Hello, this is your stereo calling

Convergence is all the rage in car technology with navigation units including media playback and stereo units playing DVDs and showing navigation. Parrot, maker of the and other Bluetooth car kits, jumped into the fray at SEMA with the release of its Rhythm N' Blue stereo head unit with Bluetooth phone integration. The stereo itself is fairly standard, with AM, FM, CD, and MP3 playback. The unit displays ID3-tag information from MP3s and pumps out a modest 45 watts through four channels. But the cell phone integration sets it apart. It will load your phone's address book and includes a keypad on its interface for dialing numbers. It also has voice recognition so that you don't even have to touch the interface to make or answer a call. Because it's integrated with the head unit, music volume is automatically muted when a call comes in or when you dial. Caller ID is even displayed on the unit. The Rhythm N' Blue should be released by early 2006 at a price equivalent to that of other head units in its class.