WHAT ! VOXX Discontinues OE Fit Radios

VOXX (formerly Audiovox) is gradually discontinuing its line of Advent OE Fit radios that are styled to custom match different car models.  The niche category, once seen as a future growth area for car audio, has experienced a sales decline in the past year.

VOXX Electronics President Tom Malone confirmed Tuesday that the company is phasing out its OE Fit line over the next year and is focusing instead on interface devices that do not replace a factory radio, but add features to it.  

For several years, the factory look-alike radio grew in popularity.  It let owners of older cars swap out their radio to get new features like Bluetooth and smartphone control while still keeping a factory look because the radio was designed to perfectly match their car.

Sales hit a wall, however, late last year, as many of the new cars shipped with higher tech radios with LCD screens, Bluetooth and smartphone control.

Said Rosen’s Steve Weimar, in the past, “people wanted to add a large display screen, Bluetooth and iPod control.  Now car companies are doing that.”

Until 2012 only 20 to 30 percent of cars came with an LCD screen.  That figure jumped to 40 percent in 2013 and is heading to 80 percent by 2020, according to Strategy Analytics.

To respond to the trend, both VOXX and Rosen have switched their focus to selling interfaces that add navigation or a backup camera to an existing radio, without replacing it.  This segment is continuing to grow, said Rosen’s Steve Weimar.

Source: CEoutlook

Rockford Fosgate releases the RFBTAUX

 
 
This is a cool new piece that I had the chance to test out.  I picked it up at Las Vegas when I attended the Rockford Fosgate product showcase.  That show was pretty sweet.  All these products were pretty new to me as I did not touch this brand in years.  No that we are distributing the Rockford Fosgate brand throughout Canada I am doing all that I can to know all there is to know about this cool brand.  I plan to make some videos that will be focusing on the Rockford line of product.  I will also be making other misc videos about my Jetta MK3 audio build and other little projects.  Yes I have become a video/vlog machine lol

Enough about all this and back to the RFBTAUX. 

Here are the facts:

The RFBTAUX allows streaming audio using a Bluetooth™ enabled device through a factory Aux input.

• Stream audio using a Bluetooth™ enabled device
• Plays audio through factory AUX input (3.5 mm cable included)
• 5 foot (1.5 meters) coiled cable
• USB charging capability (cable not included)
• Plug and Play operation
• Easy 1-button pairing through illuminated Diamond-R logo
• Compatible with Apple & Android Bluetooth devices

source: www.rockfordfosgate.com

So enough with this data and on to the video.  Hope you like it.  Don't forget to like, subscribe and share if you like it.

Click here to see the video review !
RFBTAUX VIDEO

GM Makes Remote Start From Phone Standard

    

General Motor said it will make remote start and remote door lock/unlock from a smartphone a standard feature on many 2014 vehicles models for a five year free period.
The service will be available at no charge—even if you do not subscribe to OnStar–through the OnStar RemoteLink Mobile App for 5 years from the time the app is downloaded to a smartphone.  The cars must be OnStar equipped, but again, the user need not pay for OnStar to get the convenience features. .

Click to see a video about additionnal features

Thirty-six OnStar-ready 2014 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models work with the RemoteLink app.
Remote start is the most popular remote service by current users of the RemoteLink Mobile App, said GM.
“We know our customers value remote services,” said Mary Chan, President GM Global Connected Consumer. “GM owners request remote door unlock assistance through OnStar more than 60,000 times each month, so it makes sense for us to offer RemoteLink Key Fob Services to enable customers to lock, unlock or start their vehicle from anywhere they have a wireless or cellular connection.”
Once a customer takes delivery of an eligible car, he can download the app to get the 5-year free service.

