MacNN reports the Sonance iPort will ship later this month, which must mean next week. Anyway, the iPort is a wall mounted dock that hides all the cables — audio, firewire, dock, others — in the wall. The MacNN story includes nice pictures of the unit, including the beauty shot and a view of the ports and connectors. Sonance makes no end of “architectural-audio” equipment, including those speakers you sometimes find hidden in the wall.
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A short while ago, Monster annouced their iCruze for iPod car audio integration kit.
The iPod and iPod mini can be hidden away and controlled by the CD player that it is connected to. Users can select the songs and playlists of their choice through either the steering wheel controls or the CD player’s controls. The song information can also be viewed on the optional display and the iPod can be mounted anywhere in the vehicle.
The product was developed with assistance from SoundGate, and is said to cost $500. No word on when it’s going to ship, though.
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Denison, I think, was first to market with an iPod car integration kit. Their original Ice > Link debuted during the 1G iPod days, but now they’ve added control and display via compatible head units to the Link: Plus“>Ice > Link: Plus{#407&Itemid=109}.
Use your radio or iPod to navigate through playlists, albums and songs and access the simple to use ipod interface. The ice>Link interprets the radio controls from your vehicle to the iPod to emulate a fully loaded CD changer with advanced features.
iPod integration kits seem to be proliferating, but the Denison kit seems to differentiate itself by including a bit of software that appears to run on the iPod itself{#408&Itemid=110} to add control and features not possible through the head unit (though the ”software“ might only be a playlist of special tracks that signal commands via the audio out, as with the iTrip). Their compatibility list includes cars from Audi, BMW/Mini, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda/Accura, Jaguar, Landrover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan/Infiniti, Porsche, Saab, Scion, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo. At $200, it looks like a deal.
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Recent news related to iPod integration also available in: In Car iPod, InCar iPod, Take 2, iPod News.
[update:] There’s been lots more iPod news since this story came out.
Related iPod stories at MaisonBisson:
Integration: In Car iPod, In Car iPod Take 2, iPod Integration Kits Proliferate For Home And Car, Saab, and PIE iPod Input Adapter.
Hacks, laughs, and background: iPod Hacks, iPod Giggles, What Does Proprietary Mean Anyway?