In Harman International's quest to deliver better audio quality in its home and automotive sound systems, Harman trains its focus groups to listen for specific frequencies in music, using an app available to the public.
With Android being such a success on the mobile market, automobile audio and information system developer Harman is jumping on the train by being the first to support the Android Open Accessory Protocol.
Sidney Harman 1918-2011
Philanthropist, triumphant entrepreneur, government servant and steward of journalism, Sidney Harman, executive chairman of The Newsweek Daily Beast Co., died last night. Jonathan Alter on the remarkable 92 years of a true polymath who built one of America's great companies.
Though Microsoft, RIM and possibly Google are already vying to be the center of the automotive infotainment push, a certain Finnish phone manufacturer says it wants to take charge. Nokia just tapped infotainment provider Harman to "standardize" the interface between phone and car. Like Harman's last in-dash venture, a touchscreen and physical controls will be the focus, while your handset (rather than an Intel Atom) does the heavy lifting. Connected via Bluetooth or USB, your Nokia will play music and deliver Ovi Maps, respond to voice control and more, with the entire phone display duplicated onto the car's larger touchscreen for easy access and a set of auto-specific apps planned for Nokia's Ovi Store. It all sounds pretty swell, but it's not clear how the companies intend to standardize anything beyond their balance sheets; we very much doubt Nokia will appreciate you connecting a Droid to their Ovi-powered car.
