The moral is high sales can be achieved with techno devices…..

Responsibility is so un-cool these days.

You don’t have to know how to stop safely in an emergency because we’ve got multi-channel, digital anti-lock brakes in place. Just mash the brake pedal like an idiot and hold it there. Don’t think. The car will save you.

As if the turn signal wasn’t already the most neglected feature on the car already, now you don’t even have to bother checking your mirrors before changing lanes. The car is watching out for you.

Should everything go wrong and, even though you’re one of the 90% of motorists on the road who considers him- or herself a “better than average driver,” you collide with another vehicle, you’ve got pre-tensioned seatbelts and forty-five different, multi-stage air bags in the car, so you’ll just open the door and walk right into the first attorney’s office you see.

Now there is all kinds of development to get media connectivity integrated into the vehicles. In a mad dash to satiate the mouth-breathing masses by an industry barely managing to stay alive, the focus will always be upon giving the consumers exactly what they want and doing so in a way that might be trademarked, as if auto manufacturers are in a position to work within the typically 18-month technology cycle.

There should be a focus on sensor technology as it relates to vehicle systems. Systems should (and are) provide more information relating to how conditions affect the overall vehicle. Not just a dummy light that says “Take it in for overpriced parts and mediocre service,” but informs the operator of what is happening. THEN contract with external organizations to develop integrated solutions which interact with the vehicle and serve up media when it’s safe to do so.

So much is being done to isolate the driver from the actual act of driving so that he can focus on his phone, MP3 player, Facebook status, or any other number of banal diversions. If this is the case, why not skip the focus on more iPod connectivity and just get the car to driving itself. Better yet, develop a car that joins with other cars to form a system of mass transit that idiots who have no interest in actually driving can stick to so those of us who drive are a little safer.

* A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

* A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

* Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel

Anything that takes the driver’s eyes from the road may cause harm. The idea of scrolling news headlines, email headers, or text messages while sitting in traffic is somewhat absurd.

Microsoft’s SYNC is to be applauded for it’s verbal interface. While it may be frustrating to learn to speak SYNCese, it’s well worth the effort. Extensions to this non-intrusive technology are welcome.

This past week, I had the pleasure of reviewing a 2010 Mustang Convertible. As I was driving, I had the urge to hear Sam and Dave’s “Mustang Sally” … I asked SYNC to cue it up, to no avail. I knew I owned a copy of the song *somewhere* … but it wasn’t on my iPod. How cool would it be to instantly download (or redownload) the song to the car?

We must not allow the purchase process to take place through a touch screen interface while driving.

“You do not have ‘Mustang Sally” on your current USB device. Would you like to download it from the network?”