Ford Dumps In-Dash CD

FORD DUMPS SOME CD PLAYERS: Ford is set to ditch its in-dash CD player in future automobiles. "In-car entertainment technology is moving digital more rapidly than almost any other element of the vehicle experience," said Sheryl Connelly, global trends and futuring manager at Ford Motor Company. "The in-car CD player—much like pay telephones—is destined to fade away in the face of exciting new technology." The company’s Focus will be the first model to go CD-free, part of a move towards integrated smartphone, USB and MP3-focused support. Ford has been pushing in-dash digital entertainment integrations through its SYNC system for some time, a shift that includes touchscreen support for apps like Pandora. Not every model is going CD-free immediately, though. "Ford will obviously continue to offer CD players while there is demand," said Ford multimedia manager Ralf Brosig. "However, over time we expect customer preferences will lead us quickly into an all-digital approach to in-car audio entertainment." (7/26a)