Is iPod The Future of Car Audio & Entertainment?

iPod’s popularity certainly has a major say in the Car audio industry today, not directly from apple but from the millions of iPod users. Due to the massive amounts of people who regularly use iPod’s on a daily if not hourly basis Car Audio Brands and Vehicle Manufacturers have had to redefine how car audio and entertainment works and what is expected from each component within the system.

Vehicle manufacturers are more aware of the demands of the public and use additional add-ons as a selling point in an aid to promote new ranges and vehicles. However the majority of factory iPod car kits are simply an AUX input into the audio system. This allows music to be played through the speaker system, which for some users is enough. However this option does not offer any of the more advanced features that aftermarket kits do.

So the big question is do vehicle manufacturers see a future with iPod car kits or are they waiting for the next big invention?

The investments from Car Audio Brands suggest that the iPod is going to be here for a minimum of several years. The larger brands such as Dension, Alpine & Kenwood have taken iPod integration to the next level, although in separate directions. Alpine & Kenwood have built fully iPod compatible aftermarket stereos, with new features such as imprint technology & HD screens that allow users to configure the components depending music quality and type. Combined with Made for iPod & iPhone you can get the most out of your iPod by finding and playing music and videos much easier than ever before.

Dension however has made larger strides by combining iPod technology with factory fitted equipment. The Dension Gateway range provides an iPod connection into your factory fitted stereo, ensuring that the original look is maintained. The Dension Kits also provide Steering wheel control for the iPod and music, Text display on a lot of vehicles including the new CAN cluster display vehicles within the VW & Audi Group and the retention of your CD Changer via a CD Retention Kit at additional cost.

However it’s the new components that Dension are developing that offer the greater indication of where iPod integration may be heading?

The soon to be released AVR is designed to work with the gateway 500 fibre optic kit allows different sources of entertainment to be played simultaneously, So for example the adults might want to listen to their favourite music in the front of the vehicle while the kids enjoy their favourite DVD in the back. This step is a major advance in the car entertainment world and will open up several avenues for further development in the future.

Another one of Dension’s products nearing completion is the Wi-Drive, this device when complete will allow you to integrate your vehicle into the wireless home network, and this has many advantages at first glance. Such as instant file transfer from computer to vehicle and vice versa. However this device holds many more possibilities than first anticipated. A wireless internet network connection can be made with the use of mobile USB dongle currently available from various mobile networks providing internet access to all of the users in your vehicle.

The possibilities of car audio and entertainment & iPod integration in the future are endless, devices such as the AVR and the Wi-Drive will open up many avenues for the next stage of development. For example;

Security devices could be invented that provide live streaming from the vehicle to your own computer monitoring your vehicles safety combined with “web cams” installed in your vehicle you could see exactly what happening to your car live. Live streaming or the download of music and videos from iTunes could be played on TV screens installed in the vehicle through the use of the Wi-drive and AVR while you’re on your journey, simply select and go through your iPod to choose all the latest Apple iTunes has to offer.

Television channels broadcasting live online could be watch instantly allowing new entertainment channels to be integrated into future vehicles, controllable at various points in the car. Maybe the kids want to watch different TV channels? No Problem now.

One thing is clear, the Car audio and entertainment business is moving on. New and improved technology being created continually and the iPod certainly can be at the centre of it all.

What are Bluetooth Headsets, What are they for & how do they Work?

Since 2003 it has become illegal do use a hand held phone while driving and now carries a £60 fine and 3 penalty points in the UK. Society in general has now realised how dangerous this act is, although it still doesn't seem to concern the majority. Hopefully this will soon change with more and more variations of bluetooth kits becoming available. One of which is the Bluetooth Headset which is also known as Bluetooth Ear Piece.

Bluetooth Headsets have become more popular in recent years. This is for several reasons but mainly due to the awareness of phone driving and the consequences of doing so. There are more bluetooth headsets on the market now than ever before. This growing popularity has had many effects on the current crop of headsets. The design of the ear pieces is more stylish and trendy than ever before, mainly down to the importance of the style and fashion in an image conscious generation. For this reason manufacturers have increased the budget for development of newer products.

As these products are designed to be worn on the ear and on display constantly, small, sleek, smooth and simple kits are seen to be more desirable. The size of these types of kit have reduced over the past few years and a lot are now around the size of a 20p piece and due to this the functionality of them is fairly basic.

So what are Bluetooth Headsets?

Actually more like an ear piece than a headset. The device fits into your ear with most having an arm that loops over your ear to hold in place. The device connects pairs with your phone via bluetooth and allows you to answer and hang up conversations via your mobile phone, but without having to touch the phone. The majority of these devices utilise a one button function method for ease of use, in which one tap will answer the incoming call and the next tap will hang up the conversation. The microphone is usually built in to the ear piece to improve the design and functionality.

