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

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Nissan Europe Tests The Dirt-Repelling Paint Coat Ultra-Ever Dry [Video]


Ultra-Ever Dry is a product made by Ultratech International. The 'omniphobic' coating material is designed to repel water, oil, and even dirt. It is similar to coatings used to make cellphones water resistant or preventing shoes from getting dirty.

So what happens when you coat a car with this material and drive it through muddy roads? See for yourself...

Mobile Home Is A Portable Siri Button For Your Car That Fits In Your Pocket


Siri Eyes Free from Apple allows users to remotely activate Siri from a Bluetooth enabled device like an AppRadio or a car's steering wheel control. Now there is a cheaper option for those who don't have Siri Eyes Free in their cars. It's called Mobile Home and it's small enough to fit in your pocket.

Mobile Home works with any Siri-enabled iPhone or iPad/iPod Touch and requires your car to have factory or third party Bluetooth capability.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Use Glympse To Easily Share Your Route And ETA From Your AppRadio [Android Only]


Glympse is a social location sharing app which enables you to let your friends/family know your location, route and time of arrival. It gives you the convenience of setting a timeframe for sharing your location so that the party waiting for you knows your exact ETA.

The app is available for iOS and Android, but currently only the Android version is AppRadio compatible.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

First Generation AppRadio (SPH-DA01/02) iPhone Cable Sold Out On Amazon


Just two days after posting about the great deal on Amazon where you could get a replacement iPhone 4/4S cable for your first generation Pioneer AppRadio (SPH-DA01/SPH-DA02) for under $30, the cable has sold out. The current status of the product is 'unavailable'.

We will continue to keep an eye on this product and update on its availability. Currently, the only place to get a cable replacement would be through Pioneer support. Try searching on eBay too for a cheaper used item.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Stream Audio Via Bluetooth Through An Aux Port With The Rockford Fosgate RFBTAUX


Rockford Fosgate is known to make good quality car audio products like speaker, subwoofers and amplifiers. They've added a new product to their repertoire this year that can stream music over Bluetooth in your vehicle using an auxiliary port.

This Highly Customized Jeep Dashboard Concept Is Powered By NVIDIA [Video]


NVIDIA's new Tegra K1 chip might power car dashboards in the near future. The company showed off a heavily customized Jeep at GTC 2014 last month, with NVIDIA hardware and software running the vehicle's infotainment system.

The system takes inspiration from the Tesla Model S system which uses a "touch-centric" interface. With all in-cabin functions being controlled from the large display on the dashboard, the usual physical knobs and buttons can be eliminated.

Check out this video from SlashGear which shows where NVIDIA plans on taking this technology...

Opel Astra Copacabana Puts The Flavor Of Brazil Behind The Wheel For Soccer Fans


Alright, this story is a few weeks late but interesting nonetheless. Imagine a car souped up with the flavor of Brazil's warm sun and sand. Literally!

The special edition Opel Astra Copacabana aims to do that. There's one problem though - what you see may not be what you get...

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The 2015 McLaren 650S Spider Has An Android-Powered Dashboard [NY Auto Show]


What will really get your heart thumping about the 2015 McLaren 650S Spider is its 641-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-8 engine. The supercar is on display at the 2014 New York International Auto Show. As far as the infotainment interface goes though, it may not be the most flattering.

TRW Roof Airbag Technology Frees And Shrinks Car Dashboards


The vehicular safety company, TRW Automotive, had teased its roof-mounted airbag technology back in 2011. Three years later, this latest innovation is ready for production. The 2014 Citroen C4 Cactus is all set to debut the new 'bag in roof' technology.

Airbags are typically mounted in a car's dashboard, instrument panel and more recently on the inside of doors and side panels. Freeing the dashboard of airbags dramatically changes the interior of a vehicle.

See what the dashboard of a 2014 Citroen C4 Cactus looks like without airbags in it...

Replace Your Damaged First Generation AppRadio Cable For Under $30 [Deals]


First generation Pioneer AppRadio (SPH-DA01/SPH-DA02) often run into the same issue: Damaged AppRadio Mode cable for the iPhone 4/4S and iPod Touch. The most common cause of damage is either fraying near the 30-pin connector. Direct damage to the connector due to inadvertent stamping by a passenger is also quite common.

If you are a first generation AppRadio user and need a replacement for that damaged, taped-up or tied-together cable, look no further. Here's where you can get the best deal.

Monday, April 21, 2014

2015 Audi A3 Multimedia Interface - Highly Advanced Or Just Too Complicating? [Video]


Just last month we posted about Audi Connect and how the German automaker will bring 4G LTE connectivity to the 2015 A3. Audi claims that the Multimedia Interface (MMI) in their new vehicles is one of the most advanced with handwriting recognition, picture navigation etc.

