I finally got a chance to test out the information I received as far as the ability of the Dension Gateway 300 and 500 products to charge the iPhone 3G by using the already-existing dock connector cable that has a blue end, and I can happily confirm that this is indeed the case. Over time, Dension has supplied three connector colors - grey, green and blue. I tested all three, and only the blue cable will charge the iPhone 3G properly on the Gateway 300 and 500. I also was able to test this functionality through the Dension BT1000 Bluetooth unit, and can confirm that this works properly as well.

You still get the “This accessory not made to work with iPhone” message about GSM noise (see posts below), but there is no mention of charging issues via the iPhone 3G itself.

As before, I’ll be posting information on the other manufacturers as I get my hands on it!

For those of you wondering and waiting for the new iPhone 3G charging cables to be released by the various interface manufacturers out there, the current word is:

1) USASpec should have their cable “available in September,” according to their website.
2) DICE should have their cable ready around the second week in September according to their support department.
3) Supposedly, Dension Gateway 500 and 300 units using the blue (not the green) connecting cable can already charge the iPhone 3G. I should be getting my hands into a car to test this Thursday or Friday, so any information I gather will be posted here.
4) Dension is updating the Gateway 100 firmware to support use of the blue connecting cable to enable iPhone 3G charging with those units as well.

We should be just about over this hump and can get back to business as usual in the coming month! Please check back for more info as we gather it…

Just a quick note to announce the addition of two new spec.dock models to the lineup…We now have a model for the B5 chassis Audi A4 (1994-2001) that fits in the ashtray drawer, and a model for the 2003-2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe and Sedan with automatic transmission, which also fits in the ashtray drawer of that vehicle. Click here to enter your vehicle information and see which package is right for you! Thanks as always for everyone’s support of our growing company, and we hope to put together some packages for you soon!

I’m not sure how I ran across this mod - probably on one of my daily visit(s) to Gizmodo if memory serves - but I thought the concept was pretty interesting, having been introduced like many of us to home gaming consoles via the original NES. I really liked the thought of repurposing such an iconic piece of consumer electronics gear into something that could still be used daily, and I’ve got a good friend who filled the requirements for owning such a gadget, which are owning an Apple TV, and having a strange loyalty to Nintendo’s games and consoles - I’m pretty sure he’s owned them all through the years! So, I thought I’d try my hand at the concept and pass the finished piece off to him to add to his collection. The only thing I thought was an issue for me with the original mod was the need to disassemble the remote any time the battery needed changing, so I came up with my own solution to that issue, which comes in the form of that familiar white shape on the right side of the controller. Make sure to click the post title for more photos of the process! Anyway, check it out, and feel free to poke around the blog or our company website to see if anything interests you…Thanks for stopping by!

Just a brief note amending the post below: As we suspected, many of the major aftermarket iPod/iPhone interface manufacturers - DICE Electronics, USASpec, Peripheral and PIE - are already developing replacement docking cables for their interfaces that will hand charging duties over to USB at 5volts to support the iPhone 3G’s new requirements. According to the limited information we have so far, the new cables will not require replacing the actual interface modules or the wiring connections to the vehicle, but will simply replace the connection between the iPod/iPhone and the module, making this an easy upgrade. They expect to have these new cables available anywhere from 6 weeks to three months…more information to come as we receive it!

I came to work this morning with my new iPhone 3G and began testing all the interfaces and cables we currently package with our spec.dock product, and quickly realized that Apple has removed the ability to charge the new device via FireWire. For a while now, Apple has been transitioning away from FireWire syncing for iPods and iPhones, but the physical ability to charge at 12volts via the FireWire charging pins was still there…until now.

This is a problem, as nearly all the vehicle interfaces - OEM and aftermarket - use 12volt charging since the vehicle’s electrical system is already running between 11.5 and 14.5 volts, eliminating the need for extra electronics to step that voltage down to the 5volts that USB charges at.

Here’s what you get now when you connect to any device that doesn’t charge over USB:

Since we’re talking about a pretty large industry here with quite a few players (we’ve tested DICE, Dension, USASpec, older Mercedes, older BMW, older Alpine, etc.), I’m positive that we’re going to see this issue be addressed pretty quickly, and we’ll be posting new information as we get it. We’re in contact with most of these manufacturers pretty frequently, so we’ll be up on what’s going on…Get in touch with us if you have any questions, and check back soon. We’re on it!