| Product Spotlight - New Products
With our moon already conquered, explored, and perhaps peed on by Buzz Aldrin, and Mars not far away from the spray of good ol' American golden showers, the only thing left in this universe to overtake is, well...damn, what is there that Americans haven't usurped? Iraq was a slam-dunk, Palestine can't possibly win with their rocks, and, hell, North Korea is a push-of-a-button away from obliteration. The only place we can think of that we really have no idea about, coincidentally enough, is our own backyard. Just take a gander at what's out in the market today: GPS gadgets, Thomas Bros. Maps, Mapquest.com, OnStar, the map to your ex's house, and so on. In fact, you probably got lost inside the very store where you bought this magazine, and perhaps even got lost reading this very paragraph. Isn't it amazing how misplaced we are? Pioneer Electronics certainly thinks so and consequently created a device so advanced, it makes getting lost more entertaining than ever. And it didn't stop there, either. Since it made this revolutionary unit for cars, it pushed the envelope by adding safety, performance, and, of course, plenty of entertainment. Called the AVIC-N1, this head unit, made to fit in any car, combines futuristic elements with old-fashioned fundamentals.
Lost?There's no excuse for you to miss your own wedding with AVIC-N1's industry-first Memory Navigation, because everything from chapels to strip clubs can be found with a flick of the finger. Punch in the address and you're good to go. Of course, you'll need to insert the accompanying navigation map disc to search for a destination, but that won't stop you from inserting your favorite CD, MP3, or DVD. Why? Because once you insert the map disc and search for the neighborhood brothel, the unit automatically stores the route data in its internal memory, leaving you with the option to pop in Celine Dion's greatest hits, or perhaps Paris Hilton's latest underground DVD.
Power ControlsMuch like the American government, the AVIC-N1 has the power to monitor everything you do. Another industry first, its full-color Vehicle Dynamics Display helps you keep an eye on acceleration, braking, lateral G-force, speed, angular velocity, and slope in real time. It also displays voltage, a compass, and a clock. Sounds like Pioneer made this unit for the tuner in you. Or maybe it's just being a showoff. Either way, where else can you get all that info inside a unit that's supposed to just play your beloved George Michael CDs?
Watch Out!With all these potential diversions, you might think this component isn't safety friendly, right? Wrong! Not only is the front-seat video viewing unavailable while driving, you have the choice to add a rearview camera, allowing you to avoid that stray dog that's constantly sleeping behind your car. Nice!
Neck BreakerWe can't leave you with just the basics about the AVIC-N1; we must talk about the entertainment value. You know this head unit plays DVDs, CDs, and custom-mixed MP3s, but we failed to add that you could control all of them with a fully motorized touch screen. It's like going to the ATM but way better. To top it off, it's XM Ready-simply amazing. So amazing that we heard Pioneer is giving the Super Street staff one each...we hope. We'll buy that for a dollar!
The Low Down
MSRP: $2,000
Pros: The performance factor is simply amazing. We don't even know why anybody would need slope information.
Cons: Can't miss weddings, funerals, operas, and anything your girlfriend is forcing you to go to.
Verdict: You'd be stupid not to buy it.
AVIC-N1: Making police chases more pleasurable.