The iDA-X305S is one of the first car stereos to interface with the Pandora iPhone app.
(Credit: Alpine)LAS VEGAS--Regular readers of the CNET Car Tech Blog will likely be familiar with the Alpine iDA-X305, one of our favorite car stereos for iPod users that distinguishes itself by completely omitting a CD drive. Besides adding an "S" to the end of its model name, the new iDA-X305S is a real evolution of the previous model, adding Pandora Internet Radio support to the mix.
The iDA-X305S is able to control the Pandora app on a connected iPhone 3G or 3GS, streaming your user-created radio stations over a 3G data connection and out of your vehicle's speakers. Users should be able to log in and access all of the Pandora app's functions using the X305S' 2.2-inch color display and double-action rotary encoder knob, including viewing album artwork and tracking metadata, changing stations, skipping tracks, giving a song the thumbs up and down, and bookmarking songs for later access.
Using the iPhone's 3G connection ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
Pong unveils a BlackBerry Curve case that blocks more than 60 percent of the phone's radiation.
(Credit: Pong Research)As the debate rages over precisely how cell phone radiation emission affects the human body, BlackBerry Curve owners who prefer to play it safe may want to look into the BlackBerry Curve Case by Pong Research.
Unveiled at CES in Las Vegas on Wednesday, the protective cell phone case--which looks much like any other cell phone or MP3 player case but at $49.95 costs considerably more--has been verified by FCC-certified labs to reduce users' exposure to radiation by more than 60 percent. It fits models 8300, 8310, 8320, and 8330.
Back in September, Wired covered the development of the case with phrases such as "paranoia placebo" and "tin foil hat," what with radiation being the very thing that makes your phone, well, work.
However, after taking the case to a radiation-testing lab, the editors announced in late October that it does, in fact, seem to work. Note to logophiles: scientists who have trouble ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a cheapskate. (I even have a blog that says so.) Needless to say, when it comes to buying games for my iPhone, I tend to choose titles that are free or supercheap.
In fact, my buying habits work like this: If a game I want costs 99 cents, I'll usually grab it without a second thought. If it's $1.99 or $2.99, I'll sometimes pull the trigger, though not without some hesitation. Anything that costs more, I rarely pony up for it.
Am I alone in this regard? To find out, I created this poll. Cast your vote, then read on for more discussion.
I suspect most people will choose, "It depends on the game." And, sure enough, some games offer relatively limited replay value, and therefore should be priced lower than games you're likely to play endlessly.
On the other hand, why should I balk at spending, $5 for an iPhone game that's every bit as good as a $50 PlayStation game? (PlayStation 2, anyway.) I'll drop five bucks for a Starbucks coffee and cookie, which last all of 10 minutes, but not on a game I might play for weeks. Why?
Maybe it's because I'm spoiled by all the great freebies, like Tap Tap Revenge 3, Unblock Me, and Traffic Rush. Or perhaps there's less perceived value in a game that runs on such a small screen.
... Read More
Pioneer drops the CD drive with its MVH line of receivers.
(Credit: Pioneer)LAS VEGAS--Pioneer is taking steps into a segment of the car audio market that up until now has been monopolized by Alpine, with its first ever mech-free receivers, the MVH-P8200 and the MVH-P8200BT.
The V in MVH means these receivers can play back video.
(Credit: Pioneer)Tossing out the often-unused CD drive, the single-DIN MVH-P8200 has no moving parts--hence the designation "mech-free." The receiver was designed to work best with Apple's iPhone and iPod, but it should play back MP3, WMA, and iTunes AAC music files via USB and SD memory card. The USB port is located directly on the front face of the receivers and the SD memory card slot is located behind the removable front face.
In the case of the P8200BT, A2DP Bluetooth stereo audio-streaming and hands-free calling are also added as audio sources. Users can browse their media libraries on the P8200's 3-inch color TFT display using Pioneer's seven-way rotary encoder, which is a knob-joystick-button ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
The Altec Lansing Compact imT320.
(Credit: Altec Lansing)LAS VEGAS--Having just released its portable inMotion Classic and inMotion Mix speaker systems just a few months ago, we thought Altec Lansing would have taken a break from its pursuit of the perfect portable iPod and iPhone speaker. Instead, it has just whittled things down for a new speaker dock called the inMotion Compact, due out in February with a retail price of $79.
The new speaker shares a resemblance to the Classic's backward-slanting design, but cuts the fat by excluding a remote control and FM radio and shrinking the speakers down from 3 inches to 2. For those who dig the portability and design, but lack an iPod or an iPhone, a 3.5mm line-input is offered.
True to its name, the inMotion Compact measures 4 inches tall by 9.6 inches wide by 1.8 inch thick, making it extremely portable. The design includes an integrated wrap-around cover that doubles as a kickstand. For power, you can run the speaker ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
The ways people use their iPhones are almost as diverse as the number of people using the device. Soon, you'll be able to add live TV to that list.
