Automatica dongle plugs into cars, downloads audio from Dropbox, podcast feeds and more
If you'd rather not use your cellphone to ferry media to and from your car, Italian firm Inrete is offering a device that'll jack into your auto and discretely suck down fresh audio content from the web. Dubbed Automatica, the dongle plugs into rides outfitted with USB ports and downloads up to 24 hours worth of audio content -- or more with the help of a microSD card -- when it comes into range of an accessible WiFi hotspot. Those inclined to slurp down content while on the move can simply give the hardware internet access with their smartphone's WiFi tethering. Leveraging an online interface, users can customize Automatica's audio sources, which include podcast feeds, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box and SkyDrive. Snagging one of the sticks costs $99 and nets a two-year subscription to the service, but there's no word on how much one of the yearly subscriptions will set users back once the included period ends. Hit the jump for the full press release or tap the source link to pre-order a dongle.
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Automatica In-Vehicle Smart USB Device Automatically Syncs Podcasts, Music and Audiobooks for Fresh Audio Content On the Go
Users can feed audio content from Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Microsoft SkyDrive and podcast channels synced via a Wi-Fi connection to enjoy podcasts and tunes on the road
TORINO, Italy (December 17, 2012) – INRETE, a long-standing European company with a focus on Internet services for the automotive industry, has introduced Automatica, a device that plugs into the vehicle's USB without additional modifications and provides users the latest music or audiobook straight from a personal cloud storage service and podcast channels via the Automatica website.
This is not your father's cd player, it's your dropbox coming to life in your vehicle and always updating automatically. To use the Automatica, the user will need to have a USB port in their vehicle. Automatica creates a local cache of your contents and stores 24 hours of audio within the internal flash memory. Dropbox, Google Drive, Box or Microsoft SkyDrive users will enjoy flawless updates straight to the USB device so the latest content will always be readily available.
The set-up is user friendly with an initial personalization feature via the Automatica website where the user can choose the podcasts and cloud services they want to associate to the device.
Once the wi-fi is set up, there's no need to connect the device to a computer to update, the wi-fi connectivity allows for automatic audio content updates. The device leverages the Wi-Fi available where you're parked as well as your smartphone Wi-Fi tethering while driving.
"This plug and play device allows for users that have a USB port in their vehicle to enjoy instant audio content – without any further modifications to the vehicle." states Giorgio Bernardi, President of INRETE. "Our goal is to simplify this process by making it easy to use, yet make it personal for each user with our online interface".
INRETE Automatica Features and Benefits:
Connects to vehicle's USB – no vehicle modifications needed
Automatica is easily read by the vehicle as it is recognized as a USB memory stick
Syncs intuitively with storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Microsoft SkyDrive and podcast channels via Wi-Fi
Creates local cache of contents and stores 24hrs of audio within the internal flash memory (expandable with microSD slot)
INRETE's Automatica is available for pre-order now via their website automaticaweb.com for $99 USD. To learn more about Automatica, visit www.automaticaweb.com
