Pods Unite 381
burgburgburg writes "Apple has released the QuickTime video of the new commercial they made in conjunction with Volkswagen. The connection between the two? Buy a New Beetle. Get a new iPod. Take a look at video.
It's the 15 GB iPod and all the accessories needed to hook it up to the new Volkswagen." It uses a casette adapter, which is really lame. Of course, I use a casette adapter with my iPod, but I am not a German engineer.
VW *used* to provide a 1/8" input jack (Score:5, Informative)
ITrip (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Cassette Adapters (Score:3, Informative)
Some people figure out ways to hack an aux-in from the cd-changer interface, but it seems so trivial for manufacturers to provide this, I don't know why all of them don't.
Re:Cassette Adapters (Score:5, Informative)
There are plenty of them out there. I've never seen one on a stock auto-stereo, but take a trip to your local Best Buy / Circuit City etc.. and you'll see them available.
[bestbuy.com]
The very first model to pop up on Best Buy's page has one. I'm sure you can find more.
A better way to connect your iPod (Score:5, Informative)
In 2003 beetles, the CD Changer is prewired to be installed between the seats (remove the insert). In the older models, it's wired to the trunk. There are also adapters that plug in behind the head unit, rather than using the cd cabling.
This way you don't need to use a FM transmitter or casette adapter, and you don't need to change the stock radio (and run into the K-wire problem)
Re:Integration (Score:3, Informative)
Good lord man, why would you want that? From the video (which is a wicked commercial, btw) the iPod swivels and is fully exposed so you can, you know, use it. Plus it was on a fairly convenient angle. Much better than those things that clip to the vent or whatever.
Belkin makes the iPod cup holder thingy incidentally; you can email them with questions about it and they're fairly responsive.
Re:There was one! (Score:1, Informative)
Really really bad sound quality... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Linux support for iPods? (Score:1, Informative)
Getting the modules installed and mounting the ipod, especially the whole hotplug daemon thing, can be a little annoying, but it is pretty well documented.
I still think the PhatBox is the best thing going (Score:4, Informative)
I know, it's not cheap and doesn't support vorbis files and the manager is Windows only.
But to me the ability to control it through my factory head unit makes that a non-issue.
It does support mp3, wma, flac and audible.
If I wasn't leasing my car I would have gotten one as soon as Audi [audiusa.com] officially supported and started installing them.
Re:iTrip (Score:3, Informative)
I mostly use iTrip with my home stereo system, because the external speakers attached to my computer are puny. My only compliant is the little prong that goes into your firewire port on the old iPods. I don't like my port covered, because you can still charge and stream, if you rotate the iTrip slightly. That said, blasting my iPod to my stereo for work, play, and even those relaxing evenings spent reading in my garden, is fantastic. The iTrip is the best $30+ dollars, I've spent in awhile.
Re:Weird (Score:4, Informative)
Blaupunkt with aux (Score:2, Informative)
Re:calling clueful car manufacturers (Score:2, Informative)
This has also worked in two of my friends car, but admittedly they were just local trips, so I can't say how well it would travel from say San Francisco to San Jose or further. The sound quality is fantastic, well on my stereo, in the cars it was as good as the radio, which was ok to better than average. The only other issue I notice is for some purely instrumental songs, especially with quiet sections, the connection may lose its signal, this has happen to me when playing "Elegia" by New Order, but then skipping to the next song returns the signal, nice and strong.
Honda Element has an input jack in the glovebox (Score:3, Informative)
Of course, the Element is targeted to the surfer wilderness crowd, but hopefully they'll start to see that other people have iPods, too.
Re:Toureg (Score:3, Informative)
You do realize that a restored beetle is much more affordable than a Toureg. I've seen some really nice frame off, nut and bolt, complete restorations go for around $10,000. You can get a Restored VW for each day of the week instead of a Toureg. Lets say an Oval window for Monday, A split for Tuesday, A Super for Wednesday, A convertable for Thurdsay and a Baja for Friday.
Re:calling clueful car manufacturers (Score:3, Informative)
Re:calling clueful car manufacturers (Score:3, Informative)
Re:calling clueful car manufacturers (Score:5, Informative)
I have been using the cassette adapter option in my 4Runner, but recently I started looking into the option of having a direct plug in to the stereo from my iPod. A little poking around lead to this [rcainput.com] company. The short of it is that I can plug one of these adapters into the CD-changer input on the back of my factory stereo and then run a mini-jack from the iPod directly into it. My local Toyota dealer tells me they can install it with a factory appearance for $40 making this a must have option.
Re:calling clueful car manufacturers (Score:2, Informative)
I have a FM transmitter in order to listen to my mp3 player on my car's audio system. It works ok, but it also transmits electrical noise from the car, so there is always a low volume, but high pitched tone being mixed in with the music. It's not too bad if the car is idling, but it gets louder as the engine's rpm increases, so it gets annoying after a while.
Re:calling clueful car manufacturers (Score:4, Informative)
Their conclusion, however, was that FM transmitters kinda suck in general. Much better to simply get a line-in.
Re:calling clueful car manufacturers (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Cassette Adapters (Score:2, Informative)