Harmon Kardon announces the Drive + Play II

Harmon Kardon has released the second generation of its popular Drive + Play music controller for the car. The device integrates a portable MP3 music player with the car’s stereo and allows drivers to manage multiple portable devices with a single screen and controller, giving them full browsing capability for MP3 players such as the Apple iPod and Microsoft Zune.

Users can select songs by turning a wireless control knob, similar to BMW’s iDrive, and view song information on a small 3.5in color LCD screen. Playlists can be categorized using a DJ function that allows users to group songs by artist or genres, and then stored to suit individual drivers. The device also features Harman’s Net port and software package for Bluetooth mobile communication and even Sirius satellite radio to boot. The Drive + Play II will cost just under $400 when it goes on sale next month.