The VoiceBox Technologies voice recognition software in the Pioneer units allows users to speak "normally." There will no longer be an exact rhetoric required to achieve a simple task. For example, rather than having to say something long the lines of "Play Artist Green Day," the units can recognize casual conversation like "I want to hear Green Day," or possibly "Play those phat Busta Rhymes beats, yo." [Giz]

The price is $40, and as Jason Chen over at Gizmodo notes, that's is the price of two cheap chargers by themselves. But Incase's combo is all about convenience and luxury. Now, let's see one gold-plated and shaped from carbon fiber! [Gizmodo]

Sergio Marchionne is undoubtedly stocking up on black turtlenecks as we write this. The revived Cinquecento, according to the Fiat boss, is the cornerstone of his attempt to turn the company into "the Apple of cars, and the Cinquecento will be our iPod." The diminutive hatchback has already seen orders in excess of half of the fifty thousand units of goodwill the automaker plans to crank out this year, and they're considering raising full-model-year targets from 120,000 cars to 140,000, at a base price of ten thousand euros. Meanwhile, does anyone know where we can get Abarth tape stripes for a 30 gig iPod? Thanks. – Davey G. Johnson

Fiat wants Cinquecento to be the iPod of cars [Reuters]

Related:
Spy Photos: Fiat 500 Abarth on the 'Ring [Internal]

Though not as common in the Colonies, certain markets utilize a Radio Database System to send song info over the FM band. A new patent by Best Buy utilizes this technology and links it, cleverly, with a "memory storage device," and by that they mean an iPod. This technology comes in handy when you're listening to a song on the radio but miss the name/artist. Just hit a button on the stereo and it will record the song info on your iPod. No longer will you have to attempt to google half-remembered lyrics ("Under bloomin onion I saw you?"). – Matt Hardigree

Best Buy In-Car Stereo Patent Includes Ingenious iPod Integration [MacNN]

Related:
How To Make Your Car Cassette Player useful Again [internal]

Nevermind that silly OEM iPod connection we talked about earlier on the Scion. We've found a way to use your old cassette adapter in a cool and new way. CarDomain.com user JPPadula has done some amazing entertainment tech upgrades to one of the featured rides on his user page, a 2002 GMC Denali. In addition to some neon and electric power enhancements on the SUV, he's also created one of the most ingenious iPod cradle units we've seen. Guess what he used? That's right, all of it's housed in a

"...modded OEM cassette player to accept an iPod. Ipod slides in like a cassette, ejects with the factory button, Custom made Apple button controls PAC SWIX to select source on Kenwood deck using Ipod interface. All fits in OEM cassette player case, mounts like factory, all backlighting retained. Used steel stock lined with suede to make a chassis, cassette mechanism gear assembly for motorization and many hand fabricated slides and levers. Works like a dream."

Joe's GMC Denali [CarDomain]

Related:
The 2008 Scion tC Revealed, Gets Standard iPod Connectivity [internal]

The ability to run your iPod in your car through your head unit (either via the radio faceplate or the steering wheel) is kind of like the Holy Grail to auto-loving audiophiles with a hankering for digital audio. I already drive, eat, drink and e-mail all at the same time, so throwing the iPod into the mix doesn't help much. So any opportunity I've got to use the iPod via the radio interface makes me almost giddy. Given that, I have to say the General's Personal Audio Link system (PAL) is better than what I've currently got, but nowhere near as robust as other systems out there, but at $159 — it's also cheaper than any other system currently on the market as a dealer-installed feature. Given that, I feel kind of bad for the engineer who had to get into the car with us outside of Cobo Hall the other day at the Detroit Auto Show. I mean, it's hard enough trying to ride in the same car as me when I'm driving — but to also have to deal with my eclectic musical tastes — that's more punishment than anyone should ever have to deal with. Check out the video above for more details on the system and for the fun we had the other morning. – Ray Wert

