Clarion Co will begin selling a car audio and video system in Japan next year that's compatible with Apple Inc's iPod portable music player.
"People have asked why the iPod can't be used in car systems, and from that perspective there is plenty of interest," Tatsuhiko Izumi, president of Tokyo-based Clarion, said in a television interview.
"This will not only help our profitability, but also lead to higher brand recognition," Izumi said.
Clarion earlier this month said it will release an iPod-compatible car DVD player in the US in January. Users can connect an iPod to the system and select songs and artists by touching the 17cm monitor.
Clarion, whose shares have risen almost a quarter this year, is spending more on branding as it faces increasing competition from Kenwood Corp, Pioneer Corp and other manufacturers of car-electronics equipment.
The company expects net income to drop by 37 percent to ?4 billion (US$38.6 million) in the fiscal year ending March 31, because of increased advertising costs. It expects sales to rise 1.8 percent to ?172 billion.
"Business this year has been good, and we're likely to meet our goals, barring any special reason like currency fluctuations," Izumi said.
Clarion will introduce the iPod-compatible car equipment in Europe by the middle of next year and also plans to manufacture the parts for carmakers on an original equipment manufacturer basis, he said.
Apple declined to comment on the deal because it does not have a business alliance with Clarion for the product.
"Many companies are making peripheral products for the iPod on their own accord, so we can't comment on just this particular item," said Takashi Takebayashi, an Apple spokesman based in Tokyo.
Other companies making accessories for the iPod include fashion designers LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA and Prada Holding NV, which offer carrying cases, and speaker maker Bose Corp.
Apple's official business alliances include tie-ups with German automaker Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and mobile phone maker Motorola Inc.
Apple and BMW in June said they're developing a device that will let users listen to songs from their iPod music players through the radios of BMWs and Minis.
Apple and Motorola, the world's second-largest mobile-phone maker, in July said they will make a phone that can download songs personal computer users have purchased from Apple's iTunes music store.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS