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In-car jukebox for the 21st century

The six-disc CD changer is already looking like an antique as cars are coming equipped with better ways to carry your record collection on board.

Plugging in your MP3 player
Plugging in your MP3 player
Pros: Works with any MP3 player or, for that matter, any player of any type
Cons: Only volume and on/off can be controlled through the car's knobs and buttons; for anything else, you have to pick up the music player

Many car companies today offer general-purpose audio input jacks that can be used with any portable music device.

This auxiliary jack usually looks just like the earphone jack on a music player. With a simple two-ended cable, you plug one end into the player earphone and the other into the auxiliary jack. You then just operate the player as if you were listening through your headphones.

The music is pumped out through the MP3 player's earphone jack and comes out through the car's speakers.

But songs or playlists have to be selected on the device itself and, if you want to pause the music or change the song, you have to do it on the MP3 player, not on your car stereo.


CDs

Connectors

iPod

Flash

Hard-drives

Bluetooth
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