Voxx International (formerly known as Audiovox) has a habit of making a splash at CES, and this year has been no different. Today, the company’s Acoustic Research subsidiary announced a pair of audio docks: the AirPlay Audio System (ARAP50) and the Bluetooth Wireless Audio System (ARS70). With the former, users will be able to wirelessly stream playlists from their iDevices simply by plugging the system into any old 12-volt outlet and linking it up to a wireless network. The Bluetooth variety, meanwhile, offers essentially the same capabilities for the rest of the smartphone universe, including owners of Bluetooth-equipped Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices. Details on specs remain frustratingly vague, but we’ll probably find out more this Spring, when both systems are slated to hit the market. The AirPlay Audio System will retail for $200, while the Bluetooth Wireless Audio System will cost you $130.

LG wasn’t very forthcoming with details when it announced its new AirpPlay speaker dock back in November, so here at CES 2012 they had decided to prove deeper info for the public.

It looks like a foot square black rubik’s cube, with glossy and matte exterior squares alternating around the outside, along with two mesh speaker grilles on the front corners. Up top is a dock that fits any iDevice and the power button, while a Smart Square screen resides on the front that’ll have touch controls when the dock ships in Q2 or Q3 of this year.

A 3.5mm input jack and a USB port are on the back, and we’re pretty sure that the dongle plugged there is where the AirPlay chip currently resides, though it’ll be baked in before it gets to market. It was hard to evaluate the thing’s sound on the show floor, but with an 8-inch subwoofer inside, the low end came through loud and clear and overall it sounded good.

Find yourself something Apple-flavored underneath the Christmas tree yesterday? Need some gentle coaxing into using iTunes? Well, you’re in luck; Cupertino’s annual download giveaway starts today and runs through January 6th. The free gifts kick off with some Coldplay tracks and videos from the band’s latest Apple-sponsored festival appearance. But don’t let that put you off; we expect to see more music, some apps and even books over the next few days. Each one’s available for just 24 hours, so it could be worth checking the dedicated app daily. It’s up for grabs at the link below.

SOURCE via Apple

Apple is purportedly readying a new certification chip for accessory makers that will allow wireless access and connectivity to that pile of iOS devices you’re hoarding. Announced during an accessory manufacturer’s conference in China, the new chip would allow connections across AirPlay, Bluetooth and WiFi. The Cupertino crew hope that this will encourage even more iOS-friendly add-ons and docks to market. Apple apparently added that it’s working on support for AirPlay over Bluetooth, presumably bringing with it some improved battery longevitiy, and tying into the new low-powered Bluetooth 4.0 found on the iPhone 4S.

SOURCE via Macotakara

Pioneer is set to introduce a new functionality to a few of its stereos – including the much-hyped AppRadio – that mixes the songs on your iPhone, iPod or USB drive on the fly.

By measuring beats per minute and other data, MIXTRAX can supposedly beat-match and add effects and transitions into songs to create a seamless mix, all while animating the cover art to match the tempo. If you want to leave the mixing to yourself, Pioneer plans to offer a PC version of the mixing software that lets you save mixes to a USB drive or SD card, along with an iPhone app that lets you interact with the software and port your club masterpieces directly into your AppRadio.

MIXTRAX will be available this January on the aforementioned AppRadio and DEH-P7400HD, DEH-P8400BH and AVH-P8400BH AV receivers. You can get a taste of the system in action in the cheesetastic videos after the break. Read more…

Time for the usual disclaimer, since we’re taking a journey into the murky world of Cupertino’s patent applications — it’s just as likely we’ll never see or hear of this tech again as it is to wind up in the next iPhone. While everyone else is betting on NFC, Apple wants to use next-generation cameras and invisible ink to negotiate digital handshakes. Snap a picture of a cash register with a barcode and your iDevice will generate a unique ID to pair up — but in order to keep the technology secure, the codes would have to be painted on with “invisible” fluorescent coatings. When you’re pairing two iPhones (for example) to share contacts, the key could be generated on one of the screens while the other took a picture of it. If this all seems too complex, boring and pointless now, just think: this could be how we log into Foursquare in a decade’s time.

SOURCE via Patently Apple

We’ve seen a number of companies put a modern spin on the venerable boombox, but nothing quite like this new iP4 speaker dock from iHome. While it’s unmistakingly a boombox, it looks more like a circa-1980s attempt to create a futuristic boombox than simply a modern boombox — an unused prop from Back to the Future II, perhaps. It is decidedly modern when it comes to features, however, including a dock for your iPhone or iPod, an auxiliary input for your other devices, and a tiny remote. True to its boombox lineage, it can also be operated on six D cell batteries, and it even backs a five band graphic equalizer (updated slightly with an LCD display). Did we mention it’s also available in pink? Yey! Pinky and the brain, pinky and the brain. Look for this one to set you back $200.

SOURCE via iHome

Google has finally taken wraps off of its official iOS Gmail app. However, momentarily after being launched, the app was pulled by Google. Google’s confirmed on its blog that the Gmail app contains a bug that breaks notifications, and it’s pulled the app while it fixes it. A new version is promised “soon.”

Anyway, let’s take a look at the app first shall we? The new app offers a number of “time-saving features,” including push notifications for new message alerts, quick message search and email address auto-complete from your Apple device’s address book. The iPad version also offers up a split view, to read messages and check out your inbox at the same time.

On the efficiency side, the Priority Inbox shows your important messages first, and the app also lets you sort messages via labels and stars. Swiping down will refresh the messages and swiping right gives you a quick view of your labels. Gmail will work with devices running iOS 4 and higher.

SOURCE via Google

That Siri gal is certainly making the rounds these days. When she’s not answering your questions on a 4S, she’s showing up on iPads and elder iPhones. Not one to play favorites, Siri’s now lending her considerable talents to an iPod touch. Two enterprising young hackers, euwars and rud0lf77, are the ones who put Siri on the iPod, and you can see the results of their labor in the video after the break. Of course, Apple’s servers still aren’t as friendly as the virtual voice assistant, so Siri’s latest cameo remains a silent one — but some Siri’s better than foreveralone.jpg, right?

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Some folks get along just dandy with an iPod and a speaker dock, but if you need a rig that’ll handle more sources, Harman Kardon hopes to have you covered with MS 150 — which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Zeppelin Mini. This stereo system comes loaded with an iPhone dock, CD drive and FM tuner, along with a flood of auxiliary connections not limited to its headphone jacks and subwoofer output. It’s even sporting an LCD display so you’ll know what’s pumping out of its 30 watt drivers. The MS 150 is available now from Harman Kardon, but all of its functionality will cost you — it’s priced at a whopping $600. Hey, at least it comes with a remote.

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