Related:
Audi's Got Some Hot Apple Head Unit Action; Microsoft And Ford Get N'Sync At The Detroit Auto Show And CES, We Get First Exclusive Hands-On: Part 1 [internal]

As you can see from the video above (apologies on the size — we never know how big these things can get) we had the opportunity last week to head down to the super-secret FoMoCo testing and development lab to get an exclusive hands-on with Ford's new infotainment hotness, Sync. The system, created through a joint effort between FoMoCo and the evil geniuses in Redmond will, if you listen to FoMoCo Prez of the Americas, Mark Fields, "revolutionize the automotive industry." While we're not sure we'd go that far, we will say the system is definitely the most robust system we've yet seen for connecting your personal audio and communication devices to your car for in-auto infotainment. The system's just that good.

Sync features two main methods of connection and three bundled applications. On an integration level, it's got a software-upgradeable bluetooth system and a USB connection. The USB connection, in and of itself is pretty amazing — allowing you to connect any mass storage device via a USB cable to a 400 MHz system plus 256 MB of on-board flash RAM. But unlike systems which run the mp3's (or in the case of the Sync system, any unprotected music files) off of an on-board hard drive (think Chrysler's MyGig system), Sync lets you play them off of the drive itself — no muss, no fuss. That means whether you've got an iPod, a Zune or whatever — as long as you've got a USB cable, you're golden. But that's not the only way you can get music onto your audio system — the bluetooth system will let you do it as well. And not only does it let you stream mp3's off of your phone — it'll let you play internet radio via any device with Windows Media Player. But wait, wait — there's more.

You see, there are already a few systems out there with head unit integration — and don't get me wrong, that's cool — in and of itself, that's almost like the "Holy Grail" for iPod audiophiles with auto-integration on the mind. However, there's something cool that sets Sync apart. Sync has one hell of an advanced voice recognition system — letting the driver play songs simply by depressing a voice activation button located on the steering wheel and speaking aloud the artist, album, genre — or even the song title. And, as you can see from the above video, it actually works. But this ain't the only thing it can do — check back in a few hours and we'll bring you the second part — phone and communication device integration. – Ray Wert

[Sync My Ride]

Related:
Ford And Microsoft Get In "Sync" To Offer Wireless Internet In Your Car [internal]

...but we never thought it was this small. But for real, maybe it's just Steve Jobs' car and he's carrying the next version of the iPod, "the Giganto," to CES on top of his car. Or maybe it's just a guy in England who photoshopped an iPod onto the roof of a car. – Ray Wert

AppleMini [Flickr]

Related:
Last Huzzah: Mini to Show Sidewalk Edition Convertible in Detroit [internal]

Audi has not limited the use of its AMI to the Apple player. Additional cables will also be made available, including one with a standard 3.5mm jack and a USB 2.0 compatible jack coming in 2007. In the case of the iPod, it also charges the unit while it is plugged in to the AMI. Once plugged in, the device will then appear in the MMI s navigation. Simply press CD on the MMI controller buttons and you have your choice between your MP3 device (iPod in this case) or CD changer.

So there you go, if you're one of the 14 people who have an mp3 player not made by Apple — you may even be able to plug it into Audi's system at some point in the future. It looks like we'll be looking forward to having the chance to get some of that head unit action ourselves. – Ray Wert

[Gallery]

More pictures and the full interview [Fourtitude]

Related:
Nevermind The Horsepower: Buy A Ferrari 599, Use Your IPod [internal]

The most interesting feature is...

...that the car will come with an iPod dock connector connection as standard so you will be able to plug your iPod in and listen to it on the Fiorano's Bose speakers straight away.

Ferrari 599 Fiorano Now Availible, Comes With iPod Connection [Sybarites.org]

Related:
Steve Jobs Speaks: The IPod Is The Thing In 70% Of Cars [internal]

Best iPod Accessory Ever: Combination Breathalyzer, FM Transmitter [Gizmodo]

Related:
Steve Jobs Speaks: The IPod Is The Thing In 70% Of Cars [internal]

"70 percent of the new cars sold in the US offer iPod connectivity as an option."

