iSimple, today announced that its award-winning iPod and portable media integration solution is now compatible with most late-model Nissan and Hyundai vehicles. The addition of Nissan and Hyundai makes the iSimple system compatible with the factory systems in over 69 million vehicles in the United States, including most late-model Acura, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Isuzu, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercury, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Scion, Toyota and Volkswagen vehicles. iSimple products are sold through Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, and other specialty electronics and car audio retailers across the country.

iSimple offers true hardwired interface solutions that allow car owners to directly interface their iPod or other portable audio source directly into their vehicle’s factory-installed entertainment system, providing crystal clear, static-free sound and unparalleled ease of use. The product provides real integration between today’s popular portable audio devices and the advanced sound systems in most late-model cars, trucks and SUVs. iSimple gives drivers the opportunity to interface their iPod or iPhone directly to their vehicle – as well as input audio from a GPS or a satellite radio receiver– while maintaining the look, feel and functionality of the original factory system. The iSimple kit can also be upgraded with an optional iSimple HD Radio tuner, to provide even more in-vehicle listening options.

According to Ron Freeman, CEO of AAMP of America, “We are thrilled to deliver iSimple to drivers of late-model Nissan and Hyundai vehicles. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and in the world of car audio that ‘weak link’ is usually the bridge between an iPod or other portable device and the factory-installed sound system. The iSimple approach is based on overcoming this fatal flaw by providing a true hardwired integration that allows users to take full advantage of their high-quality digital sound files. And when you add in the ability to expand the iSimple interface with our HD Radio tuner, you get a system that is far superior to any other on the market today.

The newest iSimple-compatible vehicles include: Hyundai’s Accent (08), Azera (08), Elantra (08), Entourage (08), SantaFe (08) and Veracruz (08), and Nissan’s 350Z (07-08), Altima (05-08), Armada (08), Frontier (07-08), Maxima (05-08), Pathfinder (08), Quest (07-08), Rogue (08), Sentra (07-08), Titan (04-08), Versa (07-08) and Xterra (07-08).

A new Sat Nav guide will alert people driving around France to its greatest historical sites as they tour the country. The low-cost software, which works on GPS equipment such as market leader Garmin, responds to satellite prompts as cars approach places of historical interest throughout France, delivering fascinating information narrated by a friendly voice through the Sat Nav. It means motorists will no longer remain oblivious to the cultural treasures around them as they cruise along the roads of France.

The software package, costing £19.95 for a download, features a total of 620 sites in France. Each location has been carefully researched and created, over 3 years, providing the listener with an engaging 2 minutes of commentary as they approach or drive by.

Through the launch of this innovative product, French partner ZeVisit, which works with many of the tourism agencies and offices in France, saw an opportunity to reach the Sat Nav generation. “At ZeVisit, we strongly believe that audio is the only media that can make you feel strong emotions. What better than making every journey an emotional journey full of stories and imagination as well?” said Yann Le Fichant, CEO of ZeVisit.

RoadTour’s inventor, Daniel Taylor found that driving the roads of Europe could be a highly frustrating experience; “Sat Navs are great in getting us from A to B but hopeless at connecting us with the rich heritage of Europe” said Daniel. “There are times driving France’s clear motorways, when you might as well be driving through England for all you’re finding out. Our goal with our French partner, Zevisit, is to bring France’s fascinating history, beautiful environment and rich culture to the millions of people who sometimes just drive straight to Provence, barely stopping for fuel on the way”.

RoadTour works with Garmin Sat Nav equipment to trigger audio commentary and pictures of key attractions, including towns, villages, castles and battlefields. The system does not require the driver or passengers to touch any buttons since the audio just pops up, in a similar way to the traffic warnings on the radio. And for those more interested in directions than history…RoadTour even pauses for traffic directions!

Examples of commentaries include Rouen and Alsace;

“We’re in the middle of the 14th Century and it is half past eight in the morning in La place de Vieux Marché in Rouen. Joan of Arc is being brought to the centre of Rouen in a cart, her head shaved and escorted by 120 British soldiers. The Bishop of Beauvais, who supports England, reads the sentence for herecy, “We declare that you, Joan, corrupt member, must be rejected from the unity of the Church so that you won’t contaminate the other members. For this we reject you, we remove you and abandon you”. An immense crowd came to see the execution. Afterwards, when the executioner put out the fire, he got a huge surprise; Joan or Arc’s heart had remained intact! Because the English feared it would become a relic, they decided to throw her remains into the Seine and since then it is said that the Seine from Rouen to the sea is holy. When nearly 20 years later, the King of France, Charles the 7th, took back Normandy from the English, he ordered a cross to be erected in her memory on La Place de Vieux Marché.”

“Alsace became part of Germany in 1871, when a far reaching city planning project was set in motion. The German empire decided to move its political and administrative headquarters to the old city centre of Strasbourg, close to La Place de la Republique…this is truly several cities in one. It is a city that is Catholic, Protestant and Jewish all at once and the three architectural styles co-exist marvellously. According to local, Roger Siffert, Strasbourg is like a very beautiful woman wearing a superb tuxedo but with tennis shoes or boots on her feet…in Alsace, they would say ‘pretty like a punch in the eye’!”

Powertraveller, the UK manufacturer of power and charging solutions for electronic devices, has opened the cage and unleashed two new beasts - the powergorilla, a portable charger for laptops and its ‘mate’, the solargorilla, a solar panel capable of powering a laptop.

Available separately but designed to work together if required, these two devices are capable of handling the power needs of laptop users worldwide.

• Weighing in at 631g and measuring 2200 mm x 130 mm x 15 mm, a fully charged powergorilla will give laptop users between 2-6 hours of extra power and over 20 hours on various other devices including mobiles, iPods and hand-held game consoles.

• The powergorilla is capable of powering and charging laptops ranging from 16V, 19V or 24V – just select which voltage is required and the LCD screen will indicate which setting has been chosen.

• Included with the powergorilla are 15 interchangeable tips for the most popular laptop brands, as well as tips for the leading makes of mobile phones and other hand-held digital gadgets.

• The powergorilla offers the option to ‘daisy-chain’ - whilst the powergorilla is charging your laptop you can charge the powergorilla from the mains power supply or from the solargorilla. Alternatively, the powergorilla can power a laptop and recharge other digital devices at the same time.

• At the heart of the powergorilla beats a high energy density Lithium Polymer rechargeable battery (capacity: 21000mAh ). The powergorilla can be charged either via the mains using the included worldwide A/C mains charger (to fully charge, allow 5-6 hours) or direct from the sun via the solargorilla (6 hours in strong sunlight will charge a powergorilla by up to a half).

• The solargorilla tips the scales at just 700g, measures 264 mm x 200 mm x 19 mm. Tough rubberised casing and water resistant, the solargorilla has a 20V power socket out and standard 5V USB socket. The solargorilla works via two PV (photovoltaic) solar panels which generate electric current when exposed to light – the greater the UV intensity, the greater the performance.

• To charge the powergorilla or to power a laptop, just open the two panels of the solargorilla, expose to direct sunlight and connect to either your laptop directly or to the powergorilla. The green LED on the solargorilla indicates the strength of charge.