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Sony's head units Xplod into the infotainment scene with TomTom GPS on in-dash screens
They may not have been the highlight of Sony's IFA 2010 press conference, but the company's new XNV head units deserve a place of their own, given they integrate full-blown TomTom GPS units and audio/video playback into their 7- and 6.1-inch WVGA touchscreens. Presently destined for Europe, the XNV-L77BT, XNV-770BT, XNV-L66BT and XNV-660BT will ship in November with TeleAtlas maps of 45 nations for a number of undisclosed prices, with each sporting Bluetooth, auxiliary and USB jacks, DivX playback and a DVD drive. The presumably-more-expensive "L" models also come with the usual array of traffic and weather alerts plus a Google-powered local search function, and all four decks sport a music recommendation engine that reportedly changes track based on your mood... though how the system measures your emotional attentions, we're not quite sure, and hope to find out soon. Press release after the break.
Nokia partners with Harman to 'standardize' cellular infotainment
Though Microsoft, RIM and possibly Google are already vying to be the center of the automotive infotainment push, a certain Finnish phone manufacturer says it wants to take charge -- in what seems to be the latest phase of its Terminal Mode initiative, Nokia's tapped infotainment provider Harman to "standardize" the interface between phone and car. Like Harman's last in-dash venture, a touchscreen and physical controls will be the focus, while your handset (rather than an Intel Atom) does the heavy lifting. Connected via Bluetooth or USB, your Nokia will play music, deliver Ovi Maps, respond to voice control and more, with the entire phone display duplicated onto the car's larger touchscreen for easy access and a set of auto-specific apps planned for Nokia's Ovi Store. It all sounds pretty swell, but it's still not clear how the companies intend to standardize anything beyond their balance sheets; we're not sure how much Nokia will appreciate you connecting a Droid to their Ovi-powered car. PR after the break. Update: It appears that this is part of Nokia's Terminal Mode initiative, which -- as some have noted in comments -- we've actually told you about before. Whoops!
RIM converts BMW's iDrive into 'a remote control for your BlackBerry' (video)
If there's one thing business types love more than their BlackBerry, it's their BMW -- or so we're told. It makes all sorts of sense, therefore, that the two companies would partner up to help the things they sell communicate with each other more effortlessly. Using Bluetooth MAP (Message Access Profile), BlackBerry devices can now beam emails and contacts over to BMW's iDrive dash system, where the driver can listen to his messages via a text-to-speech option or make calls using the car's speakerphone. The first supported handset is the newly minted Pearl 3G, and we're told this functionality will come as an integrated part of BlackBerry 6. To see how it works on a 335is, click past the break for the video. [Thanks, Horatiu]
Nokia's Terminal Mode spotted in the wilds of the Geneva Motor Show
Those lovely people over at Nokia have furnished us with a few images of what their dashboard integration will look like, as well as the names of a few more partners for the Terminal Mode initiative. Intended to smarten up your car's hardware with the phone's capabilities -- whether that be to play back music, use Ovi Maps, browse the web, or whatever else -- this was announced in partnership with Alpine yesterday, but today we're hearing that Fiat, Harman Becker and Valmet Automotive are also getting in on the fun. The gallery below shows off a mockup from Valmet, which plops your Nokia into a cradle just under the Eva concept's "on" button, and then transfers all the important stuff onto an LCD integrated into the dashboard above. Nokia tells us that each OEM will have their own particular design, so this might not be how they'll all look, but as far as ease of use goes, we don't know how you can improve much on what's being shown already. Let's just hope the software is as effective as the presentation is handsome.%Gallery-87345%
Nokia and Alpine integrating handsets into cars, bringing Ovi Maps to your dashboard
What's the one biggest hurdle to throwing out your dedicated GPS nav unit and going ahead with the free turn-by-turn navigation offered by your smartphone? If your answer was that most phones don't have the great big screens or easy installation systems of some satnav devices, look out, because Nokia's about to shake up your world all over again. Alpine has just announced its partnership with the Finnish giant aimed at integrating Nokia handsets -- complete with free Ovi Maps navigation -- into car dashboard systems. Yes, that means you can use your superb six-amp speaker system to boom out music or voice nav instructions from the phone, as well as your in-dash 7-inch LCD for showing you the right way home. There's further interaction with widgets keeping an eye on your fuel levels and engine condition, leading to location-based services such as the phone notifying you of the nearest and cheapest petrol station. Connectivity is done over either USB or Bluetooth, and Nokia promises that this Terminal Mode will be showing up in its phones in the very near future. The sooner the better, we say.
