OEM and Portable Integration Take Big Leaps By Greg Basich
M Mobile Electronics’ staff attended the 2011 International CES in Las
Vegas and we’re able to report that after a couple of tough years, ex- hibitors and attendees had a positive attitude toward the event and the coming year, primarily due to dramatically higher attendance numbers than last year’s show. CES focuses on new products, and after visiting numerous com- panies at the show, we were able to see a few trends emerge across the types introduced. The major trends in terms of products at the show involved more
software features in head units, from enabling Internet radio access (Pandora, iheartradio and others) on the head unit via a connected smartphone to actual apps installed on the head unit itself and more smartphone integration across many product categories. Companies that focus on OEM integration technologies offered
dash kits for vehicles that allow installers to add aftermarket prod- ucts to a wider range of vehicles, even those makes and models that many thought would be impossible to install products into integrated dashes (that have climate controls and other key fea- tures built into them, such as the 2010 Camaro), and a focus on better integration of aftermarket audio systems without hav- ing to remove the factory head unit. A number of companies also showed products that branch off into the smartphone accessories category and aren’t automotive-specific. Throughout the pages of this article we’ll give you a look at the product highlights from the companies we visited at CES.
Installation, while recommended for professional retail lo- cations, is simple: connect power wires and mount in the factory mirror location. Adapters may be necessary for cer- tain vehicles. Users of the new mirror will receive the same service level offered to owners of GM vehicles in which the mirrors are fac- tory installed. Features include Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance, one-button access to emergency and roadside services, Turn-by-Turn Navigation and Hands-Free Calling, including Bluetooth connectivity. “In keeping with the company’s commitment to product
evolution, OnStar is evaluating even more functionality it could add to the retail product in the future,” Solomon added.
The company said that all these services are available di- rectly through the OnStar mirror without requiring the driver to bring along a mobile phone, or even own a mobile phone. “In the event of an accident, emergency services are alert-
ed even if there is no mobile phone in the vehicle, the phone is damaged in a crash or the driver is unable to use a phone,” Solomon explained. Ingram Micro will serve as the key distributor of this prod- uct and is the main contact for interested retail outlets. The mirror will be priced at $299, plus installation (expected to cost between $75 and $100). A range of service plans will be available, starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year.
www.me-mag.com 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56