#281802 - 22/05/2006 18:45
Empeg future?
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new poster
Registered: 22/05/2006
Posts: 1
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I'm new here - I love these Empegs - wonderful things beautifully built.
But my Q is what future do they now have with Alpine and its direct link Ipod connection and other manufacturers catching up fast?
What do others think?
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#281803 - 22/05/2006 19:06
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: wolfgang]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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The empeg's future is a small one. Most of us here don't think that Alpine or any other manufacturer is going to ever make a better device for listening to your own music collection in the car.
They will certainly make flashier ones, ones with bigger and better screens, ones with HD radio, ones with satelite radio, ones with navigation systems capable of guiding a spacegoing probe, but when it comes down to it, once you've learned how to use your empeg to the fullest extent, it's going to be far more powerful than any interface designed for selling stereos on the wall at best buy. Higherarcical playlists, tweak order, bookmarks, custom shuffles and wendy filters are all featurers that are probably not likely to see the light of day until AI gets to the point where you're talking with your car and asking it to play something that suits your mood, not interacting with the stereo.
At least, that's my guess. I'd love to be proved wrong. The car PC crowd may work out something comparable sooner, but I'm not holding my breath.
Matthew
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#281804 - 22/05/2006 20:23
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: wolfgang]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
what future do they now have
Future? Just to be clear... You're aware that only 4,000 of these things were ever made, and the last one was built five years ago?
In other words, are you asking about the future of the Empeg Car/Rio Car product specifically? Or about the future of car MP3 audio in general?
I see the future of car audio as being ipod docks. Lots and lots of ipod docks. A sad state of things (in my opinion), because there are fantastic features on the Rio products that the ipod doesn't have and doesn't seem to be anywhere close to getting yet. Not to mention that the ipod is proprietary. SIGH.
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#281805 - 22/05/2006 20:23
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: wolfgang]
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old hand
Registered: 07/01/2005
Posts: 893
Loc: Sector ZZ9pZa
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I will always keep an open mind. I sat in my customers' Mercedes CLS the other day, and his OEM iPod doohicky was pretty amazing. It had a dashboard display, he could play any of the playlists on his iPod using the buttons on the steering wheel, the sound was great and it had a Bluetooth phone where you can browse the phonebook on the screen and everything. These things have improved a lot, and I can see it being more widespread soon - all this Mercedes technology always filters down to every other manufacturer.
No matter what happens in the future, the Empeg is still totally sweet when you look at the history, the Linux geek factor, the community and great design. All from 1999. While mine is working, I'm never selling it.
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#281806 - 22/05/2006 20:31
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
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Quote:
I see the future of car audio as being ipod docks. Lots and lots of ipod docks.
Perhaps this won't be such a problem in future, now Apple have someone clueful on their iPod design team (so I hear)..
Rob
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#281807 - 22/05/2006 21:30
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: rob]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14493
Loc: Canada
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Quote:
now Apple have someone clueful on their iPod design team (so I hear)..
All right.. 'fess up, whoever you are! 
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#281808 - 23/05/2006 11:20
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: mlord]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
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Well, I wasn't planning to announce this just yet, but next month I'm starting a job with the iPod group... however, I have no idea what I'll be working on, and when I do find out I'll be very legally bound not to tell anyone. It'd be nice if it was automotive-related, but I think they have that tied up & many of the issues/limitations that exist are more to do with the 3rd party implementations than the device itself - and so will improve as the car makers improve their systems. Effectively, this means that there may well be a lot more bay area meets - come October, when my H1B starts anyway - and goes some way to explaining why there will be a lot of empeg-related stuff being given away at my barbie come the end of July  This doesn't mean bad things for the empeg code (and its expert custodians) which is still on track to be in some hoopy (and yes, they are hoopy, I've seen the industrial designs) new players for the holiday season! Hugo
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#281809 - 23/05/2006 11:30
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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old hand
Registered: 14/08/2001
Posts: 886
Loc: London, UK
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Cool. Congratulations Hugo.
_________________________
Mk2a RioCar 120Gb - now sold to the owner of my old car
Rio Karma - now on ebay...
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#281810 - 23/05/2006 11:38
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/06/2001
Posts: 2504
Loc: Roma, Italy
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Congratulation for your new Job, Hugo!
_________________________
= Taym =
MK2a #040103216 * 100Gb *All/Colors* Radio * 3.0a11 * Hijack = taympeg
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#281811 - 23/05/2006 11:40
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
Well, I wasn't planning to announce this just yet, but next month I'm starting a job with the iPod group.
Aw, man, what'd you have to go and do that for!? Now I can't diss the ipod any more.
(Congrats. )
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#281812 - 23/05/2006 11:50
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
I have no idea what I'll be working on, and when I do find out I'll be very legally bound not to tell anyone.
If it's within your power, I'm sure we all have requests of stuff we'd like to see in the ipod...
- Hierarchical playlists with "ignore as child"
- On-the fly playlist reordering and track insertion a la Rio Karma
- TOBY'S VISUALS!!!!
