In-car entertainment

Sticky C-Fit mount holds your phone in style

Editors' note: Portions of this review were taken from our evaluation of the Bracketron Mi-T Grip, since that device and the TackForm C-Fit are almost identical.

The TackForm C-Fit is a deceptively simple universal suction-cup mount for smartphones that holds onto almost any smooth surface with its sticky suction cup.

The C-Fit has only one point of articulation, at the ball joint, where the gripping claw meets the mounting arm. So care must be taken to properly orient the base when placing the C-Fit. This can make getting the C-Fit into the perfect position a bit tricky, but not impossible … Read more

BMW adding Rhapsody and Audible to app roster

NEW YORK--Adding to its existing roster of app integration, which currently comprises Pandora and Mog, BMW announced its next four apps to work with BMW cars at the New York International Auto Show. Music fans will be able to easily use Rhapsody and TuneIn, book lovers can listen to Audible, and Glympse lets drivers share their current whereabouts and destination.

Each app shows up on the LCD in BMW models equipped with the app integration feature, in a format similar to other car applications, such as navigation or the hands-free phone system.

Rhapsody subscribers will get a similar feature set … Read more

Does this great car stereo really need an app mode?

Back in the days of the Car Tech Live podcast, I was often (ahem, every week) asked, "What's the best way to add a lot of tech to my car without spending a lot of money?"

The answer I most often gave was, "Check out Sony's MEX line of single-DIN car stereos. For about two Benjamins, you'll add Bluetooth hands-free calling, wireless audio streaming, USB and auxiliary inputs, and upgrade the audio quality of your car's wimpy car stereo."

The Sony MEX-GS600BT is one of the latest units in the MEX line, … Read more

Honda and Audi show the future of driving at Nvidia conference

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Over the past decade, new in-car electronics have helped us navigate and made more music easily available while driving. But if the work shown at Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference (GTC) is any indication, bigger and better changes are in store.

Among the many automotive seminars at this year's GTC, Honda showed off its development of a head-up display, while Audi discussed its initiatives to make urban driving safer.

In Honda's seminar, Victor Ng-Thow-Hing, principal scientist at the Honda Research Institute in Mountain View, Calif., showed head-up display technology that makes current production examples look … Read more

Abalta announces smartphone-powered car tech system

Abalta's just-released WebLink system makes use of smartphones to power popular apps on a car's dashboard. Although no automotive partners have been announced, the technology could let drivers see and control apps for navigation, music, news, and social media through their cars' touch screens.

For the WebLink launch, Abalta Technologies included integration with Slacker Internet radio, WebNav navigation, Parkopedia parking information, and WCities event information apps.

Abalta says WebLink will work with any major smartphone operating system. The technology makes use of the HTML 5-compatible browsers of smartphone operating systems, showing the content and accepting touch-screen control input … Read more

Dashboard mount mightily grips your phone in the car

Editors' note: Portions of this review also appear in our evaluation of the TackForm C-Fit, since that device and the Bracketron Mi-T Grip are almost identical.

They all may look more or less the same, but not all smartphone suction cup mounts are created equally. Some are more flexible, more articulated, or offer a longer reach. Others, like the Bracketron Mi-T Grip place a heavier emphasis on strength and stability -- when it gets its grips on your phone, it'll take more than a casual bump to knock the handset loose.

The Mi-T Grip only has one point of … Read more

Scosche shows smartphone remote for car stereo

Scosche's new ControlFreq car stereo, announced today, comes out with a full set of digital audio sources and a Bluetooth hands-free phone system. While competitive stereo offer similar features, the ControlFreq comes up with something new, a smartphone app for remote control.

The ControlFreq is a single DIN stereo, meaning it will fit into just about any car. Its faceplate includes a USB port, aux input, SD card slot, and even a CD slot. It will pair with Bluetooth phones for music streaming and hands-free calls, its built-in microphone supporting the latter feature.

All these features make it quick … Read more

Parrot's Asteroid app platform lands in Volvo dashboards

Parrot's bringing the lessons learned when developing its Asteroid series of car stereos to the next generation of Volvo cars with the Android-based Sensus Connected Touch platform.

Like the Parrot Asteroid Smart that I recently reviewed, the Sensus Connected Touch is a touch-screen interface that is based on a heavily modified version of Android (likely version 2.3) and will connect to the Internet via a Bluetooth-paired smartphone, Wi-Fi tethered access point, or USB-connected 3G/4G dongle. Also like the Asteroid Smart, Sensus will give its users access to a variety of vehicle specific apps available in Parrot's Asteroid Market, … Read more

Apple wants to make super-secure magnetic mount for iPad

Apple wants to make a magnetic stand for iPads that will hold the tablet securely in place, while also allowing for quick removal when needed, according to a patent application published today.

Spotted by Patently Apple, the application includes images of various tablet mounting situations, including inside cars, on tripods, treadmills, and on a music sheet stand. Apple even thinks the technology could be used to connect two iPads with a magnetic hinge.

Apple writes in the application:

Tablet devices are used in an increasingly wide range of applications. In many of these applications a way for conveniently mounting the … Read more