We found this video walkthrough posted by SlashGear a few weeks ago in which Audi of America's Senior Manager of Connected Vehicles, Anupam Malhotra, gives a detailed insight into the Audi A3 MMI.

Watch it below and see for yourself if Audi's attempt to give customers the best in-car technology while making driving less distracting is working out.

Change.org Petition Wants Apple To Make Driving Safer With The Otter App


A petition to Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has been sitting on the website Change.org since last year. The campaign is awaiting its goal of 2500 signatures (942 more needed at the time of this posting). It asks Apple to introduce the first Text and Drive safety app to iPhone customers.

The app in question is Otter, which is already available on Android but has been pending approval to the App Store for the last four years. Otter (One Touch TExt Response) uses GPS speed activation to ensure safety while driving.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Resist The Temptation Of Using Your Phone While Driving With ORIGOSafe


Ideally, the moment you get in the driver's seat of your car, your cell phone should become an untouchable item. Additionally, laws restrict the use or even the handling of a cell phone while driving in most countries these days. Now, a device called ORIGOSafe aims to ensure your phone stays locked away while driving.

According to Origo, a privately owned, US-based company, there have been close to half a million distracted driving collisions in 2014. The most common cause of distractions are texting while behind the wheel.

ORIGOSafe is aimed at giving individuals, families and business the peace of mind in preventing car crashes, loss of life and pricey lawsuits due to distracted driving.

The device bolts of the dashboard and has a holder for most new cellphones including Samsung Galaxy phones, the latest iPhones and the like the iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5/5S/5C, and Samsung Galaxy S3. Here's how it works...

See How Easy It Is To Hack And Fully Control A Car [Video]


At last month's Black Hat Asia conference in Singapore it was demonstrated how easy it is to hack a car. Hackers were able to use commonly available items, sometimes worth less than $20, to gain control over a vehicle.

Watch this presentation from the same guys who presented at Black Hat Asia, Alberto Garcia Illera and Javier Vazquez Vidal. This video is from last year's Def Con 21...

Friday, April 18, 2014

$1400 Pioneer AVH-8000NEX On Sale For Under $1000 [Amazon Deals]


The AVH-8000NEX is Pioneer Electronics' flagship NEX receiver. The suggested retail price was set at $1400 plus tax but you can purchase the head unit loaded with features for under $1000 right now. Among the wide range of features is Apple CarPlay which will be available sometime this summer.

Where to buy?

EC Touch For AppRadio Is Testing Native Turn-By-Turn Navigation


EC Touch for AppRadio is like your favorite marketplace where you get everything you need under one roof. It does have a few limitations though. One of them is navigation. To get turn-by-turn directions you need to use an app like Waze which can be launched from EC Touch but can't be run within the app.

Well, that may change in the near future with EC Touch developers, Motus Lab, making an announcement yesterday.

Watch This CarPlay Demo In A 2015 Hyundai Sonata [NY Auto Show]


CNET has posted a hands-on video with the 2015 Hyundai Sonata and Apple CarPlay from the ongoing New York International Auto Show. Hyundai's upcoming car will be available sometime this summer, equipped with CarPlay capability.

Watch the video below...

Apple Confirms CarPlay Coming To The Aftermarket Through Pioneer & Alpine


Apple has added a small piece of extra information on their CarPlay webpage regarding aftermarket solutions for their in-car technology system. The addition comes soon after aftermarket car entertainment companies, Pioneer Electronics and Alpine Electronics announced that they are bringing CarPlay to a select head units this year.

Get Yourself CarPlay-Ready With The Pioneer AVH-4000NEX [Amazon Deals]


Pioneer announced earlier this week that they will make five of their latest head units CarPlay capable starting early this summer. This is by far the cheapest way to get Apple's latest technology in your car. And the least expensive of all the compatible head units is the AVH-4000NEX.

Amazon has the lowest price (see after the break) for the head unit among online retailers (and even big box stores). First, some more details about the AVH-4000NEX.

AppEx For iOS 7 Now Hosted On GitHub, Remains Open Source [Jailbreak]


There's an update about AppRadio Extensions (AppEx) posted by developer Mike DeCaro. The jailbreak tweak went open source last year and Mike has been working to get it compatible with iOS 7. The tweak gives users full touch control of their iDevices over the AppRadio.

Here's where we stand...

Thursday, April 17, 2014

AT&T Holds Impressive List Of Car Company Cellular Connection Contracts


AT&T recently added Volvo as the latest company whose cars will roll out with independent cellular connections. And AT&T's connected cars won't only be Volvos. The company has signed similar contracts with a list of car companies that is quite impressive.

