That's strange, I thought a V-10 engine would be a bit bigger than this...
(Credit: SoundRacer)Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I wish I had a V-8?" Well, what if I told you that you could give your crappy car a V-8 rumble or even a V-10 scream for $40? Now, what if I told you that you wouldn't actually be getting any extra performance to go along with that sound? If you're still interested in this shady deal, then you're probably a poseur. In any case, you'll want to check out the SoundRacer.
The device plugs into your vehicle's cigarette lighter, where it uses fluctuations in the power flow to calculate your engine's RPM. It then broadcasts a fake engine note to your car's stereo via an FM transmission. The general idea is for your vehicle to sound like it's powered by a V-8 or V-10 engine, but I predict that the outcome will probably sound like a crappy, fake revving played through crappy speakers on top of your car's already crappy existing engine note. Of course, your mileage may vary.
The best part is that if you keep your windows rolled up, no one will know that you're riding around pretending to be driving a V-10 Aveo. Nice!
Once you get bored with "the thrilling sound of a powerful Super Sports Car engine," you can plug your MP3 player into an auxiliary input and use the SoundRacer as a standard FM transmitter. The SoundRacer has an MSRP of $40.
Check out the embedded video for a demonstration of the SoundRacer V-8 and V-10 in all of their goofy glory.
Check out our full review of the BlackBerry VM-605 Visor Mount Speakerphone.
(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)"If you have a third-party Bluetooth-enabled device, you might be able to pair it with the BlackBerry Visor Mount Speakerphone VM-605."
That is Research In Motion's official line about the VM-605's compatibility. In English, this means that while RIM would rather you use this first-party accessory with its BlackBerry smartphones, there's nothing proprietary about it to prevent you from using it with your iPhone, Android phone, or Windows Mobile phone.
But why would someone without a BlackBerry even want a BlackBerry branded accessory in the first place? Well, the VM-605 has a feature set similar to our Editors' Choice-winning Motorokr T505 (including the nifty FM transmitter) and its MSRP is about $30 cheaper. Unfortunately, some of the design choices that make the VM-605 a more beautiful device than the T505 also make it a more fragile one.
Check out the full review of the BlackBerry VM-605 Visor Mount Speakerphone for more details.
On Sale Now: $74.99
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Digital music aficionados who are constantly behind the wheel are often faced with the dilemma of how to connect their MP3 players to their car stereos. The lucky ones have head units with direct line-in ports, and a few may even be driving around in vehicles old enough to sport the good-old cassette deck.
Either instance requires a simple wired attachment, but for those who aren't blessed with such accouterments, playing MP3 audio in the car is a little more challenging. Two options remain: custom install a hardwire connection or play music over often-spotty FM transmitters. Thankfully, there are a handful of transmitters on the market with solid performance, including the Eznex EzCube, a tiny device that connects to any MP3 player and will set you back about $50.
The ClearScan Live app lets you choose an FM frequency with the iPhone.
(Credit: Belkin)FM transmitters, which let you play just about any MP3 device through a car stereo, tend to offer dubious performance, especially in areas with a lot of radio stations. But Belkin is leveraging the capabilities of the iPhone to improve its TuneCast Auto Live FM transmitter. Belkin's ClearScan Live app for the iPhone and iPod Touch offers a better interface to choose an FM frequency than what's available on the small FM transmitter.
Beyond the improved interface, the ClearScan Live app also uses the iPhone or iPod Touch's GPS capabilities to determine your location, then communicate with a central server to find clear frequencies in your area. Although this feature will make it easier to find the clearest frequencies, it still won't help in dense urban areas where every couple of hundred kilohertz is allotted to a high-power radio transmitter.
Belkin's FM transmitter takes music from your iPhone and sends it via FM signal to your car's stereo.
(Credit: Belkin)Belkin's TuneCast Auto Live will be available this fall, for $79.99. The ClearScan Live app will be free and is designed to work with the iPhone OS 3.0, due out this summer.
The USB-powered Griffin iTrip Universal could be just the thing for broadcasting music around the home.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)FM transmitters don't see a ton of traction on Crave, and for good reason. Strict regulations over broadcast power and frequency range have effectively stalled product innovation. The designs may change, but most of the new FM transmitters we see are just a rehash of last year's model.
