TuneFlex AUX: The Road to In-Car iPod Bliss

Ever since the iPod became “the next big thing,” people have been looking for more and more ways to use them. With more than 70% of cars produced today having iPod capabilities, it’s clear that people are beginning to use the devices more in their cars than they do with headphones—that’s certainly the case with me. But what if your car isn’t iPod–ready? There are four issues to deal with to make it happen: playing your iPod through your car stereo, keeping your iPod somewhere safe and secure, controlling your iPod without taking your eyes off the road, and keeping the juice flowing to keep your tunes playing. Griffin’s new TuneFlex AUX brings a solution to all four of these problems.

The TuneFlex AUX is the next generation of the popular TuneFlex line of iPod car chargers from Griffin Technology. The TuneFlex AUX and its predecessor are very similar in design. They’re essentially just an iPod dock attached to a stiff but flexible cable that plugs into your car’s accessory outlet. Immediately, this solves two of our issues. First, it constantly provides power to the docked iPod, and second, it gives a nice steady place for your iPod to live in your car without just tossing it into the seat next to you.

The new feature of the TuneFlex AUX, and where it gets its name, is a built-in auxillary output near the base of the unit where it plugs into the car’s outlet. This then brings us an answer to our problem of how to play the iPod through the car stereo in the first place. This auxillary output is a standard 1/8″ stereo miniplug, just like the headphone jack on your iPod itself. Using this output, you can go straight from the TuneFlex AUX into a head unit with an auxillary in, or you can even use it with a tape adapter or universal FM transmitter.

The addition of this output may seem trivial, but it solves the problem of using the TuneFlex with the iPod nano, whose audio output is on the bottom of the unit. In fact, Griffin has made a version of the TuneFlex AUX specifically sized for the nano, though the full-size version also includes a sleeve to make the nano fit it better. The location of the output also makes it more convenient, requiring less cable or more managed cable in most situations.

We’re still left with one problem, though: controlling your iPod easily and safely. I said the TuneFlex AUX solves this problem as well, but I kind of cheated a bit. The unit doesn’t directly fix this issue, but it does work easily with other options that do through the use of its pass-through dock connector. This allows you to plug another control option into the iPod’s dock connector while still keeping it docked in the charger’s base. There are many options for doing this, but I specifically took a look at the AirClick wireless remote, also from Griffin, which was great in conjunction with the TuneFlex AUX. You could also use other output options using this pass-through connector as well, like an iTrip or another FM transmitter that uses the dock connector.

Overall, I found the TuneFlex AUX to be a great option for listening to my iPod in the car. I’ve already used it on a couple long drives, and it was great to know that I didn’t have to worry about my battery dying. More importantly, using it in tandem with the AirClick made it safe for me to navigate through tracks without even moving my hands off the steering wheel. Griffin’s TuneFlex AUX hit stores just last week, retailing for US$49.99. The AirClick remote is also available now, with an MSRP of US$39.99.