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Pioneer sees USB as the way to MP3

Pioneer is following Ford and Microsoft in its adoption of USB ports for the playback of digital audio in the car. Here at CES, Pioneer is debuting the snappily named DEH-P6900UB and DEH-P690UB, two new stereo head units that come with built-in USB jacks for hooking up portable media players or thumbdrives.

When connected via USB, media players, such as iPods and Zunes, can be controlled entirely via the head unit, giving drivers high-speed control over their digital media, including content subject to iTunes (Fairplay) and Windows Media digital rights management. As well as a built-in USB port, both head … Read more

Vista in your car

Here's another take on Windows Mobile. The Azentek Atlas is a double-DIN system that fits into your car's dashboard and gives you all of the functionality of a Windows PC from the driver's seat. While the model on display here at CES 2007 is running XP, we're told that Atlas will ship in March with Windows Vista. The Atlas, which makes use of iMobile software, packs an Intel Core Duo processor and comes with 512MB of RAM memory and a Seagate automotive-grade 40GB hard drive. It also comes with built-in GPS with turn-by-turn navigation and maps … Read more

What price mobile TV?

One of the major themes of this year's CES is mobile TV: yesterday, Verizon confirmed it will be bringing live full-length television programming to selected handsets, and then Samsung revealed it had developed a technology to enable local TV stations to broadcast digital programs to cars and mobile devices. For those road warriors who can't wait for either of the these solutions for their fix of Regis and Kelly, the answer might just be KVH's TracVision A7.

Developed in collaboration with DIRECTV, the A7 enables drivers to pick up 185 channels, including local network stations. To do … Read more

CD goes the way of the tape deck with Dual's XMC100

The fact that Dual can call its new XMC100 in-car stereo a "multimedia receiver" without including a CD slot is a sign of the digital-audio times. The XMC100 features three options for playing digital media, without a disc in sight: a 3.5-inch jack, an SD Card slot, and a USB port.

The XMC100 also can be used as a satellite radio receiver for Sirius Satellite Radio. Drivers can see what's playing on the unit's black-and-white dot-matrix display. The XMC100 features an internal 240-watt (60x4) MOSFET amplifier, as well as source audio memory and five selectable … Read more

Eclipse bridges the gap between in-dash and portable navigation

Eclipse kicked off its CES 2007 press conference with the unveiling of the AVN2210p, an in-dash navigation and multimedia system that doubles as a handheld portable navigation device. The system comes in two parts, with a standalone portable navigation device, similar to the TomTom One, slotting into a double-DIN-sized audio unit installed in a car's dash.

The AVN 2210p's SD card-based navigation system features real-time traffic information as part of TomTom's optional service package, and can be updated by downloading maps from the Internet. The navigation system provides 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions, which play either … Read more

Pioneer continues Generation Z

Having collected the laurels for Car Tech's Best of CES last year with its Avic-Z1 in-dash navigation and multimedia system, Pioneer is using this year's show to launch the Avic-Z2. The Z2 builds on the basic design of the Z1 and offers a range of upgraded features: a learning capability, which remembers roads frequently traveled by the driver and incorporates these preferences into suggested routes when applicable; a smart routing algorithm that takes into account factors such as posted speed limits and the number of turns to reach the destination, to give a more accurate estimate of journey … Read more

Ford and Microsoft in Sync for in-car infotainment

As we first reported in December, Ford and Microsoft have been busy working in collaboration on in-car communications and entertainment, to be unveiled this week at CES. Well, here we are today at CES, and we can spill the beans on details of the system to be marketed under the name "Sync."

Initially to be made available in twelve 2008 models across the Ford family and across the entire 2009 lineup from FoMoCo, the service will be a fully-integrated, flash memory-based system that enables drivers to call hands-free and to control a range of digital audio via voice … Read more

What else can Toyota make in a hybrid?

Old Toyota: reliable and practical cars with decent gas mileage for the commuting set.

New Toyota: the Prius, the FJ Cruiser, hybrid Camry, hybrid Highlander and soon...a hybrid sports car.

The FT-HS concept car is meant to be a sample of mid-priced hybrid sports car with ultra-low emissions and fuel efficiency, according to Toyota.

The front-engine rear-drive car would have a V6 3.5-liter engine, putting out approximately 400 horsepower when coupled with the hybrid system, and be able to do zero-to-sixty in four seconds.

Not sure of the look? Well those "aero-corners" on the body that … Read more

Bluetooth device worthy of Isadora Duncan

Iqua has made a Bluetooth bar (for lack of a better word) phone that attaches to the back of your car's headrest.

The L-shaped device allows users to be hands-free, and free of an ear piece in their ear, while driving and talking on a cell phone. As Gearfuse points out, the headset does offer stereo speakers. The $179 phone has a battery worth 10 hours of talk time, 650 hours of standby and comes in black or silver.

Sorry, but we just don't see Iqua's reasoning behind the Iqua Snake2 HHF-601. Wouldn't a device like … Read more