Add USB ports to cars for three reasons: 1. To allow all iPods and similar MP3 players to use the car's speaker system; 2. To allow the owner to use a laptop to diagnose the car; and 3. For reasons we haven't thought of yet (at least, I haven't).

Having a USB would allow my daughter to recharge her iPod while listening to it at the same time. Alternatively, she could play the ipod through the car’s stereo. A number of cell phones are now capable of charging through a USB. The current power points on cars are really just old cigarette lighters. For power and also data, the USB is a better type of "jack" or "plug" than a cigarette lighter.

Using the CD-ROM that would come with the car, one could use one's laptop periodically to run diagnostics and to make adjustments. Why should the dealer be the only person with a computer that can talk to the car? Having an idea of the problem before going to see the mechanic would give the owner knowledge/power. Finally, the “check engine” light would mean something.

Personal settings (seat height, mirrors, radio presets, gauge options, etc.) could be set and then downloaded onto a thumb drive. The "fit" process could begin with a series of dialog boxes on your laptop: how tall are you? What size shirt (sleeve length) do you wear? The seat and mirrors would adjust to a preset position from which the driver could tinker. Radio presets could include the terrestrial or satellite stations you like or the types of entertainment (news, jazz, rap) that you prefer. Aftermarket software, uploaded with the manufacturer's consent, would in some ways bring a Ford Fusion into the iphone age.

Imagine sitting behind the wheel and slipping in the thumb drive. All at once, as many settings as are supported begin to shift to be just the way you like it. This would work on your husband's car and on rental cars and zip cars. If your car at home is the top-of-the-line BMW but on this trip you rented a nice but uninspired Chevy, the rally-style suspension tuning might not be an option but your seat position should guarantee you a pretty good fit and save you a little hassle while you're trying to figure out how to get from the airport to your first appointment. There are proposed chip-embedded car keys which will allow each driver to record their preferences. This will be great for the car you own but what about the car you rent? What about a zip car? Having USB's standard on all cars and having an agreed nomenclature for basic settings across all manufacturers will increase ease and comfort, make renting a car more convenient, and even make shopping for a new car more convenient. BTW, the attributes that could be put on a teenager's thumb drive (dampened acceleration, all lights always on, dampening radio volume, to name a few) have me smiling as I'm typing.

USB ports should replace old cigarette lighters as power points on cars. They will allow for the transfer of both electricity and data. IPods and laptops should all be accessible while in the car. As for the personal-settings-on-a-thumb drive? Tens of thousands of people who travel on business or who use (or would like to use) a zip car, already want one.

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