Source: Amy Gilroy

Parrot announces a MAJOR update fort he Asteroid Smart

Asteroid Smart update 2.1.1

Version 2.1.1

 

IMPROVEMENTS

General

Several stability fixes
[Update] With some user conditions when changing language it will do a Factory reset

GPS

Improvements for GPS signal
Automatic update of GPS module firmware at first start after v2.1.1 update: Make sure not to interrupt the process
Add option to deactivate external ASTEROID dongle LED Settings>Location&Security
Display GPS module firmware version Settings>About>GPS version

Interface

Several texts translations changed
Improvement of voice reco prompts
Voice Recognition "Music/Contacts" screen display time reduced when launched from remote (or UNIKA)
Day/Night settings better managed
Update telephony background
[UNIKA] Update UNIKA firmware version => Automatic update of UNIKA system at first start after v2.1.1 update
[UNIKA] Display UNIKA firmware version Settings>remote control>Steering wheel
SafetyControler : Remove option to deactivate this safety feature (legal conformity reasons)
[Bluetooth] Add option to search for nearby Bluetooth devices Settings>Wireless & network>Bluetooth>Search for devices (ASTEROID must be connected to a phone before searching)
[Bluetooth] Add possibility to change default pairing code "0000"

MediaPlayer

Music Voice Recognition: Increase limitation for indexed tracks quantity [USB/SD]
All music sources listed in Music list (greyed if not ready to be used)
Next/Previous are now also available in pause state
Random list is now different at each source plug or ASTEROID power on
[Spotify] Update app logo on music voice recognition
Track playing position is saved for music sources at power off [SD/USB/iPod/Tuner]

Tuner

Automatic audio resume at startup (only if last source used was Tuner)
Improve of RDS searches

Video

Reduce startup time for rear camera and video in applications

Telephony/Phonebook

Phone>Keypad: Add cursor to be able to delete or insert number at any position
Phone>Keypad: Add shortcut to last dialed number by pressing green button
Voice Recognition for contacts with several numbers of same type (mobile, home, ...) now ask to choose between each number (mobile1, mobile2, ...)
Voice Recognition for contacts with only one number no longer ask for number type
Add explicit message if DualMode not activated when trying to connect a second phone
Add possibility to change ringtone volume with up/down slide on screen during ringing

Internet

[Mexico] Add APN for Iusacell operator
USB 3G dongle are now disconnected right after shutdown

Market&Apps

Add possibility to create ASTEROID Market account from product application Asteroid Market > Sign Up
Add specific message if product is already linked with another account
SD card free space required to download and install apps reduced
Add support for new navigation apps
iGO version upgraded

BUG FIXES

MediaPlayer

[MusicApps] Sometime ask to reboot product after launching app (LiveRadio, TuneIn, Deezer, Spotify)
Pop up repeat" still displayed when switch to TuneIn source
No sound on BT streaming for secondary phone if connected during primary phone BT streaming
BT streaming often in pause mode after unplugging iPod
Often track source changed during streaming if track found via voice recognition available on several sources
Often voice reco not functional if launched after iPod plugged
[Apple iPod Touch 5G] Wrong logo displayed in the music sources list
[Apple iPod Nano 6G] ApplicationNotResponding if selecting another song in list from music voice recognition results during iPod streaming

Tuner

Edit favorite station does not work

Telephony/Phonebook

Incoming call screen not displayed when RecentApps screen is foreground
[DualMode] ApplicationNotResponding at startup if secondary phone contains lot of contacts
Numbers deleted from phone phonebook not deleted on ASTEROID phonebook

Interface

Back action is done twice in FullScan results screen

COMPATIBILITY

Phone - New support

Update of phone compatibility (Samsung Galaxy S4 and more ...)

Phone - Bug Fixes

[Some Nokia Symbian] Sometimes BT Internet connection fails
[Some HTC Android] Ringtone still played if incoming call during startup is canceled by distant caller
[Some HTC] Sometimes phone cannot connect to telephony service
[HTC Sensation] Often phone disconnection if several outgoing calls during iPod streaming
[Samsung Galaxy NoteII] Sometimes synchronization seems endless
[Acer Z110] Bug fix: BT streaming audio on phone

Internet connectivity - 3G keys

Update of compatibility support

Its been a long time....

Version francaise plus bas...

Hi there 12 Volt community.  I have been so busy that I really did not find the time to make this blog roll....  So here it is, with much reflection I decided that I will post at least once a week regularly (really conservative number, might be more).  I will be talking about new and existing products that you might have never heard from or thought of getting from Automobility Distribution.

Also if you want to hear about a specific product or wanna know what I think about it just hit me up here, on my Facebook or my Twitter.

