Parrot ASTEROID brings Android to the car receiver


Generally, I am very pleased with what I see from Parrot at CES every year. Last year, it was the AR.Drone, and this year, it is the ASTEROID.

The ASTEROID is a car receiver that works on the Android operating system. If it is connected to a GPS dongle, which is provided, and a 3G key, which is not provided, it is capable of giving information like traffic and construction alerts.

Parrot ASTEROID also includes Parrot Maps, a cartography service that enables the identification of streets and businesses close to the vehicle. This allows the user to zoom on an address and hands-free dialing of the phone number or even plan an itinerary.

Since the ASTEROID is where the radio would be on a car, it wouldn’t be right if it couldn’t do music. It can play tunes from various sources that include the iPhone/iPod, MP3 player, SD card, and USB key. Music files can also sent to the ASTEROID via Bluetooth. Additional features of the ASTEROID include hands-free telephony, with access to the phonebook through text-to-speech.

The ASTEROID will be available in Europe in the first quarter of 2011, and will arrive in the United States in the second quarter. The price is to be announced.

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