Harman/Kardon ramps up iPod competition

Harman/Kardon has unveiled a pair of devices that will ramp up competition with Apple's iPod at the CES trade show in Las Vegas, including the Drive + Play II for in-car music control and the Guide + Play GPS-500 global positioning system for navigation. The Drive + Play II represents a major upgrade to the earlier in-car music control adapter, universalizing the once iPod-only mounting kit to include direct menu navigation for other media players such as Microsoft's Zune, as well as most jukeboxes known to work with PlaysForSure music stores. The device includes a 3.5-inch screen that displays full color rather than the earlier monochrome, and features Harman Net, an expansion port system that optionally integrates the Bluetooth hands-free calling as well as Sirius satellite radio.

The company also revitalized the Drive + Play to streamline listening during long trips: an owner can search a category with the wireless control knob, shift the emphasis of random playback towards diversity or similarity, or let the unit create dynamic channels that automatically include relevant songs, according to Electronista. The company will ship its second-edition car kit in March for $400.

Simultaneously introduced during the expo is the previously revealed Guide + Play GPS-500, offering a 4-inch touchscreen that is equally tailored to handheld and in-car use. Media playback is a core component of the design which includes support for media rarely seen or heard in mapping units, such as protected Windows Media songs from online music stores and MPEG-4 video.

Storage is provided through 2GB of internal flash and is expandable with SD cards as large as 4GB. The device runs as long as five hours on battery power or for an entire drive using a bundled 12-volt car power adapter. The GPS-500 is loadable with data from both Macs and Windows PCs through cards or a USB port and is due to ship by March for $500.

Filed under: iPod, industry