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Archive for the ‘Consumer Electronics’ Category

Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN) Wants To Be Tier One Car Audio Supplier

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Posted 27 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics

By Amy Gilroy

Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) says it is on its way to becoming a Tier-One car infotainment supplier (not just GPS supplier) and it is rapidly opening auto OEM offices around the globe to be close to leading automakers.

Garman announced last week new automotive OEM offices in China, Germany and Japan; only a week after it unveiled a new OEM facility in Detroit.The offices house automotive engineers, product developers and other staff. Read More

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Tags: 2013, agreements, Amy Gilroy, Analyst, auto, Automakers, automotive, automotive market, automotive OEM, aviation, BMW, car, car infotainment, car makers, car radio, car radio supplier, Charger, China, Chrysler, company, competitor, customer satisfaction, Detroit, Dodge, Dodge Charger, driver safety, Egil Juliussen, engineers, facility, factory, factory installed navigation systems, factory-installed, Garmin, Garmin Ltd., Germany, GPS, GRMN, Harman, Honda, IHS iSuppli, industry, infotainment, infotainment radio, installed, integration, J.D. Power and Associates, Japan, Kenwood, law, Ltd., market, Matt Munn, model, NASDAQ, NASDAQ:GRMN, navigation, navigation system, navigation systems, OEM, OEM agreements, OEMs, Panasonic, product, product developers, radio, reliability, Safety, study, supplier, Suzuki, system, systems, technology, Toyota, U.S., user interface, user interfaces

New Autonet Mobile Car Device to Change OEM Electronics

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Posted 24 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Internet Radio, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

Autonet Mobile announced that Bosch will manufacture its new OEM black box that may change the way car makers offer features.

The box is IP-addressable so it can send different feature offerings to different cars. All the automaker needs to do is install a single telematics black box in each car and then allow users to subscribe to the features he wants.

Features include remote-start, teen tracking, in-car WiFi, vehicle location, and car diagnostics. It turns hardware features into software features that create revenue streams for the automaker, said Autonet Mobile. Read More

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Tags: aftermarket, Amy Gilroy, App, apps, automaker, Automakers, automotive, automotive equipment, Autonet, Autonet IP TCU, Autonet Mobile, black box, Bosch, Bosch Group, box, car dealers, car diagnostics, car makers, cars, CEO, Chrysler, cloud, cloud computing, computing, control unit, dealers, device, Dodge, electronics, equipment, Facebook, features, Ford, Ford Sync, General Motors, head unit, in-car, in-car Internet, in-car Internet service provider, in-car WiFi, interface, Internet, Internet Service Provider, IP, IP TCU, IP-addressable, Jeep, key fob, Mercedes Benz, mobile, mobile apps, mobile network, mobile phone, model, network, OBD II, OEM, OEM black box, OEM partnership, OEM partnerships, option, partnership, partnerships, phone carriers, platform, provider, remote start, revenue, sales, service, service provider, software, software features, Sterling Pratz, Subaru, SYNC, system, systems, TCU, teen tracking, telematics, telematics control unit, Twitter, Uconnect Web, unit, vehicle, vehicle location, vehicles, Volkswagen, WiFi, WiFi hotspot

Car Audio Stores See 172% Jump in Sales on Shopatron

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Posted 19 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

Shopatron announced that car audio stores who work with its online shopping service increased sales by 172 percent through the service in Q1 2012 compared to Q1 a year ago. (So same store car audio retailers saw their Shopatron sales jump by triple digits over last year).

In fact, car audio stores saw the highest increase in sales transacted on Shopatron out of any other product category for the quarter. Read More

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Tags: Alpine, Amy Gilroy, Arc Audio, audio, Bosch, brands, California, car, car audio, car audio brands, car audio dealers, car audio industry, car audio retailers, car audio stores, channel, company, dealer, dealer network, dealers, Ducati, Focal America, headquarters, HushMat, industry, JL Audio, K2, K40, Mizuno, network, online, online retail, online shopping, online shopping service, Partners, Polaroid, product, Retail, retail partners, retailers, Roland, sales, sales channel, San Luis Obispo, service, Shopatron, Shopatron sales, shopping service, Sport Chalet, stores, suppliers, Suzuki

Kenwood Teams Up with Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) for X Rewards

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Posted 17 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Consumer Electronics, Media, Radio Industry, Sirius XM (SIRI) News, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

Kenwood USA Corporation is once again offering a sales incentive program called X Rewards for salesmen at retailers of its specialist Excelon car audio product line, but this year, it has teamed with Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI).

As part of the program, salespeople can accrue points towards prizes for activation of a satellite radio tuner when it’s attached to a compatible Kenwood radio.

