD-BTB200 adapter, as it understands both A2DP and AVRCP protocols. So, now that you've found a satisfactory replacement for that aging factory head-unit, you've only got to scrounge up $1,600 to make the swap.

[Via NaviGadget]

If you thought the MyGIG or even Bose's Media System was high-class, Azentek is out to change your perception. Recently, the firm inked a deal with DiMora Motorcar "to provide high-performance computers for the Natalia SLS 2 sport luxury sedan." The ride, if you weren't aware, will be a hand-crafted $2 million, 16-cylinder production automobile, and will sport "at least two Atlas units" which boast voice recognition, FM / XM Radio / Sirius / HD Radio, Bluetooth, CD / MP3 / WMA / DVD support, GPS navigation, VoIP / cellphone integration, "over a terabyte" of storage, and Windows Vista for good measure. Additionally, users will be able to interface with the machines via touchscreen, keyboard / mouse, a handset, USB, auxiliary inputs, etc. Sure makes Blue&Me look like child's play, no?

It won't go down as the timeliest of launches, but the Audiovox-built CommanderMT that we peeked back at CES is finally up for grabs. The in-dash receiver was designed to operate with any AM / FM radio and sports a four-line display, jog dial, and the ability to "alert you whenever your favorite songs, artists, or sports teams are being played on another channel." Additionally, the Mini-Tuner compatibility ensures that you can take your XM subscription with you when you exit the vehicle, and while it may have lost some of its luster during the six months you've been anxiously waiting, interested consumers can snag one of their own "later this month" for $179.99. Continue on for a few in-car snapshots.

[Via Orbitcast]

Sanyo's taking a break from releasing all those projectors to focus on its in-car lineup, as it introduces a well-spec'd double-DIN navigation unit dubbed the NVA-HD1700DT. The head unit sports a seven-inch QVGA display, built-in DVD player and 30GB hard drive, and even a 1Seg TV tuner for catching up on sitcom reruns whilst stuck in traffic. Additionally, you'll find an FM tuner, 43-watt x 4 amplifier, and an integrated GPS antenna to keep you headed in the right direction. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether an Americanized version of this system will make its way over, but those in Japan can pick one up later this month for a staggering ¥285,600 ($2,332).

[Via Impress]

Without so much as citing an "unnamed source" or "someone close to the negotiations," German magazine Focus is claiming that Apple -- they of the iPod, Mac, and several other consumer products -- is secretly developing a navigation system to debut in Mercedes vehicles during 2009. Focus goes on to promise that we'll see other manufacturers adopting the hardware once Mercedes' six-month exclusivity period has ended, and that we can likely expect Apple board member Eric Schmidt to toss in some Google Maps on the front end. With the company clearly expanding its reach as of late (Apple TV, iPhone, dropping Computer from the branding), it's not entirely out of the realm of possibilities that we'll also see an expansion into navigation devices, but we're certainly not taking this particular rumor seriously until we see some spy shots of a 2009 or 2010 S-class sporting some of this supposed iNav action.

[Via Foursprung]

Looking to establish itself as a "leader in the U.S. mobile navigation market," Panasonic has finally launched its Strada CN-NVD905U, the company's first in-car GPS receiver for American consumers. Besides getting you from here to there using NAVTEQ maps on a 7-inch touchscreen, the 905U -- first introduced almost six months ago -- also offers an impressive suite of entertainment options, including DVD and MP3 CD playback, a 30GB hard drive, iPod video compatibility, and either Sirius or XM satellite stations through the use of optional tuners and antennas. Other nice features include Sirius Traffic capability, Bluetooth support, and inputs for a rear-mounted camera, but since this $1,800 package requires a double DIN slot, Panasonic's gonna have to work a little harder if it really wants to replace our TomToms, Garmins, and Pioneers.

Typically when you want your device tested by the FCC, you have to send over a real-world production unit so its radio emissions and communications capabilities can be tested in under (confined) real-world conditions. However, and maybe we're being just a little paranoid here, unlike Bose we probably wouldn't send over our gear housed in a $250,000 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. Actually, we can understand the need to impress the government organization that can make or break most any gadget's release, so if Bose did indeed send over its test sample Media System in a Scaglietti, as it appears they did, we can only hope those rough and tumble FCC testers returned it without so much as a scratch -- the Media System that is. Oh yeah, a few new details about the incoming in-dash nav system: it organizes and knows what's up with your media by using Gracenote and AMG's (All Media Guide) media metadata tech, and it uses maps by Navteq. Oh yeah, and one little bit they left out of the initial press release -- it tunes television. Not that you should be watching while driving, but if you pull an Erikkson with your Ferrari trying to catch the latest ep of Heroes, we are so going to laugh at you.