DLO has just released a very unique and travel friendly set of speakers for the iPhone and iPod Touch. I call them cinema speakers because they also come with a dock that props you iPhone or Touch in the perfect horizontal position for watching all you iTunes movies downloads.

“Compact yet powerful, the DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone let you enjoy your music and videos in stereo sound without any threat of mobile phone interference. Featuring an extra-wide sound stage and bass vents for delivering powerful sound, these small speakers pack a powerful punch.”

Click here for the official DLO product page to find more information on these travel speakers.

The PPI R8 and PPI R8 Razor – automobile lifestyle in carbon fibrer
With the launching of the R8, Audi heats up against rivals Porsche, Ferrari and Bentley vigorously providing stiff competition. The Swabian, German tuners PPI Automotive Design GmbH, customize Audi’s flagship sports car by stoking up the fire with even more coal going that extra mile by providing an enhanced look combined with improved driving dynamics. A wind tunnel-tested aerodynamic kit of carbon fibre in combination with a performance enhancement and special lightweight magnesium wheels in 19-inch dimensions provides measurably improved appearance whether on the race track or the elegant promenade of the elite jet set.

Optimized performance for better resilience and increased driving pleasure
The stage 1 kit produces an increase power output of the original motor from 309kw/420hp to 348kw/460hp and increases torque from 430Nm/317lb-ft to 465Nm/343lbs-ft. A performance kit with durable components designed by PPI consists of corrosion resistant stainless steel sport rear muffler with throttle system. Just beginning at low-end torque, the resulting sound signals pure power, but with high speeds one experiences an even more imposing sound. Matched to this is a complete optimised engine management plus sport air filter providing the unit with extra breathing abilities. Results are a top speed of 192 mph (311 km/h) and sprinting from 0-60 mph in only 4,0 seconds; a six-tenths decrease versus standard production.

PPI aerodynamics: continued further development in carbon fibrer
Without being overstated, PPI’s approach to the R8 was to retain the standard series design, with the addition of PPI developed aerodynamics. All PPI aerodynamics for the R8 are made of carbon fibre. This material is commonly used in motor sports reducing general weight yet simultaneously increasing sturdiness. This material is already featured in the Audi base model. PPI consequently takes a further step applying carbon fibre as the main component with highest quality for its entire car body material. Furthermore, PPI production carbon fibre parts are available in glossy or matte finish. The PPI aerodynamics package includes a lift reducing front lip spoiler. This more aggressive front air damn is designed to channel air to the front brakes, and cut through the air. In addition, the PPI designed, front bumper air intake “cartridges” were created for OEM fitting, and for improved air ventilation of the front radiator with separate air channel for brake cooling. Side sills sedate air inflow between the axles and provide this vehicle with a sporty and aggressive look even when standing still. It’s lateral appearance is completed with side blades in carbon fibre matte finish as standard production series offers carbon fibre glossy only. The diffuser with integrated PPI-designed air channels for exhaust pipe cooling stabilizes the rear with extra downforce and directional stability. The new double-sided rear grill deflects engine heat and exhaust system outwards and flanks the middle PPI rear plate. Rear spoiler with its adjustable wing increases downforce on the rear axle and completes the sporty elegant look.

PPI MAG9: the lightweight wheel from PPI
The new PPI MAG9 wheel design characterizes the connection of high technical demands to sporty elegance. The two-part magnesium wheel with nine spokes and a wheel rim of carbon fiber commands not only by its exclusive look, but also through its outstanding craftsmanship setting new benchmark standards in the Audi tuning arena. The offered PPI MAG9 comes in dimension 9 x 19 front and 11 x 19 rear. Through the use of ultra light material magnesium resulting in reduction of unsprung mass, acceleration as well as deceleration and handling are distinctly improved. Weighing a mere 7,8 kg for front axle rims and 8,2 kg for rear axle rims, the PPI wheel are absolute champions in the lightweight arena. Optimal tires developed for the PPI R8 Razor in cooperation with Michelin are the supplied Michelin Pilot Sport Cup in dimensions 235/35 ZR19 (front) and 305/30 ZR19 (rear).

Ideal interior engineering
To complete the exclusive enhancements of the R8, PPI offers extensive modifications in materials and parts to the original interior. PPI offers handbrake, door entry threshold plates and middle instrument panel in carbon fibre. The technical highlight of the interior is the new PPI designed ergonomic steering wheel (available with Carbon Fibre sections) with additional interface controls for its driving dynamical program. Offered on special request is a personalized floor mat set furnished with leather trim. Also available is complete hand crafted precision leather, suede, alcantara upholstery from our in-house saddler’s.