(Credit:
Flo TV)
FLO TV and Mophie on Wednesday said at CES that they are partnering to develop a series of products that will bring live TV to the iPhone and iPod Touch. The products are expected to ship in the first half of 2010.
The FLO TV service allows users to tune into mobile broadcasts while on the go. The service boasts many of the largest networks including ABC, Fox, MTV, ESPN, NBC, TLC, CBS, CNBC, CNN, and many others.
The partnership with Mophie puts a FLO TV receiver into the company's iPhone and iPod Touch case products. That gives users protection for the device and built-in access to TV programs.
As mobile users know, video tends to drain the battery of devices much quicker than other uses like browsing the Web or checking e-mail. This is another advantage of the Mophie partnership. ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
The Mikey from Blue Microphones offers an impressive selection of stereo-recording options for the iPhone and iPod.
(Credit: Blue Microphones)Blue Microphones is gearing up to release an updated version of its Mikey iPod/iPhone recording accessory, due out in Spring of 2010 with an MSRP of $99. Frankly, we're still pretty head-over-heels about the original Mikey, but with the second-generation's capability to capture audio over a 3.5mm line-input, an upgrade is probably in order.
Blue is also blessing the Mikey with a USB pass-through port, which could potentially eliminate the limitation of your iPod's or iPhone's battery life when it comes to marathon recording sessions.
Like the original, the second-generation Mikey offers three gain settings that control a pair of custom-tuned stereo microphone capsules. There's also a basic built-in windscreen inside the retro-styled microphone enclosure. A hinge on the base of the Mikey affords up to 230 degrees of rotation, making it possible to set your iPod flat on a table with compromising mic ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
Was 2009 the year of the smartphone? Or will it be 2010? Either way, a new Forrester report confirmed a surge in smartphone ownership last year and expects more growth and more competition this year.
Around 17 percent of mobile phone subscribers now own smartphones, up from 11 percent at the end of 2008 and 7 percent at the end of 2007. Those numbers are even more impressive than they sound, Forrester said Monday, because new technologies typically enjoy a growth spurt in their first year and then trail off in subsequent years. Smartphones are doing the reverse.
In 2009, Research In Motion's BlackBerry was still king of the smartphone castle, at least in terms of market share. Though the iPhone may get all the buzz, Forrester points out that RIM kept up its two-to-one advantage over Apple throughout the year. The sustained popularity of the BlackBerry may stem from its price, availability from a range of carriers, and its full QWERTY keyboard, Forrester said.
To clarify which devices Forrester is discussing here, the market researcher pegs a smartphone as a mobile phone or connected handheld device running a high-level operating system, such as iPhone OS, BlackBerry OS, Windows Mobile, PalmOS, WebOS, Symbian, or any Linux variant, including Android.
Forrester also looked at quick messaging devices such as the LG Xenon and Samsung Magnet. Sometimes lumped in with smartphones, quick messaging devices typically sport a keyboard, a touchscreen, or both, but they run proprietary software instead of a standard smartphone OS. Fifteen percent of adult subscribers owned one at the end of 2009, versus 9 percent in 2008.
Though acknowledging that 2009 was a banner year for smartphones--an opinion shared by CNET--Forrester believes 2010 will truly be the year for this device.
As more carriers hit the market with Google Android devices, both handset maker Nokia and mobile OS maker Microsoft will need to beef up their products to keep their customers happy. Of course, rumors also abound about the Apple iPhone jumping ship from AT&T to another provider, such as Verizon Wireless. Google is also set to unveil its own smartphone on Tuesday.
iHome's iP49 will hit stores in early spring with a list price of $169.
(Credit: iHome)Last year, iHome came out with a higher-end iPod/iPhone audio system called the iP1 as part of its new Studio Series line. That compact system had an arresting design and good sound. Now the company is expanding the line with the more affordable iP2 ($199) as well as a portable unit, the iP49 Rechargeable Audio System with Alarm Clock & FM Radio for iPhone/iPod.
Like the iP1 and iP2, the iP49 is equipped with the patented Bongiovi Acoustics DPS technology that the company describes as a "complex, chip-based algorithm, custom-tuned to each and every product to maximize performance and provide studio quality sound, the way the artist intended it to be heard."
The iP49 will be released in early spring 2010 with a list price of $169.
The iP49 folds flat and has a rechargeable battery.
(Credit: iHome)
The iP2 arrives this summer with a list price of $199.
(Credit: iHome)Last year, iHome came out with a higher-end iPod/iPhone audio system called the iP1 as part of its new Studio Series line. That compact system had an arresting design and good sound. Now the company is expanding the line with the iP2, which isn't quite as sexy as the iP1 but carries a lower price tag of $199.
The iP2 is equipped with the patented Bongiovi Acoustics DPS technology that the company describes as a "complex, chip-based algorithm, custom-tuned to each and every product to maximize performance and provide studio quality sound, the way the artist intended it to be heard."
The iP2 will be released in the summer of 2010.
