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Updates from January, 2012

  • Simple, solid Pioneer Jerry from Bell Island, Nfld. writes, “Great stuff as always, CARgo! Could you recommend a simple car stereo system for people not looking to spend a bundle?” Glad you asked, Jerry. Not all drivers want complicated stereos. Some are looking for a nice audio experience that’s better than factory radio but will not bog them down with features they’ll not use or instructions filled with complex gobbledygook.

    Most manufacturers have a good entry-level unit, but Pioneer Electronics’ new DEH-2400UB is a standout option for individuals seeking solid simplicity. It features a CD drive that can play MP3 files, a three-band equalizer with five factory pre-sets and 50 watts of power radiating from each of four speaker outs. Pioneer’s Advanced Sound Retriever and 24-bit digital-to-analogue converter ensures that MP3 playback won’t have any digital tin tone. It also offers a front-loading USB port, which is an excellent feature for people who carry their music around on a USB stick. This puppy has earned the CARgo seal of approval, Jerry. Thanks for your email. $110; visit pioneerelectronics.ca.

    Livio offers the biggest radio dial ever There are a lot of Internet music services competing for consumer attention. Between Spotify, Grooveshark, Mog, Pandora and countless other services, some available in Canada and some not, it’s difficult to ascertain which is best and to reconcile how they will enhance the daily commute. Fortunately, Livio’s Bluetooth Internet Radio Car Kit is a nice baby step toward the Internet music world, as it provides music on the go that’s streamed via the Internet. But it does so by acting like a traditional radio, with access to many AM, FM and Internet radio stations.

    Handout

    Livio Bluetooth Internet Radio Car Kit

    The kit combines a Bluetooth device with an FM transmitter and provides hands-free phone calls while accessing tens of thousands of existing radio stations through a Livio app that can be downloaded to a paired smartphone. According to Livio, there are more than 45,000 stations that are available on this dial, which makes this a steal if you consider the fact it could introduce you to a new radio station every day until you’re well past 100 years old. $120; visit livioradio.com.


    9:00 am on January 29, 2012
     
  • End of days for radio dial It must be  difficult to work in terrestrial radio. Satellite radio provides so much choice, and MP3 players provide so much music. Market share is no doubt shrinking, and even more so with the popularization of Slacker Personal Radio, which is an Internet service that’s available in-car via smartphones.

    It allows users to enter a song or artist and then launch a station that features the chosen track as well as other music from the same genre, intuitively programmed to create an ideal song list. A search for Pearl Jam, for example, yields the grunge favourite, followed by music from similar mid-1990s alt-chart toppers. Slacker claims the stations are programmed by real disc jockeys rather than computers.

    Test searches of The Tragically Hip, Lou Reed and others turns up stations that play appropriate, relevant song lists. Available free but featuring premium upgrades that may be worth the money, Slacker combines the best of individual song selection with a programmed song list that retains some flavour of traditional radio all the while contributing to its extinction. $0; visit slacker.com.

    App watches your twelve It’s rare that an Android app exclusive could make iPhone users jealous, but the iOnRoad augmented driving safety app is one of them.

    Mount an Android smartphone running the app on to the windshield and it uses the phone’s camera to provide an extra eye on the road. It monitors traffic, measuring relative speeds between your car and the car in front, and it reports all of this information on-screen. The product provides an advanced collision warning system, monitoring if the car ahead is perilously close. It also features a launch screen for other apps, making the phone easier to control in-commute.

    The app enters the world of behaviour modification, issuing “safety points” to drivers operating at safe speeds and at safe headway distance to the car ahead. Another cool feature is an always-ready snapshot assistant, providing one-button sharing of road photos via Facebook. Winner of multiple awards including an upcoming CES 2012 honour, this app holds great promise. It will probably be available on other platforms soon. But it’s unlikely to be available long at this great price. $0; visit Android Market.


    9:00 am on December 17, 2011