Automotive Archives - Page 13 of 14

Audi & Volkswagen Drop XM, Sign Exclusive Deal with Sirius

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Audi & Volkswagen Drop XM, Sign Exclusive Deal with Sirius

If you love Howard Stern, this news might make you happy; if you love having choices, this news will make you sad. Audi and Volkswagen recently announced they will be dropping XM satellite radio receivers as an option for their cars beginning with the 2007 models in favor of an exclusive deal with Sirius. Both Audi and Volkswagen will be offering Sirius satellite radio receivers with new cars through 2012. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, but Volkswagen will be offering three free months of Sirius radio to new buyers and expects to equip 80% of new vehicles with their receivers.

Weâ€™re not saying that Sirius is inferior to XM, mind you, just disappointed that consumers are losing the option to choose the satellite radio that get bundled into their new cars. They can always get go buy a XM receiver later on if they really want to, of course, but having a choice effectively made for you sucks nonetheless because the whole point of having satellite radio has always been one of choiceâ€”of choosing to not have to listen to annoying ads, stupid promos, and the same lame songs at the top of the charts on almost every single radio station because of music industry payola.

iTrip PSP – FM transmitter for PSP

iTrip PSP - FM transmitter for PSP

Griffin has released an iTrip add-on for the Sony PSP. Offering a sleek, slim design that slides securely onto the bottom of the PSP quickly and easily, without adding bulk. It is the same as it’s iPod counterpart and wirelessly streams music to any stereo device capable of picking up FM frequencies. The integrated PSP speakers are weak and the iTrip PSP gives a boost to the listening.

As an iPod Nano iTrip owner, I wonder how it will perform. My iTrip works pretty well, but I can’t get it more than a couple inches away from my stereo before static overpowers the music. I hope the PSP version is better.

Unicycle on crack?

I think I want one of these.

Bombarder Embrio

The Bombardier Embrio is a transportation concept that originally popped up in 2003, got a lot of coverage at the time and then disappeared from the public consciousness. The fact that it is popping up again might mean nothing, or it might mean we will see it, or something like it.

Itâ€™s essentially a motorized unicycle in the vein of the Segway. It uses the same gyroscope technology to keep it upright and rolling, though it does have a second wheel that comes into use when you are going less than 12 mph so you donâ€™t fall flat on your face.

When Bombardier, the Canadian company famous for making snowmobiles and airplanes, conceived of the Embrio they didnâ€™t hold back. It has active suspension to keep your ride smooth. The best trick, though, is a hydrogen fuel cell motor to keep you green as you look cool riding around. The whole thing only weighs 360 pounds, so it is semi-portable.

The last time we heard about the Embrio, nothing came of it. It probably wonâ€™t this time, either, but it sure would be fun to have one of those in your parking space.