Cruising with Music and an iPod Car Adapter
September 15th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Driving with headphones on is not the world’s greatest idea, as it can distract you from road conditions. It is probably on par with talking on a cell phone while driving, so plug your iPod into a car adapter instead. With an iPod car adapter, you can be safer and still enjoy your tunes on your morning drive.
There are basically two main manufacturers of ipod accessories, including car adapters. Belkin and Griffin both make products that are not overly obtrusive and usually match the iPod quite nicely. Belkin has the Belkin Audio Kit for iPod with DockConnector (that was its title at the website - belkin .com).
This iPod car adapter will allow you to plug your iPod into your car’s audio system, and you can recharge your iPod while in the car as well. This audio kit is also compatible with Belkin’s TuneCast FM transmitters, although reviews of the TuneCast and TuneCast II have been lukewarm at best. The retail price for this audio kit is $39.99 at Belkin’s website.
Attach It and Enjoy It
The manufacturer Griffin has two unique iPod car adapter systems that you may wish to take into consideration. One is the RoadTrip, a combo FM transmitter and car charger. It has an changeable cradle and operates with nearly any iPod from a video Ipod to a Nano. It seems to vary a lot price-wise, as it retails for about $89.99 on the high end to $49.95 at one online store.
Another interesting iPod car adapter is the Neo iON iPod Car Stereo Interface, which works with most older iPods and almost anything up to a video iPod (except the Shuffle, but check the specs). It will even work with the Apple iPhone. The Neo iON will allow you to plug your iPod directly into your car’s audio system so that you’ll be able to operate it directly by using your car stereo’s control panel.
Additionally, it maintains your iPod charged with its Smart Charge feature and utilizes a individual cable. It also boasts excellent sound quality, but expect to pay for it. It retails for a wince-inducing $189.99. Whether or not it’s worth it for you hinges upon to what degree a an audiophile you may be.
Of course, if you have a long daily commute or happen to be planning a summer road trip, it might well be worth the investment to get CD-quality sound. You would be more than happy with an iPod car adapter
Technorati Tags: Belkin, FM transmitter, griffin, ipod car adapter, nano, Roadtrip, Smart Charge, Tunecast
Related Tags: ipod car adapter, Belkin, car ipod, FM transmitter, griffin, iPod FM Transmitter, iTrip, nano, Roadtrip, Smart Charge
iPod FM Transmitter - An On the Go Radio
June 7th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
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Price: $32.53 USD
Average Customer Review:  |
Apple Computer has taken the power of technology and created a wondrous device which is the Apple iPod. However, although it is a simple but stylish MP3 (and now video) player, what the iPod lacks is an integrated FM transmitter. For reasons of its own, Apple has decided not to add the extra features to the iPod that are mainstream on other MP3/video players such as voice recording and being able to listen to the radio through an FM transmitter. Owners of iPods are in luck though, due to the fact that there are several manufacturers who have brought to market iPod FM transmitter as well as other accessories.
While it may not be as conspicuous as a third eye, however accessories such as FM transmitters for your iPod will add a slight bulk to your MP3 player. If you can live with that, Griffin and Belkin manufacture various iPod FM transmitters that fit together very well with the iPod aesthetic. The majority of these devices are designed to be utilized as an ipod car adapter, such as Griffins iTrip series of FM transmitters for use with the iPod. However, quite a few of these FM transmitters seem to be challenged when it comes to reception in cars and sometimes are burdened with a bit of interference. This has been echoed in some of the comments on various online forums.
Operating Instructions
Despite the fact that iTrip looks nice, the sound quality in reception appear to be less than acceptable. If you’re willing to take a chance on the iTrip series of iPod FM transmitters, one of these units should go for around $50. However, some online sites have been as low as $30. The manufacturer Belkin has something called the Belkin TuneCast Mobile FM Transmitter, which plugs into the headphone jack that’s on your iPod. It needs to AAA batteries to work and is supposed to have a range of roughly 30 feet. The product retails for roughly $29.99, however you can often get it for much less online. However, the average of all Amazon .com users reviews for this device was roughly about two stars. There were many concerns regarding poor reception for this unit as well.
The IPod FM transmitter known as the TuneCast II fared slightly better with an amazon .com rating of three stars, and its list price is around $65, but you can usually find it for close to the same prices you find for the original TuneCast. At present this adapter is the best bet if you in the market for a car iPod FM transmitter.
Technorati Tags: car ipod, ipod car adapter, iPod FM Transmitter, iTrip, Tunecast
Related Tags: ipod car adapter, Belkin, car ipod, FM transmitter, griffin, iPod FM Transmitter, iTrip, nano, Roadtrip, Smart Charge
