Rear-seat entertainment system

In-car entertainment (ICE), or in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), is a collection of hardware and software in automobiles that provides audio or video entertainment. In car entertainment originated with car audio systems that consisted of radios and cassette or CD players, and now includes automotive navigation systems, video players, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, Carputers, in-car internet, and WiFi. Once controlled by simple dashboards knobs and dials, ICE systems can include steering wheel audio controls and handsfree voice control.

Driven by the demand for more connected vehicles, in-car entertainment is getting more and more sophisticated. Car makers, electronics and software suppliers, as well as newcomers from the Silicon Valley (such as Google and Apple), work together and also compete to come up with infotainment systems that are user-friendly and safe to use. ICE systems are increasingly commonplace with newer vehicle models and several auto makers have developed their own systems: Ford with SYNC and MyFord Touch,Toyota with Entune, Cadillac with CUE (Cadillac User Experience), FCA with Uconnect, etc.

With the mass adoption of smartphones worldwide, a new issue has emerged: the use of connected devices in the car. According to a 2015 survey conducted by AT&T with a sample of over 2,000 US respondents, "7-in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving" including social media (40%), web browsing (30%) and even video chatting (10%). This raises safety concerns related to distracted driving and also pushes the automotive industry to integrate those devices in a safe manner. "Traditional" car makers increasingly rely on the software and electronics expertise of auto suppliers and technology companies to help them design such systems. Google and Apple's mobile OSs' making the bulk of the market, the two tech companies have developed projection modes (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay) to enable mobile devices to be operated in vehicles through the dashboard head unit so that the vehicle occupants don't manipulate their devices directly, use an interface they are familiar with, and spend more time with their eyes on the road.

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