If you are looking to improve your car this year, you can ignore the fuel injection, turbocharging, power steering and a simplified chassis - the new development that will enhance your trip is an iPad.

OK, it might be a little 'exaggeration to say Apple's vaunted computer tablet to help reshape the auto industry, but manufacturers are trying to cram more technology in vehicles, are looking for equipment such as iPad help.

Although dashboards of several cars of today are groaning devices such as satellite navigation, DVD and MP3 players, along with the interfaces of odometers traditional vehicles of tomorrow is likely to replace the lot with a single computer.

This year's Geneva Motor Show saw a number of new vehicles to be integrated in the dashboard iPad, especially the classic Volkswagen Caravan update, electric-powered microcar Microbus Pixel Guys and products in the Indian manufacturer Tata.

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IPad installation is part of a broader industry trend is Internet-connected computers for the vehicles, a move that offers seemingly limitless opportunities to pull the car into the digital age.

But in the race for the drivers connect to the Internet, it is feared that the impact of these distractions have on safety is neglected. And as fuel prices increase the cost of the car up, this technology will be dropped to save money?

The good news for gadget freaks is that computers are here to stay, "said Gary Wallace, ATX Group - a leading developer of automotive telematics devices (devices that send and receive information). They are not only attractive to buyers, he says, but also to ensure efficiency.

"People want entertainment options and want to be able to do what they can for other devices, whether its a laptop or an iPad or iPod or smartphone, in the car," Wallace said. "And it is certainly a driving force for the market."

When the connection to the Internet, he says, should be an option, not only to monitor the performance or to control certain vehicle functions Remote Desktop, but also to outsource functions such as satellite navigation and entertainment to another computer.

"We are considering several alternatives not carried, using the connectivity in the car to retrieve not carried entertainment instead of trying to jam in the center console, you throw the weight of the vehicle, which adds to fuel efficiency .. "

While automakers have begun to experiment with Internet access, full deployment depends on the arrival of the fourth generation of the call - or 4G - wireless networks that enable the data transfer speed of the vehicles required movement.

These networks - offers downloads up to 10 times faster than 3G systems using the latest smartphone - should start rolling by the end of the year in the United States. In some European countries such as Finland, have already begun limited testing.

But what about the security issue? Are the computers in the car means that drivers will be too busy biting your friend on Facebook to give attention to the road?

Alan Stevens, a researcher at the Transport Research Laboratory in England independent, said that while the automakers are taking very seriously the safety of consumers thirsty gadgets are less aware of the risks.

"There is certainly a zeal to bring technology into vehicles because it is something consumers are now looking - something like the iPod connector is more important than a second bag, he said.

Stevens said, the danger is not so much, installed by the manufacturer, but "after-market" or "nomadic" devices - such as mobile phones or navigation systems - purchased separately and installed the drivers.

For vehicles that use iPads or computers running Google's Android software, which you can download the application without the approval of the manufacturer that distract drivers from the task at hand.

"The point of these Internet devices is that they are very attractive, they pull you and they are not designed for tasks that can easily be chunked into half-second glances," said Stevens.

"It's partly physical, not looking in the right place, and his mental part of not having enough spare capacity to cope with unexpected situations."

That said, technological innovations to come on the market are related to improving vehicle safety. No less vocal control functions developed by several manufacturers, including Ford, who began his "timing" of the system in Geneva.

There's more to come after Wallace, with cars that have been developed that can inform the insurers when they are involved in accidents, save money by accelerating the process requirements.

The systems are also being developed by General Motors and BMW, which can alert the emergency services, assess how serious the accident. These can also be integrated into electronic health records.

But as technology advances, not all are here to stay. Wallace says some appliances, devices presents data traffic in real time, can fall from grace.

And as magnetic tape drives and cartridges a lot, eight tracks and drives the car (which existed briefly in 1950) before him, IPAD could soon lead to sunset.

Posted in Gadgets and technology