Electronic Arts are planning a huge attack on its eagerly anticipated Spore game soon, with the PC game complemented by several handheld versions, including DS, mobile and iPhone/iPod Touch.

News of these games makes for exciting times for all iPod fans as Apple plan to push Sony and Nintendo all the way for handheld gaming devices.

Spore is a very well designed game that takes reality to a new level. It became available in the US on iTunes only a few days ago.

However, by this morning the game had been removed from iTunes, and there’s no sign of it on the UK store either.

Judging by comments on the MacRumors story and forums that first reported the game’s availability, there may have been some technical gremlins in the game, with several users saying it hung at the title screen.

However, alot of people got it to work, and it seems the game will follow the pattern of the mobile and iPhone versions, with you guiding your Spore around primordial ooze eating smaller things and avoiding bigger things - while upgrading your Spore with new parts every so often.

We’ll have to wait and see if the Apple iPod game reappears this week, or if its release will be held back until the other versions of the game go on sale early next month.

iPod Car Kit Direct get asked lots about the best way to control your iPod from your OEM car stereo. In short, there is no simple answer! It all depends on your vehicle and the capabilities of the stereo inside. For very limited stereos like the ones seen in Renault vehicles (purely for example purposes) the best way would be to either set the interface to iPod control so you can do as you please from a cradle mounted on your dash, OR to set up playlists of your favourite music and save them as CD1 through to CD5 for quick access from the steering controls and radio.

For those of you who have a more advanced stereo seen in the likes of BMW, Audi, Mercedes etc etc, your best option is the option you feel most comfortable with because the iPod is your oyster! You can pretty much do completely as you please! Whether it be search for songs, albums, artists, playlists or just set it to shuffle. This can all be done from the stereo! Of course if you like, control can still be reverted back to the iPod at the flick of a few buttons.

Dension worked hard on mastering these interfaces for years and have cracked it 100%! Most brands who try to walk the path of Dension fail miserably as they simply dont have the experience and resources.

Call or email our staff for any questions that you might have about Dension, Dice, iPods, Integration - pretty much anything! We are more than happy to help.

Theres great news for you guys who simply love Dension iPod Car Kits! We have decided to lower our prices and pushed further away from anyone else selling iPod Car Kits.

The old prices (including a Dension Dock Cable or a Dension Active Cradle) came in at £104.96, with the new price updates, they are now coming to you at £99.93!!!

This is to push Dension as a brand and to allow our customers a better experience when trying to hook up their iPods into their cars. Sure, it means less money for iPod Car Kit Direct but our ultimate goal is to assist our loyal customers!

We have been hitting stumbling blocks recently with misconceived ideas about FM Modulation when connecting an Apple iPod into your vehicle. Understandably, people get confused between Modulation and Transmission. We are here to set the record straight as these thoughts couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here are a few questions that we get asked and our answers:

Will I receive interference?

Absolutely not, no. There are a number of features that make sure this isn’t possible with Modulation;

·         It doesn’t transmit through airwaves as it is fully hard wired so radio stations signals cannot be received by your iPods signal.

·         As it’s fully hard-wired, the iPods signal is being sent down a wire, just like you would expect from an Auxiliary wire or a CD Changer wire.

·         The Modulator kits have a electrical "on/off" switch which physically block out your cars aerial when the iPod is connected to the kit, meaning that your aerial isn’t even connected.

Does it charge the iPod?

It does indeed. All the iPods will receive a full charge from the iPod car kit.

How hard is it to install?

Installation takes about 30 minutes at the maximum. The kit just needs to plug in to the rear of the stereo, it’s that simple.

How good will the audio quality be?

This will be similar to what you would expect from DAB, very close to CD Quality. On 99.9% of installations, you won’t be able to tell the difference between the iPod and your CDs, especially when you take into account the road noise coming from the car.

Why can’t I have a fully integrated kit like the Dension Gateway devices or the Dice Electronics Car Kits?

There are a few things that might stop you being able to use a fully integrated kit:

·         Your stereo doesn’t have a CD Changer port, therefore not being able to connect into the cars stereo

·         Your stereo simply isn’t good enough, this could be due to the lack of processing speed, the lack of software support or even because it is too advanced!

·         You just might not want to spend the amount of money that a fully integrated car kit costs

Are there any advantages of having a Modulator over an integrated kit?

There are a few, yes. Firstly the price, the Universal Modulator kits from Dension and Dice come in at £69.97 and £79.97 respectively. This can be a saving of around £40 over a fully integrated iPod Car Kit. Secondly, the kits come as standard with the iPod connection, unlike the integrated kits where you have to add the cable or cradle into the kit. Thirdly, the installation can be easier; it could save you an hour of labor!

We hope this might clear a few things up for you guys, if not then you are more than welcome to contact us at anytime.

iPod Car Kit Direct are trying to make your Christmas more enjoyable than you could imagine, we are working hard trying to think of ways to make sure that your budget gets you exactly what you need!

The largest selling item at Christmas time in the last 4 years has been Apple iPods, this is set to continue this year with Apple predicting HUGE sales!

With this in mind, iPod Car Kits are a perfect present!

Last Year iPod Car Kit Direct sold thousands of Dension Gateway kits in December, this year we aim to bring you more choice!

From the first of November onwards, iPod Car Kit Direct have a special offer on every single Dice Electronics iPod Car Kit product that we sell! This special offer includes a 10% discount.

Sign up to the ICKD newsletter for the coupon code and more info!

For the last few months here at iPod Car Kit Direct, we have been racking our brains to find even more added value for our loyal customers. What could we offer to make your visit better?

