Car kit posts

Magellan car kit detailed at FCC filing

by Mel Martin (RSS feed) on Nov 18th, 2009

That was fast. We just learned Magellan was going to offer a car kit for the iPhone and it has already hit the FCC. GPSTracklog.com has a detailed drawing of the new device, and it looks to be quite complete. Magellan has said the kit will be on sale before the end of the year, and even give the iPod touch full nav capabilities.

The car kit is supposed to allow any iPhone GPS app to work with it, so you're not limited to the Magellan app. It works in portrait or landscape mode, and has a speaker for hearing directions and also link to your iPhone for Bluetooth based calls.

The Magellan Roadmate app itself [iTunes link] has a boatload of good features, and we're anxious to get our hands on the app for a full test. Holiday travelers will have a lot of good choices for navigating to your destinations. Remember when we thought the plain old Google Maps app was cool?

Thanks to Rich for the tip.

[via GPSTracklog.com]

Tags: car kit, GPS, iPhone, iPod touch, Magellan Roadmate, MagellanRoadmate, navigation

Filed under: iPhone

TomTom car kit makes first appearance in the (UK) wild

by Mel Martin (RSS feed) on Oct 12th, 2009

It's here, at least if you are in the U.K. One of our readers tipped us that he was able to buy the TomTom kit for £99.95 from the Apple Store at Bluewater in Kent.

The kit has its own GPS chip which is supposed to be more sensitive than the GPS chip built into the iPhone. The car kit is listed as 'coming soon' at the U.S. Apple Store. It's expected to cost US$119.95, and when added to the cost of the TomTom app brings the total to more than $200.

That high price has caused some to question paying that much money for a GPS unit, when a standalone model can be bought for less. We'll be following the user comments on the car kit, and hope to get one ourselves for testing soon.

The whole category of GPS solutions for the Phone is moving very fast, and it seems almost every week a new app comes out with more and more features giving the iPhone parity with the separate units you can buy.

TomTom hopes to offer a high performance solution while still letting a person carry one device that does it all, unless you count the car kit as another device, of course.

Thanks to Stu for the tip.

Tags: Car kit, GPS, iPhone, navigation, TomTom

Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, Odds and ends, iPhone

TomTom announces iPhone car kit pricing

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on Sep 25th, 2009

The TomTom navigation app [iTunes link] for iPhone has been available since August of this year, but many TUAW readers have told us they're holding off on a purchasing decision until they can see how the announced iPhone car kit enhances the use of the app.

The car kit, which includes a secondary GPS receiver and speaker as well as a mount for holding the iPhone, is scheduled to ship in the U.S. in October. TomTom International B.V. has announced the pricing for the mount, which has a suggested retail price of US$119.95 or €99.95.

Several GPS blogs are already questioning the pricing, noting that the total price for the kit and app will be US$219.94, more than some much more capable personal navigation devices. On the other hand, the car kit isn't patented, so other companies may come out with less expensive options in short order.

[via GPSTracklog]

Tags: car kit, CarKit, gps, iphone, personal navigation device, PersonalNavigationDevice, tomtom

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, First Look

TomTom for iPhone now available in US

by John Burke (RSS feed) on Aug 17th, 2009

There's been plenty of hype and mystery surrounding the TomTom GPS navigation app for iPhone. Originally announced back in June, the app created by the popular GPS company promised to be the first of its kind... only to have competing apps from Navigon, Telenav from AT&T, iGO and others hit the store ahead of it.

Finally, TomTom for iPhone [iTunes Link] has debuted on iTunes in the US today (already up and reviewed in its New Zealand incarnation) and is now available for purchase. Priced at $99.99, the app is a fully featured turn-by-turn GPS system that includes:

landscape and portrait modes & pinch to zoom take full advantage of the iPhone interface
voice guided directions
integrated with your iPhone address book
route options including fastest, most direct, etc.
ability to find points of interest and call for reservations

TomTom is also offering a bundle including the application and a car cradle kit that offers enhanced GPS performance, a charging port and hands-free calling.

Having just hit the app store, details are still coming in about the features of the app and news about the car kit's availability. TomTom's iPhone website doesn't seem to be updated often, but it offers a link to subscribe to news updates as they become available.