There was no indication last month at MacWorld that increased capacity iPhone’s and iPod Touch’s would be available any time soon. But, after a very quiet Apple Store update today, you can now purchase the iPhone with up to 16GB of internal memory and the iPod Touch with up to 32GB. Both new iPod and iPhone models are available now and run a fairly steep $499.00. Again, it’s just kind of weird that Jobs had noting to say about these updates during his presentation last month, but I’m sure they wanted to keep the attention on the MacBook Air. I for one would love to upgrade my tapped out iPhone, but at $499 for only 8GM more, I think I will wait a while.

“We’ve received word that a small group of Car and Driver readers have been selected to help the magazine select its the cover of its April issue that features the production 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, a car that’s fast becoming the worst kept secret in Detroit. This past week, both a preproduction Challenger SRT8 and R/T were driven around Detroit without camouflage just long enough to be photographed by all the right people, and now this.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

“It’s no secret to what the 2008 Dodge Challenger will look like. We’ve seen dozens of spy photos, reader-submitted photos of a production Challenger cruising the streets, and more recently we’ve seen it in on the cover of Car and Driver’s April issue. That was enough for Autoweek to decide to post a few official shots on their web site, who didn’t want to get left behind. More official photos and information will surely come shortly. Whether or not it’s before the Challenger’s introduction at the Chicago Auto Show is the question.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

“While the rights to the first 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 brought $400K at Barrett-Jackson last weekend, we’d rather have the 43rd car built, which will go up on eBay’s virtual auction block from February 12 to February 22.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

The Faucet Buddy concept is actually meant to help you conserve water by telling you how much water is going down the drain but I think geek consumers might actually use more water just to see it in action. This is only a concept for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see something very similar hit the market sooner than later.

“Its identifying characteristics: coupé design, yet with four doors; impressive comfort, yet pure dynamics; sporty interior, yet space without compromises. The interplay of these contrasts has resulted in a car whose concept and design set a new course beyond the mainstream. At the same time, the Passat CC is a progressive technological platform with high-class engines (103 kW / 140 PS to 220 kW / 300 PS) and innovative assistance and driving dynamics systems. These include world firsts in the “Lane Assist” lane keeping system and the “Dynamic Drive Control” electronic chassis control system. No less innovative: the “Park Assist” parking assistant and “ACC Automatic Distance Control” with stopping distance reducing “Front Assist”.”

Continue reading the rest of this article and see all the photos at VWVortex.com.

Last but definitely not least on the list of updates from Apple today is the stunning MacBook Air. I never thought I would say this, but I might actually have to switch to a Mac just to get my hands on the Air. This thing is .16 inches thick at the bottom and .76 inches on the top. Continue reading below for the full feature list or head over to apple.com for more details.

“MacBook Air is ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else. But you don’t lose inches and pounds overnight. It’s the result of rethinking conventions. Of multiple wireless innovations. And of breakthrough design. With MacBook Air, mobile computing suddenly has a new standard.

MacBook Air includes an oversize trackpad with multi-touch technology. You can pinch, swipe, or rotate to zoom in on text, advance through a photo album, or adjust an image. This gesture-based input so successful on iPhone and iPod touch now comes to MacBook.

The innovative now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t port hatch flips down to reveal (and closes to hide) all the ports you really need: a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, and a micro-DVI port that supports DVI, VGA, composite, and S-video output. Even the MagSafe power connection has been reconsidered and slimmed to fit MacBook Air.

The backlit LED display allows for an even thinner build. It provides instant full-screen brightness the moment you open MacBook Air. The mercury- and arsenic-free display is also more power efficient, which translates to longer battery life.

MacBook Air comes with a way-more-than-generous 2GB of RAM built in — ample memory for working with your favorite applications. The 80GB hard drive provides plenty of storage space. And you have the option to upgrade to a 64GB solid-state drive, which has no moving parts for enhanced durability.

MacBook Air performance is as impressive as its form, thanks to its 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. This chip was custom-built to fit within the compact dimensions of MacBook Air.

Unlike most other ultraportable notebooks, MacBook Air includes a built-in iSight camera. It’s so smartly integrated, you hardly notice it’s there. The iSight camera and iChat software make video chatting easy anywhere there’s a wireless network.

