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Six aftermarket car stereos for app addicts (roundup)

Look in the comments below any portable GPS navigation device review or news story on CNET and chances are that you'll find a large number of readers saying something akin to, "Why would I buy this when I've got an app that's better?" You people can't seem to get enough of your smartphones and your apps!

But while a suction cup mount and an aux-audio cable may be enough for some people, many could benefit from a phone-app integration system that makes accessing a smartphone's navigation and audio-streaming apps a bit more solid and a lot less distracting. With that in mind, I've rounded up some of my favorite car stereos that help you to (safely) get your app fix on the go.… Read more

Tweak this car stereo's sound with a smartphone app

Most car stereos that I've ever fiddled with have offered some sort of equalizer setting that lets the driver customize the sound to their liking, but fitting more than the basic treble, bass, and --occassionally-- midrange controls onto the cramped display of a single DIN receiver is a tricky endeavor. Alpine wants to make it easier for users of its new CDE-147BT receiver to access advanced graphic EQ controls by offloading the audio tuning interface to an Alpine TuneIt app for Android and iOS devices.

The app lets users create a profile for their vehicle and any other Alpine … Read more

CNET Roadside Assistance 43: Considering the crazy colors of cars (podcast)

Classical music fan mourns the end of CDs in the car, U.K. vs. U.S. mpg--why so different? Give your older car a total tech transplant, and why Bluetooth is so complicated--still!

EPISODE 43 Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video)

Alpine, SXV100 SiriusXM tuner offer advanced satellite radio functions

Alpine Electronics puts its weight behind SiriusXM satellite radio in the car with its announcement of a new line of single-DIN CD receivers that will bear the new SiriusXM-Ready badge, marking their compatibility with the car audio supplier's new SVX100 SiriusXM Connect Vehicle Tuner Kit. For the first time, Alpine is offering a bundled SiriusXM tuner and CD receiver package, giving customers a turn-key option for getting satellite radio content through their cars' speakers.

The star of the show is the SXV100 SiriusXM tuner, which provides access to a number of advanced satellite radio features in addition to the … Read more

GM Aerodynamics Laboratory turns 30

What do the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, the America's Cup-winning Stars & Stripes yacht, and the 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco have in common? They've all been tested in the GM Aerodynamics Laboratory.

For 30 years, engineers have used the GM Aerodynamics Laboratory to improve the capability of vehicles and athletes to slip through the air more efficiency.

The GM wind tunnel, the largest of its type dedicated to automotive work, began operating in August 1980. During the past three decades, engineers have used it to cut the coefficient of drag of GM vehicles by about 25 percent, according … Read more

Car Tech Live 163: RIM makes a bold move against Ford Sync (podcast)

RIM gears up to take over your dashboard, Toyota facing a record fine for buggy car tech...Best Buy has its eye on dealer showrooms...The first iPad in dash is spotted...And we spot a Ghost--hell, we thrash the damned thing.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 163 SHOW NOTES

• RIM buys QNX in an apparent assault on Sync

• Runaway cars a rare complaint

• Will all Mercedes' S-class cars soon be hybrids?

• Car stereo store integrates iPad in dash

• Alpine de-emphasizes audio to concentrate on driver distraction

Remote computer access and 2D car racing: iPhone apps of the week

The big news of the day is the announcement of when Apple's latest creation, the iPad, will be available. According to Apple, the "magical and revolutionary" product will be in stores April 3 starting at $499, but you can preorder the device as early as March 12. Only the Wi-Fi model will be available at first, with the Wi-Fi/3G capable iPad to come later in April.

There is already plenty of analysis all over the Web about who will buy the iPad and whether it's truly a viable alternative to laptops and Netbooks. Most reviewers … Read more

Alpine's iDA-X305S brings Internet radio to dashboard

LAS VEGAS--Regular readers of the CNET Car Tech Blog will likely be familiar with the Alpine iDA-X305, one of our favorite car stereos for iPod users that distinguishes itself by completely omitting a CD drive. Besides adding an "S" to the end of its model name, the new iDA-X305S is a real evolution of the previous model, adding Pandora Internet Radio support to the mix.

The iDA-X305S is able to control the Pandora app on a connected iPhone 3G or 3GS, streaming your user-created radio stations over a 3G data connection and out of your vehicle's speakers. … Read more