Carmakers to offer Internet radio as factory option

In-car multimedia specialist Blaupunkt is teaming up with Internet radio company miRoamer to unveil what they claim is the "world's first Internet car radio". The two companies state that the newly-developed system will enable drivers of vehicles fitted with Blaupunkt Internet stereos to tune into miRoamer's vast array of online radio stations from almost anywhere around the world.

The companies' claim of creating the world's first Internet radio for the car must be taken with a grain of salt, however, as Internet radio has been available in cars for a couple of years now - albeit not with such an elegant in-dash interface. For example, in 2007 Ford released a video showing how its SYNC system could be used in conjunction with a smartphone to access Internet radio in-car.

The new system from Blaupunkt and miRoamer promises to be easier to use, however, and that rather than linking devices via Bluetooth to the car, users can "access AM/FM stations or Internet radio’s thousands of music, entertainment, news and talk stations from around the world" by simply pushing a button.

Blaupunkt will be showing a couple of prototypes of the system at next week's Consumer Electronics Show, and the company also claims that the new stereo will be available as a factory-installed option on certain vehicles, although exactly which brands or models will be getting the system is still a mystery.

The new system will hopefully herald a consumer rush towards in-car Internet radio thanks to its simple interface and lack of third-party accessories needed. Summing up today's consumer mentality, miRoamer states that these days "users want to jump in their car and go – no pulling out third-party devices or plugging in cords to access their music and information".