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XM/Sirius - I saw this story in today's Wall Street Journal about satellite radio. Both US providers are bleeding money and having trouble getting/keeping customers. Quote:

The problems are myriad, underscoring the fast-changing and fickle nature of the consumer-electronics business. In addition to not activating pre-installed car radios, or those given as gifts, customers who actually sign up don't always stick with the service. Many people are simply having iPod adapters installed in their cars and skipping satellite altogether, a concept that was barely on the horizon when the industry was young.

I almost had to laugh in reading the article. My new Jetta came with an XM radio which I've not signed up for. I asked if it had a simple audio line input, but no. So my radio does AM, FM, satellite, and has a built in 6 CD changer (where the CD's can be traditional or even hold MP3s). Yet no one with a clue thought of wiring in a simple $1 jack for an audio line input.

I'm one of the customers mentioned above who is simply having an iPod adaptor installed. As good as satellite radio might be, it's still someone else choosing the content. I think we're seeing a world where the consumer wants more direct control over what they listen to or watch. Since I now spend over 2 hours every weekday in my car, it's become even more important...

VW Jettas have an option for either XM or Sirius radios. I suspect that VW was incentivized to not put in a simple audio input adaptor. Currently I'm just using an FM modulator with the iPod, but this weekend I'm supposed to have a direct input installed. We'll see how it goes...