Alpine and Pandora have teamed up to bring the Pandora listening experience to your car in a simple-to-use and innovative way. As the world’s first receiver to provide direct, in-dash control of Pandora Internet Radio for the in-vehicle environment, users get to enjoy the music they like and fully enjoy all the awesome features of Pandora they’re used to when listening to the station on a computer or via their smartphone. The iDA-X305S gives users control of their Pandora stations via the iPhone and will also be compatible with the new iPhone 4. Read more at dubmag.net.

Harman claims its JBL MS-8 in-car add on system is selling above expectations after three weeks on the market. You might find that surprising given the sluggish sales seen in some of the blanket OEM integration products that came on the market several years back, but Harman’s Chris Dragon says the MS-8 is a new category. It’s not about adding other products but improving the sound of a factory system.

Harman’s pitch is instead of buying all new components and facing a confusing wall of radios and speakers at the store, just get the $800 MS-8. It has a built in amplifier, and works with any factory system to add digital signal processing and power. It promises better bass and clearer sound. The 8-channel amp delivers 20 watts x 8. The MS-8 includes a 31-band graphic eq, requires no separate volume knob and has a 5-line LCD display for set up and menus. It is selling at specialists and other retailers such as Crutchfield and Amazon.

The system also converts your two channel CDs, MP3 audio, etc. to 5.1 or 7.1 channel surround sound. It has an aux in so you can add a device such as an iPod and the MS-8 will run the audio from the iPod through its processing for improved audio.

Source: Harman International

Escort has begun selling through Best Buy a custom-installed radar detector at $699 including the cost of installation. This is the first custom-installed (“permanently mounted”) radar detector to be sold through the big box retailer, said Escort.
The PASSPORT Qi45 is now available at 300 Best Buy locations. It may be installed by the user or a professional in only 45 minutes while other custom-mount detectors require up to six hours installation time with labor fees of $300 or more, said Escort. The Qi45 has a retail price of $599 without installation (so the install fee is $100 at Best Buy).
A laser “shifter” (blocker) add-on module is available for $250.
Source: Escort
Photo: The Qi45 is a three part product and requires installation.

Escort has begun selling through Best Buy a custom-installed radar detector at $699 including the cost of installation. This is the first custom-installed (“permanently mounted”) radar detector to be sold through the big box retailer, said Escort.
The PASSPORT Qi45 is now available at 300 Best Buy locations. It may be installed by the user or a professional in only 45 minutes while other custom-mount detectors require up to six hours installation time with labor fees of $300 or more, said Escort. The Qi45 has a retail price of $599 without installation (so the install fee is $100 at Best Buy).
A laser “shifter” (blocker) add-on module is available for $250.
Source: Escort
Photo: The Qi45 is a three part product and requires installation.

Here’s some stats to help you sell car trackers, in-car digital video recorders, early warning crash detectors or Bluetooth car kits:

o Driving while distracted is a factor in 25% of police reported crashes.

o Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37% (Carnegie Mellon).

o Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that people who send text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash (or what they call a near-crash event) than non distracted drivers.

o More than 500,000 people were injured and nearly 6,000 people were killed last year in motor-vehicle accidents involving a driver who was distracted while using a cell phone or texting device, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

o Twenty-eight percent of traffic accidents occur when people talk on cell phones or send text messages while driving, according to a 2010 study by the National Safety Council.

o Drivers that use cell phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

o On-the-job crashes cost employers over $24,500 per crash, $150,000 per injury, and $3.6 million per fatality (NHTSA, “The Economic Burden of Traffic Crashes on Employers DOT HS 809 682,” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

Source: Keytroller

Photo: Mobileye early warning crash detector and lane departure warning system

The 12 Volt Initiative is conducting ongoing talks with Apple regarding a possible participation in an industry-wide promotion for car audio.

Members of the Initiative—formed to raise awareness of aftermarket car audio—started making trips to visit Apple 1 ½ years ago and found Apple receptive, although a change in management of the iPod team at the time prevented further collaboration during the first 12 Volt Initiative promotion last year, says Steve Witt chairman of the Initiative’s governing board.

“We decided we needed to go to Cupertino [Apple headquarters] and talk to the iPod management team and make them aware of what the Initiative was doing and its purpose—to improve the category results… we asked the iPod team if they could see any opportunity to participate in the Initiative’s promotion…The iPod management team was very receptive to what we we’re doing,” said Witt. Unfortunately, due to management changes, “while they completely supported and encouraged us, they weren’t prepared to define any specific role they could play,” said Witt.

The Initiative remains in contact with Apple. “The head of automotive integration is always engaging us and asking what’s going on. And I think that if we come forward with some kind of a proposal that Apple would be willing to at least listen.” Witt added, “several ideas were discussed and brainstorm tie-ins and promotional ideas.”

The 12 Volt Initiative is working towards a second awareness campaign but is not yet announcing a formal plan. The first promo was a viral video called Car Dance Mob that launched iNovember 20 last year. It fell short of many industry members’ expectations, although it was said to meet its goals.

Source: CEoutlook

Kia Motors Ford Sync-like system called “UVO powered by Microsoft” may be one to watch. It’s due to hit this summer as a factory install in the 2011 Kia Sorento followed by other Kia models and it just won Kia the 2009-2010 Industry Newcomer Award at the Telematics Update conference. Why do we care? Former winners were the Ford Sync and Autonet Mobile (maker of the potable WiFi hotspot)—not exactly technology slouches. Kia owns under 3 percent of the global car market, but its U.S. market share has been growing steadily.
The new UVO system has many of the same features offered in the original Ford Sync, another Microsoft based system. Kia’s UVO also comes with a rear vision back up system. It provides voice driven search through music and uses voice input to switch modes and make Bluetooth calls. It reads aloud text messages and lets you respond with a canned message such as “I’m driving now and will respond later.” You can ask the system, “What’s playing?” It also offers Sirius satellite radio and comes with a 4.3-inch color display. It integrates via USB with an iPod, Zune, flash drive, etc.

Other award winners at the Telematics Show are here.

Sources: Kia Motors and WardsAuto.com

Okay… we already know that the car makers are in a race to offer the best radio/electronics so they can sell more cars. Now they are fighting over the race to offer features such as send-to-car via Google Maps.
Only a day after Ford announced a “Send to SYNC” feature based on Google Maps that lets you send directions from your PC to your SYNC radio, GM announced a similar send-to-car service via Google Maps.
In GM’s version, again, the user plots a destination via Google Maps and can send it to the car under OnStar eNav. GM is also using some Android apps for its Chevy Volt due late this year and Ford will soon let users connect to Pandora, Stitcher and a Twitter feed.
The car companies understand that the Internet/Cloud will be a selling point. Morgan Stanley just released a report stating that more users will connect to the Internet via a mobile device (including a car) than by a desktop PC within five years.
Source: Ford, GM via engadget.