Vision - January/February 2009 - (Page 36) By RoBeRt e. Calem Auto Conve January/February 2009 In the 1970s, Delco and Bose partnered on the first factory-installed premium audio system in General Motors cars, starting the first wave of advanced consumer electronics (CE) products in automobiles. Earlier this decade, BMW and other automakers pioneered the integration of Bluetooth-enabled cellphones, iPods and satellite radios in autos. And now—in evidence this month at the 2009 International CES—the convergence of cars and CE is accelerating. This year, more new cars will feature a wider variety of CE technologies including HD Radio, 3D-view navigation systems and in-vehicle Internet access. New kinds of consumer services also based on these technologies are emerging, and experts predict even greater advances in automotive CE integration by the middle of the next decade. Here is a look at some of the latest developments and what is expected in 2009 and beyond. HD Radio’s Expanding Universe The newest form of free over-the-air radio broadcasts— digitally delivered HD Radio—debuted in automobiles with the 2006 BMW 7 Series and 6 Series cars, in the summer of 2005. Other BMW models quickly followed, and by 2007 the automaker’s entire range of vehicles offered HD Radio as a factory-installed option. By year-end 2007, MINI, another automaker owned by BMW, made the same offer with its Cooper and Cooper S cars. In model-year 2008, BMW upgraded to a “multicast” tuner capable of picking up additional HD2 and HD3 channels broadcast alongside a radio station’s primary HD channel. Last year, the stable of automakers offering HD Radio expanded to include Jaguar and Hyundai. The latter is including HD Radio functionality in its all-new top-of-the-line 2009 Genesis sedan, in the optional “technology package.” This year, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Scion will join the list of automakers offering HD Radio as either standard or optional. Mercedes-Benz, for example, will include HD Radio as a standard feature in all models except the C-Class sedans. Volvo also is launching it as standard equipment in all of its models, although in some cases only with the optional “premium” sound system. Audi plans to offer HD Radio as a standard feature in www.ce.org 36 illustration by Glenn Pierce
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