GM's Ugly Yet Simple iPod Solution

While many car companies are quickly adopting USB inputs for iPods and other MP3 players, GM has resisted the change on most of its more affordable models. Yes, you could get a dealer-installed adapter cable, but nothing built-in. Recently, we had a bright yellow Chevy Cobalt XFE in our fleet, and I took it out to run an errand. When Ask.Cars.com editor Joe Bruzek told me it had a USB interface and he liked it, I was skeptical. But I took my 120GB iPod Classic with me and couldn’t believe what I discovered.

The $100 option is ugly.

2009 Infiniti M35 DVD Studio Surround System Reviewed

A few weeks ago, I was tasked with driving my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law to every ballroom in Chicago to see if any would be suitable to host their upcoming wedding.

Of course, I didn’t want to pay for parking at all these stops, so I stayed in the car. Which meant I had to come up with something to do while I waited, flashers blinking. The first thing that came to mind was watching a movie. While I could sit with my iPhone in hand and use a set of headphones for sound, I knew there was a better option. The Infiniti M35x I was driving had the optional Bose Studio Surround sound system. This includes digital 5.1 decoding, a DVD drive, and 14 high-quality Bose speakers. When I think of the best surround-sound experience, I instantly think of the first “Matrix” movie. So, I put the DVD in the center-counsel-mounted DVD drive and we were off.

First Turn-by-Turn Navigation App for iPhone: XROADS G-Map Review

Update: Apple has pulled the XRoads G-Map programs from its app store.

The iPhone has unquestionably dominated the mobile phone industry for the past two years. One of its biggest advantages over other devices is the long list of applications of every variety that can be downloaded to it. There are “apps” for everything from keeping track of your Twitter feed to following your favorite baseball team. Finally, after nearly two years, a developer has released the first real-time, turn-by-turn navigation application for the iPhone. XROADS G-Map ($19) is clearly the best real-time navigation option for an iPhone right now, but we ran it through the same tests we would a stand-alone TomTom, Garmin or Mio system to see how it fared with the big boys of navigation.

Motorola H15 Bluetooth Headset Review

Hands-free devices for cell phones are not created equal, but Motorola’s Motopure H15, a Bluetooth top-of-the-line headset, is outstanding. For drivers anywhere a hands-free solution is a must, and in some states it’s against the law to hold a phone up to the ear while driving.

Pairing the headset with my iPhone 3G was simple. The instructions were designed for Motorola phones, but they clearly stated that the device could be used with nearly every Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone.

Motorola’s H15 has one of the best background noise cancellation systems. There’s no lack of noisy distractions here between Chicago’s elevated trains and noisy traffic, but the H15 canceled out all those sounds and allowed me to continue my conversation.

Included with the H15 was the best-fitting rubber earpiece that was comfortable around and in my ear. The buttons are effortlessly accessible and easy to understand. My only complaint is about the folding microphone boom, which acts as both a mic and power switch. When wearing the headset, it is not as easy as it should be to open and close the boom because of the way it hits your face.

Motorola TN20, TN30 GPS Reviewed

Even though the company is known mostly for its cell phones, Motorola has explored nearly every segment of the electronics spectrum. Now it’s jumping into navigation systems with the introduction of the TN20 and TN30, costing $199.99 and $299.99, respectively. The only noticeable differences between the two models are screen size, Bluetooth connectivity and the number of points of interest available. The systems are a small start for Motorola, which still has lots of room to grow compared to the heavy hitters in the industry.

Gadget Review: TomTom One 130S

Brand: TomTom
Model: One 130•S
Suggested Retail Price: $249.95

“Turn right on north LaSalle Street.” Is that worth $50? TomTom recently updated its tremendously popular ONE 130, making it the ONE 130•S, by adding text to speech — the ability to hear both street names and the standard turn-by-turn directions. We took an in-depth look at the new 130•S on suburban, urban and rural highway routes in an attempt to determine whether the new TomTom ONE 130•S is the way to go in lower-end portable navigation units.