An iPod remote that straps to your steering wheel—smart.

Having good music in your car is almost as essential as filling it with gas. But looking down at your iPod’s controls can be downright unsafe. You can often skip a track without taking your eyes off the road, but turning on shuffle or selecting a new playlist can be several menus away. Scosche’s IPNRFC is an RF remote control that attaches to your steering wheel for heads-up control of your dockable iPod.

The buttons are Play/Pause, Volume Up and Down, Forward and Back, Shuffle, and Playlist. (Press Playlist and then press Forward once, and you’ll jump to the first playlist on your iPod.) The remote cradle attaches to your steering wheel with a Velcro strap, keeping the controls under your thumb at all times. Or remove the remote from the cradle to let someone in the backseat play DJ. The classic, iPod touch, and iPhone aren’t officially supported, but worked well (the iPhone has to be in Airplane mode).

The RF receiver connects to your iPod’s dock port, and features a pass-through dock port on the bottom, which is essential if you connect your iPod to your stereo via the dock. And if your car has an aftermarket stereo with RCA inputs, Scosche includes a 3.5mm-to-RCA cable and instructions for using that cable to wire an iPod connection.

With the Scosche IPNRFC as our copilot, we’re driving safely and still enjoying our favorite tunes.

COMPANY: Scosche
CONTACT: www.scosche.com
PRICE: $79.95
REQUIREMENTS: iPod with dock connector
Pass-through dock port on the receiver. Shuffle button. Remote is removable. Cable included.
A bit pricey.