Harman and Rinspeed are showing off a new Dock+Go mobility concept at the currently ongoing Geneva Motor Show. The system is said to be context-aware and connects to users' smartphones over NFC as well as the cloud-based Aha platform.
Harman has started delivering its DigiTech iStomp programmable effects pedal. Users can program the the guitar stompbox using their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to make potentially any sound, not just distortion or other effects associated with filters. Twenty alternative sound effects are available for download.
JBL has just announced it's shipping the OnBeat Xtreme iOS device dock. It can hold the iPad or iPad 2 as well as the smaller iPhone and iPod touch in its rotating dock connector. Bluetooth is its standout and gives it device independence, letting it pair with Android or any other Bluetooth audio source.
Harman, the maker of Harman/Kardon and JBL audio equipment, has launched a compact stereo music system aimed at mobile audiophiles. The JBL On Tour iBT is a portable two-channel all-in-one system that connects to iPhones, iPads, and iPods, as well as most other tablets and smartphones, using Bluetooth. The circular unit is relatively small at 6.5 inches diameter and just over 1.6 inches thick.
Harman brought Slacker Radio streaming into cars for the first time late Thursday by tying it into its Aha Radio system. The system will let in-dash car systems, aftermarket and otherwise, tune into both the regular radio stream and on-demand Premium services as long as they have an Internet connection. Other devices supporting Aha will get the option as well.
Toyota and Salesforce on Monday teamed up on a social network for cars. Nicknamed Toyota Friend, it would put out micro updates similar to Twitter either between fellow drivers or even updates from a car. An electric or plug-in hybrid car could automatically post when it's low on battery, Toyota gave as one example.
Harman on Wednesday revealed the latest in its line of home theater products with the Cinema 300 and Cinema 500 speaker systems. Either is a 5.1-channel system and has voice-matched satellite speakers for consistent sound. The center channel in both systems houses two PolyPlas cones.
JBL on Tuesday debuted its On Beat speaker dock for portable Apple iOS devices. The universal dock is shaped to fit iPads along with iPods and iPhones, and can rotate them by 90 degrees to simplify watching videos. The dock will charge the devices and has an equalizer for its 360-degree sound stage.
Harman brand AKG has introduced new gaming headphones, the GHS-1. The set is said to have high-output digital sound reproduction and sport a directional, 6mm cardioid boom microphone to filter out background noise. An in-line volume control and microphone power switch sit on the wire.
Harman Audio's sub-brand AKG has just launched two new wireless, over-the-air headphones in the K 840 KL and K 830 BT. The former uses Kleer wireless technology to stream lossless audio from compatible players including iPods and iPhones. The latter uses Bluetooth for wireless streaming.
Electronics maker Harman this week announced it will work with Mercedes-Benz to bring a flexible navigation system to the German vehicles. It will feel like a built-in, factory issued system as it will communicate with the car's controls and display, but be removable and allow for software updates. Called Becker Map Pilot, the system will make its debut in the SLK and C-Class cars.
At the Geneva Motor Show, audio gear maker Harman has announced it teamed up with German concept car maker and tuner Rinspeed on what the two call the world’s first social networking vehicle. It sports Aha Radio tech that will read out text-based content from Twitter, Facebook, podcasts and streaming music, along with an integrated Wi-Fi connection. It will also have the ability to integrate with Android smartphones and HTC-made tablets for SMS and e-mail integration.
Harmon Kardon has introduced a new 2.1 home theater soundbar, the SB16. It is designed for situations where users want a quality home theater experience but don’t have the room, or don’t want a multi-speaker surround solution. It can be connected directly to a television, DVD player or game console with the convenience of being able to place the subwoofer at any position within the same room as the soundbar, the result of its wireless connectivity.
Harman announced it will preview the new multimedia and navigation system, dubbed the Entune, at CES2011. Developed with Toyota, the Entune system will appear on select Toyota vehicles later this year. The Entune system is compatible with most smartphones and feature phones, and provides hands-free calling, music playback controls, and navigation features by voice command. It also has a text-to-speech function to read incoming SMS messages aloud.
Harman and Nokia this morning said they were developing a standard for passing data between a smartphone and a car's info or entertainment system. The technique would send data, GPS info and media to the car but would uniquely let the car system send information back. A phone could find the closest gas station when the fuel or oil gauges run low; the car's own GPS could ask for information from the phone to get hotel booking info.
The WiGig Alliance today published early specs for its namesake format that hinted at a major leap for wireless networking. The short-range technology will work at up to 7Gbps, or more than 10 times faster than 802.11n Wi-Fi. It will also be backwards compatible and should run on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands in addition to the 60GHz needed for full speed.
After a brief tease earlier this fall, Harman's JBL label today released its Creature III speakers. The successors to JBL's 2.1-channel computer speaker line keep a similar alien-like shape but have a more compact subwoofer that more readily fits on a desktop. It also glows from beneath and now remembers volume set by the touch-sensitive controls on one of the satellites.
Harman today said its headphone brand AKG will finally start shipping to the US and provide a new choice for comparatively high-end personal audio. The move should bring a dozen earpieces from the company's current lineup and is headlined by the K142 and K242 semi-open headphones as well as the fully closed K172 and K272; all four have gold-plated connectors and have gimbal suspension that more comfortably adjusts the cups to fit different heads. Most have a minimum 18Hz frequency response (16Hz for the K272). These range between $170 and $270.
