More Information and Entertainment Come Into the Car

Smartphones permeate American society. They’ve become much more than communications devices, providing Internet access for mobile e-mail, texting, navigation and dozens of applications ranging from dieting and exercise to photography and literature.

New Offerings to Make the Automobile Smarter, More Efficient and More Entertaining

Only a few decades ago, most automotive systems were mechanical or analog. Carbureted engines, manual transmissions and knob-tuned AM radios were standard equipment. But even the most basic of today’s cars and trucks offer a cornucopia of electronic controls that improve functionality and the driving experience. New specialty-equipment devices ranging from telemetry for hands-free communications and satellite navigation to powertrain tuning software and radio-frequency links with the home provide an almost dizzying array of options even beyond the sophisticated creations delivered at showrooms by the carmakers.

The mobile-electronics displays housed in the North Hall of the annual SEMA Show have increased in number and scope every year, and many exhibits in other product categories—street performance, off-road, tools and equipment, you name it—derive some portion of their usefulness from high-tech components. In the following pages, we’ve cataloged the electronic offerings that were unveiled in the New Products Showcase during the 2012 event. Retailers in particular might want to examine the listings for items that will draw consumers and boost sales.