With the advanced technology of smart phones, you can use them to download music, send texts and take photos. You can also use MP3 players to organize music by category. Can you do such things from your car?

At 2007 car shows, high-tech accessories, including in-car infotainment systems, were unveiled for the first time. These systems interface through a Bluetooth and/or USB connection with devices such as cell phones, iPods and PDAs.

When these systems are installed, you can access and play music, listen to text messages and use voice commands to make telephone calls, using buttons mounted on your steering wheel. You can also tell your car what to play, whether it be jazz or 70’s music.

These types of accessories are new to the market, so keep the following in mind when looking at them:

  • Is it warrantied?
  • Is the system upgradeable since technology is expanding so rapidly?
  • Will you be getting a fair price based on the research you’ve done?