Ford

General Motors, a pioneer in car-connectivity with its OnStar system, has fallen behind other automakers in the category (like Ford and its Sync system).

Now GM hopes to leapfrog other car makers by wiring 2014 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Opel, and Vauxhall brands in the U.S. and Canada with 4G mobile broadband technology.

This will not only give drivers and passengers connection at ten times the speed of current offerings, but makes the car itself a "virtual smartphone" (most competitors' systems, as well as GM's current MyLink system, pictured, require an actual smartphone be connected to the dash).  The Wall Street Journal reports GM will use AT&T as its 4G provider.

We can't wait to hear more about this and other matters related to in-dash delivery of Internet radio at RAIN Summit West, April 7 in Las Vegas. We'll feature a panel called "Dashboard Discussions" to tackle these issues. Get more info on RAIN Summit West here.

Read more from The Journal here.

We reported yesterday on metadata and music ID company Gracenote launching their developer program and giving access and tools for others to build services using Gracenote's data. Today GigaOm reports on Gracenote hacking a Ford Focus to get access to vehicle performance data -- and using that data in the car's entertainment system. The result: a car audio system that musically responds to your driving conditions!

At the Music Hack Day event in San Franciso last weekend, Gracenote engineers tapped a Focus' "Control Area Network." Using that info, Gracenote triggered the audio system to play different songs based on what the car was doing (windshield wipers on, accelerating over 50 mph, etc.).

While this "is hardly a mood-sensing stereo," GigaOm writes, "Where Gracenote takes this technology next will be very interesting. Imagine if you could plug this info into Pandora’s music recommendations algorithm... Once Pandora learns you like to listen to the Rolling Stones when on the open highway with the top down, it effectively starts learning your driving moods."

Read more in GigaOm, and see a demo video, here.

Tech news source Engadget awarded "best in show" accolades in nine categories to wrap up its coverage of the recent Consumer Electronics Show. Engadget's winner for "Best in Automotive" went to the Ford AppLink developer program for its SYNC in-dash system -- for which Ford selected jacAPPS as their House Developer for radio apps (see RAIN's coverage here).

JacAPPS is the division of Jacobs Media launched in 2008 to produce mobile apps for broadcasters (and other categories). They've created more than 750 apps for brands like WTOP/Washington, D.C., KIRO/Seattle, WEEI/Boston, WGN/Chicago, and 91X/San Diego.

"It is Ford's developer program that shows the most potential, however, enabling developers to easily upgrade their existing smartphone apps to interact with the company's SYNC AppLink," Engadget said. "Most important: it's totally free."

As James Cridland explains in MediaUK, "For a while (with Ford's SYNC), the only apps that you could control were the big ones - presumably iHeart Radio, Pandora, TuneIn, those types of things. Now, though, they're opening this up to any individually-branded app. So, if you've your own app, your station, too, can be in the 'home screen' of the car dashboard - and control your app through voice commands and the buttons on the steering-wheel. That's massive: since it opens up the car dashboard to anyone who wants to be there. Including your station."

See all of Engadget's CES "best in show" choices here. Read more from Cridland here.

Yet even more deals announced at CES this week to bring Internet radio to cars!

Chevrolet has added web radio tuning service TuneIn to its MyLink system to bring the app to MyLink-equipped Chevy Sonics and Sparks. The automaker demo'd the new feature at CES.

And we've mentioned Ford and its SYNC Applink system a few times today. The automaker announced it's adding streaming music service Rhapsody to more than a million Ford and Lincoln vehicles, via SYNC. This is Rhapsody's first full integration with an automaker. Last month (and thus, not related to CES), Spotify announced it would connect with fellow Swedish company Volvo for in-dash operability.

Finally, Livio demonstrated its new technology, called FM Connect, designed to allow in-car FM radio listeners to safely interact with FM broadcasters and sponsors from the dashboard via a Bluetooth-connected smartphone. Livio is reportedly exiting the car radio kit market.

The 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs today through Friday in Las Vegas, and we already have a torrent of announcements to report regarding in-car Internet radio.

The first is Ford Motor Company has named jacAPPS, the mobile app development division of radio consulting firm Jacobs Media, a "recommended mobile app development house" for its new Ford Developer Program. This means jacAPPS will develop, as well as work with other third-party developers, to create voice-activated smartphone apps for radio to work with Ford's SYNC AppLink.

The AppLink allows a driver to control digital apps from the steering wheel or using radio buttons. And while the audio entertainment available in such systems so far has been dominated by newer, digital services or apps that aggregate content, the new partnership "will allow AM/FM stations to have parity on the vehicle’s digital screen," says jacAPPS.

"Individual radio stations no longer have to be concerned about their place on the dashboards of 'connected cars' based on jacAPPS experience," read the jacAPPS announcement. "Beginning today, owners of Ford SYNC AppLink enabled vehicles will be able to access local radio station apps thanks to jacAPPS’ extensive experience working in radio to create mobile apps providing streaming capability and on-demand content services."

The company named broadcaster Greater Media its radio partner for the announcement. Sixteen of its station apps are now available with SYNC AppLink functionality.

The ReadWriteWeb blog counts podcast aggregator Stitcher, plus Pandora, Clear Channel, Spotify, and NPR "five companies that will define the future of radio."

It's through efforts like partnerships with automakers, battling for royalty reform, a third party app platform (Spotify), cross-platform availability, and APIs for other products that ReadWrite says will prove to be part of the formula for these companies' success.

"Under-the radar" upstarts like Shuffler.fm, the Hype Machine, SoundCloud, and The Echo Nest get "honorable mention" nods.

Read the blog here.