car audio

Chrysler has announced that it will be the first American automaker to provide full iPod integration as an option in most of its 2006 models, with over three million 2006 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models offering iPod integration, beginning this spring. Drivers will be able to listen to their iPod through the car’s audio system, select their music by artist, album or playlist with radio or steering wheel controls and view selections on the radio’s display.

“Customers have been asking for iPod connectivity and we’re excited to make it available to so many of our vehicles in 2006,” said Randy Ewers, director, Mopar Accessories Portfolio Team. “We’re providing the largest number and range of automobiles with iPod support of any automaker, allowing Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge owners to bring and listen to their entire music collections.”

“We’re thrilled that over three million Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge automobiles will offer great iPod connectivity in 2006,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “Over 40 percent of all cars sold in the US in 2006 will offer iPod connectivity.”

A complete list of auto makers supporting iPods is available at the Apple site. In addition, an array of after-market solutions are available from Alpine, Clarion, Kenwood and Pioneer for automobiles that currently do not offer iPod integration. Read more…

Griffin Technology has introduced the SmartDeck, a cassette adapter that allows you to control your iPod using the built in controls of your cassette player. Using patent-pending sensing technology, the SmartDeck determines which commands the cassette player sends to the iPod.

Use the cassette deck’s forward and rewind buttons to advance to the next or prior songs in the iPod playlist. Pause and stop buttons do what pause and stop buttons are expected to do. Hit the cassette deck’s Eject button or switch from Cassette to Radio, and Griffin’s SmartPlay technology automatically pauses the iPod.

Features:

Control iPod navigation through the car stereo

• Intelligent level control for optimal cassette player input levels
• Features highest-quality cassete tape head for crystal clear quality
• Sets optimal volume on the iPod for best audio quality
• Seamless integration between iPod and car stereo

Apple has announced it has teamed up with Mercedes-Benz USA, Volvo, Nissan, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari to deliver iPod integration with their car stereo systems in 2005.

The iPod Integration Kit for Mercedes-Benz will debut this April in the US with the newly redesigned 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and Volvo will offer two iPod connectivity options for their entire 2005 US model line. Nissan, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari will announce details of their iPod integration solutions later this year, allowing customers to enjoy high-quality sound through their car’s stereo system, easily access their entire music library and control their iPod using their car’s standard controls. These companies join BMW and MINI Cooper who began providing integrated iPod solutions in 2004.

“Almost every car company in the world is working to integrate iPod into their cars in 2005,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “iPod customers want to take their entire music collection with them everywhere they go, including their car, so we’re excited to be able to work with so many leading automotive companies to provide customers with integrated solutions.” Read more…

Clarion has podified the car stereo with the new VRX755VD car multimedia system, which features satellite radio, a DVD changer, a TV tuner and iPod compatibility.

The VRX755VD is a full-feature multimedia station offering a seven-inch flip-out monitor, and a built-in DVD player that also offers CD and MP3 playback. The unit will control Clarion’s 5.1-channel processor, Sirius Satellite Radio, an iPod, a TV Tuner, and CD and DVD changer via its CeNET bus system.

For flexibility, the VRX755VD comes equipped with Clarion’s 2 Zone Entertainment, which allows users to watch and listen to two separate sources at the same time. For sound quality, the VRX755VD comes loaded with features, such as 24-Bit D/A converters, 3-band parametric EQ, Clarion’s Magna Bass EX, and more. Read more…

MacMice has introduced the PodBuddy car connection system for Apple iPods.

“We decided last year that a flex tube would be a great solution for mounting an Apple iPod in a car,” said DVForge Executive Vice President, Chuck Leonard. “So, we have spent a year doing the needed engineering and design work to build a great product. That product, the PodBuddy, is the first car mount solution in the world to work without an adapter with any model of Apple dock-connector equipped iPod or iPod mini. And, while we were at it, we completely reengineered the way that FM transmitters have historically worked in cars. We think we’ve hit the mark, and that the PodBuddy is the first car mount FM connection device to come to market that will please any owner.”

The PodBuddy has a high-grip cigarette lighter plug, connected to an adjustable iPod holding cradle by a 6-inch length of flexible steel tubing. The mounting/charging cradle uses a patent-pending adjusting mechanism to fit any model of dock connector iPod or iPod mini. The built-in all-original FM transmitter includes a patent-pending circuit that automatically selects and displays the best available FM radio frequency, permitting the user to simply accept that frequency, and tune the car radio to the same station, avoiding the constant hunt for open stations required by other music transmitters. PodBuddy also includes a high-quality line output jack at the lighter plug end of the product, for direct connection to an appropriate car stereo system.

The PodBuddy is available in both white and Special Edition black versions, and will begin shipping in February at a MSRP of $99.99.