Has anyone givin any thought on implementing more features?

Auto Mute for Cell phone calls.
Uploading pictures from digital camera for storage?
Contact management? Could be synced up with your laptop or desktop.
Voice Controll
Voice Recorder
GPS with driving directions.
Cell phone dialer from contact list.

Thanks,
Matthew

If you want all that you should just purchase a AutoPC. They are coming out with an MP3 player soon.

How bout more features such as:
1. More buttons like a mute?, station preset buttons, source select button. anything that prevents menus while driving.
2. Multi colored display.
3. Big volume knob.

Is this thing ready for US station frequencies? How bout Japan?

Hear my mp3's at www.mp3.com/quank

Yes, it has mute (on the play/pause button, so it works in a similar way to muting/pausing an mpeg). Station presets are up/down on the front panel, or direct access via the numeric keypad on the remote. Source select is on the remote (one press) but via menus on the unit.

Multicoloured display isn't possible with VFDs (well, not a bitmap one anyway). Volume is done by pressing and holding the left/right buttons. It's pretty effective.

It's fine 88-108Mhz. We don't support japan's FM band though. In the US you can tell it to tune in 0.2Mhz increments.

Hugo

Yea, but can the AutoPC mp3 player store 14GB or music? and will it be "upgradable" like the CAR empeg? I've seen a few other car mp3 players, but none are as good as empeg.... not that i've seen. Has anyone seen anything better for just playing music?


-CHiP

question:
has anyone really SEEN the empeg. I still havent heard of any starting in shipping

It was on demo at Linuxworld expo (March), MP3 summit and UK linux UG meeting(June), etc. They've shipped only to testers at the moment, but this should change *very* shortly.

Hugo

I have been more and more seriously considering an in car MP3 alternative in recent weeks, though I signed up for Empeg interest more than half a year ago. I took it upon myself to do as much research as I could before I would be asked to decide on my purchase of the Empeg. I spent several days researching options, the research continues. However from what I saw, though I researched more than 15 different models, as well as home projects, the Empeg is still the best, most functional, most suited to my needs. It is most suited to the need of simply playing music in your car, and lots of it. It is price competetive considering it's features and that it is not being produced by a very large company. It is a more open machine than most others. And it's apparent ship date is closer than most other comparable systems as well. Remember, it's not just Empeg that has delays. Pretty much every other Mp3 capable system out there has gone through shipping delays. In summary, though my research continues (the last real viable option for me is the Clarion AutoPC, though I need to find out more about it), at this point I would definately recommend the Empeg over any other in car audio solution in terms of convenience, functionality, customizability, price, etc. However if any of you would like some resources to do your own comparison and research, www.mp3.com has a fairly comprehensive listing of in car Mp3 players in their Mp3 hardware section. It's a good starting place. If you want any more info, feel free to e-mail me and I'll help if I can.

- JavaJones