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Continue reading MyFord dash and Sync App Ecosystem hands-on

MyFord dash and Sync App Ecosystem hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aluratek hasn’t been one to really rival the mainstays in the digiframe and e-reader markets, but the outfit’s latest portable media player looks atypically slick. Boasting an expansive 8.9-inch display and an almost slate-like look, the Cinepal arrives with 4GB of inbuilt memory, an SD / SDHC expansion slot, 720p display and a built-in Li-ion good for up to six hours of continuous use. Aside from playing back WMA and MP3 jams, it’ll also handle DRM-laced DivX files along with the usual assortment: AVI, VOB, DAT, MPEG, H.264, MKV, JPEG, etc. Best of all, the player is priced at just $179, and it’ll be available next month for the Yanks who care.

Continue reading Aluratek tempts with 8.9-inch 720p Cinepal PMP

Aluratek tempts with 8.9-inch 720p Cinepal PMP originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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User experience — the focus of any savvy consumer electronics company (though not all) looking to differentiate itself in a marketplace saturated by imitators. Now an auto company is hoping to capitalize on this fundamental tenant of modern consumerism: Ford. With the introduction of MyFord, the Detroit institution will attempt to refashion the driver’s interface so as to more closely align with the rich graphic displays found on today’s consumer electronics. Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, says “it’s not just a technology; it’s an experience… that will cause people to fall in love with their vehicles again.” Powered by the second generation of Ford Sync that is itself built upon Microsoft Auto 4.0, MyFord Touch offers improved voice recognition, touch-sensitive buttons, touch screens, and thumb-wheel controls that replace most traditional knobs and switches scattered about the driver’s cockpit. MyFord also boosts connectivity with the help of an SD card slot and WiFi. Information is displayed on a pair of 4.2-inch full-color LCDs flanking an analog speedometer with five-way navigation buttons on each side of the steering wheel crossbar that give the driver control over data on the corresponding left- or right-side display; vehicle data on the left (fuel economy, mechanical status, safety features) and infotainment on the right (audio setting, climate controls, phone communications and navigation menus). An 8-inch touchscreen LCD at the top of the center console stack is the centerpiece of phone, navigation, climate and audio/entertainment functions and features fingertip slider controls for adjusting the audio volume and fan speed — voice commands can also be used in most cases.

In yet another blow to makers of personal GPS navigators, Ford is also making its existing Traffic, Directions & Information application standard on all MyFord and Sync-equipped cars. Enhanced 3D map-based navigation is enabled by upgradeable SD cards (supplied by TeleNav) containing the map database and voice data, 3D map graphics, and enhanced point-of-interest data from Wcities. Naturally, the navigation system takes full advantage of those 3x MyFord LCDs to displays visual cues like street names, directional arrows, and distance makers in addition to spoken turn-by-turn directions.

Expect to see MyFord branded as MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch on respective Lincoln and Mercury branded rigs kicking off with the 2011 Lincoln MKX set for reveal at the North American International Auto Show next week.

MyFord Touch yields three screens and a Ford from Microsoft Auto 4.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard the good word from Alpine, but as with pretty much every other outfit in the consumer electronics realm, said company has decided to spill its latest innovations here at CES. Most notable is the introduction of the iDA-X305S head unit, which is the firm’s first digital media receiver to offer up direct control over the wildly popular Pandora iPhone app. Users simply connect their iPhone via the USB socket, and the head unit plays Pandora stations from the app — simple as that. For those looking for something a touch more robust, there’s the INA-W900 in-dash nav system. This one sports a 7-inch WVGA touchpanel, Burr-Brown 24-bit DAC, turn-by-turn guidance and six million POIs. Alpine’s also unveiling new Type-R subwoofers, PDX amplifiers, the CDA-118M waterproof marine head unit and the PXE-H660 audio processor, all of which are detailed in the full release just after the break.

Continue reading Alpine intros Pandora-controlling iDA-X305S head unit, INA-W900 in-dash nav system

Alpine intros Pandora-controlling iDA-X305S head unit, INA-W900 in-dash nav system originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you were worried that packing WiMAX into a MiFi-like device would end up bloating it by a thousand percent, we’re very happy to report that you’d be wrong. The Overdrive’s only marginally bigger than a MiFi and takes on a diamond-cut square shape (as opposed to the MiFi’s rectangle) while adding a monochrome LCD up front that can be triggered on by touching (but not pressing) the power button. Other than that, you’ve got a micro-USB port, a microSD slot… and, well, that’s about it. For something designed to slide into your pocket, we’d have it no other way.

Sprint Overdrive hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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