Mopar Division of Chrysler Group launched a wireless charging system for mobile phones. It uses a special housing and a plate at the board of the car.

Chrysler Group will be the first concern that will provide a wireless charging system of mobile phones in cars. Mopar Division of the American car manufacturer introduced, for the first in the automotive industry, a wireless charger for mobile phones, which works through a special housing and a charging plate. Rivals from General Motors also presented a similar system to CES 2011, but Chrysler was the first to introduce this system into production.

“At Mopar, we seek every opportunity to make life easier for our customers,” said the company director, Pietro Gorlier. “Our unique system in the industry is in the perfect solution to connect customers who are always on the go”.

The charging plate is installed at the bottom of the center console and works only when the phone is placed in the special area and the engine is started. Customers need a special housing designed for many types of mobile phones. The system costs $ 199.99 plus installation costs. Chrysler will offer this system on Dodge Dart, the U.S. brother of Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

                                                                                                Airbagit.com does it AGAIN!!

Since 1992, airbagit.com has been the leader in innovative new products for air suspension systems.  And, with the introduction of it’s futuristic, all new Smart Ride Controller, airbagit.com has done it AGAIN! Designed, and developed with typical, high ingenuity airbagit.com technology, the Smart Ride Controller allows you to control your air suspension system FROM your smart phone and/or tablet….no other product on the market comes close. The airbagit.com Smart Rides Controller is compatible with all air management systems and all popular smart phones & tablets. Simply purchase the Bluetooth controller kit from airbagit.com and you will be able to control your air suspension from your smart phone and/or tablet. For more information, including installation and pricing for the Smart Rides component kit, simply go to www.airbagit.com and enter SMART in the search box, then click on install instructions. Airbagit.com, 260 S. Hibbert, Mesa, AZ, 85210, 800 682-8789

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Opel and SAIC are working on a new generation of three and four-cylinder engines equipped with direct injection and supercharging. The units will provide a 10% lower consumption and higher torque.

At the Geneva Motor Show, Opel officials have announced the some short-term plans of the company. Among them is the launch of a new generation of efficient engines with three cylinders, candidate at the small propulsion of Junior, Opel’s proposal in the mini segment, scheduled to debut in September at the Paris Motor Show.

The new engines will be developed with the Chinese from SAIC, General Motors partners, with whom Americans will try to align to the downsizing trend. The collaboration will give rise to 1.0 and 1.4 liter units, with three and four-cylinder engines, direct injection and supercharging equipped, ready to offer a substantial improvement and resource consumption.

It goes without saying that the engines will meet Euro 6 emission standards. They will also provide a fuel economy lower by 10% and torque 20% higher.

In addition, there will be new diesel versions, operated with a fresh 1.6-liter engine, in line with the requirements of the European market and what competitors already offer in the small, compact and medium segment. According to Jeff Lux, head of Opel engine development, the 1.6-liter diesel unit and its gasoline counterpart will replace some current engines by 2020. Insignia is the leading candidate.

Kenwood Intro’s Ford Sync Radio Replacement

Kenwood’s recent ads regarding its Intro’s Ford Sync Radio Replacement stirred a number of reactions from both car and radio enthusiasts. It is simply because users are quite confused regarding its real value and purpose. For some car owners, replacing their factory radio units with this one is a good and viable choice. However, since many of the car owners are quite apprehensive to try this new option, more and more questions are being asked and in the short run, these questions are somewhat addressed in a not-so-clear fashion.

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Directus has done it again. Last year they introduced a car kit named Prodigy One which offered mapping, navigation, internet connectivity, backup camera and Bluetooth. It also included options for add-ons like radar detector and GPS tracking. It came with its own dash touch screen. Although Prodigy One Pro offered a lot of new features it lacked one main futuristic feature – Voice Control.

A recent survey conducted by Herman reveals that every 7 out of 10 drivers want voice control including talk-to-type email and voice texts. 70% people think that voice controls make the driving safer in-dash or touch inputs 97% people are more afraid of drivers who are texting while being at the wheel. These statistics are really illuminating and give an insight of what drivers ACTUALLY want.

Directus hit the bull’s eye by introducing exactly that in a new upgrade and naming it PRODIGY ONE PRO. It is the one of a kind aftermarket car kit that offers Mirror Link (Formerly Terminal Mode) that allows the user to “mirror” your smartphone onto the LCD of the car. Mirror link is quite a useful innovation that allows you to integrate your smartphone with your car and thus remaining in touch with your world while you are on the go. Its best feature, like Prodigy One, is its ability to integrate with virtually all of the aftermarket radios like Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, Clarion and Jensen as well as OEM radios in Cadillac, FIAT, Dodge, Nissan, Infiniti etc.

Prodigy One Pro also offers several apps including but not limited to, Mapping App and Voice Text app that reads your Texts aloud and lets you respond by talking, the app will do the writing job for you. It also introduces a Match Local app that works like a “drive by Groupon”. For instance, you are passing by Starbuck then you can also receive a 10% discount on some specific products. At present, only certain apps can show on the mirror link. Although this may sound a little restricted at first but when we consider the fact the Prodigy Pro also offers all the features of Prodigy One along with its new features then it surely becomes tempting and irresistible. There are featured options for Bluetooth, Wifi, a radar detector, a 4-way night-vision camera with recording and guess what? A  Mobile DTV (ATSC m/h digital TV) as well!

The Prodigy One Pro is currently supportable to Android Devices only supporting Android version 2.3 (Gingerbread) and above. Directus announced that Prodigy One Pro will be available in the consumer market in the first quarter of 2012 and will cost around $899 for Pioneer Radios and $3,500 for Cadillac Radios.

With so many convenient features to offer, Prodigy One Pro has raised the stakes higher for other Car Kits developers. In our opinion, Prodigy One Pro worth its price tag. After all, it is an Editor’s Choice Award winner by Popular Mechanics during SEMA. With so much to offer it is our recommendation to surely go for it as it offers the technology of the future and convenience you always dreamed of.