Remember the recent unconfirmed quotes from the BBC that a version of the iPlayer was coming for the hallowed iPhone? Well in a surprise move, no doubt trying to gain a little momentum with today’s SDK furore, a limited selection of shows from the iPlayer have been made available to UK residents on their iPhones. It’s worth noting, however, that the service makes use of existing technologies on the iPhone — not anything announced today.

At the moment only the BBC-produced ‘Whistleblower’ documentary seems to be working from the iPlayer website, with content being streamed-only via the iPhone’s built-in QuickTime player — quite the surprise given the heavy use of Windows-only technologies until fairly recently — although we’d guess there’s more shows on the way.

Of course, it’s a beta service (when aren’t they?) so you may not be able to access all the content and the usual caveats apply. As ever, the iPlayer is only for UK residents.

We would like to inform anybody that are looking to buy Dension Gateway iPod kits from ANY source – whether it be online or offline – to be very careful.

iPodCarKitDirect & Dension have been informed of a number of “Grey stock” items which have been imported illegally or through the wrong channels are worming their way into the UK market.

When buying an iPod kit for your car, please double check that the items you ordering are legitimate otherwise the Dension warranty will be void. If you are aware of anybody selling these kits then please inform ourselves.

There are VERY FEW legitimate online dealers of Dension iPod kits, for a full list visit the following link:

http://www.dension.com/dealers.php

OK, so you are probably thinking “How do i tell if the people selling me the Dension kit are buying them from the correct source?” Well the answer is simple:

When you buy, ask the retailer if they can tell you the serial number on the item, the serial number is always found on a Dension sticker on the bottom of the unit. If they cannot provide this then they don’t have one – meaning that the stock is NOT to be trusted.

If you already have an item purchased from anywhere which doesn’t have a sticker then please contact them to discuss.

Dension have been working very hard behind the scenes to make sure that all you guys with new Apple iPod’s and the new Apple iPhone can have them mounted on your dash in a cradle.

Previously, if you wanted a Dension Gateway kit that would hold your iPod or iPhone, you would have to have gone for the Dension Dock Cable and stored your iPod or iPhone in your glove box – NOT ANY MORE.

Dension have just released sleeves/inserts which will come with the Dension Active Cradle as standard on any order from now on. They will allow all new iPods to fit into the Dension Active Cradle as well as the iPhone.

This is very exciting news for our customers, many of which have been waiting for this for a long time!

If you already have a Dension Active Cradle and DON’T have the sleeve/insert for the new iPods and iPhone then fear not, these will be available soon to be purchased separately.

Brodit and iPod Car Kit Direct have been working very hard on producing the highest quality iPod mounts and passive cradles for a very long time indeed. The latest batch of items will hold all the new iPods into a passive cradle in your car without damaging the dashboard.

The cradles will work with the following Apple iPods:

The Apple iPhone (all hard disc sizes)
The Apple iPod Classic 5th Generation (All sizes)
The Apple iPod Nano 3rd Generation (All sizes)

To view these items just simply click “iPod Mounting” on the left hand of our website underneath the “products” bar. Then click “Passive Cradle”

Due to the high demand for this item and a good platform, Dension have decided to expand the capabilities of the Dension Gateway Bluetooth Adapter. Expected features include phonebook browsing, music streaming from your phone, text capability (on supported cars and phones) and a few other little tricks which we are keeping up our sleeves.

Dension are due to split the original Gateway bluetooth adapter (the BTA1000) into two separate parts:

The Dension BTA1500 Bluetooth Adapter, specifically designed for the Dension Gateway 500 on all platforms (BMW, Audi, Porsche, Saab, Volvo, Mercedes) and will definitely feature phonebook display.

The Dension BTA2000 Bluetooth Adapter, designed for all other Dension Gateway models including the Dension Gateway 100, the Dension Gateway 300 & the long awaited Dension Gateway 200i (for when it finally arrives – most probably near December 2008).

The Dension bluetooth adapter is just another chapter in Densions push to continue to be the worlds number one iPod Car Kit specialists. Dension seems very confident that these new designs will be knocking on iPod Car Kit Directs doors within 2 or 3 months. Prepare yourself for the ULTIMATE integration!

iPod Car Kit Direct recently had a stand over at a big car show. We had plans to try and push the idea that FM modulators are “crap” for lack of a better word.

For a long time now FM modulators have been misconceived and people automatically link them to a transmitter, this is the biggest misconception that you are likely to make when trying to find an iPod kit to connect into your factory fitted radio.