That's true — 70% of car models do offer it, but how many of them come equipped with it — and does showing a Chrysler 300 make sense, especially considering the well documented issue of the loss of aux-in when you go for the upgraded radio? Also, aren't they kind of pushing MyGig almost as a competitor to the iPod — at least in the car space? Just asking — maybe the Giz'll have the answers for us later on.

Apple Showtime Coverage [Gizmodo]

Related:
More iPod [internal]

...jumping on this here bandwagon? Oh wait...they've got MyGig...and...yeah. What about Toyota and Honda? No clue.

As for availability — it'll vary. GM will offer iPod connections on all 56 of its models, the General said it would offer the "personal audio link" at dealerships for less than $160 plus installation as early as October for the Chevy HHR, and the other 56 models when they get around to it. FoMoCo's system'll be called "TripTunes Advanced" and as is befitting its "Way Forward" plan, provided little detail on price or timeframes other than to say the system will be added early next year to certain unnamed '07 models.

Ford, GM, Mazda to see more iPod Integration [Gizmodo]

Related:
Apple Wants to iPoditize Your Ride [internal]

We just spent approximately a year-and-a-half driving to, waiting at, and then driving home from the Apple Store in Manhattan Beach, sent on a wild goose chase by an AppleCare Support tech. Eventually the Geniuses took pity on the poor blogger and made an exception for us. Those new MacBook keyboards are weird. We considered, once again, buying an iPod, but didn't. What does this have to do with cars? Apple wants to see more iPod integration in car audio systems. Ostensibly, safety is one concern but if they get enough market penetration in the auto industry, who would buy any other mp3 player? Potential for monopoly, kids? High.

Apple: Avoid death — integrate iPod with your car [CNET]

Related:
You'll Be Ridin' on the Gypsy: VW's Conceptual Dashboard Interface [Internal]

An Aux input. A necessity for those of us jamming to the iPod.

An AM/FM radio. An oldie, but a goodie.

A CD/DVD player. It plays DVDs on the back seat's optional display or on the front-seat LCD when the car is parked.

Embedded Sirius satellite radio. It's a single chip in the radio, instead of a separate module, with real-time traffic reporting and the ability to route you around a traffic tie-up.

A 20GB hard drive. The drive is ruggedized for automotive use.

A USB jack. You use it for transferring music from memory keys. Also, a line-in jack for playing music off portable players. Unlike Fiat's Blue&Me LINK and several replacement radios, this is for flash-based keys only, not music players. There's no dedicated iPod controller option, though.

Two audio outputs. One goes to the car's speakers, the second to the rear-seat headphones if buyers opt for the console-mounted rear-seat LCD display.

Bluetooth hands-free calling. It's called U-Connect by Chrysler.

A 6.5-inch LCD panel. It also has a touchscreen and voice control.

Chrysler MyGiG Hard Drive for Navigation, Music

Related:
But Somehow Dodge's iPod Connection Is Made [internal]

# Less than $20,000
# 12HP CARB certified Diesel engine
# 25HP DC Motor
# Regenerative breaking control
# Automatic CVT transmission
# 64in front wheel track
# 173in length
# Weight of 850lbs
# 0-60mph in 11s
# 95mph top speed (electronically limited)
# 330 MPG at 65 MPH

Not bad. We'll take the 30 GB one.

330 MPG Concept Vehicle [Gizmodo]

Related:
Stick Your Fossil Fuel, Eh? Canadian Students Build 3,145-mpg Car [internal]

about the not-as-nice-as-Neon replacement. It had the awesome iPod holder in the arm rest, but didn't seem to have an aux input jack for us to plug it into the radio. It appeared if you wanted to rock the Brit alt-rock from your iPod, you'd have to drop an extra arm or leg for some kind of optional add-on. Seeking confirmation for this silly li'l option issue, we went to Dodge's Caliber web site.