This has its obvious advantages, one of which is these devices allow you be contactable while you drive. Just a simple tap of the device button while you’re driving connects the conversation through the bluetooth headset. Meaning you can hear and talk to the contact perfectly while you concentrate on driving. Obviously this reduces the chances of an accident significantly assuming you would have previously been fumbling around for the phone, then driving one handed for the duration of the call.

Usually Bluetooth Headsets are easy to use and set up. Almost all units pair to your phone in the same way, you switch the device on, press the button and select the device in the phones bluetooth menu. Once Paired you are good to go, just insert the device in your ear & you can accept all calls coming through your mobile.

The quality of the audio produced by these most of these devices is excellent, because the device fits directly into your ear there's minimal interference outside of the ear piece. Most kits come with a 2 watt speaker which produce a good audio range, so they're neither to tinny or too much bass’ when people are speaking on the other end.

The majority of these kits are used by professional drivers, who are on the road more often than not. However Bluetooth headsets are very cost effective and are definitely useful for all drivers as your device may save your life without you being aware of it.

The Use of an ISO2CAR adapter when installing ISO harness products

A lot of aftermarket products are produced and designed to connect via a ISO harness, certainly the majority of Bluetooth car kits are provided with ISO connections as standard. These kits are designed by their manufacturers specifically because ISO is a standard connection used in a lot of older (and some more recent) vehicles. This system is used for several reasons, but mainly for reducing costs & to keep the products standard without too many SKU's (Stock Keeping Units) e.g. to remove the need for one kit for each type of vehicle or radio per manufacturer. You can see these will soon add up to a lot of different versions of the same products (SKU's).

ISO is a universal system that was used by a lot of vehicle manufacturers up to several years ago. The ISO connection is made up of a group of wires, which all have a standard and specific position within the harness. Each wire within the harness represents a specific connection to a device within the vehicle. For example the front right, back right, front left and back left speakers always hold the same position within the ISO harness no matter which vehicle it is located in. This allows the manufacturers of the products to produce a kit that operates in exactly the same way no matter what the device is connected too. By using ISO harness's you negate the need to piggy back and/or solder connections when fitting the product.

However more and more manufacturers are starting to use their own wiring systems within their vehicles, this creates a small problem when installing the kits as connections will have to be made manually if the harness is different. So connecting specific speaker wires to the correct equivalent within the harness (each case will be different for the majority of vehicles) there is an easy alternative to this problem, the ISO2CAR adapter.

ISO2CAR wiring harnesses are made specifically to avoid this problem. There are around 20 to 30 different types of harness' available covering the vast majority of vehicles. The ISO2CAR harness is a connection device that will connect into the products ISO harness, then into the vehicle harness making the installation much more simple and pain free. The vast majority of vehicles now use their own wiring systems so ISO2CAR adapters are more important when installing aftermarket devices into your vehicle.

ISO2CAR harnesses can be used when the vehicle doesn't have an amplified or upgraded audio system, if this is the case a Drive and Mute cable will be needed where available.

Why Use a Bluetooth Car Kit?

Over the past ten years Bluetooth car kits have become more and more popular and mainstream in society. This is mainly down to the fact that mobile phones are more common place and have a more prominent role within people’s lives, and the fact we are all travelling in our vehicles more as part of our daily routine. When you combine the two it easy to see why we feel the need to use our mobile phones while we are driving, especially if we are going to be driving for a period of time without stopping.

Our attitudes have changed in recent times and certainly in the past five to ten years, we now feel the need to be contactable 24/7, and often feel naked without our mobiles or some form of technology to hand. This is in-part due the internet boom in the late 90’s where information was made easily and readily available, and more recently trends such as facebook, twitter & myspace that allow us be “in contact” with all of our friends and family and have up to the minute news & info at the touch of a button. On the whole this new technology is a movement in the right direction however it has caused an “impatient” attitude with most people of the current generation, who tend to want everything instantly. This feel instant gratification can lead to misjudgements in decision making. Probably one of the major factors why more people are using their mobile phones while they drive, and certainly one of the major causes for road accidents on our roads today!

What are Bluetooth Car Kits and why are they Important?

The Bluetooth kit trend started roughly 10 years ago and takes advantage of the built in function of the majority of, if not all new mobile phones. Bluetooth Car Kits such as Parrot and Bury connect to your phone via the Bluetooth function. Once connected the kits act as the Phone and allow a user interface with the phone through the Bluetooth Kit. New Bluetooth car kits such as the Parrot MKi9200 and the Bury CC9060 allow the user to navigate through the mobile phone using its functions like; phonebook, text message, dial etc without having to touch the phone at all, just leave it in your pocket or handbag. The Wireless technology means you can just get in your car and go.

Bluetooth Car Kits are becoming ever more important in the modern world as they allow you to be contactable when you’re driving, many people who don’t use a bluetooth kit while driving may feel they are capable of answering the phone or reading a text message without it. However this is proven to cause accidents as a result of dangerous driving, which is why the police and politicians have cracked down on phone drivers. Issuing a mandatory £60 fine and a 3 Point penalty to anybody caught in the act.

