Blaupunkt hasn’t skipped a beat since being spun off by parent company Bosch and picked up by holding company Aurelius Group. According to Wired, Blaupunkt has partnered with online music portal miRoamer to bring in-dash internet radio to your vehicle. A single button push enables users to access thousands of AM/FM internet radio stations and according to miRoamer the first commercial model will connect to a 3G/HSDPA/HSPA device via Bluetooth. If the radio is connected to an external device such as an iPhone, internet access will come from your wireless network.
The two companies will be showing off a couple of prototype models at CES–the Hamburg 600i and New Jersey 600i. Aside from internet radio and cellular connectivity, the models will also feature an address book and navigation via Bluetooth and playback of any MP3 files other than miRoamer’s. The companies haven’t released pricing or availability information yet, but the radios will be available as factory installs. I’m not sure if they’ll be available as aftermarket products for self-installation. We should keep our eyes and ears open as I’m sure we’ll find out more next week at CES.
