San Antonio — The Progressive Retailers Organization was at the Westin La Cantera Hill Coun
COLUMBIA, MD. — Online radio listening in the car continues to grow, with 21 percent of cellphone owners reporting that they have listened to music streamed from a cellphone to a connected car stereo, according to a first-quarter survey by Arbitron and Edison Research.
That’s up from 17 percent in the 2012 survey, 11 percent in the 2011 survey, and 6 percent in the 2010 survey.
Connect
TORRANCE, CALIF. — Alpine has begun shipping its first in-dash head unit with MirrorLink, which enables control of a smartphones’ core functions from touchscreenequipped in-dash aftermarket and OEM head units.
The head unit is the $800-suggested ICS-X7HD, a mech-less model with 7-inch WVGA touchscreen.
MirrorLink is an industry-standard technology that enables touchscreen-equipped OEM and aftermarket head units to control and stream content from MirrorLink-compatible smartphones that run the handset suppliers’ MirrorLink app.
HD Radio Cites OEM Gains
COLUMBIA, MD. — Honda and Dodge have become the latest car brands to offer HD Radio, bringing the digital radio technology to 33 vehicle brands in 170 car models, HD Radio developer iBiquity Digital announced.
A total of 80 car models offer HD Radio as standard equipment, more than 3.4 million HD Radio-equipped cars were sold in 2012, and 20 percent of all new cars sold in 2012 included HD Radio, iBiquity added.
Boss Adds Stereo Bluetooth To Mech-Less Marine Units
SAN FRANCISCO — Automatic launched an iPhone-compatible plug-in “driving assistant.”
The $69.95 Automatic Link plugs into a car’s OBD port and uses Bluetooth to connect to an iPhone 4S or 5. An Automatic app running on the phone will display miles per gallon gas usage, parking reminders, and car diagnostic alerts. The app even allows drivers to clear the “check engine” light for certain issues; for those in which the light can’t be cleared, the app will display a list of nearby mechanics.
Pyle Offers Car Receiver With 10.1-Inch Touchscreen
NEW YORK — Pyle launched an in-dash DVD-receiver with detachable 10.1-inch touchscreen display.
The $284-suggested PLD10BT joins multiple Pyle DVD receivers with fixed and motorized 7-inch touchscreens, including a single-DIN model with detachable 7-inch screen.
NEW YORK — You can have all the consumer education and marketing programs in the world, but when it comes to the remote-start category, a helping hand from Mother Nature is simply required for a solid season.
TWICE spoke with several of the major remote-start manufacturers last week, and nearly all agreed that while the winter of 2012 to 2013 hadn’t been the worst in a while, it also hadn’t been the best.
STEUBENVILLE, OHIO — Access2Communications, maker of such automotive electronics as remote car starters and car alarms, plans April in-store availability of an aftermarket device that prevents an app-equipped Android or BlackBerry smartphone from texting, emailing and browsing the web as soon as the vehicle’s ignition is turned on.
The $179 TextBuster, currently available on the company’s website, will be available in some big-box stores in April, the spokesperson said.
MONTREAL — Automotive Data Systems (ADS) has outlined a roadmap to expand the compatibility of its $169-suggested iDatalink Maestro RR OEM-integration module with more vehicles and expand the module’s feature set.
The module retains the functionality of factory infotainment systems when connected between a vehicle’s databus and select 2012-2013 Kenwood double-DIN A/V and A/V-navigation head units equipped with a touchscreen. Vehicle-specific T-harnesses are also available to simplify the install.
CHICAGO — While radar detectors can be somewhat of a sleepy segment, Cobra expects product sales to improve in 2013, and it’s peppering the category with multiple new entrants and a planned update for its iRadar Community.
Use of this website is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
If you are having trouble accessing TWICE content or wish to subscribe to TWICE Online please email customercare@mypressplus.com or call 866-71-PRESS (866-717-7377).
