Automakers Try to Keep Up With Consumer Electronics

Washington DC April 6, 2006; The AIADA newsletter reported that executives at the Society of Automotive Engineers' World Congress said manufacturers should "future-proof" their vehicles by designing them so new technology can be added later, said The Detroit News.

The goal would be that cars made in 2008 would work with the devices popular in 2015. But many automakers continue to struggle to keep up with the ever-changing consumer electronics market.

Automakers are currently designing a host of new vehicles to be compatible with Bluetooth, a technology that allows drivers to make calls without taking the phone out of their pocket.

Some aftermarket vendors are already selling systems that allow digital music stored on a phone to play through the car stereo.