I remember the first time I walked into the North Hall at CES back in 2009. It looked like the Detroit Auto Show.
Everywhere you looked, there were beautiful cars and trucks on display, some you could buy along with plenty of others thatt were cool “concepts.” I recall hearing some of the old timers at this conference wonder why carmakers were in such strong attendance at a consumer electronics show?
The answer was simple – cars and trucks were fast becoming smartphones on wheels, featuring all the content accessible on your iPhone or Galaxy in the dashboard, including a growing number of apps available on nice-looking touchscreens. No one was looking under the hood – all eyes were on those first screens in the “center stacks” of those dashboards.
In radio, the beginnings of the “connected car” revolution signaled a turning point. Seemingly overnight, we had gone from the simple, functional car radio, front and center in the dash, featuring two knobs and six presets to full-blown hi-tech infotainment systems.
Not long afterwards, Jacobs Media produced three DASH Conferences along with Radio Ink, mashups of the auto and radio worlds, designed to foster communication and collaboration between two storied industries tied together like peanut butter and jelly – with virtually no dialogue with one another.
Since those early days, both Apple and Google have made their way into virtually every car dashboard, providing a smartphone-like experience in cars, often making it challenging to find the once-ubiquitous radio tuner.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became the first standardized integrations of smartphones and cars, giving drivers – and passengers – a glimpse of how different media options could easily make their ways into cars and trucks
In many ways, nothing has changed since then. And yet, everything has changed. After a few years where car and truck media and technology systems seemed to plateau as the buzz turned to self-driving and electric-powered vehicles, there’s energy on the floor of CES 2023 once again. The automotive manufacturers (OEMs) and related Tier One companies are now showing their wares in the sleek, high-ceilinged West Hall, the perfect showplace for their new technology.
Yesterday, our Jacobs/CES 2023 Tours took place, with a special look at in-vehicle connectivity and media access. From Mercedes Benz to Chrysler/Jeep, we saw the latest and greatest. And the focus is moving squarely on the driver (and passenger) experience.
I’ll have more to report on next week, here in this space and in Inside Radio. Suffice it to say, the car is back in the crosshairs, and its implications on radio broadcasters are enormous.
The car is a refuge, a place where we can be alone, a source for our favorite music and entertainment, and even one of the few locations where we feel safe. The 1979 hit, “Cars,” by Gary Numan had it right:
Those famous lyrics resonated during COVID. When you’re
by yourself in a car, you don’t need a mask (although inexplicably, some people still wear them), there’s no reason to social distance when you’re by yourself, and the cockpit is an escape hatch where you could create an ideal environment.
And we have the freedom to listen to whatever we want in our own private space – our cars.
Automakers and technologists alike are building on that foundation, creating beneficial, healthy, entertaining, and even frivolous experiences – on four wheels.
A good example of the latter is Elon Musk’s Tesla, an innovative vehicle on so many fronts. But the 8th grade Elon emerges when you explore his cars’ special capabilities.
In a recent story aptly titled, “Fart Noises, DJ Booth, Rainbow Road: 10 Wacky Things You Can Do in a Tesla,” PC Mag’s Emily Dreibelbis takes us down the list off inane, sophomoric, and fun features that many Teslas offer.
Say what you will about Musk, he has a sophomoric sense of humor. Yes, fart jokes abound in your electric car when you call up the menu of flatulence featuring a
variety of gastronomically influenced audio for practical jokes among unsuspecting passengers. So much for that new car smell.
It’s called thte Emissions Testing Mode and it offers seven different fart sound, ranging from Ludicrous to Falcon Heavy. According to Dreibelbis, Musk wants to have “Inventor of the Car Fart” engraved on his tombstone. There will be no one else vying to make that claim.
Butt wait there’s more. A sketchpad on the Tesla’s touchscreen allows you to play games while you’re waiting for a charge. Or perhaps you’re interested in doing what used to be called “back of the napkin” math.
During the holidays, there was a programmed dance that brought drivers and passengers an in-car blast of the Christmas spirit. Choreographed to “Carol of he Bells,” it looked like this:
Bored by the Tesla’s navigation appearance? You can customize it with crazy appearance options, ranging from a “Mario Kart” version or a “Rainbow Road” effect – among others.
At CES, we’re seeing how other automakers are being influenced by Tesla – over the air (WiFi) software updates, autonomous driving features, personalization options, and the ability to control the car’s vibe.
Another indicator of this trend is a new app that claims to level you out emotionally by converting your music playlist to therapist mode.
It’s called the Emotion Equalization App. It determines your modd and energy and creates a sst of music designed to respond and enhance your mood
According to Study Finds, a PhD student, Man Hei Law, developed the app which offers three surveys that analyze your current state of mind. then the algorithm takes over.
As some commenters note, this app would work especially well for some of the drivers I see on the highways and byways, many of whom need some mood adjustment when they get behind the wheel.
This app is similar to many of the innovations we see at CES, where regular people move closer to designing their own experiences, and personalizing them to fit their moods at the moment.
In this case, Dr. Law notes the app could be effective for those who would rather avoid counseling. Using the universal language of music, the app is designed to help make people feel better.
We’ve seen a lot of these applications in recent years at CES – cars equipped with a camera assessing the driver’s state of mind – and distraction level. Another technique involves a smart watch designed to track blood pressure and other telling health metrics – like the one Paul is “driving” att CES 2022.
The other trend that may be taking shape involves technology companies creating their own branded vehicles. For years, that Apple Car has been rumored to be rolling off the assembly line.
Ostensibly, the vehicle would use one of the many “skateboard” chassis we now commonly see in West Hall at CES. They are the foundations of the electric car, allowing a company to bold on a body along with the electronics. The alleged Apple Car concept was said to be based on this model.
But while they’ve been dithering in Cupertino, Sony has partnered with Honda to created its own branded vehicle – on display in Central Hall this week. The Afeela is rumored to have PS2 built in, but we couldn’t get confirmation on that. Again, these vehicles require charging time, a perfect excuse to do some gaming while you wait.
The ways in which we interact with cars – and now how they interact with us – are changing. Many of the more transformative examples are on display at CES 2023 this week. I’ll continue to alert you to the changing car in a free webinar later this month, summarizing our experiences in Las Vegas this time around. Suffice it to say, there’s never been more flux about the ways in which we utilize what was once just thought of as “basic transportation.”
The car continues to be the fulcrum in the ongoing saga of how and where people are listening to radio. But as the car evolves it takes on a more important role in all our lives.
A sanctuary, a jokester, or a therapist.
Our cars.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- In 2024, The Forecast Calls For Pain - December 23, 2024
- Old Man, Take A Look At My Ratings - December 20, 2024
- In The World Of On-Demand Audio, How Do We Define Success? - December 19, 2024
Thanks for this post. Pretty amazing stuff.
I remember getting my first FM Converter, installing it in my ’73 Gremlin, and thought “wow!”
They may have to make AM converters soon, Jerry. And I had a friend who had a Gremlin – what a car!