Auto Tech 2006 - Cars Go Digital

The $7 billion U.S. mobile electronics market is revolutionizing digital technology in automobiles, with car manufacturers adding in-car computers, digital video, Car Telematics, GPS navigators, iPod-friendly gear, digital radios and other multimedia. This years Macworld 2006 Auto Show and last weeks Consumer Electronics Show featured some of the latest car technology that will help you "geek your ride."

"With more than 300 mobile electronics exhibitors, the International CES is the world's largest showcase for in-car technologies," said Karen Chupka, vice president of events and conferences at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the producer of the International CES.  more

Detroit's annual North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) opens to the public this Friday, but you can catch all the new cars, as well as the slick concept cars like this Camaro (Slideshow) today.

Taking digital entertainment for cars to a new level, and making its world debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, Nissan North America Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have merged automobile design (Nissan URGE - above) and gaming technology to create the first-ever fully integrated gaming system within a vehicle.

Equipped with the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Nissan URGE concept car allows drivers (while parked) to play "Project Gotham Racing® 3" using the car's own steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal while viewing the game on a flip-down seven-inch LCD screen. "PGR® 3" is developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Bizarre Creations Ltd. for Microsoft Game Studios.

more Nissan URGE details