We at iPod Car Kit Direct want to redesign the way people think when they see FM Modulators. The effect we had when we changed peoples minds on the matter was astonishing. Most people were seriously amazed with the quality of audio through the Dension and DICE FM Modulator kits.

An FM Modulator doesn’t send FM signals through any airwaves or to any satellites and back down to the stereo. It connects into the stereo hard wired, sending a digital signal down a wire. The quality is comparable to DAB signals and when the iPod is connected the car aerial is disconnected through an automatic switch in the kit.

We were pleased with the reaction of people at the show and will continue to develop and push FM modulation for people who cant get a fully integrated kit for their iPod or just simply don’t have the budget.

Pure iPod Audio Through Car Speakers

Ahh, the wonders of technology. Whether you’re on an airplane, in the library, or walking the dog, the iPod lets your ears easily access your entire music library with a few mere button-taps.

Unless, of course, you’re in your car. It’s a pity that most automobiles and iPods don’t play together so well, and certainly you’ll get nowhere without peripherals. There have been creative solutions from FM transmitters to tape adapters and auxiliary-input additions, each with its consequences- none of them, for example, delivers audio quality that fully satisfies true audiophiles.

One of the newest contenders is Dension’s ICE-Link, a clever device that uses the pre-wired CD-changer ports in most modern-day vehicles to directly jack your iPod into your vehicle’s audio system. And we think ICE-Link’s long overdue.

The ICE-Link ships in a nondescript white box, including only the hardware and a basic set of textless installation instructions. This is a fancy enough device that Dension assumes either that you know what you’re doing when it comes to installing, or that you’ll be getting it installed professionally. This doesn’t mean however that you will struggle to fit it! Installation can take around 15 minutes for even a DIY novice.

As Dension’s web site explains the device contents “vary from kit to kit.” Every ICE-Link order is customized by vehicle year, make, and model, as well as the version of your iPod. The delivered kit will thereby, in theory, work with the pre-existing cabling found within your car, as well as with your specific model of iPod.

Suffice to say, you won’t open the box to find something simple and basic; ICE-Link looks like it was built from parts that were previously laying about at Al & Ed’s Autosound. That isn’t to say the thing isn’t of the highest quality – it absolutely is. But it has a slight feeling of having been thrown together by hand, albeit skilled, gentle hands that knew exactly what they were doing.

No matter what vehicle you specify in your order, you will get something that interfaces either with the CD-Changer ports in the trunk of your vehicle, or that can be installed in a behind-the-radio configuration. If you have a question of which you will be receiving, or have a preference, ring Dension’s knowledgeable phone or email-support department before you order.

To purchase one of these kits visit Dension official re-seller http://wwwipodcarkitdirect.co.uk

Connecting to a separately sold universal mounting cradle that’s equipped with Dock Connector and video output ports (for color 4G and 5G iPods only), DICE Electronics’ latest series of iPod Integration Kits are vehicle-specific – very vehicle-specific. These kits provide a line-quality audio connection and charging interface for your Dock Connecting iPod, allowing you to control your iPod through your car’s existing stereo system. Some cars support the display of iPod text on their radio screens; others don’t.

Apple has posted three new iPhone advertisements on its website, including one which was featured in this evening’s broadcast of “CSI: Miami.” Alongside ”Bet,” which focuses on the device’s Internet features under the premise of winning a bet, is ”Music Store,” which shows off the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store’s music browsing, previewing, purchasing, and downloading features while the narrator speaks about doing the same activities in a traditional brick-and-mortar music store. Finally, ”Brilliant” focuses on the iPhone’s Google Maps application, highlighting the location feature, in concert with the directions feature. All three commercials are now available for viewing at apple.com/iphone.

According to the latest ChangeWave survey, more than one-third (35%) of respondents planning on buying a smartphone in the next 90 days plan on purchasing an iPhone, a 12 percent jump from the previous survey. In addition, ten percent of respondents said the announcements made at Apple’s iPhone Software Roadmap event made them more likely to buy the device in the future. Smartphone market share numbers for the iPhone jumped, increasing three points to 9%, behind only Palm, which fell for the seventh straight survey to 16%, and RIM, which maintains a sizable lead with a 42% share of the market. Customer satisfaction numbers for the iPhone also remain high, with 79% of iPhone-toting respondents saying they are very satisfied with the device. The survey of nearly 3,600 consumers was conducted on March 17-24. Add to this, the expectation that apple will sell 15% more iPod’s this year – 2008 is looking MASSIVE!