Oakley and Motorola have joined forces to design the first Bluetooth glasses. The result is a successful partnership between the worlds of design and high technology. The glasses feature a built-in Bluetooth V2.1 module, which can be used to pair a mobile phone and make/receive calls in hands-free mode. According to your preference, this module, weighing a mere 20 g, can be fixed to left or right arm of the glasses. The product offers 6 hours of talk-time and 120 hours in standby mode.
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The Bluetooth craze has reached Hollywood. Kiosks will soon be available at the entrance to cinemas for downloading trailers, ringtones and pictures onto mobile phones. Projects are announced for New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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The law that has just come into force in Chicago, which slaps a $50 to $200 fine on the use of mobile phones at the steering wheel, but allows the use of hands-free kits, has inundated distributors with demands. Sales volumes have multiplied by five. Americans are taking advantage of the new legislation to swap their old phone for a Bluetooth mobile phone.
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Once again, the sales charts bear testament to the vitality of the CK3100: product deliveries have outstripped forecasts by 20% for the first six months of the year...
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As from September 2005, the Easydrive, CK3000 Evolution and CK3100 will be available in 19 languages: Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.
BLUETOOTH® IN TUNE WITH THE CAR STEREO!
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The breakneck pace set by the Bluetooth technology shows no signs of letting up. The technology continues to spread in the motor industry and is now preparing to break new ground with the combination of car stereos and mobile phones, which promises to be a huge market.
A market with 100 million units
Although the mobile phone market is one of the largest in the world with a billion units every year, the car stereo market continues to stand as a major sector in the electronics industry with 100 million units. « Despite the efforts made by manufacturers, there are still more car stereos sold around the world in the aftermarket than in the original equipment (OE) market », advises Henri Seydoux, CEO of Parrot.
The ratio is 60 million replacement units to 40 million OE units. The car stereo therefore represents a prime target for developing the Bluetooth technology. A number of manufacturers have already flooded this new market segment with models featuring the Bluetooth function or Bluetooth kits that connect to the car stereo. |
« These products are mainly used for hands-free telephony by making and receiving calls," Parrot's CEO reveals. "They are car stereos that incorporate a Bluetooth module, whereas we are following another approach. Above all, we are Bluetooth specialists and we are looking to widen our product range with a Bluetooth car stereo.
First of all, it is a good hands-free kit, to which we have added the audio function by drawing on all of Parrot's know-how in sound processing and expertise in the telecoms world and complex software. For example, the Parrot car stereo synchronises with the mobile's phonebook - it is a real extension of the mobile phone » |
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The key stages in the history of car stereos
1929: invention of the car stereo by Paul Gavin (Motorola)
1970: appearance of the cassette player
1975: emergence of the first compact car stereo (Pioneer)
1980: appearance of CDs
1990: appearance of the RDS function (Radio Data System)
1995: first tests in Sweden of DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting), appearance of the GPS function in car stereos
2001: appearance of the MP3 function
2004: connection with the iPod (Apple)
2005: Bluetooth function
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A targeted approach for each market: the Parrot CK5000 module for the OEM… |
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To clearly understand the trend, a few explanations are called for. Parrot has the distinctive feature of addressing several market segments with its technology, which is based on a chipset (Parrot 4 +) and software expertise. That is why Parrot supplies the Bluetooth function for the OE market, as well as car kits for the aftermarket. Today, the company is able to supply an electronic card featuring the chipset and the entire software for controlling the Bluetooth functions and processing the signal. All of Parrot's expertise concentrated onto a card the size of a book of stamps! « With a chip and the software for only €7.50, we are in a position to help OEMs in the motor industry to generate large volumes », says Henri Seydoux enthusiastically. |
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| This represents a major asset for Parrot, which can now target an extended customer base, from manufacturers to car stereo companies, without forgetting manufacturers of navigation systems and telecoms operators. This last point is an important one, as Parrot is convinced that operators are going to place their money on audio streaming in the coming years.
The partnership agreement recently signed between Motorola and Apple to promote the iTunes download platform for mobile phones is just one example. As a result, it will soon be possible to select an MP3 track stored on a mobile phone and listen to it over the car's speakers, thanks to the Bluetooth technology.