Pioneer AVIC-X920BT brings Pandora streaming music to your satnav via the iPhone
Your car's dash just got a tad bit more interesting with the introduction of Pandora music streaming in Pioneer's latest navigation unit. The double-DIN in-dash device exploits your iPhone's cellular connection to glean tunes from the ether and comes with a 6.1-inch display, Bluetooth, 3D video accelerator, and 4GB of built-in memory expandable by MicroSD. Coming out in March for $1,200, this is slated to be a direct challenge to satellite and old school radio services, and for more on the greater market impact of its introduction, you can see the WSJ coverage below. For the full specs of this new flagship device, as well as a new AVIC-U220 add-on nav unit, hit the source link below.
Panasonic in-dash HD nav system & Blu-ray player ready to ship, are you ready for the price?
Don't think you can sell the kids short anymore, keeping the Blu-ray copy at home and taking DVD rips on the road, now that Panasonic is ready to deliver its in-dash Blu-ray player and 7-inch HD screen packing nav unit in September. We got a good peek at these back in April and the specs haven't changed, with the Profile 1.1 Bonus View compatible CY-BB1000D taking care of Blu-ray duties and featuring the same UniPhier guts as the company's line of living room Blu-ray players. The CN-HX3000D is a WXGA 1280x720p 7-inch LED backlit widescreen display ready to play back media via standard HDMI, iPod connector, SD card or its digital TV tuner, powered by Windows Automotive with navigation duties assisted by Google Maps and Yahoo! Japan. The CY-BB1000D is ¥99,750 ($1,057) and the CN-HX3000D is ¥365,400 ($3,872), and both arrive September 10 in Japan. We'll let you decide if around 5 grand is a good price for the in car HD experience (might want to look at custom mounting a DMP-B15, $800 and you can take it with you.)Read - CYBB1000DRead - CN-HX3000D
Pioneer explodes your dashboard with new AVIC U, X and Z-series in-dash navigation systems
Pioneer isn't going for subtle here: the company just unleashed a flurry of in-dash navigators, with a considerable amount of accoutrements on display. The units range through the flagship AVIC-Z110BT (pictured), "midrange" AVIC-X710BT and X910BT, and the AVIC-U310BT for rich people on a budget. Seriously, with a starting price of $599, none of this is suited for the cheap-and-simple set, but at least Pioneer backs up those pricetags with serious functionality. In the high end, the Z110BT includes an tilt-out XGA 7-inch touchscreen, MSN Direct tuner (for traffic and other live info), 4GB of internal storage, CD and DVD playback, and Bluetooth. Comforts include both voice recognition ("Find the nearest Starbucks") and text-to-speech ("I wouldn't do that, Dave"), along with iPod control and support for optional rear seat monitors and wireless headphones. Of course, all those perks aren't cheap: the device retails for $1,600. The other units include smaller screens and subsets of the specs, on down to the 4.3-inch U310BT.Read - AVIC-Z110BTRead - AVIC-X710BT and AVIC-X910BTRead - AVIC-U310BT
Sanyo intros two new flash-based in-dash navigation systems
Sanyo was among the first to cram solid state storage into navigation systems when it did so back in May of last year. Nearly 12 months to the day after said introduction, the company is delivering its newest duo, which ups the ante by including "SSDs" (which is likely just a fancy title for flash storage) that are four times as capacious. The NVA-GS1409DT and NVA-GS1609FT systems, which are both in the AV Gorilla family, each boast a QVGA (480 x 240) display, 3D maps, an integrated DVD player, CD ripping functionality and even a digital TV tuner for catching OTA shows whilst parked in Tokyo traffic. There's also a 16GB slab of flash memory, half of which is already claimed by maps and POIs; still, that leaves 8GB of super-speedy storage for hosting your favorite playlists. Unfortunately, such a sweet solution demands quite the premium, with prices on the June-bound units starting at ¥135,000 ($1,423).[Via Impress]
Panasonic makes school runs more cinematic with its in-dash Blu-ray player
