CES 2007

Mio C520

(Credit: Mio)

On the other end of the spectrum from the C250, Mio has also announced the full-featured Mio C520 portable navigation device. Unlike the C250, the C520 goes beyond turn-by-turn driving directions with integrated Bluetooth for hands-free calling and advanced multimedia capabilities. The stylish device also has a large, 4.3-inch touch screen and a new, useful split-screen view, which presents your current location and a map on one side and allows you to get route information, upcoming points of interest, and address lookup on the other side. All maps are preloaded on the device, and there is an expansion slot built into the device. Unfortunately, there is no text-to-speech functionality, but for what you get, we think the $449 price tag is great. The Mio C520 is expected to ship at the end of Q1 2007.

Mio C250

(Credit: Mio)

Though Mio has recently made a push to market its portable navigation systems as more than GPS devices (for example, the Mio H610), the company is going back to basics with the Mio C250. The entry-level C250 is purely focused on navigation (though it may have the ability to play music; the company is still undecided) and features a 3.5-inch touch screen. Maps of the United States will come preloaded onto an SD card, and additional SD cards with maps of other regions will be available around April. The Mio C250 is expected to ship at the end of the first quarter, for a very affordable $299.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

There are plenty of ways of hooking up an iPod to a car stereo: generic auxiliary input jacks will do the trick (if you're desperate); a connection via USB might transfer some data to the head unit display; while dedicated full-speed iPod harnesses have been the best option to date. Well, now there's a car stereo that's tailor-made for Apple fanboys. The Alpine IDA-X001--getting its debut here at CES 2007--is so iPod-centric that it doesn't even have a CD slot. Instead, it has a USB input to allow drivers to connect digitally to their fifth-generation iPods. The digital connection results in a transfer rate of 480Mbps (as a contrast, Alpine's previous "full-speed" digital-to-analog iPod adapter managed a paltry 19.2 kbps).

(Credit: CNET Networks)

As well as displaying all of the familiar iPod menus in their original fonts (Apple was drafted to consult on the unit's design), the IDA-X001's color LCD screen reproduces full album art in a choice of two sizes. The stereo also features some advanced file-searching capabilities, including searching for song by letter (á la the latest iPods) and a variable-speed scrolling dial. Those technolaggards wishing to connect a previous-generation iPod to the stereo will have to buy the aforementioned full-speed adapter for around $30 and will have to forgo the luxury of digital audio reproduction. The Alpine IDA-X001 goes on sale in April with a healthy price tag of $450.

In all the brouhaha of Sony's announcements on Blu-ray burners and Internet-connected TV, it's easy to miss the real news from the technology giant at CES: the unveiling of four new single-DIN stereo head units. Following the trend to USB inputs we've seen elsewhere, three of Sony's new stereos come with USB 2.0 ports built into the faceplates. Although, unlike new stereos we have seen this week from Pioneer, the Sony players will only play back files from a thumbdrive or from a digital walkman (not from iPods, Zunes, or other digital music players, according to the Sony rep here). The top-of-the-line product in the new lineup is the CDX-GT81UW, which, along with its USB capabitility, plays MP3s, has an auxilliary input jack, and 4-volt front, rear, and sub preamp outputs.

Sony CDX-GT81UW

(Credit: Sony)

Sony CDX-GT610Ui

(Credit: Sony)

The more basic GT710 is similar in appearance (we don't have an image for it--you'll just have to believe us), featuring the same motorized faceplate as the GT81UW, but it comes without either the preamp outputs or the USB port.

Sony CDX-GT410U

(Credit: Sony)

The nonmotorized CDX-GT610Ui offers the most connectivity options: in addition to a USB port and a generic aux-in jack, it comes with a 30-pin iPod connector, transferring all of the iPod's control functions to buttons on the faceplate. The entry-level CDX-GT410U boasts only an aux-input and will not play MP3 discs.

All four of the head units can be connected to separate modules for XM or Satellite radio, and each is compatible with Sony's XA-110IP iPod adapter.

Bye bye Blackbird

(Credit: Alpine Electronics)

The honeymoon of portable and in-dash navigation devices continues here at CES 2007. On Sunday, we brought you news of Eclipse's AVN2210p, and today we had a close-up of Alpine's IVA-W205, which combines with the Blackbird PMD B200 portable GPS unit in a unique way. Instead of requiring drivers to attach the portable unit to the front of the installed cradle, (as per the Eclipse unit), the IVA-W205 actually swallows the portable navigation unit, with the latter slotting in cartridge-like behind the installed unit's fold-up screen. Also new on the PMD B200 is its built-in, Bluetooth, hands-free, calling interface, which has the ability to wirelessly import phone books from cell phones and other mobile devices.

With the Blackbird in place, all its maps, navigation information, and controls are transferred to the IVA-W205 bigger, 6.5-inch touch-screen display. In addition to its navigation capabilities, the IVA-W205 is a versatile multimedia player in its own right: it has all of the media playback capabilities of the IVA-W200 that we reviewed a couple of months ago (DVD video, CD, WMA, MP3; add-on modules for iPod, satellite and HD radio), plus a much-needed update to its add-on Bluetooth module, and some new digital audio capabilities that we have not seen anywhere else.

