iPod: The Missing Manual, 7th Edition

Serious Car Audio Fans: The Custom Installation

Automobile manufacturers and car audio specialists have also fallen under the iPod's sweet siren song and are even making modifications to accommodate it—if they don't sell models that already include iPod connectivity. Apple has a list of car makers that support iPod connections at www.apple.com/ipod/carintegration.html (pictured below), where there's also a link to after-market solutions to retrofit your car's sound system for iPodding.

Here are a few other solutions to satisfy your mobile iPod audio needs:

• Alpine iPod Interface KCA-422i. This contraption is a simple cable that charges the iPod battery and displays song information on your car stereo's screen. The Alpine iPod Interface KCA-422i costs around $30 and works with a handful of the company's source units—the industry name for the dashboard stereo—which start at about $200. The Alpine iPod Interface is compatible with dock-connecting iPods and can be installed by an Alpine-authorized car audio dealer. Check out www.alpine-usa.com for more information.

• Pioneer CD-IB100II iPod Interface Adapter. This $50 box-and-cable device marries iPods to Pioneer car stereo systems tagged with the "iPod Adapter Ready" label. Once connected, the dashboard display even shows the iPod's track titles and lets you shuffle songs. You can get all the details at www.pioneerelectronics.com.