You have a vintage car, but you have normal ears and want a sound system that’s up with the times. RetroSound’s new classically styled Model Two in-dash radio runs like a new-fangled modern setup because it is a new-fangled modern setup, with Bluetooth and all. More »
Ever since Ford opened up its AppLink developer program, allowing anyone to submit apps for use in Ford SYNC-enabled vehicles, the company has seen an influx in compatible apps. One of the newest ones added is Amazon’s Cloud Player, which was announced during CES last month. The app will now let you control your music library using convenient voice controls while driving.
Users will be able to not only play songs and skip through them using voice controls, but they’ll also be able to navigate their entire library and even playlists. All of it is hands-free, meaning that once you pair your smartphone either through Bluetooth or USB, users won’t have to bother playing with their phones to get music to play, and Ford actually blocks you out of the app anyway so that you don’t get distracted while driving.
Currently, there’s only a handful of Ford vehicles that are SYNC Applink-equipped. These include the 2013 Ford Fiesta, Mustang, Focus, E-Series, C-MAX Hybrid, Expedition, Fusion, and the F-150 and Super Duty models. However, Ford will be making the feature more widely available in the future as an add-on option.
During CES 2013, Ford announced that over 1,000 app developers have signed up for the AppLink developer program, and even more have most likely signed up by now, so it looks like Ford is going all-in with its SYNC technology, and with more apps that come with SYNC enabled, the more that car buyers may be intrigued by Fords’ entertainment options.
Amazon Cloud Player now available for Ford SYNC is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
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If you have had pretty good experiences with the Amazon Cloud Player in the past, you will be pleased to hear that it has been announced to see action in Ford SYNC Applink-equipped rides, which basically means that Ford owners are now able to hook up the Amazon MP3 app on their Android-powered smartphone sans wires to the SYNC connectivity system. This eliminates the need to use up precious space in your ride to hold physical CDS, and there would also be a whole lot less wires to worry about.
The Amazon Cloud Player will be available on the 2013 Ford Fiesta, Mustang, Focus, E-Series, C-MAX Hybrid, Expedition, Fusion, F-150 and Super Duty models, just in case you were thinking of upgrading your ride sometime in the near future. Eligible music can be enjoyed in high-quality 256kbps audio, and while that is not exactly what purists would want to listen to, it is a whole lot better than 128kbps encoding, don’t you think so?
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: bēm wireless Outlet Speaker Ships, HTC Infographic Hints At Audio Quality Improvements,
We live in a world where wireless connectivity is rife, and it more or less encompasses a wide range of devices, from routers to smartphones and portable gaming devices. Well, bēm wireless is a company that is known for their innovative wireless solutions and consumer electronics, and they have successfully developed what they call the ‘outlet speaker,’ being a sleek, portable and powerful Bluetooth speaker that will be able to be plugged into an electrical outlet – any electrical outlet. It will definitely be very different from other speakers that you’ve seen in the past, where it adds a simple touch of elegance to any décor setup.
As momma used to say, do not judge a book by its cover, and the bēm wireless outlet speaker sure has plenty of bite underneath its rather diminutive hood, being roughly the size of a juice box which means it would take up extremely little space. Shipping of the bēm wireless outlet speaker commences today, delivering 25-feet of wireless musical goodness to your pad for $99.99 a pair. [Press Release]
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Amazon Cloud Player Now In Ford SYNC Applink-equipped Vehicles , HTC Infographic Hints At Audio Quality Improvements,
Scotland-based Simple Audio announced today that it has been acquired by American computer component maker Corsair. The five-year-old audio firm is best known in Europe for its networked set-top receivers, which are capable of sharing music from PCs, Macs, TVs, iPods and MP3 players. In an effort to expand its reach, Simple Audio hopes that this multi-million dollar deal will help bring its products stateside sometime this year. While there’s no word how many doubloons Corsair shelled out, the company stated that it had been eyeing Simple Audio since 2010 and felt that it was the right time to make a move. To take a closer look at this acquisition, click through to the press release after the break.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking
Source: Simple Audio
HTC has released an infographic that aims at ” Bringing Audio Speak to the Masses”. It is quite interesting and covers audio properties that most people are not familiar with, like frequency response curve, signal to noise, or multi-source interference. Interestingly, the infographic ends with: And in 2013, HTC will change your expectations of mobile audio. It’s not new that HTC cares a lot about sound: it recently invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Beats, an audio technology better known for their Beats by Dre headphones (in partnership with Monster) and for their integration into HP’s line of products. We had given high marks to the HTC One X for its audio, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what HTC has done to improve upon that. Now, we also wonder: is audio the primary thing that customers want improved (what about faster OS updates)? What’s your take? Is HTC right to take a stance on Audio? Head to the full page to see it. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Cricket’s Muve Music Has Over 1.1 Million Subscribers, Audience eS515 Smart Sound Processor Launched,
While everyone is going a bit nutty speculating about Apple’s potential iOS smartwatch, Japanese watchmakers are pumping out their own interesting watches. This one includes a sound sensor making it work like the bar graphs on a digital VU meter.
