Control your iPod like a Jedi with Monster iMotion
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
The Monster iMotion CarPlay 3000 connects to an iPod or iPhone via its dock connector, providing power through a 12-volt car charger and sending line-level audio through a 3.5mm patch cable to the host vehicle’s auxiliary input. However, the iMotion’s most interesting feature is the way it enables the user to control the connected iPod by waving a hand near it.
Placing a hand in front of the sensor lets you toggle between play and pause. Swiping a hand from left to right in front of the device causes the attached iPod to skip forward. Swiping the other direction triggers a backward skip. Calmly stating that “these are not the Droids you want” as you do this has no effect whatsoever.
The controls are quite intuitive–enough so that we were able to figure everything out without an instruction manual. With a bit of practice, we were able to skip through tracks as fast as the attached iPod would let us with effortless and casual hand waves, showing off for passengers and–most importantly–keeping our eyes on the road.
Of course, how well the iMotion works depends on a few factors, the most important being your vehicle’s 12-volt outlet placement. If the outlet is tucked too far away, such as in the center console or deep in a center stack pocket, the device will be difficult to reach. If the outlet is located in an area that gets much direct sunlight, then passing shadows of trees could create false positive inputs, causing your music to skip around or stutter through play and pause cycles.
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