Connected Cars

SMARTER RADIO FOR CONNECTED CARS: There will be 140 million connected cars—essentially "smartphones on wheels"—on the road by 2017, according to a new report delivered at last week's 2013 Radio Show in Orlando. Radio and the Connected Car, a joint presentation by Arbitron, Strategy Analytics and Jacobs Media, insists radio must act now to preserve its paramount position in the rapidly evolving world of in-car entertainment. That means developing a mobile strategy with the connected-car experience in mind. And anyone hoping to pursue such a strategy should certainly drive one of these new vehicles. So reach for that platinum card and get yourself the shiniest, most futuristic set of wheels you can—it counts as research! Among the report's other recommendations: forge partnerships with car dealerships, and form an in-car-radio consortium. Meanwhile, how will touch-screen-ready listening technologies like iTunes Radio, Pandora, iHeartRadio and Rdio fit into the equation? Can terrestrial radio win the connected-car wars through regional relevance and overall "stationality'? Stay, um, tuned. In a related story, where's my damn jet pack? (9/23a)