There were plenty of ideas flying around the iPod Car Kit Direct offices but one of the ones that seemed the most useful was to start reviewing products such as the Apple iPods, iPod Cases, iPod Car Kits, iPod Applications, iPod Games, iPod tips and tricks and more! This is hopefully a feature that we will be bringing more of over the next year or so.

So here is the first review and what a place to start our review crusade on the new Apple iPod Touch 2nd Generation (We have tested the 8GB version but all 3 models are the same other than the obvious storage size). The Apple iPod Touch 2G looks set to parade itself along high street shops in the knowledge that it is simply the best portable media device available. This is made possible by some very simple alterations at Apple HQ…

We received our sample unit and unpacked. The first thing that was noted was the pure quality of the packaging, now we know that packaging doesn’t really effect the product BUT it does help to create a sense of excitement and tension as you just cant wait to get the thing open! It was neatly packed by Apple in its own little postage packaging box made specifically for the Apple iPod Touch 2G, a nice added bonus! There it was, inside, all shiny and full of confidence, I couldn’t wait to turn it on and get it going!

Once open we noticed the subtle design change to the back of the iPod. It has a new wrap around chrome back which isnt flat like the last iPod Touch, it warps itself around the front of the iPod so its visable when your navigating. Turning it on was a dream come true, this is what its all about…

The iPod functions in the same way as the older iPod Touch with a few very subtle design changes in the graphic layout, very pleasing on the eye. It sounds just as good, looks better and has the added bonus of the following features:

Accelerometer Graphics and Gaming: With its groundbreaking technologies, iPod touch puts an amazing gaming experience in the palm of your hand. These groundbreaking technologies built into iPod touch 2G — such as the Multi-Touch display, accelerometer and 3D graphics — immerse you in the action.

Musical Genius: The new Genius feature turns iPod touch into a highly intelligent, personal DJ. With a few taps, it creates a playlist by finding songs in your library that go great together. This is done using song tempo, song genres, song beats and more! Such an intelligent feature!

Applications: Taking advantage of its hugely powerful gaming pedigree, you can now play games and use applications easier than ever!

In conclusion, BOY are we impressed with this kit! We just really dont want to send it back to Apple! Gutted!

10/10 - The best Portable Media solution just got better! We didnt even think it was possible!

Christmas is a special time for everybody. iPod Car Kit Direct are trying to make it easier on the wallet by giving you guys the chance to save lots of money on your essential presents. Whether it be cases for Apple iPods, Apple iPod Car Kits, Dension iPod Car Kits, Dice iPod Car Kits, Apple iPod leads, Apple iPod Cradles, Damage free brackets, we have the lot!

Every month until the big day, we will be offering discount coupons through our newsletter. Pop onto our homepage and sign up on the left and we will email you the coupons as soon as they are out!

Please expect discounts like free delivery and percentages off.

As Christmas is drawing near, in car network have decided to make it that little bit easier on your wallet when purchasing your iPod equipment. We have decided to create one special offer per month until Christmas.

October’s special offer is free delivery to all UK Mainland customers when ordering Dice RDS FM Modulators.

The Dice are one of the leading brands of iPod car kits. Based in the USA they produce integrated kits for a range on cars and a very competent RDS FM Modulator that is universal providing you have a European ISO Aerial, so basically you can connect it to 99.9% of European stereos both factory and aftermarket…

The iPod Car Kit connects directly into the Aerial on the back of the headunit that provides an excellent signal interface that also reduces the chance of interference from other FM broadcasting stations and devices that FM Transmitters can’t block out. The Dice RDS FM also charges your iPod when it’s playing and provides RDS Track information if the headunit is compatible.

The Dice kit is provided with a dock cable for easy access and can be mounted anywhere in the car with the use of brodit mounting brackets and passive cradles depending on your iPod.

To claim your free delivery on the Dice RDS FM

type OCT_DICE into the coupon section when ordering

After spending a week over in the States with Dice Electronics, we have some exciting news. There is soon to be a new Dice iPod Car Kit to go in development for the VW-Audi group which will allow ID3 tagging and track info from the Apple iPod and iPhone on the vehicle screen!

Just how this is to be achieved is unknown by iPod Car Kit Direct at the moment but we have been assured that Dice’s secret has been tested and works fine.

This isn’t expected to be released until late 2009 but the anticipation is already kicking in as news spreads. Dension are sure to combat this kit with one of their own… Watch this space.

The Launch of a new range of iPods always brings an air of excitement to all iPod fans. The New nano 4

^th

Gen dubbed “the thinnest iPod ever” has been the worst kept secret with in Apple’s recent history, images of the Nano were posted on and around many internet forums several days before the iPod was supposed to be released.

The new Nano has been totally redesigned from the previous shorter fatter shape of the Nano 3^rd Gen it now stands tall and thin resembling the first & second generation versions. Although styled on the first generation’s of the Nano the 4^th gen has been thoroughly modernised creating a much easier on the eye style. The Case is now curved oval shape, with the glass screen matching the aluminium housing.

The newest feature of the iPod Nano 4^th is the inclusion of the accelerometer, previously seen in the iPhone. This device allows you to shuffle tracks by simply shaking the iPod, the tracks will then automatically randomise. Another cool Nano feature is Cover Flow technology which allows you to browse album covers when the iPod is turned onto its side.

The good news for Dension owners is that the new iPod Nano 4^th gen and revised iPod Touch will work with the Dension Gateway systems if the newer firmware has been installed. Problems were caused earlier in the year when Apple changed the way the iPhone 3G charges to a newer 5V system, that the previous Gateway could not support. The Nano 4^th gen also has the 5v charging system so will work perfectly with the Dension Gateway. However due to the new shape of the Nano the Active cradle inserts may not accept the Nano 100% correctly so for the mean time its best to connect via the Dock Cable that will accept all iPods.