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

Sunday, August 30, 2015

You Could Soon Be Using Android Auto On A Curved Touchscreen Thanks To Panasonic


Televisions, digital cameras, home entertainment and soon in-dash car infotainment systems... That's the route Panasonic plans to take in the coming months. And to take it a step further, their in-car infotainment system might well feature a curved, high-resolution, capacitive touchscreen.

Apple Continues Scooping Up Car Engineers, This Time From Tesla Motors


Apple has been hiring car experts for its automated/electric car project for quite some time now. And just recently they picked up a senior engineer from Tesla Motors, according to a LinkedIn posting revealed by Reuters.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Android Auto Compatible App List Soars To 34, Apple CarPlay At 16



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

UPDATE: Thanks to a heads up from one of our readers, Jason, I have updated this post to include five latest CarPlay compatible apps. As it stands, the Apple CarPlay compatible app list is now at 16. Thanks, Jason.

Android Auto is beating Apple CarPlay comprehensively, at least when it comes to the number of compatible apps. Even though CarPlay was announced and released much before Android Auto, Google's in-car entertainment system currently has an impressive 34 apps that are compatible.

Although more apps doesn't always mean a better system, it's always good to have additional options. Take listening to podcasts for example - if you don't like one particular app for some reason, just find another one.

Here is the complete list of compatible apps for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

CarPlay And Android Auto Compatible App Umano Dies A Quiet Death


Umano, an app developed by a San Francisco startup called SoThree, has vanished. Well, maybe not vanished because we know what happened to it. The voiceover app that allowed voice actors to read news content was compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Google's Android Auto.

Here's what happened.

GoMentum Station - The Possible Home Of Apple's Project Titan


After months of speculation, initial details about Apple’s electric car project have finally been revealed by The Guardian. Codename ‘Project Titan’, documents say, is ready for a test site. And Apple has already started looking for a place for its brainchild to call home. The location in focus: GoMentum Station in the San Francisco Bay Area.

So what and where exactly is GoMentum Station?

Friday, August 28, 2015

Parrot Ditches The RNB6; Won't Make A CarPlay + Android Auto Aftermarket Head Unit


Remember the Parrot RNB6 which was showcased at CES 2015 early this year? Well, that's all it's going to remain - a memory. The aftermarket manufacturer announced on its blog that it is dropping plans of making a head unit to sell to consumers that would feature both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Motorola Moto G 2015 Won't Work With Android Auto Says Google


Android Auto is a relatively new technology and it has it share of problems. The biggest issue I see is that not all Android 5.0 Lollipop or later smartphones are capable of Android Auto. Unlike Apple CarPlay which works with any lightning iPhone running iOS 7.1 or later.

Even newer phones like the Motorola Moto G 2015, which was one of the first phones to get the Lollipop update, has issues connecting to an Android Auto system. And that's official now because Google themselves have acknowledged the problem on their Support page.

If you head over to the Android Auto Support page and scroll to the bottom, you will see a section that says "Known Issues". This is what it says...

Apple Confirms Fall Media Event To Be Held On September 9


Apple has confirmed, via its website, the date of its Fall Media Event to be held in San Francisco, California. The date is September 9, 2015 and doesn't come as much of a surprise as 9/9/15 was thrown around many times in the rumor mill.

Apple's banner on its website says "Hey Siri, give us a hint." The message has set more rumor wheels in motion as what to expect from the event.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Google Announces The Android Auto Desktop Head Unit


If you're a developer working on getting your app compatible with Android Auto, there's some news for you. Google has announced a new testing tool which has been released today. It is called the Android Auto Desktop Head Unit (DHU).

Read along for more details.

Enjoy Google's Android Auto In The 2015 Hyundai Sonata [Video]


Hyundai Motors has beaten everyone in the race to deliver a built-in Android Auto infotainment system. The 2015 Sonata offers the feature (at an additional price, of course).

How does Android Auto work in an OEM system? To get the answer to that question, watch the video below from Android Authority, that did a full Android Auto review in the 2015 Hyundai Sonata a few months back.

Watch This Kenwood DDX9902S Overview Video Showing CarPlay & Android Auto [Video]


Kenwood is the latest aftermarket manufacturer to offer Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto. They offer two head units - DDX9902S and DDX9702S.