Tags: car kit, CarKit, gps, hands free, HandsFree, iphone, nav, TomTom

Filed under: Hardware, iPod Family

Toyota released iPod integration kit

by Mat Lu (RSS feed) on Sep 2nd, 2007

I guess this is the weekend of Apple car news. Leftlanenews is reporting that Toyota is finally shipping the iPod integration kit they announced earlier this year for current Toyota and Lexus cars. Much like the kits from VW, BMW, and others, it allows you to plug your iPod into your car via a Dock connector cable in the glovebox. Naturally you can control your tunes from the head unit (or steering wheel) and track information is displayed on the head unit display. It runs $300, presumably from dealers, and it takes about an hour for it to be installed.

Tags: car kit, CarKit, iPod, Toyota

Filed under: Accessories, Audio, iPod Family

Mitsubishi offers in-dash iPod dock

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on May 17th, 2006

Now this is cool. Mitsubishi's iCar features an in-dashboard iPod nano dock. Just slide the iPod all the way into the slot where the dock connectors are and control it from the car's navigation display. No adapter, no transmitter, no clutter. For now, the iCar is only available in Japan. Here's hoping the technology (if not the car itself) makes its way elsewhere (and that Mitsubishi makes slots that can accommodate other iPod models).

Wouldn't it be cool if Macs had slots like this?

[Via MacDailyNews]

Tags: car dock, car kit, CarDock, CarKit, ipod, mitsubishi, nano

Filed under: Accessories, iPod Family

BMW updates its iPod car kit

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Apr 13th, 2006

Looks like I have to trade in my BMW M5 already (and by "BMW M5," I mean "Saturn VUE"). Earlier this week at the 2006 New York Auto Show, BMW revealed an update to their iPod integration kit. According to Left Lane News, you will be able to access your iPods' playlists, artists, albums, podcasts, and browse genres all from the car's built-in display. The kit will work with all iPods with a dock connector and will be available with the 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series and the M5, starting with the 2007 model year. This is really good news because, you know, owning a BMW isn't nice enough.

[Via MacNN]

Tags: bmw, car kit, CarKit, integration, ipod

Filed under: Accessories, iPod Family, Multimedia

Volkswagen to enhance iPod connectivity

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Mar 23rd, 2006

Let's face it, people want computing power in their cars. We've seen people cram their Mac minis into their vehicles, and many manufacturers now offer factory-installed iPod connectivity as an option. Volkswagen must have been paying attention to both trends, as their new prototype interface demonstrates. It's called "Gypsy," and really is a PC in the car's dashboard. There's a slot into which an iPod can be inserted (not in the glove box, but right on the dashboard), and a screen from which the iPod can be completely controlled. Browse any playlist, genre, artist...just as if you were using the iPod itself.

It's still under development, but it looks pretty cool. CNET has a video of Gypsy interacting with an iPod.

Tags: bluetooth, car kit, CarKit, gypsy, ipod, volkswagen

Filed under: Accessories, iPod Family

DLO iPod solution coming to Volvo cars

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Mar 6th, 2006

I've been wanting a Volvo for quite a long time, though I must admit that my first choice would be a P1800. But, I guess the new ones are OK, too. Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) have announced that their in-car iPod kit will be available as a dealer-installed option (in the US) on several Volvo models, including the S40, V50, and XC90. The kit will work with both the iPod and iPod nano, and run you US$139 (not including installation).

That's nice, but I'd still rather have my classic coupe.

Tags: car kit, CarKit, dlo, ipod, volvo

Filed under: Audio, iPod Family

Chrysler announces iPod integration

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Jan 9th, 2006

Earlier this week at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, The Chrysler Group announced that iPod integration will be made available in several of their vehicles in 2006. The optional $175US kit will be availabe for most Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler models (more than 3 million vehicles in total) later this year. Like other car kits we've seen, Chrysler's set up will allow you to control your iPod via the car's stereo or steering wheel controls, with the stereo displaying the name of the song and artist.

That thing got a hemi? Who cares? I want an iPod car kit.

[Via MacNN]

Tags: auto integration, AutoIntegration, car kit, CarKit, chrysler, integration, ipod

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