Todays & Tomorrows Technology

Pioneer isn't going for subtle here: the company just unleashed a flurry of in-dash navigators, with a considerable amount of accoutrements on display. The units range through the flagship AVIC-Z110BT (pictured), "midrange" AVIC-X710BT and X910BT, and the AVIC-U310BT for rich people on a budget. Seriously, with a starting price of $599, none of this is suited for the cheap-and-simple set, but at least Pioneer backs up those pricetags with serious functionality. In the high end, the Z110BT includes an tilt-out XGA 7-inch touchscreen, MSN Direct tuner (for traffic and other live info), 4GB of internal storage, CD and DVD playback, and Bluetooth. Comforts include both voice recognition ("Find the nearest Starbucks") and text-to-speech ("I wouldn't do that, Dave"), along with iPod control and support for optional rear seat monitors and wireless headphones. Of course, all those perks aren't cheap: the device retails for $1,600. The other units include smaller screens and subsets of the specs, on down to the 4.3-inch U310BT.

Pioneer has released three brand new A/V systems for home theater buffs that sport support for the iPod and iPhone. The new models are the VSX-819AH, the VSX-919AH and the VSX-1019AH, all of which actually improve your digital audio files’ sound quality.

All three feature Advanced Sound Retriever tech, which allows for dynamic sound. Plus, Auto Level Control makes sure all the tracks are played at the same level. The interface shows full color graphics including album art.

It also uses Auto Music-Mute if your iPhone is plugged in and you receive a call. You can get all three models now for prices ranging from $299 to $499, which considering the feature set, isn’t too bad.