The MacBook Air battery is our thinnest ever, yet it doesn’t compromise power. You can access the web wirelessly for five full hours.”

As if you haven’t heard by now, the Macworld 2008 Keynote was this morning and there were several interesting new updates and products that were discussed which we will cover within the next few posts. For starters, the iPhone just got a new firmware update that gives users several new features including the ability to send SMS messages to multiple recipients at once, location triangulation on google maps, hybrid map view on google maps, and the ability to fully customize your home screen. The iPod Touch is also getting a new firmware today including email, Google maps, web clips, stocks, weather and even notes. iPhone users can update their firmware for Free but current iPod Touch users will have to pay an extra $20 for their updates. Read the full press release below or head over to apple.com to see these update in action.

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today announced a free software update for its revolutionary iPhone(TM) that allows users to automatically find their location using the redesigned Maps application*; text message multiple people in one message; create Web Clips for their favorite websites; customize their home screen; and watch movies rented from the new iTunes(R) Movie Rentals right on their iPhone. With its revolutionary multi-touch user interface and pioneering software, users can
easily add significant new features to their iPhone through software updates whenever an update becomes available. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes (http://www.itunes.com).

“iPhone doesn’t stand still — we’re making it better and better all the time,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve delighted millions of users with this revolutionary and magical product and it’s great to share these improvements with them.”

Maps, one of the most popular and helpful applications on iPhone, has a new interface that is simpler and easier to use and adds incredible new features such as the ability to find your location automatically. With just the tap of a button, iPhone can now triangulate your position using nearby Wi-Fi base stations or cellular towers. You can use this as a starting or ending point for directions or to find local points of interest. The new hybrid map view combines map view and satellite view so you can see major street names overlaid on satellite imagery.

Users can now create Web Clips — icons on the home screen that take you directly to your favorite websites, including to the exact spot you have zoomed into. Web Clips are a great way to easily track websites that you frequently check such as news, blogs, sports sites and movie listings. In addition, users can now customize their home screen by repositioning any of the icons, and even create up to nine different home screens that they can easily flick between.

iPhone’s new software update also adds the ability to send the same SMS text message to multiple people, and iPhone saves a history of your text messages, so with one tap you can send a new message to the same group.

With Apple’s new iTunes Movie Rentals, movie fans can rent movies on their computer, easily and quickly transfer them to their iPhone, and watch them anywhere on iPhone’s gorgeous 3.5 inch screen. Users can also now navigate forward or backward through their movies by chapters, select alternate language tracks and view subtitles, if available.

Pricing & Availability
The iPhone software update 1.1.3 is available immediately for free via iTunes 7.5 or later for all existing iPhone customers in the US, UK, Germany and France. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes (http://www.itunes.com). iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only.

Further information for iPhone can be found at http://www.apple.com/iphone.

*Availability and precision of Maps positioning features will vary depending on actual location.

“This concept was designed before the Apple patent is widely publicized. Similar to ordering song through the web via iTune account, Semacode works like a digital “receipt,” allowing the user to use their iTunes account for the transaction (which will bypass credit card transaction/identification, and speed up the pick-up process).”

You have looked high and low for the perfect iPod dock, but none of them seem to sound all that great for the price. The FatMan vintage tube amplifier dock promises give you the sound you are looking for with a look that will never get old. For the 800 dollar price tag, I certainly hope this vintage dock performs on a slightly higher level than the standard dock.

“There’s a reason that professional guitarists, from rock to country, continue to use tube amplifiers from Fender, Marshall and Vox, even though solid-state electronics have replaced tubes in every other audio application. That’s because nothing can duplicate the warmth, the harmonic richness and the pure tone of tube-based circuitry. For a sonic revelation, plug your iPod into our Vintage Amplifier/Charger, sit back with the included remote, and browse through your playlists.”

For more info, check out the product page here.

“With its unmistakable HUMMER design and a compact, go-anywhere driving ethic, the HUMMER HX concept challenges the hierarchy of the trail. HUMMER displayed the nimble, reconfigurable off-roader at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.”

“More compact than a HUMMER H3 – 81 inches (2,057 mm) wide, with a 103-inch wheelbase (2,616-mm) – the HX concept is an open-air, two-door off-road vehicle that packs the off-road acumen for which HUMMER has become legendary, along with an easily convertible body that acclimates to varied trail conditions, cargo needs or passenger whims. Its design is based on the ideas developed by a trio of young designers who are new to the HUMMER studio.”

