So I was going to lunch today with a bunch of guys from the office, and the new guy rode with me. He was commenting on the NewBeetle (first time he had been in one) and asked if I had the iPod option. Told him I bought a little early (darn!), and that although it would’ve meant a new iPod, it wasn’t really integrated with the bug in any way, so it’s a little half-hearted.

That got us off onto a conversation about MP3s in cars… I think it started off with the line “so why can’t any car stereo makers put a line-in jack on the front of their stereos?” A very good question, indeed. No answer, though, but nobody seems to do it, except on the very high end.

However, that got me over to a discussion of my ideal car stereo; an idea that’s been cooking for years. Basically a computer in your trunk (think small, tho), with a hard drive and a 802.11 wireless ethernet adapter. MP3 player hooked into the head unit, but when you pull into the garage it wirelessly syncs with your computer in the house where all your music is, pulling down the new stuff you’ve ripped since last they talked. Rendezvous in action.

When you consider how people consume music (especially me, especially in an MP3 world), the thought of dragging my computer (or at least my notebook) out to the car to put new music on it via a USB (read SLOW) cable, it just doesn’t make sense. With the prevalence of wireless ethernet and large hard drives, there really should be no excuse for this to all happen in the background, without my intervention, and just allow me to have access to ALL my music whenever I get in the car.

This is where Apple has finally found the sweet spot on the iPod. Basically there are two approaches. If you want the smallest MP3 player, get the iPod mini, the tradeoff being you have to manage your music a little. If you are out for the ultimate in convenience and can spare a little more cubic-inch-wise and only a fraction more weight, get a 40GB iPod and take it all with you. I haven’t run into anyone yet that has 40GB of (legal) music. I know they are out there, but gee whiz. I’ve got almost 500 CDs (all ripped onto my notebook) and it’s still just under 22GB.

But back to the car, I should just be able to think of my car as an iPod with wheels. Not have to take my iPod with me (I always have it with me, but it’s in my bag or the trunk or otherwise inconvenient to get, plus I’d have to plug it in and hope the battery is charged… ugh). I should be able to just turn the stereo on and have access to every CD I own, plus whatever’s coming in off the air.

And then if you take that one step further, why can’t I have my new fangled MP3 server in the trunk act like a radio TiVo? I should be able to not only pause live radio if I need to, but rewind it if I missed something. I should be able to hit a button when I am listening to a program I like and set it to record that program every time it’s on (so I can timeshift Rush to the drive home, for example, skipping the commercials, of course).

Keep thinking: then when I pull into the garage from the drive home, my car automatically syncs my recorded programs (with a marker where I paused it) to my network, so I can walk in the house and pick up where I left off. Or save it for later.

If I put bluetooth in the system, when my bluetooth-enabled cell phone rings the radio program (or music selection from my library) that I’m listening to pauses. When I end the call, it resumes, right where I left off.

Program guides for radio can be downloaded off the Internet during park-sync, so I can find a program when I don’t know the radio station it’s on (especially good for talk radio, or when I’m driving in a new town).

Of course, throw in the iTunes Music Store for acquiring new content electronically (music and audiobooks). I could locate a new audiobook or CD on the iTMS from my notebook while shaving, purchase it, and by the time I get in my car to drive to work it’s already there.

And the list keeps going.

I’ve just about convinced myself that it’s time to look at doing this again. I originally put together a business plan to pursue this over 4 years ago, and have had the idea for 7 or so. Now a lot of technologies have fallen into place and become ubiquitous, making it really a possibility. I’m surprised someone hasn’t even gotten close.

Remember, you heard it here first. If someone does do it before I get to, I won’t sue for stealing my idea, but I would like a free sample.