- Fully open spec for the dock connection, both directions, hardware and software
- World peace
- Discovery of extraterrestrial life
- A Democrat in the White House
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#281813 - 23/05/2006 12:17
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 15/08/2000
Posts: 4859
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Congratulations!!! If you ever need a beta test community... Oh, Tony, not meaning to hijack this important historic thread, but I would merely settle for: Quote:
- Discovery of extraterrestrial life
- A Democrat in the White House
- Discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial life
- Discovery of intelligent life in the White House
_________________________
Paul Grzelak
200GB with 48MB RAM, Illuminated Buttons and Digital Outputs
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#281815 - 23/05/2006 13:43
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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member
Registered: 03/12/2002
Posts: 119
Loc: Stratdord-upon-Avon, UK
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Never expected that!! Congratulations Hugo! My colleagues will wonder why I suddenly switch my allegiance to iPod docks!! Enjoy Nick
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#281816 - 23/05/2006 15:15
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: pgrzelak]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
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Thanks for all the nice messages - I suspect I'm going to have, err, rather less influence than I've managed to wield in previous companies - but I guess the proof will be in the pudding It'll definitely be a change - I've not had a serious job interview before, for starters! I can forsee a number of mini-meets in tahoe at the top of mountains during winter too! Hugo ps As an alien, I won't be able to vote, so you're going to have to sort out your government yourselves pps I'll get 15% off in any Apple store too, so hold off buying those 30" panels until I'm in town...
Edited by altman (23/05/2006 15:18)
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#281817 - 23/05/2006 15:29
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4180
Loc: Cambridge, England
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Only four left from Empeg 2003:  Peter
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#281818 - 23/05/2006 15:43
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: peter]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
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Quote:
Only four left from Empeg 2003
..but the male to female staff ratio is significantly improved!
Rob
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#281820 - 23/05/2006 17:03
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: tfabris]
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addict
Registered: 24/07/2002
Posts: 618
Loc: South London
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And our number 1 iPod request is....
gapless playback!
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#281821 - 23/05/2006 17:52
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: sein]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
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Quote:
Good luck in the new job Hugo. The iPod team must be a pretty exciting place.
Absolutely! Last year they changed the colour from white to black, who knows what they have in store for us next
Rob
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#281822 - 23/05/2006 18:58
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: rob]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
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Designing anything that has to be made in big volume is exciting, if you ask me - you have to really, really, really design stuff well when even a 0.05% defect rate makes a very big pile of units that don't work right off the production line As for innovation, they're one of the very few companies who can actually really afford to innovate in a big way in electronics. Let's see... firewire? first usb-only machine? the people who made the first affordable wifi gear? proper bluetooth integration into the os? nicest lcds? first 1.8" hdd-based player? touchwheel / clickwheel? There's also the fact that when they make something, they market the hell out of it... Hugo
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#281823 - 23/05/2006 19:08
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/01/2002
Posts: 3584
Loc: Columbus, OH
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Quote:
There's also the fact that when they make something, they market the hell out of it...
Now there's a change...too bad some other defunct company couldn't figure that one out.
_________________________
~ John
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#281824 - 23/05/2006 19:55
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14493
Loc: Canada
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Quote:
..and goes some way to explaining why there will be a lot of empeg-related stuff being given away at my barbie come the end of July
I'll take the Noble!
And what does Claire think of the move to Amerika?
Cheers
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#281825 - 23/05/2006 21:20
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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Good luck Hugo, well done! Please let us know when we can all buy an iPod without feeling guilty Cheers Cris.
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#281826 - 23/05/2006 21:49
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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Good luck I would be scared of getting fired by if Jobs is having a bad day
_________________________
Matt
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#281827 - 23/05/2006 22:49
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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old hand
Registered: 12/01/2000
Posts: 1079
Loc: Dallas, TX
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Congrats on the new job Hugo.
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#281828 - 24/05/2006 00:07
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: Terminator]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/08/2000
Posts: 3826
Loc: SLC, UT, USA
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Whoa kick ass! Congrats man! Tahoe trips are definitely in our future... I'm always up for the snow when it returns. I'll have to set you up with a paragliding tandem flight too...
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#281829 - 24/05/2006 00:36
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: altman]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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Wow, congratulations on your new job Hugo! It's great to see the empeg guys bringing their great ideas to so many other products. And now we've got empeg blood inside Apple! Just another step in the right direction for the audio world.
I guess my eventual SigmaTel-powered player will have to share a pocket with an ipeg...
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#281830 - 24/05/2006 05:09
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: rob]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
Quote:
Only four left from Empeg 2003
..but the male to female staff ratio is significantly improved!
Heh. I was going to say at least they're keeping the cute one around.
Anyway, congrats to Hugo. Don't let your non-voting status keep you from trying to fix the government in other ways -- you're still a constituent and tax-payer!
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#281831 - 24/05/2006 06:01
Re: Empeg future?
[Re: loren]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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...and locally we should check out Tornado.When's all this fun s'posedta start?
_________________________
10101311 (20GB- backup empeg)
10101466 (2x60GB, Eutronix/GreenLights Blue) (Stolen!)
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