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Posts Tagged ‘Music Players’

ArcherMind shows off ‘world’s first’ Android-based in-car nav system

One could argue that the Motorola Droid is in fact the first-ever Android-based in-car navigation solution, but we’re surmising that ArcherMind would disagree. Over at the Embedded Technology 2009 trade show in Yokohama, the outfit has demonstrated an Android-laden navigation system that could actually be inserted as a factory option; curiously enough, it looks an awful lot like the AutoLinQ initiative that hit our radar back in June. The outfit is reportedly shopping the system — which includes a 7-inch, 800 x 480 display — to a variety of Chinese automakers, and given that it can browse the web via WiFi or 3G, connect with music players and phones over Bluetooth and even play back audio files stored on the HDD or SD slot, we can’t imagine it being a tough sell.

ArcherMind shows off ‘world’s first’ Android-based in-car nav system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom Go I-90 integrates into any dashboard, brings radio ‘infotainment’

TomTom has been on a mission to keep itself relevant as smartphones increasingly start to overstep on its territory, and the GO I-90 is another move in its counteroffensive plan. Capable of slotting into the double DIN slot usually reserved for in-car radio / music players, its big selling point is that it integrates into your dashboard yet is still capable of being moved around like a discrete nav unit. You wouldn’t be left decrying the loss of your radio either, with the GO I-90 sporting FM (with RDS support) and AM reception, USB support for MP3 players including iPods, and a promised compatibility with an “extensive” list of phones for handsfree calling — unfortunately, the poorly worded PR makes no mention of Bluetooth so we’re not sure how they’ll pull that off. Throw in a guarantee to receive the latest maps, TomTom’s Map Share for crowdsourced routes, and a Help-Me! emergency menu, and you get a pretty comprehensive product. Shame about that €599 (about $893) sticker then. Available in Europe in December.

Filed under: GPS

TomTom Go I-90 integrates into any dashboard, brings radio ‘infotainment’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Music biz still in need of "radical overhaul" to thrive

The music industry needs a “radical overhaul” to its products if it wants to revive sales, and that overhaul revolves around actually catering to consumer needs. That’s the argument in a new report from market research firm Forrester, which says that the music business needs to give up being obsessed with itself in favor of letting users create their own music experiences with ease. This goes far beyond offering mere albums for purchase—Forrester suggests users be allowed to completely customize and share their music in an extremely open, platform-agnostic manner.

First and foremost, the firm says consumers have the “right” to a unique music experience. This means that they should be able to completely customize what they’re looking at and listening to by having lyrics, on-demand live footage, photos, live chat with other fans, expandable music/video players, and more right at their fingertips. Imagine the recently introduced iTunes LP, but with much more content to choose from and fully customizable.

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Five Apps for the weekend warrior

Filed under: Software, iPhone

Getting through the work week is hard enough for most of us… but the minute Friday afternoon rolls around, there’s a certain breed that face the weekend with a long list of “honey do” projects and household duties. Yes, the weekend warriors need iPhone app love too — whether to help with those maintenance challenges, or find ways to make the break from the day job a bit more enjoyable. Here’s a five app collection just for you, my brothers and sisters in the two-day sprint; enjoy.

Weber’s On The Grill[TM] [iTunes link] for iPhone, at $4.99, would seem to be a bit pricey compared to other grill-centric cooking apps selling for $0.99 (dadoo’s Grill Guide) or the large number of free and well-regarded cookbook apps on the store (check out Epicurious Recipies & Shopping List, for one). Nevertheless, if you’re serious about getting the most out of your grill, the $5 you spend on this app will be well worth it.

Weber may be the world’s largest grill manufacturer, but the relationship of Weber owners to their grills feels more personal than mass-marketed; in fact, the slightly obsessive and cultish fandom around the Weber brand may seem a wee bit familiar to, uh, owners of a particular company’s computers, music players and cellphones. Ahem.

The iPhone app takes the Weber customer very seriously, providing a great collection of hundreds of recipes along with grilling technique guides (including videos from chef Jamie Purviance), time and temperature recommendations, a handy shopping list manager, and a convenient cooking timer right in the app. About the only thing that’s missing is an optional meat thermometer to plug into the dock connector (which I would totally buy if they made one).

Continue reading Five Apps for the weekend warrior

TUAWFive Apps for the weekend warrior originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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