Based on a design concept by Sam Jerichow, the Tokyoflash Kisai OTO Watch allows you to read the time vertically across two centrally-located lines. The four digits on the left represent hours stacked on top of minutes, while the two digits on the right display the seconds.
Above and below the numeric displays, you’ll find the bars, which actually move based on ambient sounds. The bar graphs can be switched off if it’s too distracting, or you can also just switch off the time and just show the VU meter.
The watch comes in blue, green, red or amber LCD versions, with matching color LED illumination. Each one is then set into a sleek black anodized aluminum case. Power is provided by a built-in USB-rechargeable battery.
The Kisai OTO watch is available for an introductory price of $99(USD) through Thursday 2/14 at 4pm Japan time, after which time, the price will increase.
We caught wind of the Sonos Playbar a few months ago thanks to FCC filing leaks, but today, Sonos is making things official.
The Sonos Playbar features nine drivers inside of it, three of which are tweeters while the remaining six are mid-range drivers. The Playbar has a modern one-piece design, is made of a combination of a matte cloth exterior and aluminum finishes, and can plug directly into your TV with a digital optical cables, and can be integrated with a Sonos wireless music system. The Playbar even features a Night Mode, which will keep the noise level down for those of you with light sleepers in your family. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: HTC Infographic Hints At Audio Quality Improvements, Portable Drums Concept by Kevin Depape,
We’ve long been enamored of Sonos’ musical streaming technology and its wireless speakers, whether it’s the S5 Play:5, the Play:3 or the Sub. But, what if you’re looking for some Sonos gear that can stream your favorite MOG or Spotify playlist and deliver surround sound on movie night? Well, you’re in luck, because the Playbar has arrived, packing all of Sonos’ streaming capabilities you know and love in a soundbar form factor.
It’s got nine speakers: six 8-centimeter (3.15-inch) aluminum cone mids powered by neodymium magnets and three 2.5-centimeter (1-inch) titanium dome tweeters. It connects to TVs, game consoles and cable boxes via Toslink cable and wires into home networks via Gigabit Ethernet or wireless connectivity can be had for those who own a Sonos Bridge. Naturally, it can be controlled by the Sonos app, but volume can also be toggled by your TV remote, thanks to the IR receivers on board and the remote codes stored on Sonos’ servers.
Naturally, Playbar can deliver simulated surround sound on its own, but it can also be paired with Sonos’ other speakers to deliver true 5.1 channel sound should your wallet be willing and able. Speaking of, the Playbar goes on sale worldwide on March 5th for $699, €699 or £599 depending which part of the globe you call home. We got to see (and hear) the Playbar for ourselves at Sonos HQ in Santa Barbara, California and chat with the folks who built it, so join us after the break to learn more about the company’s first foray into home theater.
Gallery: Sonos Playbar hands-on
Gallery: Sonos Playbar press shots
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Sonos continues its righteous quest to dominate every room in your house with easy, awesome wireless music with its new Playbar. Except it’s trying to be the easy solution for your home theater, too. The sound bar joins the Sonos subwoofer introduced last year as well as two standalone tabletop systems already available. More »
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