Sign and Speak: Audi announces iPhone integration technology

Audi - Volkswagen's stylish luxury counterpart - has announced that Audi a5, A6, A8, and Q7 models will have technology that will connect the Apple iPhone to Audi's large on-screen displays. Voice calls will be able to be handled wirelessly, but in order to pair the iPhone with Audi's MMI user interface to access songs stored on the iPhone, it will require connecting a cable. Audi is long known for its great sense of style amongst car enthusiasts, so the iPhone integration seems like a match made in heaven, and great news for Audi / iPhone owners.*

*content cited: www.fukenblogen.com

Best view in the house: Samsung launches new plasma HDTVs with 1080p displays

Samsung 94 series HDTV to get 1080i and WiFiThursday, July 12, 2007
Korean flat-panel TV giant Samsung announced its anticipated 94 series plasma HDTV on Wednesday, as well as a new 58 inch version of its 84 series plasma television. The new plasma HDTVs will feature 1080p displays, 15,000:1 contrast ratio, 3 CEC HDMI ports, Ultra FilterBright light diffusion, 18-bit color processing, ATSC / clear QAM tuners, and USB. The 94 series packs one extra welcomed feature - 802.11n WiFi for streaming up to 1080i HD video to the television. Pricing for the new 50 and 58-inch 94 series flat panels is expected to range from $3600 to $5300 and should start shipping in the forth quarter of this year, while the new 58-inch 84 series television will make your pockets $4700 lighter, and be available in September. *

*content cited: http://www.hottvnews.com/, 9/27/07

Sony fastforwards with DVR technology for Playstation

Sony has unveiled a TV tuner which plugs into the PS3 and turns it into a digital video recorder (DVR). At a press conference at the Leipzig games show in Germany, Sony highlighted the key multimedia apabilities for both the PS3, as well as the popular PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console. PlayTV for PS3 is a twin TV tuner that will launch in early 2008 in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, with other countries to follow. Recorded TV programs can be streamed over a wireless internet connection to the portable PSP or transferred permanently to the handheld console via a USB cable. David Reeves, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said PlayTV would extend the "broad entertainment credentials of PS3". *




*content cited: www.alldvrnews.com, 9/27/07

iPod goes wireless; the new iPod Touch features Wi-Fi wireless networking

iPod gets facelift.

Apple launched the new iPod Touch - featuring a multi-touch user interface that enables users to find all of their music, videos and more on its widescreen display with just the touch of a finger. First introduced on iPhone, the multi-touch interface uses new software to present the perfect user interface for each application. The iPod touch also includes Wi-Fi wireless networking, the first on any iPod, and three applications that use it: Safari, a web browser , lets users wirelessly view web pages just as they look on their computer, and features Google Search or Yahoo! Search; Apple's YouTube application lets users watch free videos from the popular video website; and the new iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store lets users wirelessly browse, preview and buy songs and albums.

The iPod touch is 8 mm thick. The new iPod touch will start shipping in late September. The 8GB iPod touch model is $299 (US) and the 16GB iPod model is $399 (US).

Rounding out the new iPods is the new iPod classic, featuring 80GB or 160GB of storage that holds up to 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video. Now in its sixth generation, the new iPod classic features an enhanced user interface featuring Cover Flow and a new all-metal enclosure. The iPod classic also comes with 3 iPod games and more can be purchased at the iTunes store. iPod classic is priced at just $249 for the 80GB model and $349 for the 160GB model and is available immediately at all Apple stores.

COFFEE ANYONE?

In a separate announcement, Starbucks and Apple debuted a partnership where iPod Touch users will get a message on their device whenever they are within range of a Starbucks hotspot, and will be able to access the iTunes WiFi Music Store free of charge. *

*content cited: www.ceweblogs.com, 9/26/07.