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"The quickest way to cook through just about any half-baked tech: Bring on the geeks!\nCase in point: Auto infotainment systems. Good intentions aside, even the most advanced (some might say: especially the most advanced) touch-screen car consoles can be unnecessarily difficult and distracting.\nSo I gotta give GM and Ford credit for realizing that basement hackers are probably their best hope at cracking this code. Earlier this year at CES, both auto giants announced that they were opening up their in-car infotainment systems to outside developers, who will be free to make apps and interfaces that can hopefully expand our cars' functionality, without sacrificing safety.\nThis is a big deal \u2014 and great news for just about everybody. Until now, in-car apps have typically been limited to a walled garden of hand-picked programs that offer unsurprising services such as music streaming and restaurant reservations. Yawn. For a development ecosystem to thrive, it needs fresh blood and ideas. Just imagine if the iPhone only had six apps, and three of them were music streaming. \nThe best part: The car companies actually seem serious about encouraging outside developers to come on board. When I spoke to a GM rep about the project, he pointed out that the company will offer developers access to basically all of the diagnostic info our increasingly smart cars are collecting \u2014 things like gas mileage, tire pressure, and speed.\nThis opens up a whole realm of possibilities for apps that can actually improve auto efficiency and safety. For example, if you're pulling in unusually low MPGs, an app could help you adjust your driving to get more miles out of your fill-up. An app could even keep tabs on a teenage dependent's driving habits \u2014 how fast and where they are driving \u2014 and then allow you to reward them with increased driving privileges for following the rules.\nThis is all a huge upgrade from the current cutting-edge infotainment systems. On a recent test drive of the 2013 Cadillac ATS, which comes with the CUE infotainment system, I was struck by how much of a tease the whole thing was. The car's interior is dominated by a bright, beautiful (though occasionally frustrating) capacitive touch-screen display.\nSEE ALSO: Can Gamification Make You a Better Driver?\n\nYeah, the CUE has some cool tricks up its sleeve. In particular, I appreciated its use of a smaller second screen directly behind the steering wheel that allows you to see important info without totally turning your head. It also claims to be the first infotainment system to use a capacitive touch screen, feature a proximity sensor that brings up UI controls when your hand approaches the screen, and to rumble back a light haptic vibration when you make a selection.\nThis is all cool stuff, but without a bunch of surprising apps to take advantage of the massive 8-inch screen, you can't shake the feeling that it's all teched up with nowhere to go. Once systems like Cadillac's get some outside app blood, their pretty faces could finally get a brain to match. \nBONUS: 2013 Cadillac XTS With CUE, Review\n\n\n2013 Cadillac XTS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac XTS, Front View\nXTS on its haunches, ready to pounce.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac XTS, Side View\nLook at those 20-inch wheels.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac XTS, 3/4 View\nThis attractive color is called Graphite Metallic.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac XTS, Back 3/4 View\nThose short windows look cool from the outside, but they hamper visibility from the interior.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac XTS, Rear View\nThe car looks quite muscular, especially from this low angle.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCUE screen\nYou can customize these icons to your liking. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCUE Screen\nThis is the default arrangement of icons if you swipe to next screen.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac XTS Phone Holder\nCheck out this perfect holder for a smartphone, where you can close the center console and still see part of the phone, which can remain plugged into the USB port.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac XTS Phone Holder, Closed Position\nLook at the iPhone peeking out from its holder.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAndroid Works Better\nMy Droid 4 quickly paired up with the CUE system, with wireless pairing of Pandora -- something the iPhone couldn't do without being plugged in.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\niPhone Attempt\nHere's the error message you get if you try to use Pandora wirelessly with a paired-up iPhone. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\niPhone Attempt\nAs soon as you plug the iPhone into the  USB port inside the center console, Pandora plays nicely. Note the absence of any song-skipping controls, though.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac XTS Center Console\nLook at the lovely interior. It's all leather, and stainless steel, with spectacular mood lighting at night.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCenter Stack\nLooks like a lot of buttons at first, but it's fairly easy to get used to. It's a lot like the center stack on the Chevy Volt.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWeather\nPush the weather icon, and ...\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWeather\n... you get a 5-day forecast as well as radar images. The car helpfully warns you about hazardous weather conditions when you start it.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHeated Steering Wheel\nHere you can see me pointing out one of my favorite features during our sub-zero testing: a heated steering wheel, which gets surprisingly hot in just a few seconds.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCadillac Seats\nThey're firm, sporty and comfy -- not like the Cadillacs from the olden days.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nInstrument Cluster Controls\nThe controls on the right let you customize the instrument cluster, and get different readings while you drive.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPerformance Layout\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBalanced Layout\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEnhanced Layout\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNeat Seats\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFancy Trim\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImage courtesy of Ford"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/02/13/car-app-development/>