Griffin’s iTrip Tunes Out Complexity For In-Car iPod/IPhone

11:21 am, September 23rd, 2009, Ed Sutherland

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There are a number of ways to bring your iPod or iPhone along for the ride, but playing tunes in your auto usually requires an FM link with iffy quality. Griffin Technology, however, smooths out the bumps by teaming its iTrip audio hardware with a retro interface thanks to a bit of free software from the App Store.

To get past the problem of finding a transmission-free FM frequency, the iTrip ($50) scans for the best signal, then automatically sends your iPhone or iPod to the spot. The iTrip also features an LCD display for the current frequency, plus will offer in-dash readouts of the current track for cars with RDS (Radio Data Systems). RDS-capable autos can receive inaudible information (such as traffic reports) alongside FM content sent by RDS broadcasts. The iTrip is rounded out with a mini USB port that can connect to your iPhone, making on-the-go recharging a snap.

Along with the hardware, Griffin is offering a free iPhone application, complete with a display of a large retro-style dial for precise tuning.

Griffin isn’t alone in the FM iPhone market. Belkin also offers its TuneBase FM product.

[Via Griffin and Gadget Lab]

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Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.

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2 comments

completeley useless. I had one and it is constantly disturbed by real radio stations. Especially when you drive in certain areas, or when you ride long distance, you find yourself constantly looking for a good channel.

I just plug a audio cable in the front of my JVC stereo system. It plugs in the ipod where you put the earphone. simple and very good quality.

kermit, on September 23rd, 2009 at 12:16 pm

When I bought a new car, and decided to give away my XM radio which I hard-wired to my radio and used for it and my Ipod listening in my car, I wanted to find a new solution for listening to my endless collection of music on my Ipod in my new car. After some searching around, I found the iTrip. Now, I was always a little leary of using a FM Modulator of ANY kind for listening to my Ipod for the fact that I knew that while I’d get decent stereo sound from it, that it would alway be plagued by problems from the evironment, such as static, competing radio waves, and it would never give me really good sound.

gift ideas, on November 2nd, 2009 at 8:07 am