“The HX is HUMMER’s vision an agile, trail-ready, open-air vehicle that fits the lifestyles of everyone who needs or wants to drive off road,” said Martin Walsh, HUMMER general manager. “Of course, it carries exceptional off-road capability and the distinctive styling for which all HUMMERs are known.”

To start off the list, SAMSUNG has an entirely new lineup of entertainment gear including LCD’s, surround sound and much more. Care to watch HD in 3D, the SAMSUNG series 4 and 5 plasma, DLP and LCD HDTV’s “make use of 3D technology. Literally, you put on a special pair of glasses and you’ll be watching 3D in high-def.” Find out more at CrunchGear.com. SAMSUNG also has “an all-in-one single wall-mountable speaker unit that contains a DVD player and looks like something Batman would use in his Batcave Bat-hroom. It also has a subwoofer, DVD player and Bluetooth connectivity for streaming audio.” Find out more at Gizmodo.com.

iRiver hit the ground running this year with a new line of media devices including the most fashionable DAP you have ever seen. Not much info on this one but you can see some cool pics at Engadget.com. iRiver’s SPINN PMP “combines warmth of analog controls” “with digital content—apparently this is an analog toggle wheel of some sort. It’s stacked PMP-wise, otherwise: 3.2-inch 480×272 screen, FM tuner, flash, Bluetooth, dictionary and 30fps MP4 playback.” More info at Gizmodo.com.

Sony is hoping to redeem what is left of the Mylo brand with the Sony Mylo 2. “Mylo 2, like its predecessor, is a portable internet communicator. This one is more powerful, but it’s still a freak of nature.” More info at Gizmodo.com. Also, the SonyEricsson brand of Walkman phones is getting some new editions starting with the W760. “Tri-band HSDPA and GPS make this a good traveling phone while the gaming features make it good for play. It even picks out music depending on your mood.” Head over to CrunchGear for more info.

Pioneer is taking on Microsoft Sync with Link… “Foremost, it’s an in-dash GPS device bringing everything you expect from a high-end direction-finder. In addition to those standard features, the AVIC-F500BT brags of 1.2 million points of interest, has an SD slot for updating your system’s navigational information and uses MSN traffic, weather and gas price information.” Head over to AutoBlog.com for more.

If you are looking for some banging headphones, you should check out the new Monster’s Beats Headphones from Dr. Dre Backs. “Monster proves that as long as you put their company name on it, you can charge as much as you want. They teamed up with Dr. Dre and Interscope records to create a shockingly expensive set of headphones with a “unique and avant-garde look,” according to the release.” Read more at CrunchGear.com.

Philips has a ton of new gear this year starting with the new GoGear line of PMP’s. “Like a cop giving out tickets at the end of the month, Philips is definitely trying to fill some kind of quota…. The company released just about every variation of portable media player you can think of here at CES. Settle in, I’ll try to be brief.” CrunchGear has all the info you need on the entire new line of GeoGear media players.

Check back soon for Part 2 of the Best of CES 2008.

“Dacoit is a one seater street bike designed for pure selfish pleasure. It is not a full-blown sports bike. The seat back rest is inspired by the shape of a shark fin. The rider’s knee hugs the orange circle area. Part of the orange strip on the inner wheel is self-illuminating, making the bike more visible at night plus providing an interesting look when in motion. The gear change controls are on the hand grip area.”

If you are interested in reading more about this unique bike, check out the official Dacoit concept page here.

“Tempered glass, highly polished metal tripod stand, unobtrusive connections, capacitive touch controls, integrated webcam, microphone and speakers, and a 22” HD panel helped Dell Crystal take home the 2008 Best of Innovations Award at the International Consumer Electronics Show which recognizes the most innovative consumer electronics (CE) products in the industry’s hottest product categories.”

Get more info on the Dell Crystal here, or if you simply don’t want to be teased any more, you can buy it directly from Dell.com here.

These new systems are fully interactive with whatever iPod you might have, extending the media you bring with you everywhere anyway. Simply connect your iPod and the iDA does the rest for you by creating an already familiar interface right in your dashboard. No word on pricing and availability at this point, but the iDA is definitely a step in the right direction for alternative automotive audio solutions.