Support AppRadioWorld by shopping via these links...
***Shop Amazon.com*** or ***Shop eBay.com***

Monday, March 31, 2014

Network Connected Cars Start Rolling Out And It's Just The Beginning


Cars with independent network connectivity are upon us. Just last week we posted about the 2015 Audi A3 which will come with 4G LTE connectivity. Now there's news that a German automotive equipment supplier called Continental is readying LTE modules made for cars.

Backup Cameras To Become Mandatory In New Cars


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finalized a rule that will require all new cars, SUVs, and minivans, as well as some new small trucks and buses in the United States to have rear visibility technology.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Ford SYNC Will Be Powered By BlackBerry; Microsoft Getting Dropped


Ford's next generation SYNC in-car technology system will be powered by BlackBerry and not Microsoft according to a report on Bloomberg last month. BlackBerry's QNX software will be used to program the new system.

Audi Connect Brings 4G LTE Connectivity To The 2015 Audi A3


If you've been on the fence about buying that brand new 2015 Audi A3, this might help you make your decision. The new A3 will come with six months of 4G LTE connectivity for FREE.

Just like your smartphone, the A3 will be able to connect to the internet directly. The navigation system will work off of this connectivity. Audi Connect will give you access to additional internet-based features too. This makes the 2015 Audi A3 the first standalone "connected car".

Here are some additional details...

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Pioneer's NEX Line Of Products Now Available For Purchase [Video]


In an email to their newsletter subscribers today, Pioneer Electronics announced availability of their 2014 line of head units for purchase. The new range of products are called NEX in-dash receivers. NEX stands for Networked Entertainment eXperience.

Five new NEX models will be available for purchase from Pioneer and other US retailers. More details on these NEX head units including a video from CES 2014 are below. Information on where to buy these head units at the best prices is also included.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

College Students Can Now Save 50% On Spotify Premium


Spotify is one of the major music streaming service providers at the moment. Just today they sweetened their Premium service for college students by offering 50% discounts for up to four years.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Samsung Galaxy S5 To Feature New 'Driving Mode'; Screenshot Leaked


Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, went on preorder today. The device will ship to customers sometime in April. Preorders are available through AT&T, Sprint and US Cellular at the moment.

There are still two weeks before the S5 reaches consumers after which we will learn more about unannounced features of the smartphone as more and more people start exploring. One hidden feature however, has been uncovered by the Dutch website KopenGalaxyS5.nl and is called 'Driving Mode'.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Samsung MHL 2.0 Adapter Not Working? It May Be Fake!


Just yesterday I posted about Samsung MHL adapters and what to expect when using one to connect your Galaxy smartphone to a Pioneer AppRadio. The video in that post explains how the adapters are supposed to work.

I've been reading more about Android connectivity with AppRadio and have stumbled across some interesting information which I will be writing about in the coming weeks. One such story involves spotting a fake MHL 2.0 adapter for the Galaxy S4.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Bike Smarter With The Allo Speaker-Bike Mount Combo [Kickstarter]


We've written about bike mounts before. This one is a little different though. It's a mount for your iPhone (5/5S) but with a speaker attached to it. Meet the Allo (pronounced All-Oh), the all-in-one speaker-bike mount combo.

Pandora One Subscription Prices Headed Upwards


AppRadio customer enjoyed ad-free music from Pandora Internet Radio for the most part of last year. The promotional offer from Pandora was given to most aftermarket head unit manufacturers. But soon after the year ended, Pandora was back to serving ads on AppRadio-like devices.

The only way you can enjoy ad-free music nowadays is if you are subscribed to Pandora One, the paid music streaming option. And just a couple of days ago it was announced that the subscription prices are going to get dearer over the next couple of months.

Here is the complete list of changes according to the Pandora Blog...

Google Glass Will Be Able To Control A 2015 Hyundai Genesis


Hyundai will give it's 2015 Genesis customers the ability to control certain features in their vehicle using Google Glass. The car manufacturer is planning on developing a Glass app that will make this possible.