The Aid of a Bluetooth car kit allows you communicate with anybody safely and legally without having to break contact with the steering wheel or eye contact with the road leaving you to concentrate on driving. Even though Bluetooth car kits provide a safer means to communicate and drive ultimately you are responsible for driving in a safe manner. The police can still prosecute for dangerous driving if you are using the phone while driving through the Bluetooth kit if you are driving erratically or dangerously.

Leading manufacturers in Bluetooth

Bluetooth Car Kits have become a very popular accessory within the vehicle world, and many leading brands predict a 3 billion pound market for bluetooth products across Europe in 2010. Parrot and Bury are the leaders in the aftermarket car kits, specifically to factory fitted car stereos and are already developing further kits on the back of the latest successful Parrot bluetooth MKI Range and Bury CC9060 units. The latest kits take advantage of the latest technology boom and utilise new and improved features such as advanced voice recognition software where virtually all menus are accessible via voice commands, and no training is required before hand. Just simply narrate the menu title and the function you would like to perform, e.g. dial… In Car Network, the phone dials the number associated with that contact. Other advanced functions include iPod integration, where tracks, videos & artwork are displayed across the screen, SD card & USB input allow additional sources of media and little features like text to voice so text messages can be read aloud, negating the need fumble around looking for and reading incoming texts.

The Bottom line is that these Kits are much safer to use than your mobile phone, if fact any Bluetooth car kit is. Even the basic ones which only provide simple functions allow you to concentrate on driving, reducing road accidents & deaths. Either Use a Bluetooth Car Kit or don’t use your phone at all.

Taking wireless technology to the next level, Dension Audio systems have developed the next step in connectivity for you vehicle to bring it into the 21st century. Using 3G and wireless technology, WiDrive plugs into a USB port inside your car, any USB port is fine, and if your vehicle does not have one the installation of a Gateway 300/500 will provide one.

Once connected, the WiDrive provides a wireless connection for all wireless devices in the vehicle. It allows you to connect to your wireless network at home, when your car is parked outside, meaning you can synchronise your vehicle with any information from your home computer, or wireless applications.

The system will allow you to keep your vehicles storage device up to date, by automatically updating itself when in range of the houses Wifi Network. You can be sat at your Pc one night, updating your music or film collection, and the information can be sent automatically to your vehicles storage device without touching a single button.

Another key feature of the WiDrive is its ability to provide a Wifi access point within the car, when used in conjunction with a 3G dongle. Plugging the 3G dongle into the device, the WiDrive then broadcasts the signal within the vehicle; in the same way your broadband router does at home. This means that one 3g dongle can provide internet for several devices. Laptops, PSPs, PDAs and other wireless applications will be supported.

In all the WiDrive provides a fully mobile solution for all of your electronic needs as well as a iPod Car Kit whilst in your car. Stay tuned for the next update, and when we have had a play with a beta model to put it through its paces

Your iPod can open your eyes to a whole new world of inventions

The Apple iPod has changed the way we listen to music forever. We can have our entire music collection on one small device that comfortably fits into your pocket, handbag or anywhere else you choose to keep it. The battery life is ever improving and you can now listen to music for longer and leave the device on standby for longer than ever before.

Apple have generated a new business boom for digital media, so many inventions have been made on the back of the iPod and iPhone. New app's are being invented daily that allow the users to customise their iPod as suits making the iPod device and application truly unique and individual to the user.

The new Genius system creates playlists and suggests music that you may like on the back of your favourite choices in your collection, so you can discover new bands and music you may never have heard before, opening your mind to new ideas and creative influences along the way.

The New iPhone 3G and iPod Touch are more of a multimedia system that a simple MP3/MP4 player, both come with WIFI (wireless) connect-ability, Internet browsing access & 1000's of new app's that range from checking on the weather reports for where you live to accessing payment & delivery networks for Business operations, but it doesn't end there.

Apple systems have been incorporated into a lot of home technology too. New docking stations into TV's provide a new form of digital TV & Digital video reproduction. Wireless media stations can be set up from as part of the home network transferring all of your audio & video files in iTunes to your TV and or Music systems around the house, giving you access to you entire collection.

However one of the more useful inventions that has been developed specifically for the iPod is the iPod Car Kit, this allows the ipod to be connected through the vehicles stereo to play your favourite music and videos (where compatible) while you drive. These kits take your iPod to the next level of music integration and allow you to listen to what ever you want, when ever you want, where ever your going, basically exactly what the iPod was invented for.

iPod car kits car extend the iPod usability further by providing a range of features from steering wheel controls & iPod charging through to text & artwork display and video integration, all from the comfort of your vehicle, you can create your own mini multimedia system at the touch of a button.


Dension products are available from the number one Online iPod Car Kit Store