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| ...an original offering for the aftermarket |
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People have every right to wonder why Parrot has decided to break into a highly competitive market in which several big names have been reigning supreme for decades - to which Henri Seydoux replies: « We were also up against the big names in telephony when we decided to get involved in Bluetooth, which did not stop Parrot from reaching its well-known success in the aftermarket. We actually had clear ideas on how to better integrate the function in a car stereo, both in terms of the mechanics involved and the look & fee ». |
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Parrot's CEO likes to quote the example of Mercedes which, with steering wheel controls and a digital keypad on the dashboard screen, gives drivers very easy control over the audio system and phone. It draws its inspiration from the same philosophy to offer a user-friendly technology.
With the Parrot Rhythm ‘n’ Blue, destined for the aftermarket, a phone-style keypad makes it easy to dial numbers. « It is simpler to manage your text messages using the keypad than with the voice recognition feature », Henri Seydoux reckons. Another major advantage with the product is the two microphones built into the front panel, which help to reduce ambient noise and very accurately pick up the driver's voice when saying the name of the person to be called or answering a call. As regards the issues relating to the OE market, Parrot is focusing the spotlight on the performance of its Bluetooth module. The brand's expertise is unrivalled when it comes to compatibility with the Bluetooth phones on the market, the possibility of synchronising the phonebook, updating the software by Bluetooth or even adding innovative functions (GPS, anti-theft protection and tracking, emergency calls). The company particularly believes that limited series – which until now have merely integrated a module for Bluetooth telephony – will broaden to offer a more global service, including phone menus displayed on the car stereo.
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| Bluetooth - soon to play a key role in car stereos? |
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« Our product is open-ended and will enable our distributors to reach even more customers », insists Henri Seydoux. At the time of the launch, it should not be forgotten that the distribution was calling out for such a product. Parrot hands-free kit retailers are sometimes both distributors and car stereo fitters.
The brand can also capitalise on the reliability of its aftermarket kits and its technical expertise: two arguments that already appear to have won over major car stereo manufacturers. |
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| « Today, the Bluetooth function is only available on a handful of models, but we here at Parrot are convinced that it will set the standard in the future », Henri Seydoux adds. We should therefore expect to see car stereos communicating more and more...
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First regard on the PARROT RHYTHM ‘N’ BLUE
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The PARROT RHYTHM ‘N’ BLUE is the first car stereo manufactured by Parrot and sold under its brand, and combines the best of both worlds. For example, the product features all the basics of a modern car stereo with FM, RDS, CD, MP3 (CD-R, CD-RW), an LCD screen (seven display colours), an equaliser and DSP for audio signal processing. Furthermore, it includes all the Bluetooth functions of Parrot's CK 3100.
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In other words, compatibility with the majority of mobile phones on the market, phonebook synchronisation, caller ID display, voice recognition and audio quality (full duplex, echo cancellation and noise reduction). In addition, this car stereo breaks new ground with its phone-style keypad for selecting stations and dialling, without forgetting the ultra-flat remote control.
The ultimate advantage concerns the price. With a price tag of between 200 and 300 euros, the PARROT RHYTHM ‘N’ BLUE comes at the price of a hands-free kit.
It will be officially launched at the IAA exhibition in Frankfurt on 14 September, where the curtain will be lifted on its technical specifications, its final price and its packaging.
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Interview : Anthony Groyer, Bluetooth car stereo product manager
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How long did the project last?
« Less than a year. After an initial phase, where we took a close look at the car stereo market as well as the solutions for combining radio and Bluetooth phone functions, the decision was taken back in December to manufacture the product ourselves. At the beginning of the year, we selected specialised and well-known partners with an excellent track record in their field. |
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Then we defined the specifications. Subsequently, we returned to the site in the spring to finalise the technical aspects. We spent the summer carrying out the final series of tests prior to the launch of the Parrot Rhythm ‘n’ Blue. ».
Why did Parrot choose to manufacture this car stereo under its own brand?
« It allowed us to produce a time-to-market product. Basically, we had planned to devise the most effective way of integrating our Bluetooth module. But we thought that we could do better. That is why the car stereo features all the Bluetooth functions of the CK 3100, including a few innovations, such as the double microphone built into the front panel to reduce noise and the telephonic keypad on the front panel. ».
What did you gain from the project?
« It was a highly innovative project. In addition, we had to become familiar with the technologies in force for car stereos, such as RDS and MP3. These are just some of the characteristics that can be found in our Bluetooth car stereo. This product is an integration model with just one technical unit, which is fitted into the appropriate slot inside the car. ».
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