Samsung MHL Adapters For Galaxy S3 And S4 Explained [Video]


Every week I get quite a few questions asking which MHL adapter to use when connecting a Samsung Galaxy phone to a Pioneer AppRadio. There are also questions as to why a power source needs to be connected to the MHL adapter to make it work.

I've been trying my best in replying to these questions. A few months ago I had written a post on how to connect your Samsung Galaxy device to your AppRadio. It is one of our popular posts here on AppRadioWorld.

Samsung complicates matters by making different adapters for different phones. Although the Galaxy S3 and S4 adapters can be interchanged it can be tricky for most users. I found a video on YouTube that explains the two MHL adapters. The same principles apply to connecting to an AppRadio 2 or 3 versus an HDTV as shown in the video below.

The iOttie Easy Flex III Car & Desk Mount Is "Sticky Good" [Review]


Alright, folks! It's time for another car mount review. This time it's the iOttie Easy Flex III Car & Desk Mount. The manufacturer, iOttie, makes stylish looking smartphone accessories like car mounts, cases and waterproof skins. They were gracious enough to send the Easy Flex III to us for review.

So let's begin...

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Aftermarket Head Units May Never Get CarPlay Compatibility


Since Apple's announcement of CarPlay earlier this month, iPhone owners all over have been scrambling to find out if aftermarket solutions will be available anytime soon. But it seems like the only way you can get your hands on a CarPlay system this year will be if you shell out over $60,000 on a brand new car. Here's why...

Check Out This Tweaked AppRadio Mode Interface [Jailbreak]


A young German student, Eric S., has managed to tweak the AppRadio interface using his jailbroken iPhone. Eric has posted a couple of screenshots and a tutorial on how to tweak the interface on Avic411. The screenshots and tutorial are below.

You will need a jailbroken iPhone to do this along with iFunBox and an XML editor to do this (like Xcode or TextEdit). Details are below.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Did iOS 7.1 Fix AppRadio Screen Resizing Issue? [UPDATE: Fixed]


UPDATE: The screen resizing issue has been fixed in iOS 7.1. However, the screen now flickers each time it tries to resize but remains fullscreen.

Apple released iOS 7.1 for download this morning with various bug and performance fixes. AppRadio users may gain from the update when it comes to the notorious screen resizing issue which has plagued the device for a while now.

Apple Pushes iOS 7.1 Update, Jailbreakers Hold On


Apple's first major update to iOS since releasing iOS 7 has arrived today. iOS 7.1 is available for download to your iDevice, either over-the-air or via iTunes. This update has plenty of performance improvements, few UI tweaks and bug fixes.

Jailbreak community patrons should not update to iOS 7.1 because the Evasi0n7 tool has not been updated yet.

Full details about the update are available below.

Whatever Happened To The Paragon cTablet Docking Station! [Video]


Well, here's a tech accessory that may be too good to be anything more than a concept. Showcased at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2013) in Barcelona, Spain last year, the cTablet Docking Station (cTDS) was a promising accessory for your car. It was made by a German company called Paragon.

AppRadioWorld Now Has A New Instagram Account







THIS POST HAS BEEN PASTED TO THE TOP OF THIS PAGE. NEWER POSTS MAY BE BELOW.

We now have a new Instagram account! The account will feature pictures related to our site. There will be fresh pictured news or sometimes even sneak previews on what we're working on that will be on the website soon. It could be a product review, an AppRadio-compatible app feature you may have missed or simply anything car entertainment related.

So launch your Instagram app and find us by searching for 'AppRadioWorld' or click this link. We have already started posting pictures there! Let's see how quickly we can get to 100 followers.

Thanks again for all the support.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

AR Unchained Is The Cheaper ARLiberator Alternative For Android Users [Video]


Mirroring your smartphone onto your AppRadio with full touch controls is what every AppRadio owner wants. iOS users have fewer options compared to their Android counterparts. AppRadio Extensions is a jailbreak tweak available for iOS but iOS 7 is still not supported.

