Scosche iKit replaces car stereo with iPad
We've seen a few custom iPad dashboard mounts from the guys at SoundMan car audio. Now Scosche, manufacturer of car audio accessories, is stepping up to the plate and developing its own iPad dashboard mount kit, appropriately--and predictably--known as the Scosche iKit.Unlike the iPhone mounts that we've seen from this manufacturer, the iKitactually starts a double-DIN module that replaces your car's stereo with an auxiliary audio input and a powered USB port for charging. Protruding from this module is a mounting knob onto which an iPad-mounting cradle is attached. You can then position the iPad and tighten a locking ring to hold the tablet in place. Included in the kit is a 30-pin dock connector cable that connects the iPad into the system's USB port and auxiliary input.The connected iPad can then play back audio from its iTunes library through the vehicle's speakers when charging over USB. When used with an iPad 3G, you can choose from a number of Internet streaming audio sources or use the iPad with a navigation app such as the freshly minted CoPilot Live HD for turn-by-turn directions.We assume that there's some sort of wire harness coming out of the back of the iKit to connect the car's speakers and 12-volt power. There would also need to be some sort of internal amplifier, as the iPad's headphone jack doesn't output enough juice to push four or more speakers. However, Scosche hasn't outlined any installation instructions or details about the iKit's internal electronics. Until Scosche releases more details, check out the introduction video below for a sneak peak at the iKit in action.Is this new wave of iPad car audio accessories a cool implementation of new technology or does it herald a whole new level of driver distractions? Make yourself heard in the comments.
How to stream podcasts to your iPhone, iPod, or iPad
How to stream podcasts to your iPhone, iPod, or iPad
Podcasts are awesome-sauce. When I'm in the car or out for a run, there's nothing I like better than an episode of "This American Life," "Wiretap," or the amazing new radio-drama "The Truth."Seriously, what's not to like? iTunes is home to zillions of podcasts -- there's literally something for everyone -- and they're all free.There is, of course, one downside: podcasts consume space. Not a ton (the average episode of "This American Life" is about 27MB, the equivalent of three or four MP3 song files), but if your iPhone is already brimming with apps, music, videos, and the like, you might not have the necessary storage for all the great shows you want to hear.No problem: the iTunes app actually lets you stream podcasts rather than download them. It's not immediately obvious how, especially with that big, inviting download button next to each show title -- and no sign of a Play button. Let's walk through the steps.Open the iTunes app.Tap More, then Podcasts, then find a podcast you want to hear. (Alternately, of course, you can search for a particular show.) If you're a history buff, you can't go wrong with Mike Duncan's "The History of Rome."Notice the "Free" button next to each available episode. Tapping that is how you download a podcast, which isn't what we want here. Instead, tap the title of the episode.Presto! The podcast starts streaming right away. And, thankfully, iTunes is smart enough to resume playback where you left off, even if you stream a different podcast in the interim.The caveat, of course, is that streaming consumes your monthly data bandwidth, just like streaming from the likes of Pandora or Netflix. But podcasts are encoded at a lower bit rate than music, and certainly don't use anywhere near the bandwidth of video, so the impact should be pretty negligible. And you won't have to devote any precious storage to your shows.Now that you know how to stream podcasts from iTunes, you might want to consider streaming podcasts from an app other than iTunes -- one that gives you a lot more control over subscriptions and management. Two popular choices: Podcatcher and Instacast; the latter recently updated to a 2.0 version with a bunch of new features.I've listed some of my favorite podcasts; now let's hear yours. Hit the comments and tell me which shows make your travels infinitely more pleasant.
Podcasts are awesome-sauce. When I'm in the car or out for a run, there's nothing I like better than an episode of "This American Life," "Wiretap," or the amazing new radio-drama "The Truth."Seriously, what's not to like? iTunes is home to zillions of podcasts -- there's literally something for everyone -- and they're all free.There is, of course, one downside: podcasts consume space. Not a ton (the average episode of "This American Life" is about 27MB, the equivalent of three or four MP3 song files), but if your iPhone is already brimming with apps, music, videos, and the like, you might not have the necessary storage for all the great shows you want to hear.No problem: the iTunes app actually lets you stream podcasts rather than download them. It's not immediately obvious how, especially with that big, inviting download button next to each show title -- and no sign of a Play button. Let's walk through the steps.Open the iTunes app.Tap More, then Podcasts, then find a podcast you want to hear. (Alternately, of course, you can search for a particular show.) If you're a history buff, you can't go wrong with Mike Duncan's "The History of Rome."Notice the "Free" button next to each available episode. Tapping that is how you download a podcast, which isn't what we want here. Instead, tap the title of the episode.Presto! The podcast starts streaming right away. And, thankfully, iTunes is smart enough to resume playback where you left off, even if you stream a different podcast in the interim.The caveat, of course, is that streaming consumes your monthly data bandwidth, just like streaming from the likes of Pandora or Netflix. But podcasts are encoded at a lower bit rate than music, and certainly don't use anywhere near the bandwidth of video, so the impact should be pretty negligible. And you won't have to devote any precious storage to your shows.Now that you know how to stream podcasts from iTunes, you might want to consider streaming podcasts from an app other than iTunes -- one that gives you a lot more control over subscriptions and management. Two popular choices: Podcatcher and Instacast; the latter recently updated to a 2.0 version with a bunch of new features.I've listed some of my favorite podcasts; now let's hear yours. Hit the comments and tell me which shows make your travels infinitely more pleasant.
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