Some 50 percent of cellphone sales are smartphones. The proliferation of these devices influences automakers and consumer electronics manufacturers as they strive to entice young car buyers and consumers who want to upgrade their in-dash receivers to full-blown large-screen infotainment systems.
By 2014, an estimated 70 percent of consumer devices will connect to the Internet, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. The trend of extending the “digital lifestyle” into vehicles is apparent as more drivers connect their smartphones into the dash. Automakers and aftermarket receiver manufacturers plan to make more use of big-screen infotainment systems and to give consumers more control over content on those big screens as well as cloud storage options. How many apps can be displayed on screen displays is a question in play. And developers race in hopes of positioning their apps on the first screen that pops up when a driver activates a device. Automakers are starting to crack open the door on proprietary systems and launching “development houses,” a way for car companies to communicate directly with third-party developers — with the goal, among other things, of making apps safe for use in a vehicle.
Radio in all its forms is part of this evolution, be that analog AM and FM, HD Radio, satellite radio and Internet radio.
What follows is some of the more notable news from the Consumer Electronics Show.
