It’s again the week that brings us the latest in tech fromthe CES convention in Vegas and the latest from the automobile industry at theNAIAS in Detroit. But this year the lines between the two seemed to blur asautomobiles took a prominent spot at CES and technology was booming at theDetroit Auto Show. We’re not just talking about your standard car stereo or car navigation system; almost every automaker introduced better-than-ever entertainmentsystems that connect the driver like never before.
Chevrolet, Toyota, Audi, Hyundai and Ford are among the manyautomobile companies that have recognized the growing importance of technologywhile driving. Chevrolet’s “MyLink” offers wireless phone compatibility whichcan link your calls and address book directly to the vehicle. The car alsooffers wireless streaming of music from your phone including the use of Pandoraand other music apps. Toyota’s “Entune” offers the same features, but also hasbuilt in apps including Pandora, iHeartRadio, Bing search and more. AudiConnect will feature a pop-up 7-inch touchscreen display, connected wirelesslyand automatically to your phone to access a multitude of features. The knob bythe driver’s side can scroll through screens and text, making it easier tooperate than a traditional display screen. With this system you can store andtrack flights, view and play your phones entire music library, get news,weather and gas prices, and even create a Wi-Fi hotspot in the vehicle! Almostevery new model offers a remote-link app for your cell phone which allows youto unlock, lock, sound the alarm, and sometimes start your vehicle fromanywhere in the world. The days of car keys are slowly becoming a thing of thepast.
Almost nothing excites me more than the progression oftechnology, especially when it comes to entertainment. For years thecapabilities of our phones and other gadgets have exceeded that of our vehiclesand it’s about time these features were incorporated into our cars. I wonder how long it will be until our carsare the ones doing all the driving; they can already park themselves.