If you're contemplating going the Kenwood route to get CarPlay and/or Android Auto in the car you already own, check out this YouTube video from Elevated Audio, Inc. The video shows what to expect when you buy and install the double-DIN eXcelon DDX9902S and getting started.

The video is below the page break.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Apple Music Gets Steady Improvements; Works Well In CarPlay [Review]


Following its announcement at WWDC 2015, Apple Music was launched back on June 30. Apple announced a three-month free trial at the time, which means anyone who signed up on launch day will get to enjoy all the music in iTunes, free of charge until the end of September.

After the trial period ends, Apple will charge individual users $9.99 a month. The initial announcement had the expected response with competing services like Spotify, Rhapsody and Pandora One quite clearly feeling the heat.

Apple Music kicked off with a few issues though, many of which have been fixed since. With the recent release of iOS 8.4.1 a few days back, Apple has tried to improve the service even further. In fact, iOS 8.4.1 was primarily an Apple Music update.

Here's what to expect with Apple Music, especially when using it in your car with CarPlay.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Stronger iPhone 6S To Go On Sale On September 18? [Apple Event Rumor Roundup]


Initial rumors have suggested a possible Apple iPhone event being held on September 9. Although Apple hasn't yet confirmed the exact date of their most anticipated event of the year, the rumors have hit the next level. We now have a possible sale date for the upcoming iPhone 6S.

Here's a complete roundup of the rumors circling around at the moment regarding next month's Apple happenings...

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Has Anyone Else Encountered This Error Message On Their Pioneer AppRadio 4?


When I turned on my car this morning, an error message popped up on my AppRadio 4 (SPH-DA120). I haven't made any hardware or software changes to my setup in recent times. The message showed up randomly.

The pop-up read...

"Positioning is not possible due to the hardware. Please contact your dealer or Pioneer service center."

Seemed like a GPS issue. Here's what happened thereafter.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Price Update - Kenwood Offers Two Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Head Units


You could almost call it being spoiled for choices but if you're in the market for the latest in-car technology through the aftermarket, it's the right time. There are a bunch of options right now ranging from full fledged navigation head units to entry level double-DIN devices full of features.

Currently, Pioneer offers their flagship AVIC-8100NEX, AVIC-7100NEX and AVH-4100NEX with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Kenwood, on the other hand, offers two head units with both infotainment systems - eXcelon DDX9902S and DDX9702S.

Here's a price update on the Kenwood head units from Amazon and eBay...

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Pioneer Introduces New 2016 Hardware Lineup - Receivers, Amplifier And Speakers


Pioneer Electronics introduced new hardware yesterday. The announcement was made via a press release yesterday. Among the latest hardware, Pioneer's first 5-Channel Amplifier (GM-D9605).

Other products announced include six new CD receivers and one digital media receiver for 2016. You can read the entire press release below. I have also included a couple of pictures.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Pioneer Updates AppRadio App With Numerous Fixes


Pioneer Electronics has updated its AppRadio app for iOS users today with a few fixes and improvements. The AppRadio app is required to run AppRadio Mode on compatible Pioneer head units. AppRadio Mode allows users to run smartphone apps in their car's dashboard.

Today's update includes fixes for the new AppRadio One users as well as a few for first generation AppRadio users. Full details are below the break.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Apple Could Be Shopping For A Secret Self-Driving Car Test Facility [Report]


There have been plentiful speculations about a self-driving car being developed by Apple. It all started when the tech giant went looking for car engineers a couple of years back. But then CarPlay was announced and launched but it didn't kill the car rumors.

Over the past year or so, the possibility has gained momentum and various sources have been able to say with near certainty that Apple will announce a car made by themselves from the ground up. Although that announcement may still be a few years away, other little tidbits of news continue surfacing which reinforce the Apple Car project.

Just recently, an exclusive report on The Guardian confirms documents which say Apple is shopping around for a test facility for its upcoming piece of tech. They've even unveiled the name of the project.

Apple To Host iPhone Event On September 9? [Rumor]


It's that time of the year again. September generally marks Apple's Fall event where they announce refreshments to its iPhone. And this year could be no different.