MIAMI GARDENS, FL (12.19.2019) – Behind every successful company there is always an “excellent team” and at DS18 there is no exception. DS18 is experiencing amazing growth for the last consecutive 6 years that it was formed and has positioned itself as a leading company in the American car audio market. DS18 has opened the doors in the Latin American markets and has an extremely strong presence in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Undoubtedly, the inspiration and quality of design for the products have had a lot to do with this success. Diego Navarro, A Colombian who has made history in car audio, has been the team leader in charge of many technical development of products, design, and installation of some of the most dazzling and powerful demonstration vehicles that have had a huge impact around the world. These vehicles have been of great inspiration to countless enthusiasts in the car audio industry.

Diego is the living example of how a passion can be turned into a successful profession, “It all started when as a child I first got into a car that had the lows and feeling the vibration of the bass. It took shock in all my body and that adrenaline was my greatest inspiration to dedicate my whole life to car audio,” Diego says when he recalls how I discovered the greatest passion of his life.

This Colombian now celebrates in DS18, the 20 years of a career full of sustained successes. Diego has had an impeccable background as a designer, installer, judge, and even competitor. Being awarded 20 times as champion in 12 different categories in the National Motor Championship on Wheels in Colombia, the event that has been considered as the most important in the Latin American car audio industry.

Included in its repertoire, a Latin American record in IDBL Advance 3 and designer and installer of the newest audio demonstrating vehicles for the most important brands in the world, which have been ranked as the best in Latin America.

Diego has been recognized for his extraordinary skills and design ideas as we have built projects and products that have positioned us very strongly in the market and that have been the attraction main in our exhibitions at SEMA, CES and all the events in which we have participated. Among the highlights are the Hummers H2 and H3, the Big Bad Wolf, The Wolf, The Red Mus, The Ground Pound, The Certified, The Infinity Tahoe among the others.

It has been 6 amazing years, we are enormously grateful to our team and all the people who have supported us on this trip, thank you for making DS18 what it is today and what it will be. We like it loud!

Visit ds18.com for more.

LIBERTYVILLE, IL (12.19.2019) – MB Quart, Hifonics, Crunch, and Autotek continue to grow across business units and has appointed Mr. Michael Foundation as Independent Sales Representative for the midwestern territory that includes Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan. Michael will be working closely everyday with National Sales Manager, Sam Dattalo, in bringing Maxxsonics to new heights of business.

Michael started as an installer in the 80s and 90s and then moved into a representative position for the Northern California and Northern Nevada markets in the early 2000s. From there, he went to the factory side of the business as Western Regional, National, and VP of Sales, all while owning several retail stores and a successful Northern California representative firm.

On Michael’s new position, Sam Dattalo commented, “Michael brings years of experience as a successful representative and he understands the culture of business and the technology of the audio game profoundly.”

In his new role, Michael will be hitting the road and working closely with our distributors and retailers while managing and training the representatives continuously within the midwestern states. In addition, he will be running day to day operations and working with all manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

About becoming a new representative of all four brands of Maxxsonics, Michael said, “I am very excited to represent Maxxsonics and grow all four brands including MB Quart, Hifonics, Crunch, and Autotek. I am proud to be in a family of audio that is backed by years of success and continues to grow at a rapid pace.”

Distributors and dealers can reach out to Mr. Foundation directly via email: michael@ceguys.com

Visit maxxsonics.com for more.

To view the full article via Michigan State University News, click here.

EAST LANSING, MI (12.18.2019) – The emergence of smart cars has opened the door to limitless possibilities for technology and innovation – but also to threats beyond the car itself. New research from Michigan State University is the first to apply criminal justice theory to smart vehicles, revealing cracks in the current system leading to potential cyber risks.

“Automotive cybersecurity is an area we don’t understand well in the social sciences. While there are groups of computer scientists and engineers digging into some of the issues, the social aspects are extremely relevant and under-examined,” said Thomas Holt, professor of criminal justice at MSU. “As the technology gets greater market share, it’s critical to get ahead of the curve before there are issues we can’t rein in.”

As vehicles become smarter and more connected to WiFi networks, hackers will have more opportunities to breach vehicle systems. Connecting your smartphone through a USB port can give a hacker backdoor access to data from both your phone and your car; additionally, Google Android users who can download apps from unverified sites are even more at-risk.

The research – published in the Journal of Crime and Justice – applied Routine Activities Theory, used a popular criminal justice framework, to current forms of vehicle security and provided recommendations for manufacturers and owners to improve safety.

“The risk with vehicles isn’t just personal data – though that is still a real concern,” Holt said. “Say the car is compromised and a hacker alters certain alert systems that tell a driver when tire pressure is low or so the emergency brake sensory systems don’t kick in. That could lead to loss of life.”

The theory Holt applied says that in order for a criminal to act three things need to come together: a motivated offender, a suitable target and a lack of guardian. In the context of vehicle security, he said that motivators and targets are clear, but the presence of a guardian was where vehicles fell short.

“Where we found holes was surprising: there’s no one technically responsible for these vehicles’ central computer systems,” Holt said. “The automotive and equipment manufacturers need to recognize that as it stands, they serve as the guardians in the space, and the onus is on them. They need to take the lead in thinking more critically about data flows, software vendors and how to communicate security with dealerships

To view the full article via Michigan State University News, click here.

See the original paper for details:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0735648X.2019.1692425

CHATSWORTH, CA (12.18.2019) – The CRUX SOOGM-15V is designed to allow for the installation of after-market radios while retaining functionality of OnStar in Bose Amplified and Non-Amplified Systems, Chime and Accessory features in select General Motors Class II vehicles. 

Key Features:
Retains factory features in select GM Class II Vehicles while functioning with an aftermarket radio
Pre-programmed t retain factory Steering Wheel Controls
Retains OnStar, factory rear-view camera and chime functions
Adds Forced Front-View camera while in motion
Navigate via SOURCE DOWN or AM/FM button on steering wheel controls on select vehicles
Supppports Bose, non-Bose, and Y-91 audio systems
For Amplified and Non-Amplified Systems

Click here to visit the product page.

Visit cruxinterfacing.com for more.