New vehicles the latest platform for Apple tech

It’s hard to name a sector of our lives that hasn’t been permeated by Apple.

The one-time alternative desktop computer company has changed everything from the way we buy and listen to music to the way we organize our lives.

The iPhone created a whole new sector of consumer goods, terms like ‘app‘ and ‘smartphone‘ have become part of our daily lives.

But on one consumer front, Apple has been surprisingly silent. Despite the automobile industry’s movement in recent years to make the cars we drive our new personal plugged-in environment, Apple largely stayed out of the multi-billion dollar auto technology market — until now.

At the Geneva Auto Show in March of this year, the company unveiled a new product line known as Apple CarPlay — and like the iPhone and the iPad, it promises to be an industry game-changer.

Apple CarPlay connects with the iPhone to create a seamless interface between the smartphone and the vehicle.

Once connected, the CarPlay user has access to a touchscreen dashboard display nearly identical to the iPhone screen, complete with familiar icons such as phone, music, maps and messages. The driver can play music, make a phone call or use Apple iOS, apps, all via a touchscreen or voice activation.

The Lightning connector link that connects the iPhone to the on-board system also charges the phone at the same time.

With CarPlay, drivers will be able to use Apple’s Siri iOS assistant to make telephone calls, read emails and messages, listen to voicemail and more using hands-free technology.

The user will also be able to play an iTunes playlist or tap into music streaming apps such as Songza, Rdio and Spotify. But the real killer app for the new technology will likely be Apple’s mapping service. The highly connective technology can map out addresses from the phone’s contact list and show routes and destinations based on recent trips.

And unlike many current on-board navigation systems, it can also be operated hands-free with Siri. The Siri system also provides audible turn-by-turn driving instructions.

Along with the hands-free Siri interface and the touchscreen controls familiar to iPhone fans, CarPlay offers a third level of control by interfacing with the car’s own on-board knobs and controls as well.

Predictably, CarPlay technology is also expected to unleash a flurry of new apps geared specifically towards- drivers.

Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Mazda, Volkswagen and Honda are among a long list of car manufacturers planning to offer Apple CarPlay in upcoming models, while Volvo has already produced a series of television and Internet ads showing off the new system.

While CarPlay is sure to become a hot option for millions of iPhone users, Apple is actually not first out of the blocks with this kind of connectivity technology.

Google, a company that has stayed consistently ahead of Apple in the automotive technology market, introduced its own version for Android phones this year.