Finicky kids may have their opinions about which brand of peanut butter or sugar-crusted breakfast cereal they prefer, but surely every single one of them wants HD over SD for their in-car viewing experience. Panasonic's giving them just that, a pair of dash-mountable devices that will finally let you toss those DVDs Disney's been sneaking in with its Blu-ray releases. First is the CN-HX3000D Windows-powered device, with a 7-inch, 1280 x 720 display offering GPS, Bluetooth, a 40GB hard drive, and iPod/iPhone compatibility. Pair that with the CY-BB1000D in-car Blu-ray player (which, sadly, is not BD-Live compatible) and bam you've got all the high-def Chicken Little you can handle. Mind you all this will surely come with quite a price tag when it releases this fall, and while Panny isn't willing to say just much, isn't keeping your little videophiles happy worth any cost?[Via Newlaunches.com]
Garmin provides in-dash navigation system for 2011 Grand Cherokee
It's not quite as elaborate as that 12-inch dual-view touchscreen found in the new 2010 Range Rover, but it looks like Chrysler's 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will come with own its share of in-dash amenities, including a GPS navigation system courtesy of Garmin. That'll be integrated into the same 6.5-inch touchscreen used for Chrysler's Uconnect radio and, of course, will offer everything you'd expect from a standalone GPS unit and then some, including lane assist, speed limit and current speed information, spoken street names, details on nearby points of interest, and even some spiffy customized Chrysler-specific icons. Of course, the vehicle itself also packs a number of other improvements that Chrysler hopes will woo some new customers, but we'll let our friends at Autoblog run those down for you.[Via Autoblog]
2010 Range Rover gets 12-inch 'dual view' touchscreen
We've seen dual view prototypes for ages now, but you can bank on said technology (dubbed Parallax Barrier) being front and center on Land Rover's forthcoming flagship vehicle. Announced today at the New York Auto Show, the 2010 Range Rover will arrive with a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system that puts off different images depending on the viewing angle. In order words, the driver can check out the route to grandma's house while the lucky soul riding shotgun peeks a DVD -- in theory, at least. The navigation system is HDD-based and also includes a USB socket and a dedicated iPod port. Land Rover even spruced up the voice activation system, giving motorists the ability to voice their concerns about climate and volume (and get instant results). Check the full snippet just past the break.[Via Engadget Spanish]
TomTom / ECLIPSE AVN4430 in-dash nav system snags CES Innovations Award
TomTom and Fujitsu Ten are back with a new in-dash nav system. An update of the ECLIPSE AVN2210p, the AVN4430 houses a removable 4.3-inch WQVGA touchscreen TomTom GPS (which also functions as a stand-alone unit), as well as a full-featured CD / DVD / MP3 / WMA player, iPod audio and video support, iPod controls and a USB port. This guy is the winner of the CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering award, so keep your eyes peeled for it when you hit Las Vegas.[Via GPS Review]Read - AVN4330 product pageRead - ECLIPSE win the 2009 CES Innovation award
JVC brings seven new in-dash CD receivers: Bluetooth, USB, iTunes tagging
JVC's hittin' hot and heavy today at CES, and in you've been wondering when you'd see something for your vehicle, here's your sign. JVC Mobile is introducing seven new in-dash receivers today, with the flagship KD-R900 ($269.95) packing dual USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth, 3-Band Parametric iEQ, variable-color illumination display, a remote remote and a MOS-FET 50W x 4 internal amplifier. For the nitty-gritty on the other half dozen, head on down to the read link.
TomTom DUB1 navigator works in-dash or on-the-go
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. There's little left to do but wait and see, but given just how nuts Garmin went at CES 2008, don't be shocked to see this as one of the many coming from its main rival in just under a month.[Via NaviGadget]
Is your Pioneer AVIC-F Series navigator acting up?
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.
Panasonic reveals duo of HDD-based Strada in-dash navigators
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]
Eclipse offering up CD7200 mk II in-dash head unit
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.
Clarion's double-DIN MAX685BT head unit sports Bluetooth, iPod controls
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.
Panasonic showcases in-dash Blu-ray head unit
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]