We found something really odd. It seems the base model has the aux input jack, but the advanced add-on options of "AM/FM Radio with Cassette, CD, 6-Disc Changer & MP3" (an extra $420) and the "AM/FM Stereo Radio w/In-Dash 6-Disc CD/MP3 Player" (an extra $320) don't have jack when it comes to aux jacks. WTF? Aren't you supposed to get more options when you pay more money? This appears to be one of those cases where mo' money paid means mo' problems made. Puffy and Biggie were right.

Related:
Apple of My Car: iPods for New Vehicles [internal]

The CNETs take a ride down to Paly to check out VW's secret underground laboratory. And what do they find? Gypsy, a wacky snickerdoodle of an interface system that'll run your iPod, answer your e-mail and even turn off your iron. Well, probably not our iron. Ours dates back to the early 1970s, and our ironing board back to the 1920s. We suppose we're the unlucky sumbitches that'll have to wait for advances in force-field technology to fully make use of Gypsy. [Switch to Dio-Tone vocal program] Of the Gypsy Queeaann!

A dashboard that is really a PC [CNET]

Related:
Inside VW's Hush-Hush SiliValley Facility [Internal]

Apple freaks that we are, we've yet to buy an iPod, because, well, we're kinda grossed out by iPod culture. Of course, we know as soon as we buy one, we'll be hooked. But Ford's marketing folks think it's the way to the heart of Ford Fusion buyers. Slate's Seth Stevenson thinks Apple's permission to use the 'Pod in its latest Fusion spots is a quick slip on a greasy turd down the slope of brand erosion for the storied computer company. We have to say, we agree.

Apple Jacking [Related}

Related:
Exercises in Cross-Branded Synergy: Ford and Gillette [Internal]

A vehicle so new that a cursory googling turns up nothing, Nissan's Wingload Rider offers up iPod-connected goodness through its nav system. The system itself offers, in addition to its seductive standing invitation to slip in the ol' Apple jack, a 30 gig hard drive as well as a 7" LCD screen and a DVD/MD/CD receiver. What? No 5 1/4 floppy drive? Cheap bastards. As for the Wingloadroad Rider itself, we know about as much as you do: basically it looks like the bastard son of the Infiniti G35 and Magnum with a dollop of Mazda5 DNA injected for good measure. [Thanks to Dhiram for the tip.] [Update: More Wingroad deets at MPH]

Nissan Wingload Rider and iPod [New Launches]

Related:
Infiniti Coupe Concept to Debut in Detroit [Internal]

As soon as we saw this gizmo, we immediately got The Polyphonic Spree's "Light & Day" lodged in our skull, and we're wishing that it only made us think of that New Beetle/iPod ad from a couple of years back. But we'll swallow the angst and bring you the cold, hard facts: the Buglet features stereo speakers hidden in the wheels, working headlights and an 18-inch cord for plugging in any audio source. Plus, you can haul your iPod in the backseat. We have to say, we're really wondering who the target market for such a clock is, because at $129.95, it's a tad pricey for the kids and a more than a tad dorky for everyone else. But if you're really worried about what to buy Spree frontman Tim DeLaughter for Christmas, this could just be the ticket.

Beetle ZipConnect Speaker System with AM/FM Digital Tuner & Alarm Clock [Sharper Image via The German Car Blog]

Related:
Few Carmakers Offer iPod Interfaces [Internal]

Sometimes it takes lots of research to figure out what we knew already. Wired's Autopia reports on a survey of vehicles at the recent Frankfurt motor show by the Telematics Research Group, indicating that only 21 of 225 vehicles offered an interface for the iPod (standard or optional). That carmakers are leaving to the aftermarket a business they could keep for themselves is only the glass-half-empty view. That those long-production-cycle guys have included it at all within five years is astonishing.

