CarAudio
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Mac Mini in a Corvette
After our little scare with the Mac Mini last week, the little boxen that could is quickly becoming my favorite computer (still can't wait to get one with Leopard on it). So seeing cool applications of it like this one thrills me to no end: Andrew sent us his writeup of putting a Mac Mini into a Corvette (complete with touchscreen monitor) as a music player.The whole process looks pretty complicated to me-- the most I've done with my car stereo is install an old CD player, and by install I mean "watched my friend do it." But Andrew's writeup is really thorough, and he goes through everything from choosing components to creating a layout, to potential problems during installation, and what he plans to do next. Apparently the Mini is almost tailormade for car systems like this-- not only is there a special cable built to power it in the car, but there is even a special version of Front Row designed to be controlled from a touchscreen. Not everything worked well, however-- the Mini had a grounding problem, apparently, and Andrew had an issue with the Mini's volume setting reverting after a restart, but he was able to punch out an Applescript to fix it.The end product looks great-- Andrew says he's still working on the mounts, but considering he's got a working touchscreen controlling a Mac Mini in his Corvette, that's good enough for me. Very nice.
Alpine's iDA-X001 iPod / media receiver forthcoming
iPod car integration has long since gone from being mythic desire to nearly stock feature, but plugging an iPod in via USB and it just running, that's still a pretty fresh experience. Alpine's forthcoming aftermarket iDA-X001 iPod / media-ready receiver promises just that having been "designed and developed with input from Apple." (Perhaps this is what Steve's gonna put in his Mercedes SL55 -- don't ask us how we know that.) Expect this too in the CES timeframe, all you iPod modding car audio mavens.
Roadmaster's VR3 VRCD400SDU does digital
We're always happy to welcome another computer-interface-ridden hybrid car stereo / multimedia device to the fold, like Roadmaster's VR3 VRCD400SDU car stereo. Not only does it do aux i (so you can use just about any portable audio player imaginable), but Roadmaster were also thoughtful enough to include an SD slot, USB port, and remote control for playing back MP3 and WMA tracks, with ID3 info showing up on-screen. The single din head won't ding that pocketbook too hard, neither, coming in at a lightweight $140 US, which is even reasonable for other players which might only match its CD player and AM / FM radio.
Dual's PlaysForSure-friendly XDRM7710 head unit
If you're one of the select few who've decided to say "iDon't," then A/V electronics manufacturer Dual has a new car stereo that might be right up your alley, as it allows you to hook up your PlaysForSure-compatible DAP and control it from the head unit or included remote. Well, it actually costs an extra $100 for the USB adapter that enables this functionality, but that still only puts you out a total of $350, and then you're able to play your digital tracks off of CDs or almost any non-iPod player, but unfortunately not SD cards as well -- hey, you can't have it all. The XDRM7710, as this model is known, also features a motorized faceplate and XM receiver jack -- but certainly not the most stylish design we've ever seen -- and is scheduled to ship in July.
Sirius announces sleek new Sportster4 radio
To prove that there is still life in the world of consumer electronics outside of videogames and laptops, Sirius broke up today's monotony by announcing an updated version of their Sportster series of Plug and Play satellite radios with 44-minute buffers. The Sportster4, which is small enough to easily transport between home and car, maintains the same recording capacity and features as its predecessors, but adds a new vehicle dock that includes an auxiliary input for your MP3 player. Additional niceties include 30 presets, bundled remote, favorite artist alerts, and game reminders to keep you updated on score changes. Look for the Sportster4 later this month for around $170, with accessories like boombox docks soon to follow.