Major Record Labels Suing Pandora For Unpaid Royalties


Major record companies have filed a lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court, accusing Pandora of violating the state's common-law copyright protections by using recordings of older songs without permission. Similar suits were filed against Sirius XM Radio last year.

Access Your YouTube Account In EC Touch For AppRadio [How-To]


EC Touch for AppRadio was updated to version 3.1.2 recently adding YouTube account access. Some other minor bugs were fixed too.

Being able to link your account with EC Touch now gives you access to additional YouTube functionality.

Google's In-Car System May Be Called 'Google Projected Mode' [Rumor]


Google will compete in the car entertainment field with its own system after forming the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA) with a bunch of car manufacturers. Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, is not a part of the OAA. But a recent job posting from the company may have given us an early insight into what Google's in-car system may be called.

According to Daimler (via a post on Engadget), Google may call the interface 'Google Projected Mode'.

Who's Ready For Some In-Car Advertising? Well, You Better Be!


Last month's Ad Tech, the "interactive advertising and technology conference and exhibition" in San Francisco, had some interesting  announcements come out. Next Ads Frontier, Klip Mobile Marketing announced that Mojio (read below) apps have partnered to reward "driving moments" in the connected car. In short, advertising in your car!

Some extra details were provided by the auto connected car blog...

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata Will Be CarPlay Equipped [NY Auto Show]


Hyundai will become the next car manufacturer to bring Apple's CarPlay in one of their car models, the 2015 Hyundai Sonata, which is scheduled to be launched this summer.

The Korean car-maker made the announcement in a press release yesterday at the New York International Auto Show. Here are a few details.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Like Pioneer, Alpine Electronics Will Also Bring CarPlay To The After-Market


Earlier today, Pioneer Electronics announced that it will bring Apple CarPlay to its NEX line of car head units. So if you are wondering whether other after-market manufacturers are going to follow suit, the answer is Yes.

According to a report, Alpine Electronics will start selling a stand-alone console supporting CarPlay sometime this Fall in the United States and parts of Europe. Here are more details from the Japanese site Nikkei Asian Review...

MagBak - The iPad Mount You Can Use Even In Your Car [Kickstarter Project]


Every once in a while there will be a useful Kickstarter campaign. We found one that might be relevant to our readers in that it gives you the ability to mount your iPad Air or iPad Mini in your car.

The product is called a MagBak mount. It's minimalistic and works on powerful magnets. And there's only a day left before the campaign ends so hurry and pledge if you like. Check out the details and promo video below the break.

Will AppRadio Mode Die Out With CarPlay Coming To Pioneer Head Units? [Opinion]


When Pioneer Electronics debuted AppRadio Mode back in 2011 (called Advanced App Mode back then) there was plenty of interest from tech enthusiasts looking to integrate their smartphones with their cars. The technology has come a long way since with the biggest improvement being the number of apps that are currently AppRadio compatible.

But with today's CarPlay announcement from Pioneer what happens to AppRadio Mode? Does Pioneer continue developing and improving it or do they just let it die out? Or could they make it open source and let developers take over? Here's our take...

[BREAKING] Pioneer Bringing CarPlay To Their Receivers Very Soon


It's official! Pioneer Electronics will bring Apple's latest CarPlay technology to a select head units making these one of the first third-party receivers to get the latest software. The addition will happen sometime this summer through a firmware update.

After much speculation on whether CarPlay would be ported to after-market car systems today's news will put the whole car entertainment business in a frenzy. Here's the complete scoop from Pioneer.

Microsoft Is Working On Its Own 'Windows In The Car' [Video]




Seems like it was only a matter of time. Along with Apple and Google you can count Microsoft in into the car technology playing field.

The Redmond, WA tech giant is working on its own version of Windows in the car. An early beta of the software, which it called the 'connected car concept', was demonstrated at the Build 2014 developer conference a few days ago.

It became clear that the software is in its initial stages of development when it crashed halfway through the demo. The concept puts Windows Phone software in the car's dashboard. Cortana, Microsoft's voice assistant, may well end up gracing the software at a later stage.

The software puts commonly used smartphone functions in the car in a very windows-phone-esque user interface. With Windows in the car you will have access to your music library, navigation, phone call functions and even your car's insurance information.

Watch a video clip from the developer conference below...

Dutch Companies Imagine Glowing Highways Infused With Green Technology


Let's make our highway roads greener and smarter and ditch those street lights. This is what a couple of Dutch companies are developing designs for.

The Smart Highway is an interactive and sustainable concept being developed by Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans Infrastructure. The design includes glowing highway lines, interactive traffic signs based on conditions and guide lights without the use of electricity.

