LAS VEGAS —
Radar detectors, multimedia head
units, OEM integration accessories,
and Bluetooth kits made their debut
at last week’s Specialty Equipment
Market Association (SEMA) show.
Major introductions included two
$549-suggested navigation-ready
multimedia head units from Clarion
with displays that were upgraded to
WVGA resolution, Escort’s and the
industry’s first portable navigation
device (PND) with built-in radar/laser
detector, and a SKU-reducing
$169 S3-1 steering-wheelcontrol
adapter from Scosche. The
S3-1, due early spring, enables
remote control of Pioneer, Alpine,
Clarion, Kenwood, JVC and Sony head units from
many vehicles’ OEM steering-wheel controls.
Also at the show:
• Parrot launched the $129 Parrot MiniKit Smart
Bluetooth hands-free windshieldmount
kit with integrated 2-watt
speaker for use with any smartphone
measuring from 56mm to 70mm
wide. See p. 58 for more details.
• Monster announced its $119
Motion Play charging device for
iPads, iPods, and iPhones. It’s said
to deliver hand-motion control over
the docked devices, including play/
pause and track skip. Monster didn’t
indicate whether the device, due
in the first quarter, would integrate
with OEM or aftermarket sound
systems.
• Scosche launched indash
head-unit mounting kits for the 2010 Ford Mustang, Ford Taurus and Chevy Camaro at $299, all
with color touchscreen air-conditioner controller and
ability to connect to the factory air conditioning harness.
They’re due in early spring.
Other Scosche introductions included a new line of
OEM interfaces designed to add an aux input to a factory
stereo and deliver full or partial control of an iPod,
depending on the head unit. The line is said to retain
factory XM satellite radio and OnStar.
Products displayed by other companies at the show
included:
• Rosen’s new Toyota factory-look navigation/multimedia
head unit with 7-inch touchscreen for the 2010-
2011 Toyota Sequoia/Tundra
• A $199 camouflage-covered Vector 955 Camo laser/
radar detector from Beltronics;
• Metra’s Axxess ASWC steering-wheel control
module, which works with most OEM systems to deliver
steering-wheel control of Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony,
JVC, Alpine and Eclipse head units.
