It would seem than the old CD is slowly dying (well, we all kind of knew that, didn't we?) and the signs of its demise are just about everywhere, starting with one of the specific consumer electronics areas where it enjoyed a very high level of success over the years, namely car audio systems. Thus, after bringing to you a while back the Blaupunkt Melbourne SD27, which used SD memory cards instead of compact discs, it's time to take a look at yet another solution of this type, this time coming from Parrot, which uses a whole different approach to the "no-CD" concept.

Thus, according to AudioJunkies, the people over at Parrot have designed a whole new car audio system, dubbed the RK8200, which provides enhanced playback and input options, as well as some other interesting "goodies". Hence, for example, the system can play music stored onto USB drives, SD memory cards, as well as directly from the memory of Bluetooth-enabled devices.

Moreover, since it's Bluetooth-enabled, the RK8200 also doubles as a handsfree car-kit, which means that it displays the caller's number on its built-in 2.4-inch screen, while the front speakers are automatically muted. However, the car's rear speakers will play on, thus keeping the passengers entertained.

Another interesting feature provided by the RK8200 is the fact that it provides a storage space behind the faceplate where something archaic like a CD player's internals would normally go. Moreover, the player offers enough internal storage space for more than 300 MP3 files (around 1.5 - 2 GB), as well as for around 8,000 phone contacts and accepts up to 150 voice commands.

Although we're not quite sure when this thing will actually hit the shelves, rumor has it that it will retail for around 150 pounds sterling (300 US dollars), which seems to be rather OK, taking into consideration this thing's multiple connectivity and playback options.

We are just a few, but there are many of you, Softpedia users, out there. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to create an email address for you to help us a little in finding gadgets we missed. Interesting links are bound to be posted with recognition going mainly to those who submit. The address is .