August 27 - 12:45pm EDT   Sony today revamped its Xplod car stereo head-end units with its first truly iPod-aware models. The GT630UI, GT430IP, GT330 and GT130 all have a USB connection that allows iPods and (for the GT630UI) iPhones to be controlled and charged through the stereo's own interface rather than the player itself. The same support also allows other MP3 players to be recognized through the digital link. [full story]

May 13 - 2:15pm EDT   Sony on mid-Tuesday launched a spring update to its Xplod CD head-end units. Both the high-end GT920U and its lower-cost GT620U alternative are designed as much for purely digital media in mind and include both a USB port at the front and a navigation interface dubbed Quick BrowZer. The new interface lets users quickly browse unprotected AAC, MP3, and WMA songs by playlists rather than a raw file view. The two decks also recognize these same formats burned to CDs, Sony adds. [full story]