Android users have a couple of options to choose from. Most people may have heard about ARLiberator. The app is available in Google Play for $29 and gives you full smartphone touch control over the AppRadio.

There is a cheaper (free - open source) alternative to ARLiberator but it is not an app you can download. It is called AR Unchained (for AppRadio Unchained) and is available as an open source package for download to rooted Android phones.

Check Out Nissan's New Smart Rearview Mirror [Video]


The rearview mirror has evolved slowly over time. Nowadays, there are glare-reducing options, day/night mirrors, wider viewing angles, embedded compasses or even OnStar service built-in. Japanese car-maker Nissan wants to redefine this important piece of car equipment by introducing the new Smart Rearview Mirror.

Mercedes-Benz Will Install CarPlay In Older Models By Year End


The big buzz at the Geneva Motor Show this year was CarPlay from Apple and how car companies have integrated the technology in their vehicles. Mercedes-Benz is one of those car companies. In fact, they are planning on going a step further by providing aftermarket CarPlay installations for their customers with older model cars.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Beats Music Could Soon Be Coming To An AppRadio-Compatible App Near You


Beats Music is one of the latest music streaming services available out there. Calling itself "the next step in music's evolution", the service gives users unlimited access to over 20 million tracks in different genres. The service aims to be direct competition for services like Pandora Internet Radio, Spotify Radio, Rdio, MOG and iTunes Radio.

The Most Affordable Lamborghini Ditches Physical Dials On Instrument Panel


Check this out. The most affordable Lamborghini, the Huracan LP 610-4, has ditched physical dials in the instrument panel behind the steering wheel. Now before you start wondering any further, let me explain.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Check Out This CarPlay Video Walkthrough By An Apple Rep [Source: Engadget]


Well, that didn't take long! Apple announced CarPlay just yesterday, the Geneva Motor Show had car manufacturers showcasing the technology in their vehicles, and now a video demo showing off most of the features is already out.

Thanks to tech blog, Engadget, an Apple rep gave a hands-on demonstration of the sleek CarPlay user interface today. And all this happened inside a Ferrari FF!

Monday, March 3, 2014

This Is What CarPlay Will Look Like In A C-Class Mercedes-Benz [Pictures]


Mercedes-Benz. Apple. C-Class. CarPlay.

All those things came together at the Geneva Motor Show this year. Enjoy these few pictures directly from Daimler - makers of the Mercedes-Benz.

Here's Everything There Is To Know About CarPlay From Apple


CarPlay was announced today by Apple and car manufacturers at the Geneva Motor Show. It is Apple's official entry into the car entertainment market. Consumers can now have iOS in their dashboard, provided they own the right car of course!

Full details about CarPlay are available directly from Apple. But here is a list of what there is to know about the technology so far.

[BREAKING] Volvo Flaunts Apple's New CarPlay Feature AKA "iOS in the Car"


It's official! Apple's latest "iOS in the Car" technology will be called "CarPlay". Volvo, like Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz, showcased the technology in its latest SUV - XC90. They have made an ad showing what to expect. Watch it below.

INRIX Traffic Returns To AppRadio With Improved Interface


The iOS version of INRIX Traffic got updated earlier today to version 5.2. This update has added AppRadio compatibility with a new interface for the car stereo.

Full details about the update and some additional app screenshots are below.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Reading Smartphone Maps While Driving Not Illegal - CA Court


Third time's a charm! A central California man found that out recently when he won his third appeal in an appellate court in trying to reverse a $165 fine for looking at a map on his iPhone 4 while driving. This news report from ABC News explains further...

Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, And Volvo To Get 'iOS in the Car' Next Week


Apple's "iOS in the Car" was announced at WWDC 2013 last summer. The tech mogul has reportedly managed to get more than just a few car manufacturers aboard to integrate the technology in their vehicles. We were supposed to see cars with "iOS in the Car" this year although that hasn't happened so far - in fact, not until next week.