Land Rover Shows 'Transparent Bonnet' Technology Concept - Disappearing Car Hood [Video]


Land Rover will give the world a sneak peek of their 'Transparent Bonnet' technology at this year's New York International Auto Show which kicks off on April 18. This disappearing car hood technology is only in experimental stages at the moment.

For those living west of the Atlantic, 'bonnet' in British English refers to a car's hood. Watch the video from Land Rover below the page break to get a better idea of what this is all about.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Charge Your Smartphone Wirelessly In The Scion xB Release Series 10.0


Just a few days before the New York International Auto Show kicks off in the Big Apple on April 16, Toyota has announced that Scion will debut the xB Release Series 10.0, infused with 'techie style'. The Special Edition Scion 10 Series of cars commemorate the tenth anniversary of the brand from Toyota.

The one 'techie style' feature in the xB Release Series 10.0 that stands out is wireless charging for your smartphone.

Still Deciding On Whether To Get An AppRadio? Watch This...


Pioneer Europe has been running this advertisement for a few months now. It showcases the features of AppRadio Mode, Pioneer's trademarked technology which can be found in many of its double-DIN head units.

Pioneer's flagship AppRadio 3 is available for purchase with AppRadio Mode. There are also this year's NEX line of head units to choose from if you have more dough to work with.

So, if you've been thinking about ditching that old cassette player in your car and getting a brand new stereo in its place, this ad may help you decide. Check it out for yourself...

Here's Another Demo Video Of AppRadio Unchained - Full Android Control [Video]


Last month we had posted about AppRadio Unchained, the open source AppRadio tweak for Android. This time, we have another video showing what AR Unchained is capable of doing for you.

You will need a rooted Android smartphone to get these results...

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Should This Inflatable Child Seat Concept Become Reality? [Video]


Child seats are bulky. Period.

Volvo wants to change that though. Watch the inflatable child seat concept video below to see how.

Try Out A Virtual Pioneer NEX Receiver In Your Car With The AR Experience App


The future of advertising may quite possibly be in Augmented Reality (AR). Pioneer's own AR Experience app was updated to version 1.3 recently. The app wants to give potential customers a tool to try out a product in their car's dashboard, albeit virtually using augmented reality.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

This Video From Volvo Demos Every Apple CarPlay Function [Video]


Apple announced CarPlay through a handful of car manufacturers at last month's Geneva Motor Show. There were plenty of demo videos that emerged from the event showcasing the upcoming technology that is bound to send ripples through the competition.

I found this following video from Volvo on YouTube that gives a closer look at CarPlay and each of its features. Check it out below.

Toyota To Recall 6.39 Million Vehicles Worldwide For Various Faults


Toyota Motor Corporation will recall 6.39 million vehicles across the world for a variety of faults ranging from steering wheel to seat issues issues. This will be the second largest recall to date for the company.

Find out if this recall affects you after the page break.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Save Space In Your Trunk With The Pioneer ib-Flat Shallow Subwoofers


Pioneer Electronics have announced their fourth generation of shallow subwoofers. These ib-Flat range of subs are now available for purchase. Here is the complete breakdown from the press release.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Declutter Your AppRadio Setup With The CableJive dockXtender [Review]


For the longest time we have pursued an extension cable for Apple's lightning digital AV adapter. There were cheap options available from eBay but most of them aren't reliable. I even tried a DIY cable which didn't materialize.

The search ends today with the CableJive dockXtender Lightning Version. This is the only reliable lightning cable extender available at the moment. Other solutions may be available but not always reliable.

We received a review unit of the dockXtender from CableJive so thanks to them. Here is our complete review.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Honda's LaneWatch Feature Puts A Camera On Your Side-View Mirror [Video]


Honda has been offering its LaneWatch feature since last year. The technology is designed to give drivers better visibility on the passenger-side, both besides and behind the car. This is supposed to help drivers visualize their blind-spot better before changing lanes or parallel parking.

LaneWatch puts a tiny camera next to the car's passenger-side mirror. The camera is activated when the right turn signal is turned on. You can also choose to have the camera activated at all times by pressing a button on the turn signal lever.

This is the description from Honda regarding LaneWatch. There's also a video below the break...

Automatic Smart Driving Assistant Is A Car Diagnostic Tool For Your Smartphone [Video]


Are you looking for a car diagnostic tool that works with your smartphone and can help you save money on gas or a trip to the mechanic? Enter the 'Automatic Smart Driving Assistant'.

Apple Sets WWDC 14 Dates As Everyone Awaits iPhone 6 Announcement


Apple has announced dates for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) which will be held as usual in San Francisco, CA. This year's installment is scheduled for June 2-6.

WWDC is possibly the most anticipated event from Apple every year because everyone expects announcement of a new iPhone.