“It’s a great opportunity to demonstrate some of the advanced features of the new SXV100V1 tuner such as replay, iTunes Tagging and Game Alerts, plus the salesperson can earn an additional 200 points for the attachment sale,” said Kenwood Senior Marketing Manager Scott Caswell. Read More

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Tags: activation, Amy Gilroy, Apple, Apple iPad, Apple iPad 3, attachment, attachment sale, audio, car, car audio, compatible, data, DeWalt, Excelon, features, Game Alerts, incentive, incentive program, iPad, iPad 3, iPad3, iTunes, iTunes tagging, Kenwood, Kenwood radio, Kenwood USA, kit, Lynx, manager, marketing, NASDAQ, NASDAQ:SIRI, opportunity, Panasonic, Panasonic Viera, portable, portable radio, portable radio kit, prize, prizes, product, product line, products, program, radio, radio kit, radio tuner, replay, retailers, rewards, sale, sales, sales incentive, sales incentive program, salesmen, salespeople, satellite, Satellite Radio, satellite radio tuner, Scott Caswell, SIRI, Sirius, Sirius Radio, Sirius XM, Sirius XM Radio, SiriusXM, SiriusXM Lynx, SiriusXM Radio, specialist, SXV100V1, SXV100V1 tuner, tagging, tuner, Viera, Wi-Fi, X Rewards, XM, XM Radio

Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) Announces Store Locations to Close

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Posted 16 Apr 2012 — by Lynn Shannon
Category Consumer Electronics

By Lynn Shannon

Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) announced the locations of the 50 stores it will close as part of an effort to revamp the company to better compete with online retailers. Read More

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Tags: BBY, Best Buy, business, close, closings, company, customers, employees, list, locations, locations to close, NYSE, NYSE:BBY, online, online retailers, retailers, shuttered, shuttered stores, store closings, store locations, store locations to close, stores

Smartphone to Car Radio Patent Awarded

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Posted 16 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Internet Radio, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

A patent that covers many wireless and voice recognition smartphone connections to a car radio or video system has been awarded to Ira Marlowe the owner of Blitzsafe, a car interface manufacturer. Read More

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Tags: AAPL, aftermarket, aftermarket radio, Amy Gilroy, App, Apple, apps, Audio Device Integration System, Blitzsafe, browser, car, car radio, car radios, car stereo, cell, cell phone, cellphone, cellular, cellular phones, cellular telephone, connection, description, device, display, F, filed, Ford, integration, interface, Internet, Internet browser, iPod, Ira Marlowe, manufacturer, manufacturers, Marlowe, Marlowe Holdings, multimedia, Multimedia Device Integration System, NASDAQ, NASDAQ: SIRI, NASDAQ:AAPL, NASDAQ:SIRI, NYSE, NYSE:F, patent, patents, Phone, phones, radio, radios, receiver, satellite, Satellite Radio, satellite receiver, service, SIRI, Sirius, Sirius Radio, Sirius XM, Sirius XM Radio, SiriusXM, SiriusXM Radio, smartphone, smartphone-to-car patent, stereo, system, telephone, vehicle, video, video system, voice recognition, wireless, XM, XM Radio

Chrysler Offers Wireless Smartphone Charging: Video

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Posted 13 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

Chrysler will become the first car maker to offer a wireless charging pad it said, when it begins offering the feature this summer in the 2013 Dodge Dart.

The charging pad lets you charge your smartphone without wires, simply by placing it on a pad in a cuby below the center stack.

The pad will be a $200 dealer option through Mopar. Read More

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Tags: 2013, 2013 Dodge Dart, Amy Gilroy, case, charging, charging pad, Chrysler, Dart, dealer, dealer option, Dodge, Dodge Dart, Mopar, option, pad, Phone, smartphone, smartphone charging, video, wireless, wireless charging, wireless charging pad, wireless smartphone charging

New Car Kit Brings Android to Toyota and Lexus OEM Radios

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Posted 13 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Internet Radio, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

If you have an Android phone and drive a Toyota or Lexus (Toyota Motor Corporation, NYSE:TM), a new kit due this July should help you control your phone from the car radio.

VAIS Technology is launching an Android car kit expected to cost around $500. It turns your phone into another mode for the radio, just as AM/FM or CD.

It will mirror compatible Android phones directly on Toyota and Lexus navigation screens. All phone features will be displayed on the factory nav screen and be controlled using a touch screen or joystick depending on the vehicle model. Read More

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Tags: AAPL, AM/FM, Amy Gilroy, Android, Android car kit, Android phone, Android Phones, Android version, Apple, Bluetooth, car, car kit, car radio, CD, company, corporation, display, factory, features, GOOG, Google, HDMI, iPhone, iPod, joystick, kit, kits, Lexus, MediaLinQ Plus, MHL, mirror, model, NASDAQ, NASDAQ:AAPL, NASDAQ:GOOG, navigation, navigation screen, NYSE, NYSE:TM, OEM, OEM radio, OEM radios, Phone, pre-release, product, radio, radios, screen, smartphone, smartphones, technology, TM, touch screen, Toyota, Toyota Motor, Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota radio, Toyota radios, USB, VAIS, VAIS Technology, vehicle, version, video

Parrot’s Asteroid Gets More Internet Connections

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Posted 12 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Internet Radio, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

Parrot’s Asteroid, the first Android aftermarket car radio, has received a firmware update for several new features including more ways to access the Internet.

In addition, the in-dash radio can now work with steering wheel controls.