Which is why we're happy to see Griffin's latest iTrip Universal, an FM transmitter with a rechargeable battery that uniquely aims to fill the void of FM transmitters designed for use beyond the car. Sure, the iTrip is as underpowered and interference-prone as any other FM transmitter, but if you're looking for a cheap way to route wireless audio the room, it's hard to beat the iTrip Universal's USB-powered design and $30 price. Read our full review.
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
At first glance, the Motorokr T505 seems like an average visor-mounted speakerphone. Its calls are clear. Its design is unobtrusive.
However, when we looked a little deeper and really explored its features, we found a much more complex and flexible device hiding under the T505's simple exterior. A2DP music streaming, a built-in battery, and a built-in FM transmitter make this device much more than just a speakerphone.
(Credit:
DLO)
FM transmitters aren't the best way to port your MP3 player's audio to your car stereo, but for those who don't have a cassette player or auxiliary line input, they're the only option. Thanks to FCC regulations, it can be a challenge to find one that offers transmission powerful enough to dominate an FM frequency without frequent drop-outs and interference, but DLO has managed to offer a reasonably strong signal with its TransDock line of transmitters. The newest addition to the family, the TransDock III with IntelliTune ($99.99), keeps the legacy going, although we found the IntelliTune feature to be useless around San Francisco. Read more.
(Credit:
DLO)
On Sale Now: $39.99 - $84.99
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(Credit:
DLO)
DLO's TuneStik handily combines an FM transmitter with an RF remote for the iPod, and now that remote will feature an LCD screen for displaying the FM frequency. In addition to allowing users to adjust the FM band, the remote controls basic playback functions of the iPod, offers a 25-foot range, and comes with a clip for attaching to a steering wheel. The transmitter portion, which connects to the bottom of any docking iPod (including the newest models), is a low-profile black rectangle that is suitable for both in-car and at-home use. It includes a pass-through dock for attaching other accessories.
There are plenty of options for connecting an iPod to a car stereo--increasingly, car makers themselves are offering full iPod control as an aftermarket add-on. But if you're like me and own multiple MP3 players, most of which won't work with the specialized iPod connectors, the solution's different: get an aftermarket stereo with a built-in auxiliary input or (better yet) a USB connection.
(Credit:
Apple)
Subaru must have thought its customers didn't care about audio. The 2005 and 2006 Outbacks and Forresters came with decent-sounding stock stereo systems, complete with 6 CD changer. But for some unfathomable reason (probably cost-cutting and lock-in, as this poster suggests), the company connected these factory systems to the climate control panel, meaning it's insanely difficult to swap them out for a new stereo. So difficult that your typical McStereo installation place probably won't do it for you.
After making this unwelcome discovery, I've spent the last year or so messing around with various FM transmitters. You connect these devices to your MP3 player, and they broadcast the signal over an "unused" FM wavelength so you can pick it up on your radio. Only one problem: I've never seen one work very well. If you live in an urban area with lots of radio stations and telephone lines, you'll get interference, fade-outs, and random bursts of static. Unless you're willing and able to hack your transmitter, you're pretty much stuck with a frustrating listening experience.
This weekend, I'm going back to the drawing board and trying what this blogger suggested: an FM modulator. Similar to an FM transmitter, these devices let you connect an auxiliary output from an MP3 player (or any other device) directly to the stereo's internal FM receiver. Because there's no over-the-air transmission, you can apparently avoid the interference problems. It's only FM-quality--but most my digital files are compressed anyway. It'll probably run me around $200 installed, which is a fine price to avoid terrestrial radio and the frustration of an FM transmitter.
UPDATE: Apparently, the 2007 Outbacks do have an aux-in option, not just an iPod connector option. Apologies for my prior error, but that still doesn't fix the problem for us '05 and '06 owners.
Philips FM transmitter
(Credit: Buy.com)This is the lowest price we've ever seen for this doodad that allows you to play your MP3 files through any radio. If you're a first-time Google Checkout user, you can bring the price down to 99 cents, and who can beat that? Advanced electronics for a buck! Not bad.
What: Philips universal wireless full-spectrum FM transmitter
How much: $10.99
Shipping: Free
Where: Buy.com (via Dealnews)
When: Through unknown date