Till then stay safe, put fuses and check your ground....  I'll see ya later :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Salut a toute la communaute 12 Volt.  J'ai ete tres occupe, tellement occupe que je n'ai eu le temps de m'occuper de mon blog de facon adequate.  Alors voici, avec beaucoup de reflection j'ai decider que je vais poster au moins une fois par semaine regulierement (chiffre tres conservateur, pourrais etre plus).  Je vais parler de nouveaux produits ainsi que de produits existants que vous n'auriez jamais entendu parler ou que vous n'avez jamais achete de Automobility Distribution. 

De plus, si vous avez une demande specifique de produit dont vous voulez m'entendre parler n'hesitez pas a me le laisser savoir ici-meme, sur mon Facebook, ou mon Twitter.

D'ici la restez prudent, mettez des fuses et checkez votre ground...:)

Eric Tech.

ADS iDatalink releases a bunch of cool NEW firmwares.

HONDA LIFTGATE UPDATE

DL-HA3 v1.3.

A new learning sequence has been implemented in order to operate the liftgate.

ADS-TB Ford platform UPDATE

TB-FM2 v.3.22    

YES,  Transponder bypass for Ford / Mazda vehicles using the ADS-TB platform instead of the ADS-AL-CA

BRAND NEW RELEASES

DL-GM10 

 DL-GM10 replaces DL-GM3 and it’s a true data immobilizer solution (requires KLON). No more RNG-GM3 and bye bye extra 25mA power consumption at the vehicle PK3 module

To make it easier to differentiate the DL-GM3 and DL-GM10, we made the DL-GM10 (DL+TB KLON) and the DL-GM3 (DL only) + require RNG-GM3 for immo bypass.  Note: This DL-GM3 reduction to DL only is only on the website.  The guide and the firmware still offer RNG or DATA (with extra 25mA) as before.  This solution had been field tested for months to insure you will like the new firmware.

DL-FM5 

DL-FM5 is a door lock and data immobilizer bypass solution for selected Ford & Lincoln push to start vehicles.

Ford Taurus PTS 2009-up

Ford Edge PTS 2011-up

Ford Explorer PTS 2011-up

Lincoln MKS PTS 2009-up

Lincoln MKT PTS 2010-up

Lincoln MKX PTS 2011-up

DL-TL6, DL-TL5, and TB-TL5

DL-TL6 

 Data immobilizer bypass and door lock solution for selected 12-up Toyota and Lexus push to start vehicles. This solution is very easy to install. This solution doesn’t require KLON and its covering the Camry PTS 12-up, Prius C PTS 12-up, Lexus ES 13 and Lexus GS 13. 

DL-TL5 

Data immobilizer bypass and door lock solution for most 11-up Toyota and Scion 80bit vehicles. This solution is very easy to install and immo data wire is found at pin 7 of OBDII . This solution doesn’t require KLON and its covering the Camry 12-up, Yaris hatchback 12-up, Scion tC 11-up, Prius C 12-up and much more.  It’s also covering most of the DL-TL4 vehicles (few exceptions) so bye bye IMI-IMO wires J

TB-TL5 

NO MORE IMI-IMO is a data immobilizer bypass solution for most 11-up Toyota and Scion 80bit vehicles. This solution is very easy to install and data wire is found at pin 7 of OBDII . This solution doesn’t require KLON and its covering the Camry 12-up, Yaris hatchback 12-up, Scion tC 11-up, Prius C 12-up and much more.  It’s also covering most of the TB-TL4 vehicles (few exceptions) so bye bye IMI-IMO wires 

ENJOY!

Directed Announces New Toyota Firmware Solution

Just in time for what promises to be a busy remote start season, Directed is rolling out a new TL5 firmware solution for the 2012/13 Toyota Camry and Yaris hatchback key-type models.

It covers the following vehicles:  -2011+ Scion TC
                                                        -2012+ Toyota camry (reg key)
                                                         -2012+ Toyota Yaris Hatch
                                                          -2010+ Toyota 4Runner (G key)  

The new firmware solution for DBALL from Directed, features full convenience functionality along with the data key override. The solution requires no scan tool or any special web key replicating tool to use. The solution is also Directed SmartStart 3.0.1 compatible and offers DTC codes and status alerts.

More details at http://www.xpresskit.com

Eric...