The most impressive of these is a translator module that connects the head unit to a separate Sirius satellite radio player. With the touch screen hooked up to Sirius, drivers can customize Sirius and music- and sports content down to individual artists and teams. For example, the IVA-W205 can be configured to search all Sirius channels for a user's favorite artist, and to automatically play that music as it is broadcast live. The IVA-W205 will go on sale in May with a price tag of around $1000, excluding the price of the Blackbird, which is sold separately.

Alpine Blackbird PMD B200

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Alpine is using CES 2007 to launch the next generation Blackbird portable navigation device. The Blackbird PMD B200 improves on the first-generation device with live-traffic capabilities via a built-in Navteq tuner that picks up RDS data of live traffic flow and incidents. This information is then projected onto the device's preload maps to alert drivers to hotspots in real time. Owners of the PMD B200 get a free 90-day trial of the traffic service, after which it costs $60 for a year's subscription. Other navigation enhancements to the second generation Blackbird include an increased number of points of interest (from 2 million to 6 million), a bigger screen, and an integrated GPS antenna (rather than the protruding attachment present on its predecessor).

Also new on the PMD B200 is its built-in Bluetooth hands-free calling with the ability will copy over cell phone contact books. When a Bluetooth device is connected, users can access call history and make calls from an on-screen touchpad. Perhaps the most impressive feature of the PMD B200 is its ability to fit inside Alpine's new IVA-W205 in-dash multimedia stereo head unit. The PMD B200 will be available in spring: no pricing is yet available.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

In-dash navigation and entertainment systems are great if you're the driver, but not so much fun for the front passenger. Not only do those riding shotgun have their navigational responsibilities usurped by an electronic processor, they're also forced to wait until the car is stopped to watch movies or even program in a destination.

There is a good reason behind this, of course--drivers can't have the distraction of a movie playing while racing along in the fast lane of the freeway, and punching in a destination on the touch screen is a dangerous diversion from the road. But wouldn't it be great if there was some way of letting front passengers have their own in-car entertainment experience without it affecting the driver?

The display shows one image to the driver...

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Delphi might just have the answer. Here at CES 2007, the auto parts manufacturer is showcasing what it calls its dual-view display with a dual zone of control. The system is based around an innovative LCD display that shows one image to the driver and one to the passenger. It works by adding minute louvers to the surface of the screen, making half the screen's pixels visible from one side, and half from the other. It may sound like science fiction, but we've just had a demonstration and it works just as advertised.

With this dual-view function, the driver and front passenger then get their own individual information and entertainment menus, which are controlled by a common dial-and-button interface located in the center of the dash. The car knows who is reaching over to program the system by the presence of a "light curtain" down each side of the center stack, which is broken when either the driver or passenger reaches over. This way the system know which content to put on each of the screen's two views: if the driver reaches over and tries to turn on a movie, for example, the system will lock him out.

...and one to the passenger

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The dual-zone interface is still only a prototype, but it looked pretty good installed in a Ford Mustang and may well be the salvation of discontented front passengers in the future.

Pioneer's USB-enabled DEH-P6900UB

(Credit: Pioneer)

Pioneer is following Ford and Microsoft in its adoption of USB ports for the playback of digital audio in the car. Here at CES, Pioneer is debuting the snappily named DEH-P6900UB and DEH-P690UB, two new stereo head units that come with built-in USB jacks for hooking up portable media players or thumbdrives.

When connected via USB, media players, such as iPods and Zunes, can be controlled entirely via the head unit, giving drivers high-speed control over their digital media, including content subject to iTunes (Fairplay) and Windows Media digital rights management. As well as a built-in USB port, both head units can support MP3 and WMA discs. They will both ship in February with price tags of $260.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Here's another take on Windows Mobile. The Azentek Atlas is a double-DIN system that fits into your car's dashboard and gives you all of the functionality of a Windows PC from the driver's seat. While the model on display here at CES 2007 is running XP, we're told that Atlas will ship in March with Windows Vista. The Atlas, which makes use of iMobile software, packs an Intel Core Duo processor and comes with 512MB of RAM memory and a Seagate automotive-grade 40GB hard drive. It also comes with built-in GPS with turn-by-turn navigation and maps provided by TeleAtlas. The 6.5-inch touch-screen display is controlled by a stickpoint control with right and left mouse-click capability and the touch screen. Internet connectivity is provided either by the integrated WLAN antenna, EV-DO, or GPRS uplinks.

As well as being a mobile, Web-connected PC (it will even read out e-mails and instant messages as they arrive in your in-box), the Atlas acts as a mobile multimedia player. It organizes and plays CDs, MP3s, WMAs and DVD videos, plays files from portable media players via a USB 2.0 port, and can be connected to XM and Sirius satellite radio with the help of add-on modules. A personal digital assistant also provides an integrated scheduler and address book.

Oh yeah, it also picks up AM and FM radio. What next? The Atlas will retail at about $2,200 when it goes on sale in the spring.