Previously, the Asteroid could not access the Internet through an Android phone connection. With the new firmware version 1.5, it can now use an Android phone to light up the built-in apps in the radio including apps for Google Maps, TuneIn Radio and an app for sending texts and emails.

Previously, to get a 3G connection, users were limited to an Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone or a USB air card. Now both Android and iPhone devices may now be connected to the radio either by Bluetooth or USB cable. Read More

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Tags: 1.5, 3G, 3G connection, AAPL, aftermarket, aftermarket car radio, air card, Amy Gilroy, Android, Android aftermarket, Android aftermarket car radio, Android car radio, Android phone, Android phone connection, Android-based, App, Apple, apps, Asteroid, Bluetooth, built-in apps, car, car radio, CES, connection, devices, distribution, double DIN, emails, features, firmware, firmware update, firmware version 1.5, Free, free update, Google, Google Maps, GPS, in-dash, in-dash radio, Internet, iPhone, Maps, NASDAQ, NASDAQ:AAPL, navigation, new, new products, Parrot, Parrot Asteroid, Parrot’s Asteroid, Peter George, Phone, phone connection, products, radio, shipping, single DIN, size, speed cameras, steering wheel control, steering wheel controls, text messages, texts, TuneIn, TuneIn Radio, U.S., update, USB, USB air card, USB cable, version, version 1.5, Wikango

Pioneer AppRadio 2 Android Apps, Phones Announced

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Posted 12 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Internet Radio, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

Pioneer (Pioneer Corporation, TYO:6773) began shipping the AppRadio 2 in March, but it officially announced the new radio’s arrival in stores on Friday, along with a list of the Android apps and phones the radio will support.

The AppRadio 2 ($499) is a control station, much like a speaker dock for a smartphone, only for the car. It can control both Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android based phones and the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, while displaying song information and art and app interfaces on a 7-inch capacitive touch screen.

AppRadio 2 doesn’t work with every app or every Android phone. It works with select Android models from Motorola (NYSE:MMI), Samsung, HTC and Sony Ericsson. Read More

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Tags: AAPL, Amy Gilroy, Android, Android app, Android App Connectivity Kit, Android apps, Android models, Android phone, App, Apple, AppRadio, AppRadio 2, AppRadio 2.0, AppRadio2, apps, AUPEO, AUPEO! Personal Radio, CD-AH200C, connectivity, Connectivity Kit, DashCommand, delayed, dock, Ericsson, ExtraMile, GOOG, Google, HTC, Inc., INRIX, Inrix traffic, Internet Radio, iPhone, iPhone app, iPhone apps, kit, Media, MMI, model, models, Motorola, NASDAQ, NASDAQ:AAPL, NASDAQ:GOOG Android, NYSE, NYSE:MMI, NYSE:P, P, Pandora, Pandora Media, Pandora Media Inc., Personal Radio, Phone, phones, Pioneer, Pioneer Corporation, press release, radio, Samsung, shipping, smartphone, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Traffic, TYO:6773, video, videos

Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) CEO Brian Dunn Resigns Amidst Financial Losses

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Posted 10 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Analyst Coverage, Consumer Electronics

By Amy Gilroy

Brian Dunn

Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) announced that CEO Brian Dunn has resigned, and will be temporarily replaced by Director G. Mike Mikan, a former CFO of UnitedHealth.

The chain is now searching for a permanent CEO to replace Dunn, whose exit comes amidst financial losses at Best Buy as it tries to compete against online retailers.

For car audio and for all of consumer electronics, the change in leadership is expected to create a shift in the way Best Buy handles connectivity.

Kenwood’s Keith Lehmann noted “The change in leadership is indicative of a sweeping movement by Best Buy to respond to the dynamics in the market. This also includes mobile…to structure change to a new focus on connectivity. Best Buy is making an all out effort at this time to remain relevant in the market.” Read More

Tags: aftermarket, aftermarket electronics, aftermarket solutions, agreement, Amy Gilroy, Analyst, announcement, automotive, automotive aftermarket solutions, BBY, Best Buy, Brian Dunn, car audio, car electronics, car electronics market, Car Toys, Caris & Co., CEO, CEoutlook, CFO, company, computers, connectivity, consumer electronics, customer training, customers, driver distraction, Dunn, electronics, employees, execution, expeditor, expeditor car electronics market, financial losses, Ford, Ford Sync, future, G. Mike Mikan, Geek Squad, growth, home theater, industry, interim CEO, Keith Lehmann, Kenwood, market, mobile, mobile electronics, NYSE, NYSE:BBY, online, online retailers, OnStar, OnStar FMV, profitability, Resign, Resigns, Retail, retailers, Roger Lanctot, sales, same store sales, Scott Tilghman, statement, strategies, Strategy Analytics, SYNC, transition, UnitedHealth, wireless

Alpine Bringing MirrorLink to the U.S.

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Posted 09 Apr 2012 — by Amy Gilroy
Category Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Internet Radio, Radio Industry, Technology

By Amy Gilroy

Alpine Electronics, Inc. (TYO:6816) finally avowed it will bring MirrorLink technology to the U.S. in an aftermarket car radio this year.