Wired Blogs: Autopia

Related:
Apple of My Car: iPods for New Vehicles [internal]

Apple Computer created an info page on the carmakers with which it's made deals to offer iPod compatibility in the US market. Brands currently offering his Podness a Jack in the (glove)Box are BMW, Mini, Mercedes, Volvo and Scion. Next on the list will be Acura, Audi, Ferrari (!), Honda, Infiniti, Nissan and Volkswagen. Overseas, the list includes Mazda, Daihatsu and Alfa Romeo.

iPod Your Car [Apple via The German Car Blog]

Related:
More iPod news [internal]

"Gonna drive past the Stop 'n' Shop/With my iPod on" just doesn't have quite the same punch as Jonathan Richman's original version, but there's nevertheless an ongoing discussion amongst non-Modern Lovers members that continued iPod integration (hot on the heels of yesterday's iPod nano and Motorola ROKR intros) in both new vehicles and aftermarket systems could cut into the pie of satellite radio providers Sirius and XM. While Sirius remains officially mum on the issue, XM execs are confident that the overlap in modern in-car entertainment won't impact them. We think there's a place for both. Of course, we're still back in the dark ages of playing CDs through a cassette adapter on our crappy stock Mopar sound system, so can we really be trusted on this?

Apple to integrate iPods in cars [The Economic Times]

Related:
Scosche Bluetooth iPod Connection for the Car [Internal]

The latest rumor about the long bandied-about Apple/Motorola iPod phone is that they've been talking to automakers about incorporating it into cars. While neither confirmed nor denied by Apple, the phone/music player would somehow interface with the car's stereo, we're assuming via Bluetooth, but that's just pure conjecture on our part.

iPod Phone For Cars Coming Soon? [Smartofficenews]

Scosche Bluetooth iPod Connection for the Car [Internal]

Car-audio supply firm, Scosche industries has developed an iPod add-on that just may lead us to invest in a car audio system that uses that 'ol wireless Tooth of Blue. The company's Bluetooth Wireless Interface, which will be available this month for around $250, connects directly to the headphone output connector of an iPod (or other portable digital audio unit) and transmits to an Bluetooth receiver, whether a vehicle's head unit or home audio system — in CD-quality sound. Sure, it's pricey, and sure it needs a pricey Bluetooth-capable head unit (or new, pricey high-end luxury vehicle that comes equipped with one). But the joy of crushing our FM-band crapfest solution under foot is worth all four figures, minimum.

Related:
TunerTricks s Car-Specific iPod Docking Stations; iPoddin Your Car Stereo The Old Fashioned Way; Seven Inches of Music: Nissan to Offer iPod-Capable Nav System; Volkswagen's Golf Gets iPod Dock, Says German Paper [internal]

According to The German Car Blog, German-language automotive site, Auto News is reporting VW is ofering an optional iPod interface, set in center consoles of the VW Golf and Golf GTI. The system, which costs 195 euros ($236 or 47,200 haypennys), will allow drivers to operate their iPods or iPod minis via steering-wheel controls. No word on whether or when they'll be offered in the states (surely they will, sometime.)

VW Golf: Getting iPod'ed [The German Car Blog]

Related:
New In-Car iPod Options, One from GM; Scion Announces 2006 xA, xB Pricing; New iPod Audio; Seven Inches of Music: Nissan to Offer iPod-Capable Nav System;

Nissan is marketing an in-car navigation system in Japan that allows iPod users to connect up their rig, and control it via cars' seven-inch touch screen display. Nissan collaborated with Apple Computer on the system, which it will offer in Japan as a (hai, ya!) $2,800 option on 11 models, including the Tiida compact, X-Trail SUV, Moco minicar and Serena minivan. The system also includes Nissan's Carwings mobile communications service and CD, Minidisc and DVD playback. No word on whether the system is US-bound.

Nissan offers navigation-iPod system [Japan Times]

Related:
New In-Car iPod Options, One from GM; One Columnist's Dream Car Stereo; iPoddin' Your Car Stereo the Old Fashioned Way [internal]